Class week two

This week was all about sharpening.  We sharpened knives and chisels.  I started out with letting them use the chisels just out of the box.  To be fair, these were the cheapest chisels at the big box store.  They were sharp but not very sharp.  We used wet stones to put an secondary edge on them and then they used them again to see the difference.  They then used the Tormek sharpening system to sharpen knifes.  They Tormek system is great for grinding down the primary edge and honing the knife edge.  I like using the stones for the plane irons and chisels.  They were able to use the planes and chisels that I have to get a feel for how the tools handle when they are sharp.
I am learning that 2 hours ae not as easy to fill.  I may shorten the class down to 1 1/2 hours if I do it again, or combine more of the first lessons and reduce the length of the course down to 12 weeks.  The students really enjoyed using the tools.  From this point on they will be using sharp tools and the projects get bigger.  I don't know how happy my wife was happy that I did the lesson in the living room.

Class has Begun! Week One

The class has started.  The first week we went over the expectations and rules of class.  We went through the shop which is my garage.  I have five students and they seem excited even though the first lesson was kind of dry.  I only had one mishap.  I have all the September classes meeting on Saturday instead of Friday.  I guess I should have checked my dates before sending out the schedule.They all seemed excited and good at nailing their names in 2x4's.  The surprise was how well my younger son did.  He is not in the class because he is not old enough.  He was able to start and pound in his own nails.  I don't know how he will do with the rest of the projects.