Shop Teachers

First period- woodshop.
Teacher- Roger Wood. (!)
Cool guy, great instructor.



"Tom Watson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
> Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher went by the name of
> Mr. Hoot - and that was his real name, too - now, ain't that a . . .
> never mind.

My shop teachers, with the exception of metal shop in Grade 7 (my great
uncle Ike was the teacher... He treated me like every other kid in the
class -- with respect and firmness), were universally forgettable.
Can't recall one of their names, and of the wood projects I made, the
horribly ugly salt and pepper shaker set I turned on the lathe are all
that remain. I vaguely remember a plaque of some kind, and of course
vividly recall touching the table saur blade with the tip of my left
index finger.

djb

--
There are no socks in my email address.

"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati"

In my last high school years we'd gone through 3 different shop teachers.
Mr. Aspacher (I noticed if one removed the 's' and 'r' it spelled Apache,
but he didn't look like any indian I ever saw). Mr. Harbison & Mr. Hofacker
(you can imagine the change that name went through when we talked about him
behind his back). I remember building a bookcase that turned out not to be
square when I tried to attach glass doors. I think I got a D on that one.
Aren't these ramblings fun?
Cheers.
Joe kb8qlr



--
Be sure to check-out our webpages...
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New pictures & links being added frequently.

Tom Watson wrote:

> When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
> Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher went by the name of
> Mr. Hoot - and that was his real name, too - now, ain't that a . . .
> never mind.
>

My shop teacher in High School was named Mr. Stoner. No joke. Didn't look
like a stoner, but was one hell of a shop teacher. Of course he would get
aggravated at me when I used all of the little tricks my dad had taught
me( having started woodworking at around 5 or so he had a lot of them). We
finally came to an agreement that I would only do those things at home. I
ended up making two very nice endtables under his watchful eye. A walnut
one with Queen Ann legs and a cherry Shaker style table with a dovetail
drawer(my favorite).

Anyway Mr. Stoner would rant and rave about some of the students not
trying or paying attention (normal teacher stuff) and we always figured
"Bah he's just a shop teacher, what does he really know". He once had us
sharpen a chisel from the year before. Ugly, nicked, uneven, and beat up
but we couldn't start work on any project until the face had no "facets",
the edge was square and it shaved the hair from his arm. I think it took
me two or three full class periods! I have a sharpening deficiency, a big
one.

Come to find out he had his own shop in the Amish Village in Lancaster Pa.
Pretty big tourist attraction area and he did a good bit of business.
After I graduated and went into the Air Force I went back and took a look
in his showroom. Quite impressive. He was an outstanding woodworker! Found
out that he just liked to teach! Lucky me! He ranks right up there in a
tie for the best teacher with Mr. Dull. Once again, no joke, but that's a
story for another group!

Andy Dingley wrote:
> And the head mutters to the teacher - "shop bought"

I gotta know. As someone who told his principal, a Marine 1-star, to
put the toad-sticker away or I'd show him how to use it, did you call
him a liar in front of everyone and have your Dad come down and chew him
a new one. Sorry childhood issues.
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

My HS wood shop teacher also taught print shop for a couple of periods per
day. The federal authorities actually came to arrest him at school because
he and several students were using the school print shop to print up phony
draft cards. This was in the mid-late '60s.

Glen

"Andy Dingley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 20:01:45 -0500, Tom Watson <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
> >Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher [...]
>
> Christmas in primary school (year something - I'm about 8) early '70s.
> Each table in the classroom is getting ready for the Xmas party. We
> have to make some artsy-crafty table decoration.
>
> So mine is pretty good. Spent weeks making it. Fretsawn Santa-sleigh
> in clear Perspex, with an embedded music-box. Looks like Disney
> set-dressing for some sort of Snow-Queen Singing-Ringing-Tree
> (Google, furrit ya bas')
>
> I'd spent weeks making this thing. Well, I hadn't. My Dad had - almost
> certainly most of it. I _had_ been given my Xmas prezzie fretsaw
> early, and I did do some little sawing on it. But the important thing
> is that I'd been "involved" in it, to whatever extent an 8 year old
> can be.
>
> Maybe I sawed out one little Perspex zig-zag in the runners, maybe Dad
> did the rest. He certainly designed the thing. But the important fact
> is that I saw it being made. I now have irrevocably in my mind that
> you _can_ make things. One guy sets to with a simple hand tool, then
> after a whole while you've made something. No factories involved. No
> marketing either. And from that follows me building my own house. At
> least once so far.
>
> And then to the judging. Our headmaster (principal) walks around
> sniffing (he wasn't a pupil fondler, but his son was). My class
> teacher does much the same (in later years I went to his funeral -
> first time I'd seen a fondled pupil _literally_spit on someone's
> grave). I disliked one, and hated the other (humiliation rather than
> fondling, but I saw what he did to Joanne E. anyway).
>
> So they look at my Xmas decoration. It's tacky crap, but it's _my_
> tacky crap, and for an 8 year old it's pretty damn spiffy,
>
> And the head mutters to the teacher - "shop bought"
>
> You fucker. I'm going to walk down Dante's circular Hell and find your
> particular bolgia, just so that I can shove a pointy stick right where
> it hurts.
>
> Of Great Traumatic Childhood Events, we're well into single digits and
> somewhere near the Top 3.
>

Tom,
Good thing you're not in the public school system in my County these
days. I could fill up the ng with horror stories. The only good thing
I can say is that once and while I ran into a good teacher who cared
whilst the youngun's where coming up. Although I could count them on
one hand and still operate a pushstick.
I'm planning to foot the bill to get my grandson through parochial
school. As far as work, I'm teaching him that. He's already acclimated
around the shop.
Mark

Tom Watson wrote:

> When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
> Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher went by the name of
> Mr. Hoot - and that was his real name, too - now, ain't that a . . .
> never mind.
>
> My project of choice was a half-hull model of a boat that I had read
> about in a book called, "Sailing Alone Around The World", by Joshua
> Slocum.
>
> For any of you who haven't heard of it, and it don't matter if you're
> into boats or not, that book is a helluva read. This was back in the
> day when boys read 'Adventure Stories' and Slocum's book really fit
> the bill.
>
> She was beamy and she was meant to be sailed flat. This was not one
> of yer fake clipper ship looking pond sailer things but a real
> deepwater boat that was made to go 'round the world - the boat was
> damned near as round as the world itself.
>
> Old Slocum prolly put as much thought into the design of the "Spray"
> (such was her name and 'twas a good name for such a boat, which became
> obvious when trying to point too close to the wind) as that Lindberg
> fella had put into "The Spirit Of Saint Louis", which prolly had
> better characteristics to windward.
>
> Now, the book had the loftings in it for the boat and I faithfully
> transcribed them onto graph paper. I asked Mr. Hoot for a fine
> grained wood to cut out my project and he gave me a wonderful stick of
> cherry.
>
> I taped up the cut lines to the squared up board and had at it with
> the bandsaur. I've always liked bandsaurs and feel very comfortable
> with them. I guess Mr. Hoot was less comfortable with me working the
> bandsaur than I was and he had me cut way outside my intended lines,
> so as not to run my adolescent digits too close to the blade.
>
> Well, I had a lot of rasp work to do as a result and our shop did not
> have proper rasps, but things that were more like metal files.
>
> I got marked down for taking so long to get the final shape on the
> half-hull model.
>
> I also got marked down for making "a really ugly boat hull, that don't
> even look like a proper boat hull".
>
> At the end of our time together, Mr. Hoot said to me, " Watson, it's a
> good thing that you are in the college prep track, because you would
> never make it working with your hands".
>
> Well, I did go to college. I went to college on my earnings from
> being a carpenter.
>
> I went on to have my own cabinet shop and make some pretty nice stuff
> for some pretty nice people.
>
> I still have the half-hull model of the Spray.
>
> It looks exactly like the half-hull model of the real Spray.
>
> Yeah, she's beamier than most boats and prolly looks funny to some
> folks.
>
> But, you would think that a shop teacher would have understood.
>
> I wonder what ever happened to Mr. Hoot?
>
>
> Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret)
> Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
> Website: http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 20:01:45 -0500, Tom Watson <[email protected]>
wrote:

>When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
>Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher [...]

Christmas in primary school (year something - I'm about 8) early '70s.
Each table in the classroom is getting ready for the Xmas party. We
have to make some artsy-crafty table decoration.

So mine is pretty good. Spent weeks making it. Fretsawn Santa-sleigh
in clear Perspex, with an embedded music-box. Looks like Disney
set-dressing for some sort of Snow-Queen Singing-Ringing-Tree
(Google, furrit ya bas')

I'd spent weeks making this thing. Well, I hadn't. My Dad had - almost
certainly most of it. I _had_ been given my Xmas prezzie fretsaw
early, and I did do some little sawing on it. But the important thing
is that I'd been "involved" in it, to whatever extent an 8 year old
can be.

Maybe I sawed out one little Perspex zig-zag in the runners, maybe Dad
did the rest. He certainly designed the thing. But the important fact
is that I saw it being made. I now have irrevocably in my mind that
you _can_ make things. One guy sets to with a simple hand tool, then
after a whole while you've made something. No factories involved. No
marketing either. And from that follows me building my own house. At
least once so far.

And then to the judging. Our headmaster (principal) walks around
sniffing (he wasn't a pupil fondler, but his son was). My class
teacher does much the same (in later years I went to his funeral -
first time I'd seen a fondled pupil _literally_spit on someone's
grave). I disliked one, and hated the other (humiliation rather than
fondling, but I saw what he did to Joanne E. anyway).

So they look at my Xmas decoration. It's tacky crap, but it's _my_
tacky crap, and for an 8 year old it's pretty damn spiffy,

And the head mutters to the teacher - "shop bought"

You fucker. I'm going to walk down Dante's circular Hell and find your
particular bolgia, just so that I can shove a pointy stick right where
it hurts.

Of Great Traumatic Childhood Events, we're well into single digits and
somewhere near the Top 3.

"Tom Watson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

<cute childhood ramblings snipped>
>
> I wonder what ever happened to Mr. Hoot?
>

He's probably doing 7 - 15 for child molestation.

OR
He joint the preisthood and became a Bishop.

:)

Myx

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 01:09:32 GMT, "Myxylplyk" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"Tom Watson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
><cute childhood ramblings snipped>
>>
>> I wonder what ever happened to Mr. Hoot?
>>
>
>He's probably doing 7 - 15 for child molestation.
>
>OR
>He joint the preisthood and became a Bishop.
>
>:)
>
>Myx
>

That just isn't called for.

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 01:09:32 GMT, "Myxylplyk" <[email protected]>
wrote:

><cute childhood ramblings snipped>


I beg your pardon?

These were meaningful interfaces with figures of authority that no
doubt had a tremendous impact on my self-esteem and had a leveraging a

ffect in leading me to a distropic, misanthropic understanding of the
world, which resulted in my spending many years in pursuit of
non-social goals and have, no doubt, engendered a mistrust of my
fellow man to such a degree as to be actionable - and that to a level
of economic deprivation that has made me wish to curry favor with
personal injury lawyers to the tune of thirty percent of the the money
that would result from the lawsuit that would most surely result from
such a bald case of those-people-not-really-liking-me and I'm here to
tell you that this kind of shit can not go on as it is tooo damaging
and I am fullly awarrre of myyy rigtyys and ithlskltjlwejlwkerwjelr .
. .

aaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh ! ! !


(why don't we just try to forget about Spellcheck on this one)


Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret)
Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 20:01:45 -0500, Tom Watson <[email protected]>
brought forth from the murky depths:

>When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
>Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher went by the name of
>Mr. Hoot - and that was his real name, too - now, ain't that a . . .
>never mind.

My wood shop teacher's name was Mr. Workman. He also taught
me metal shop and then basic aviation over 't the high school.



>I taped up the cut lines to the squared up board and had at it with
>the bandsaur. I've always liked bandsaurs and feel very comfortable
>with them. I guess Mr. Hoot was less comfortable with me working the
>bandsaur than I was and he had me cut way outside my intended lines,
>so as not to run my adolescent digits too close to the blade.

I liked the bandsaur, too. I made the walnut crescent lamp. I
let Mom toss it when she moved last year. A drop had broken it
in two and Dad did a Nahm special when regluing it. That special
yellow smear we've come to know and love on NYW, kwim,v?


>But, you would think that a shop teacher would have understood.
>
>I wonder what ever happened to Mr. Hoot?

<sniffle> Careful, Tawm. Someone'll give you the clap for posting
that kind of story.


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Ahhhh... Who gives a hoot?

Too good to pass up


On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 20:01:45 -0500, Tom Watson <[email protected]>
wrote:

>When I was a sprout, 'bout Junior High School (weren't no 'Middle
>Schools' in them days) I had a woodshop teacher went by the name of
>Mr. Hoot - and that was his real name, too - now, ain't that a . . .
>never mind.
>
>My project of choice was a half-hull model of a boat that I had read
>about in a book called, "Sailing Alone Around The World", by Joshua
>Slocum.
>
>For any of you who haven't heard of it, and it don't matter if you're
>into boats or not, that book is a helluva read. This was back in the
>day when boys read 'Adventure Stories' and Slocum's book really fit
>the bill.
>
>She was beamy and she was meant to be sailed flat. This was not one
>of yer fake clipper ship looking pond sailer things but a real
>deepwater boat that was made to go 'round the world - the boat was
>damned near as round as the world itself.
>
>Old Slocum prolly put as much thought into the design of the "Spray"
>(such was her name and 'twas a good name for such a boat, which became
>obvious when trying to point too close to the wind) as that Lindberg
>fella had put into "The Spirit Of Saint Louis", which prolly had
>better characteristics to windward.
>
>Now, the book had the loftings in it for the boat and I faithfully
>transcribed them onto graph paper. I asked Mr. Hoot for a fine
>grained wood to cut out my project and he gave me a wonderful stick of
>cherry.
>
>I taped up the cut lines to the squared up board and had at it with
>the bandsaur. I've always liked bandsaurs and feel very comfortable
>with them. I guess Mr. Hoot was less comfortable with me working the
>bandsaur than I was and he had me cut way outside my intended lines,
>so as not to run my adolescent digits too close to the blade.
>
>Well, I had a lot of rasp work to do as a result and our shop did not
>have proper rasps, but things that were more like metal files.
>
>I got marked down for taking so long to get the final shape on the
>half-hull model.
>
>I also got marked down for making "a really ugly boat hull, that don't
>even look like a proper boat hull".
>
>At the end of our time together, Mr. Hoot said to me, " Watson, it's a
>good thing that you are in the college prep track, because you would
>never make it working with your hands".
>
>Well, I did go to college. I went to college on my earnings from
>being a carpenter.
>
>I went on to have my own cabinet shop and make some pretty nice stuff
>for some pretty nice people.
>
>I still have the half-hull model of the Spray.
>
>It looks exactly like the half-hull model of the real Spray.
>
>Yeah, she's beamier than most boats and prolly looks funny to some
>folks.
>
>But, you would think that a shop teacher would have understood.
>
>I wonder what ever happened to Mr. Hoot?
>
>
>Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret)
>Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
>Website: http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1


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