How did your shop classes effect your life?

In 1943 when I started school WWII was in full swing.Anything and everything was rationed. There were no building supplies and schools had no money for anything except bare necessities. Along about 1946 or 47 the gov started getting rid of a lot of surplus tools and also buildings.I remember our school getting a gov building that was to become<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
our shop building. We also got some surplus tools and tables, Boy were we happy, until then all we had was a coping saw that was passed around to each student and were always told” be careful don’t break the blade”. Even something as small as a coping saw blade was hard to come by. If you had seen the tools we got from the gov you would have cried. Even experienced mechanics would have been weary.<o></o>
None of the tools had guards for belts or blades and most were worn out. Don’t you know OSHA would have loved it? I don’t remember many kids getting hurt and never anything that required more than a band-aid. But----- being a kid that had always been interested in any thing that had more than one part and especially something that was powered I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I look back now and realize that shop had a big impact on the direction of my life. I have a bookcase in my office that I made for my Mom when I was in the 6<SUP>th</SUP> grade. I am 71 yr<o></o>
old and this piece is still in good shape, I never liked going to school, much rather fish, hunt and build something. My parents did not stand for much
foolishness and so I went. I enjoyed shop a lot, I loved every minute of it, and also made good grades in other classes.Please share your stories about some of your experiences in shop.<o></o>
Hey, you guys that don’t post (like me), I am sure you have some good stories to share jump in here.<o></o>
Cal<o></o>

 

I earned a Welding Scholarship through my high school shop classes, and used it to pay for my 1st year of college at Kansas State.
Got a degree, and now earn enough to afford my habit, errr I mean hobby.

I'm a farm kid so I was very resourceful to start with, and very mechanically minded. High School shop changed bailing wire and ducttape fixes into more refined repairs, and taught a good bit of safety along the way.

I spent my 1st summer in college fabricating for Toro "Recycling Equipement Division" building prototype machines. Made AWESOME money, welding. And realized no matter what happened in life, I would always have a skill to fall back on.

There is hardly a weekend I am not behind the hood burning wire in.

 

While not a 'seasoned' as you(I turned 40 last year), shop was a great experience for me. We did woodshop, metal shop and had a semester when I was a freshman that we tore down and re assembled a B&S single cylinder small engine.

I learned a lot in the woodshop, but the metal shop we learned about the different welding processes and drilling and threading parts. I still use the things I learned there. The teacher was great. He was into dune buggies and aircooled VW engines so there was always one there to look at when I should have been paying attention to what the lesson for the day was.

Great memories for me.

 

In 8th grade shop we actually got to build sand molds and do casting, resin forging/stamping along with mill work and wood work. We also learned "shop math" and the basics of blueprint reading. Mr Carter, my IA teacher would stay after school and teach us "advanced kids" as he called us, all kinds of useful things. I still use many of those skills to this day, even blind. Those days are sure as hell gone from our educational system, and its a shame. Sue happy parents shut that program down. Some screwoff idiot spiit on a hot crucible during a pour and shattered it getting him some hot aluminum on him. And they sued the school and won if you can believe it. By the time I was a junior in high school all the IA they had in junior high was wood shop with the teacher doing all of the cutting. Mr Carter retired, and that was a huge loss.

The part of the the day I looked forward to the most.

 

truthfull? well i took 3 years of auto body in highschool. in 1980 i had a 72 gran torino, that car got the hell beat out of it. shop was just my personal off site bodyshop to fix my car after a weekend of hard living, it got painted at least once every 2 months. i did learn quite a bit, and my autobody teacher is still with us. he comes to my shop now and hangs out. just like most things in my life it turned out to be of more use than i ever gave it credit for.

 

Shop classes? Oh yeah, those were good days, surrounded by all the mechanical items and some were an outright mystery! Looking back I did not appreciate our shop teachers enough, those guys putting up with us young knuckleheads! WOW! I couldn't do it! It changed my world as I was a gearhead at midway thru my 12th year of life and bought my first car right before my 13th B-day( a '57 2drhtp Bel Air) and modifiying it was a result of the skills learned thru shop classes, metal shop, FFA . Thanks to all the shop/vo-ag teachers out there, this hobby is proably rooted deeper from those expierences then most realize.

 

We had an Aviation and Technology class in High School and that has really come in handy at times here and there. I only took Autoshop for and easy grade since my Dad(RIP) was a Mechanic and always let me help on any jobs he brought home.
Woodshop also came in handy, I can make a killer birdhouse!
Metal Shop was really cool and taught me how to use tools properly and make killer Kung Fu Stars!

I wish he had a body shop class, but we didn't, and now that I work for a Community College, I am going to take those classes!!

It is never too late to take Shop Classes

 

It was the late 50's and like most of my buddies I hated high school and barely graduated with a D average or lower. The only bright spot was 3 hours a day of autoshop for my last 2 years. Our instructor used a flathead ford V8 motor to demonstrate and teach and we took that thing apart and put it back together a couple times a week. The misfits and screwups got tool room duty and everybody gave them tons of grief which helped keep me from being too damn crazy but I was out there on the fringes. We drove hotrods and were greasers and the rest were considered "soshes" for socialized nerds and they drove their daddy's cars to school or the rich kids drove t-birds and vettes. Auto shop is where the really cool guys hung out and we had one girl in our class that was one of the boys and she could wrench and scrap with the best of us. Great times and the only real good memories of high school I have.

 

I never was exposed to metal work but was fascinated
by it.Every thing I got to build was nailed together.
Before the was such a thing as a go-cart I took an old
soap box racer and put an old Maytag washing machine
hit&miss motor on it.Every thing nailed on, ran and chased it a million miles when my buddies got to drive
and also drove many miles,boy did we have fun. I see
the ads on TV telling kids to get out and play an hour a day.I was always out at first light so as not to waste a minute, Mom would say "be in before dark"
Those were the days, makes me grin ear to ear.
Cal

 

My first shop teachers real name was Mr. Hammer.
First project was a DC motor from band iron and hand wound armature.
Still have the screw driver I made there.
It was called Industrial Arts in my school. Even then (the '60's) IA was losing favor, "higher education" was fast becoming the buzz word.
Shops full of tools and machines have always seemed like a playground to me!

 

I was too dumb to know what I was missing... years later after getting out of the Navy was when I realized how much help those classes would be... especially machine shop. Perhaps I missed my calling? Gary

 

The first time I saw a Bridgeport was in 7th grade industrial arts class. I knew then I was going to be a machinist and have my own shop one day. 10 years later I opened my shop, it's been 24 years now.
It was the only thing I was good at in school, I do wish I would have paid more attention in math class now!

 

I won the state FFA Welding contest 2 years in a row. I built a stock trailer in welding class in 1979 for the FFA. But my dad is really the one who taught me how to weld. I'm a certified high pressure pipe and tank and structural welder but haven't done any of that in a few years

 

I lived for shop class. Used to bring in all my pet projects. Was even in a work share program where I would go to a company and get on the job training a few hours a week - that was pretty cool. The problem was I had no focus.

The classic line he told me and I will never forget was "Be careful you don't become a jack of all trades and master of none" That really hit home and I picked a vocation and went on to college.

 

I guess in my case I'd have to ask "how did NOT having shop classes affect my life"...I went to a school that was all books and no shop. My buddies got to take shop classes and I would learn from them and my dad. I went to work in a body shop when I was just old enough to drive...went from sweeping floors, to tearing down wrecks, to slinging lead, and then it was time for Viet Nam.

 

4 years of woodshop taught me to keep your hands away from things that will cut them off and always wear safety glasses.

after reading many of the injury posts here on the HAMB I'd say more people should have taken woodshop in high school.

 

Was taught arc welding from my dad.

My middle school shop teacher was nicknamed Poo Bear. You wouldn't call him that, back then teachers could "handle" the students. I was witness to some great shop smack downs.

I wasn't "allowed" to do the mechanic/body work classes we had in high school. My buddies did so I got what I could from them. I was "allowed" to take geometry, physics, and chemistry which effected my life in a different way.

Luckily I was in FFA and the teacher was a neighbor of mine. Farm life...

 

Was very fortunate to have an ind.arts teacher that also raced a fed on the weekends.Was a vocational class so we had two hours a day.Learned all aspects of metal working and built lots of projects for general public.Can honestly say i would not be were i am today with out his direction.Burl

 

It affected me enough to want to be a shop teacher. Been doing that for 24 years now.

You can always tell when the school was built by the size of the shops. I taught at a high school built in 1949 and had 6000 square foot auto, metal, and wood shops. Most if not all equipment is government surplus. Schools now are lucky to have a 2000 square foot wood shop in them.

WC

 

I loved my shop classes so much I stayed on the Vocational studies program all the way thru High school..Got to know all the Shop Teachers very well and loved every minuet of it.
I used to go back about once every 2 or 3 years just to see how they were doing and if they were still there..now out of school for over 28 years..im sure alot has changed

 

pretty much screwed around in every shop class i ever took, got enough done just to get by. but i did learn alot, learned to mig, tig & stick weld, use a lathe, end mill, bridgeport, cnc... still cant braze.

my buddies and i were usually in the corner brewing up a new idea. like when we were supposed to be tearing a lawnmower motor down and putting it back together. well we had that sucker torn down and put back together the first day, so we took the head over to the end mill and cut it down to run on alcohol. it worked, we made a splitfire plug for it too since that was all the rage in 1990, and our classmates loved it. what else, traction bars for my camaro, header, cam, clutch swaps, whatever we needed done for friday night.

for some reason we were making bombs in first hour shop too. imagine that today. i recall a few close ones where we would take glass dr. pepper bottles with the screw on cap, put @ an ounce or two of drain cleaner in with some tin foil and seal it up. we'd put that sucker outside the back door under the wood chip collector that always had a pile of saw dust around it. well there was this friend of mine (which i still have today) that came close to gettin it many mornings being late.

 

I was 54 years old when I went to a small com college
Took a course in machine shop. Went and bought an old
Southbend belt drive lathe and Jet mill.Started building
English wheels I have been some what successful and love every minute of it.The greatest part is all the talented guys that I have met, telling lies and sharing ideas.
The older you get the more you look back and thank
all those people that had the patience to work with
you.
Post some the stories of things you built.
Cal

 

Both Industrial Arts and AG shop were great. We learned a lot and got to create neet stuff. One day in AG shop a guy was welding with fire crackers in his front pocket. The welding sparks lit the fire crackers and the guy went dancing around like crazy with a large hole in his shirt. Before this he was a tough guy after he was just one of us.

 

I LOVED SHOP CLASS. I don't know if it was real or just my imagination but I recall that both the shop teachers took a liking to me - no really they did

Anyways - I tried my best and always had a neat (to me) project I wanted to make.

I remember in Jr. High Metal shop the teacher Mr. Barry was a "tough bird" - he had to be because of the kids and potential danger - everyone was a little leery of him - he demanded respect and got it. Anyways somehow I got him to get me out of studyhall everyday- and I had the free run of the entire metal shop - no waiting. Man were those the days - I had double the shop time of most!!!

There's only a handful of teachers whom I remember well nough to recall their names, but I'll never forget my favorite shop teachers - Mr. Gordos and Mr. Barry

I think of them from time to time - thanks for bringing this up!!

 

Amen to that. . .and hopefully, I'll be taking some of those classes this year.

My experience was vastly different, because I'm a woman.

I was not allowed, repeat, not allowed to take anything other than the required one quarter of woodshop in junior high (which all students took, regardless of gender). When I attempted to sign up for metal classes the following semester, I was told flat out that "shops are too dangerous for girls."

They required, nay, forced me to take Home Ec.

I already knew how to cook and sew, and didn't see any point in taking a class to learn crap I already knew. And I sure as hell didn't think it was fair that simply because I was a girl that I was relegated to taking a cooking and sewing class, again.

I was so angry, as were my parents (my Dad is a master woodworker, he was livid that they wouldn't let me take more wood/metal classes, especially since I'd been helping out at home my whole life), that we went to the school board.

I made the case that, in fact, that the Home Ec classroom was infinitely more dangerous than shop. Apparently, little things like boiling water, knives, ovens turned up to 500 degrees to broil, steam irons, scissors, and sewing machines aren't "dangerous," even tho one's "saftey equipment" is little more than a pot holder and a prayer.

I lost my case. Was told to return to the Home Ec. class.

A couple of days later, I accidently (swear it was an accident), I sewed thru my finger. Took a picture of the needle sticking out of my finger to show the school board how "safe" their domesticity classes were.

They weren't impressed.

I had to stick it out, and practically failed the class.

So, this year, as I embark on my 40s, I've decided to take those dayum shop classes they wouldn't let me as a kid.

I'm gonna learn how to weld. Never too late to show the bastards, is it?

 

the IA teacher gave me detention the first day of high school and was a creep the rest of the time. so I hated wood shop and wood working but i took small engines as soon as I could. took ag. classes as long as they were offered and 2 yrs of auto shop the teacher was the best teacher I ever had and deserves many thanks for what he taught me about all things mechanical and life in general. looking back I really lacked focus and paid for it later on. autobody wasnt offered or i would have taken that also there were classes for hot metals welding and cold metals machining i wish i would have taken them but i couldnt work them into my schedule, damn math, english, science and social studies

 

Thank You MissPrint
I have short term metal classes and believe me Ladies
have more paitence and a good understanding of metal
work. You go for it you will do good and enjoy alot.
Good Luck
Cal

 

I had to fight to take shop classes too, they told me I was too smart to do that. I persevered and had a great time.

We all made shoe shine boxes in 7th grade, not sure what happened to it. Only a few guys got to use the power saws, they cut out everything for the rest of the class. 8th grade was metal shop, we made things that I still have like a screwdriver, tool tray and of all things, an ash tray that we sand casted from old Corvair pistons. Some of the guys would heat things up in the furnace and leave them around for people to pick up. One guy with long hair got it caught in a drill press and left a trail of blood down to the nurse's office.

I took a break from shop until my senior year which was transportation shop. I first learned how to arc weld there. We did all sorts of things such as rebuilding car and boat engines. One guy was a clammer and dunked his brand new Evinrude 135 in salt water. The insurance coughed up some big $$ and we spent a month rebuilding it from the ground up. The shop had 2 outboard tanks, one would handle almost anything.

The shop teacher was great and could fix anything that came through the door. We replaced a pair of Chevy engines for someone's boat, the dealer dropped off some new crate motors, the boat yard dropped off the old engines. We did the entire conversion, heat exchangers, manifolds, the works. One heat exchanger had to be re-tubed and we cut the end off it and did it, brazed it back together and it worked. The rich guy with the boat catered a big party for the shop when it was done.

I did learn a lot and the next 2 years I spent in Automotive college, right in time for the first gas crunch.

My kids have taken shop classes and liked it, but it wasn't the greaser haven that it was in my day.

Bob

 

After seeing my shop teacher's hands missing parts of fingers, I knew then to keep my hands away from moving objects!

 

after sanding a fingernail off in woods class i decided it wasnt for me. After getting a finger smacked by the chuck of a metal lathe i decided that wasn't for me either. Auto's class i didn't get hurt in