Woodworking merit

Last year we took a trip to the woods cut down some cedars made lumber. Made 3 projects out of it. Found out it was the Woodworking merit we did. A lot of work but do able.

I was wondering. How many of you do a wood working project with your boys besides Ranger Derby?

Through experience too much of anything is too much. So I try and break the wood working in in the fall months. Ranger Derby crafting in the Winter months.

What projects have you done? What did you find out along the way?

Mark Jones

We didn't do derby this year. When I was younger we did a project with wood to build a napkin holder with a flat base, two dowels, and sliding bar with holes to fit over the dowels.

I'm planning FCF cases that will act as foot lockers and hold up 1 end of a cot style bed

Ya. I was talking wood working. Derby crafting is really craft type work. Crafts are fun. WE do those as well.

More looking for Woodworking type stuff.

RRCmdrBennett wrote:We didn't do derby this year. When I was younger we did a project with wood to build a napkin holder with a flat base, two dowels, and sliding bar with holes to fit over the dowels.

Strouds are you talking of making a foot locker box that incorporates a bed rail into it?
That would be a cool idea.

Right now we have 22 cots so no need for beds but it is a great idea. The foot locker boxes will take some oak. The pine boxes are a little light duty as they take a scratch real easy. I made 3 of them..but opted out for oak.

Mark Jones

strods wrote:I'm planning FCF cases that will act as foot lockers and hold up 1 end of a cot style bed

I have a delta 12" planner we have used extensively this past year for Rangers. The knives were getting really dull in it.
I picked up a Planer Pal and used it to set the planer knives in 10 minutes tops from taking them out to flipping the double edged knives around and then repositioning them.

That planer pal jig worked slicker than buttered bread! Even ran a test on it..it's smooth and much quieter. Wow I am impressed.

We have two planers now. Will be be making shavings or what!

Mark Jones

It's funny. I fretted about changing those blades for months... My factory blade gauage is no where to be found...everyone has lost them to asking on the web. At the local tool supply store I asked him about it and he walked around the corner and produced the planer pal.

I took one of the logs that was down to about 5" by 5" and used the jointer on one edge then ran the opposite edge thorough the old planer with the new knives. Man it was slick and smooth.

We will be chainsawing the logs down the middle and resawing the slag wood off the logs tonight in Rangers.

Mark Jones

Pinewood derby takes up too much time in our short 9-month year. We tried working on Saturdays, but the participation level dribbled away. In this economy, Dads are too busy trying to pay the bills. More recently, we did bird houses, but the tools and skill level are minimal.

While I don't consider Ranger Derby woodworking it's still a big deal around here. When I look around and see things deteriorating one of the signs is no Ranger Derby.

We do this on meeting nights and have a lock in for those that hit and miss.

I am talking, Planers, jointers, routers and such. More so advanced woodworking.

Last night I had the boys cutting the slag wood (white) off of the cedar logs. One feeds the other receives with a leader looking on. We have done about 20 logs now.

The boys are able to do a lot more than just cut paper and use paste glue like in sunday school classes. They get fired up when they are stepping up into the woodworking realm.

I wanted some of the boys to learn the strength of wood. I gave them a oak pallet to take apart.

Mark Jones

Had to sharpen the chainsaw blade another time after ripping about 12 logs. Learning how to sharpen them finally. It's easy.

Mark Jones

I'd love to one day have the facilities that you guys do so we could also do things like that. Very cool!

It starts with one step. Then another. Then trusting God for the increase.

One thing. I has to be safe. I do use safety glasses, gloves, ear protection and do my best to keep them from getting hurt. Almost always I setup the tools. Setup the cut...test it out make sure it's a good way to do something... yup experiment on me first...grin!

I try to think what is the average ranger going to do here and then make it so it won't happen wrong.

God is blessing. One of my favorite teachers was a Shop teacher in my 7th grade junior high class. Years later after he retired I stopped by to visit him in his shop many times. He has gone on to be with the Lord.

If you look around your church and your community you may very well have someone in there that can help you with this task. It's a lot of work. Grin.

I laugh at myself. There I was ripping these logs in half using a spot light on a stand and a chainsaw in 28 degree weather in the dark with 2 boards screwed to the top of the logs acting as legs.... it was only me and God. Right in front of the Ranger Annex parking lot a few feet from the door...wonder what people thought when they drove by going to church...ha!

Mark Jones

I don't try and get tooooo much done in one evening.  We may do one or two steps in one evening at a time.  If you have a group of 5 it's easy.  A group of 11 is harder.  Sometimes we will take a break and do something else.. like burn up the scrap wood we made and roast hot dogs...GRIN!

With the right leader helping them along it goes well.  Don't assume the leader knows anything.  Give them all a once over, a twice over and expect them to get off in errror if you don't keep your eyes out.  

I remember one lockin someone brought in a CBC student to help out.  Well he did what I expected.  Sat around and talked and was not much help.  Then when we are about to hit the sleeping bags I come in and see him and another college student taking apart one of my bandsaws.  I asked Hi guys what are you doing?  They told me they needed to move the guide up.   I said oh... loosend a knob and slid it up.  Then proceeded to put the machine back to gether with all the parts they had taken off of it.... I told them guys in the future if you don't know what your doing ask first before you dissassemble someone's property. GRIN!  I did it in love but after a while you know what your getting when it comes in the door.  GRIN!  Every once in a while I am supprised! that's called hope!



Mark Jones

It's been a couple of years since I did the wood working merit and I have a whole new group in my AR group so we are using the wood we cut down previously from the 2nd timber trip. It has been stickered and air drying for about 1.5 years.

Last Sunday night we sorted the whole stack on 5 long tables and I had the boys sort the wood by the thinnest section and they did a pretty good job. Then I had them select 4 to 5 boards from one place on these tables and showed them how to straight line and then joint the boards for glue up. We need a board 11" wide by 27" long.

This past week I have been able to drop by the ranger building and cut these 9 sets of 5 boards each and straight line them and joint them. ( I let the boys use all the tools but the jointer.) This sunday night they will be running the boards through the planners.

I have 4 of the 9 glued up. One set of bar clamps (4) don't go very far so I have to play make up thorugh the week sometimes or it would drag out for months.

We are making unabox again for Presents.

I did get a nice surprise. Our 10" bandsaw motor burnt up 3 months ago. I wanted a big bandsaw to replace it with but sr. commander said no for now. So when the timing was right.. I asked a friend of rangers if he had matching funds and we will have a 17.5" 2 hp resaw bandsaw brand new from grizzly tommmarrow. Wooo whoo Rangers! It's 900.00 investement but they all know it will be put to good use.. Not many goto the woods cut down a tree, turn it into lumber and make woodworking merits and gifts from it.

Rangers is cool stuff. God is a cool God. I am blessed. Can't wait to get that bandsaw making dust.

Mark Jones

I was talking to one of the scout leaders at my work and telling him of our project and he said. Rangers does some pretty neat stuff. I wished our guys did some of that.

I was told that by 3 different folks this week related to ranger stuff.
Mark Jones

Our Childrens Pastor is over our Rangers in our Church. He called last night and said it was a good thing I recommend that he get some help unloading that saw....grin!

Crated up its 21" wide, by 31" by 81" tall. 345 lbs. It's a whooper of a saw.... I can't wait to get by and unbox that thing.

Mark Jones

Lucky duck!

I put up a new video. The other one was taken with my cell phone. This one is taken by the Nikon 130. Much better it does a better job on camera shaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heymef7gsQo&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

Mark Jones

Looks good. Are you going to continue posting videos of this project as it moves along so that others can get a feel for how it goes together?

Sure. I stopped by today and ran the boards through the planner down to almost finished size. A few more passes and they will be ready. We will allow the boys to judge the piece and determine which side needs planned and then get it down to 1/2" thick and stop. Boards all started out from 5/8" thick to 1.25 inches thick it was the initial resaw. I used the thinner boards for this project as it's going down to 1/2". I have a whole stack of other boards were straight lining and gluing together for lanterns. Boards only need to be 5.5" square for the tops and bottoms and about 13 inches for the risers. The lanterns will be a more difficult project with the holes and glass slides.

Both great projects.

Will post some more pictures and such.

Mark Jones

Cool, thanks. Enjoy seeing all the steps. I've been watching a lot of youtube lately when I need to see how something works.

Yea YouTube is awesome social media site for teaching Royal Rangers stuff.

Phillip Gross wrote:Cool, thanks. Enjoy seeing all the steps. I've been watching a lot of youtube lately when I need to see how something works.

I love YouTube. It has all kinds of info on it. Some really good and some not so good.

I have learned a lot of neat things from youtube.

Mark Jones

I put up a new video. The other one was taken with my cell phone. This one is taken by the Nikon 130. Much better it does a better job on camera shaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heymef7gsQo&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

Mark Jones

Good video Mark. When you said you cut them first with a chainsaw to get them to the size to go through the bandsaw, was with one of those chainsaw mill bar attachments? Also, I see why you join the boards together for the top pieces and bottoms, but I also noticed that the sides were cut out of the joined pieces as well and had a seam on the one side piece you picked up. Is there a reason you didn't just use a solid board for the sides?