If you’ve been woodturning for a while, you might not remember the joy that came with turning your first piece. Or maybe you’re just starting out and you remember exactly what that feels like. Wherever you are on your woodturning journey, introducing a kid to the world of woodturning can be exciting and invigorating.
The enthusiasm and excitement children have when learning something new is infectious, and the pride they feel when they’ve created a beautiful and useful piece is nearly tangible. You and your child can experience these same feelings when they begin woodturning with you!
Woodturning with your kids or grandkids (or students, mentees, or protégés, as the case may be) can be an exciting prospect! But woodturning can be a dangerous hobby. How do you know when a child is ready for woodturning?
It would be easiest to put an age limit on the hobby and declare that children who are, say, 10 and older are able to use the lathe. But age is not the only factor to keep in mind. Read on for some things to consider before introducing a child into your woodshop.
Hand-eye coordination is the ability to use one’s eyes to assess a situation and then move one’s hands in response to the situation. This is an essential skill for most things in life, so your child likely already has some skill in this area. For example, you probably watched and cheered as your child began grasping spoons to feed themselves or as they showed you how well they could climb on a jungle gym.
However, hand-eye coordination improves as a child grows, peaking as a child reaches their late teens. Fine motor skills are incredibly important for tasks that require dexterity, which is why tasks like handwriting and knot-tying get easier as children mature.
Woodturning is a practice that requires a good deal of dexterity and hand-eye coordination because of the sharp and heavy objects involved. Making a mistake doesn’t mean just dropping a spoon or writing sloppily; a mistake when woodturning could result in severe injury.
Unfortunately, there is no “magic age” at which one’s hand-eye coordination can be said to be ready for woodturning, as each child develops at their own pace. You will need to observe your child in other situations to see if they are able to move their hands carefully in response to the visual stimuli they take in. Can they play catch? Play scales on the piano? Slice a tomato? If so, they may be ready for a new hobby like woodturning.
Along with hand-eye coordination, physical stature is going to impact whether your child is ready for woodturning. Although using a lathe is not as difficult as weightlifting, woodturners know that it takes a bit of arm strength to hold tools at a specific angle for a certain period of time. One also must have the ability to grip tools tightly. Even a person’s height matters when operating a lathe.
If your child is not able to reach the lathe without a stepstool, you may want to put off woodturning for a year or two. Likewise, if your child complains about holding the hand-mixer in the kitchen because it’s too heavy, it might be wise to wait until the child has a few more years of muscle built up in their hands and arms.
Another thing to keep in mind is the child’s expectations about the experience. Some children like the idea of an activity more than the activity itself. If your child is generally calm, level-headed, and persistent, he or she might be a good candidate for woodturning. However, if your child thinks that they will be able to start woodturning and create vases or other hollow forms on that same day, they will more than likely be disappointed.
Gauge your child’s expectations by inviting them into the woodshop to watch you work so that they can get a feel for how long it takes to make a certain project. Or, if you think that will give them a false sense of the average time it takes to complete a project for a beginner, a basic woodturning class might be the best place for them to learn to take things slowly.
Lastly, you will want to think about your child’s ability to listen and follow directions. While you and your child might have a very democratic relationship when it comes to negotiating chores or homework time, you need to be the authority in the woodshop.
Dangerous tools and the possibility of injury mean that you need to be able to trust that your child will listen to your instructions the first time you give them. If your child is unable or unwilling to listen, you may need to hold off on woodturning for the time being.
Once you have made the determination that your child is physically and emotionally mature enough to begin woodworking, you will want to implement some safety guidelines in your woodshop. You may need to invest in new safety gear and be intentional about discussing safety rules.
In one of our earlier blog posts, we discussed some basic safety equipment needed in any woodshop. One essential piece of safety equipment is a face shield. Some brands of face shields come with adjustable head straps, so it might be possible to size one down enough to fit your child, depending on the size of their head.
If you are not able to find a face shield that will stay secure, invest in a pair of safety goggles made for children and make sure their eyes are completely covered.
Appropriate clothing and shoes are also necessary for anyone who is working with wood, and children are no exception. Make sure they are wearing close-toed shoes and clothing that won’t flap into the machine (i.e., keep button-down shirts buttoned, don’t wear hoodies with strings, etc.) No jewelry or loose hair is another important guideline to keep everyone safe.
Once your child is properly outfitted for the woodshop, plan to have an intentional discussion about the rules of the woodshop. For example, you might implement rules like:
This is not an exhaustive list of rules, and you might find that others are needed for your particular situation and for your specific children. The most important thing, as mentioned above, is that your child listens to you and does not try to undermine your authority and thus put themselves and others in danger.
Beyond acquiring specific safety gear and addressing certain guidelines for the woodshop, there are a few adjustments you can make to your woodshop and your turning technique to help your children turn more easily and stay engaged.
First, you will want to make sure the lathe is easily accessible to your child. This might require that you get a shorter table or stand for the lathe so that it can sit at elbow height for the child while the child remains on the floor. No stepstools to reach the lathe! You want your child to have a full range of mobility when working, not be thinking about where their feet are or how far they can lean without toppling over.
You also may want to demonstrate something first but then employ a hands-on teaching approach by allowing your child to hold the tools with you to keep them engaged. As you do this, it is a good idea to slow the lathe speed and possibly to use longer pieces of wood than you normally would to make it less likely that a piece of wood will come into contact with the chuck.
Lastly, depending on the number of children you have in your shop and their attention spans, it might be good to have a second adult nearby to help corral your eager woodturners.
Once you have decided your child is ready to try woodturning, the sky is the limit! But there are some projects that work well for beginners, and some your child is sure to get excited about; the convergence of those two elements is the sweet spot for your budding woodturner.
Your young woodturner might want to start by making toys. After all, what could be more fun than fashioning your own playthings? Or making gifts for siblings, cousins, or friends?
Tops are some of the most popular toys to turn. Because of their small size, a woodturner can start and finish one quickly, even a beginner. This quick turnaround can lend your child a sense of accomplishment, which can motivate them to work on more difficult or complex projects. Tops can also be made in many shapes and sizes, so your child could practice using different basic tools, like a spindle gouge or parting tool.
If your young one is a Harry Potter or fantasy fan, he or she might want to try their hand at creating a unique wand. Wands are usually made in a simple, tapered cylinder shape, which is perfect for a beginner. This project can also give your child the chance to practice sanding and adding finish to their completed project.
Handles for jump ropes are another project your child could attempt. Handles for jump ropes are made using spindle turning techniques, and they can give your child a chance to practice moving their tools closer to and further away from the lathe to create new knobs or ergonomic shapes. Jump rope handles should also be made in pairs, which will help your beginner practice making two identical items.
Another popular toy to make on the lathe is a yo-yo. It is possible to turn a one-piece yo-yo using a lathe, which will help your child practice making shallower cuts. It is also a toy that requires precision, as each side has to be exactly the same weight so that the yo-yo doesn’t spin sideways. The need for exactness will give your child a chance to practice measuring and cutting evenly.
Kitchen items are also a popular starting point for beginning woodturners, so the following projects are ones that your child might enjoy. As a bonus, these projects can be useful or displayed artistically for the entire family to appreciate.
Bowls are often the first item a woodturner learns to make. According to Bob Vila’s Home Advice, this is because “you can make them as simple or complex as you like.” A young woodturner just starting out may want to work on bowls to help them get used to the lathe and the different kinds of tools available to them.
A rolling pin is another easy kitchen item that your child may want to attempt as a beginning woodturner. Because it is a uniform cylinder shape, it may actually be more challenging than it seems at first, but this will help your child develop their ability to use a roughing gouge and skew chisel. It is also a good idea for a beginner to turn a French-style rolling pin, where the handles are part of the rolling pin itself rather than being attached separately to the pin.
A honey dipper is a unique kitchen item that may be fun for your child to turn as a second or third project. It is similar to the wand in shape, except for the end that dips into the honey, which is wider and has several grooves. According to a video created by woodturner Tim Yoder, a person can finish a honey dipper in as little as 15 minutes.
While candlestick or tea light holders are not technically kitchen items, they are usually used as décor in the kitchen or dining room. These items, like some of the other projects mentioned, can be made as simple or complex as you like. They can be made quickly, as they are small in size, and your child can get some good practice making knops of various shapes and sizes. These candle holders can make the perfect homemade gift, giving your child a sense of pride and accomplishment as they fashion a true keepsake for a loved one.
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