A big box of tools

In anticipation of this summer's Tinkering School camp that I'm involved with at the reDiscover Center, I am acquiring tools, materials, and books to help me teach seven to nine year olds about making stuff. Right now, I'm in a kick about woodworking. Band saws and drill presses are out, but I've found a few books about teaching carpentry to kids that encourages the use of hand tools and real wood (as well as a ton of books that are more about crafts and more on the popsicle stick and white glue level). The best of these so far is Woodworking with Kids, by Richard Starr, from around 1980. He recommends things like having the kids mark where they want to cut their 2x4, clamp down the wood, pick out the saw, then have an adult start the cut to the point where the blade is safely in the groove. On his advice I went to a couple garage sales this weekend looking for clamps, saws, hammers (8 oz and 12 oz the better for little hands to swing), and t-squares. So now I have a big box of tools, none of them more expensive than a dollar, that are going need some scrubbing, derusting, and sharpening. What fun!