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And so we arrive at the final stage of our boat project. By now, the hull has been carefully shaped, the spars have been crafted, and the masts and booms assembled. What remains are the final [...]

Masts, Booms and Yards After my students finish shaping the hull, they move on to thorough sanding—working through a progression of sandpapers until they reach a smooth finish with 220 grit. Part [...]

In our last entry, we left off just as the students began shaping the hull of their boats. I had explained the importance of leaving small vestigial blocks at the bow and stern—these sturdy tabs [...]

In part 1 of this project, I described how my students begin their boat-building journey by sketching and transferring a symmetrical deck design onto a blank—typically a 2×4 or 2×2—and [...]

A Hands-On Sailing Project in 2×4 A wooden boat is one of the most inspiring projects a child can build. It’s an object of grace and adventure, deeply symmetrical yet full of creative [...]

Once upon a time, the go-to rasps for woodworkers seeking quality were the Nicholson #49 and #50. These were hand-cut rasps, where each tooth was individually raised by a skilled worker striking [...]

Tool: Easy-Squeeze Silicone Glue Bottle Shop Now  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $8.99 Over the years, I’ve used many types of glue bottles in both my shop and classroom. Most of them follow [...]

After all the hard work of shaping and sanding our wooden swords, we needed to give them a comfortable and secure handle. For this, we used a reliable method called “Common Wiping.” [...]

Another guard style that’s especially popular with students is the faceted guard. This design is easy to lay out using a small straightedge or a 6″ ruler. Once the front-view design is [...]

Last time, I talked about potential shapes for the handle and pommel. In this entry, we’ll shape the blade and introduce the first of several guard designs. If possible, shape the blade [...]

After my student finished forming the cross-lap joints (see part 1), I asked what kind of hilt they envisioned for their sword. Should the grip be tapered and rounded? Should it end with a [...]

One of the most popular projects my students ask to build is a sword. Alongside boatmaking or crafting a gnome house, swordmaking has become one of the signature fourth-grade projects we do once [...]