Correlated courses in woodwork and mechanical drawing

WOODWORK. GRADE VII.

Time: 2¹⁄₂ hours per week.

GROUP I. Squaring up Mill-planed Stock. (No definite dimensions but to be square and as large as the stock will allow.)

Time: 1 week.

GROUP II. Squaring up Mill-planed Stock. (Definite dimensions.)

Time: 3 weeks.

GROUP III. Squaring up Rough Stock.

Time: 4 weeks.

GROUP IV. Working Curves.

Time: 3 weeks.

GROUP V. Fastening with Nails and Screws. Duplicate Parts.

Time: 6 weeks.

GROUP VI. Appreciation in Design. Structural, Decorative.

Time: Remainder of school year.

GRADE VIII.

Time: 2¹⁄₂ hours per week.

GROUP VII. Groove Joints. Woodfinishing.

Time: 12 weeks.

GROUP VIII. Cross-lap Joint.

Time: 12 weeks.

HIGH SCHOOL.

GROUP IX. Joinery. Board and Framed Structures. (Accompanied by Mechanical Drawing ³⁄₄ hour per day.)

(Time: 1¹⁄₂ hours per day.) (18 weeks.)

(Benchwork in Metal 18 weeks.) (Accompanied by Freehand Drawing and Design ³⁄₄ hour per week.)

GROUP X. Cabinet-Making. Paneled Structures. (Optional and on a par with other advanced courses in shopwork.) (36 weeks.)

Note—Freshmen boys will be divided into two divisions. The first will take Joinery the first semester, and second division will take Metalwork. The second semester these divisions will exchange shops.

Discussion of Woodwork Course.

Column one describes the condition of the stock when given the pupil. Column two names the new principles involved in the construction of the articles.

In Group I. stock mill-planed upon two surfaces to the thickness wanted is given the pupil and he is required to square it up. No definite dimensions are demanded but the class is given to understand that the best workman is he who can square up his piece with the fewest shavings removed. The gage is not used on this piece. The uniformity of width is determined by the sliding try-square test. The broad surfaces are not worked by the pupil at all in making this piece. In the first place, the use to which the piece is to be put demands no fine surface treatment. In the second place, experience shows that it is advisable to make this first piece as simple as possible and pupils, at least grammar school pupils, learn to handle the plane better on edge planing than on surface planing.

An examination of the headings of the groups suggested for seventh grade, and the directions given in connection with the problems will show that each of these groups introduces a new method of squaring up stock. For illustration, Group I is typical, as to the surface treatment, of the method used by carpenters and others in preparing outside finishing material such as cornice and window and door casings, corner boards, etc. Here mill-marks are not considered objectionable so that neither broad surface is worked. Group II is typical, as to the surface treatment, of the method of preparing interior wood trim. One surface is planed smooth, and straight as to its width, but no effort is made to take out the wind, nor is the back surface treated at all. Again, certain kinds of shelving and box construction require that both broad surfaces be smoothed of their machine or mill-marks but do not require either surface to be true, depending upon the manner of fastening the parts together to take out any unevenness. Group V typifies this method of treatment. Of course, if the stock is badly curled or cupped no attempt is made to use it for the thickness for which it was originally intended, tho it is possible to “nail out” pretty badly warped boards on certain kinds of carpentry work. In furniture making this is hardly ever possible or advisable. A sleeve pressing board does not require a face edge or square ends, etc., Group IV. Group III typifies the standard treatment of which these others are modifications.

In the third column tools necessary for performing the process are named. In elementary woodwork the block-plane and smooth-plane may be omitted, the jack-plane doing the work just as well.

In the Lesson Outlines, section numbers of a text on woodworking to which the student is referred are given. The text to which the numbers refer is “Essentials of Woodworking.” The necessity for a text to accompany but not to take the place of the demonstration is well appreciated by most teachers of manual training. With a text in the hands of each pupil a lesson may be assigned and the pupil required to familiarize himself with the text and the illustrations relating to the subject matter. The use of a text removes most effectually the necessity for a constant repetition of oral instruction. With a text there is never any excuse for the pupil bothering the instructor with the otherwise semi-valid excuse of “I forgot” or “I was absent when the demonstration was given,” etc., etc.

In Groups VIII and IX will be found exercise pieces. One of the advantages claimed for the group system is that it permits class instruction at stated intervals, thus reducing individual instruction to a minimum. For illustration, a class beginning Group II would continue to work upon the problems of that group until all but the few acknowledged failures had completed the work required in that group. After this the class is to be instructed in the new things of Group III. This plan to continue thruout the whole course.

The work of the groups will of necessity overlap each other. For, as soon as a pupil finishes one problem in a group, he begins another problem in the same group, unless he is the slowest in the class. When the class is ready to begin a new group we are confronted with the question of whether to give the instruction belonging to the new group and allow the boys to proceed with the unfinished work of the old group, or to start them on problems of the new group. To proceed with the old is objectionable in that the worker forgets his new instruction before he has opportunity to apply it. To start new work before finishing the old is bad in that the pupil will have lost interest in the old when asked to complete it after finishing the new work. Not to complete the old at all would be a practice too vicious to be tolerated for a moment.

In the seventh grade this overlapping is not a serious problem, for the objects being small and quickly finished allow all to finish the old group before the instruction of the new has faded. In the eighth grade and high school, however, where the objects are larger, this objection is a serious one.

As stated before, the aim of the group arrangement is to permit class instruction at the beginning of each group. To make this effective the practice and application must follow within a reasonably short time. Here the “exercise” offers aid.

If ever an exercise piece has a legitimate use, it has it here. The great objection to exercise pieces lies in their inability to create a vital interest on the part of the pupil. The writer has made it a practice to talk over the applications of each exercise and to state briefly the need for the exercise before beginning it. First, that the class because of numbers must be instructed all at the same time; second, that the joints, unlike the simple one-piece objects previously made cannot be remedied or patched up by reducing the size, as in the bread board, when lack of knowledge or skill causes errors; third, that postponing the practice any length of time would be unwise. As the time required for making the exercises, as arranged in the course outlined above, is short there has never been a lack of interest either in the exercise or in the unfinished objects of the old group to which some must return after completing the exercise.

High school boys begin to take on a different attitude toward exercises and technique. Their increased knowledge and skill permit applications requiring considerable time for completing. For this reason all the exercises are grouped in the fore part of their year.

To the writer it seems unnecessary to apologize for this use of exercises. He has felt free to utilize parts of any system which seemed to serve his purpose. He does feel, however, that a long continued series of exercises in elementary woodworking without application would be fatal. American school methods have been criticised by Europeans as being superficial and lacking in thoroness. It may be that in our eagerness to develop the individual we have made ourselves subjects for such criticism to a certain extent. We need not fear the introduction of this small amount of drill and formalism, especially when there is no loss of interest or incentive. It is impossible to teach a pupil a thing that is entirely new to him unless he has in his possession a fund of “known” thru which the unknown may be made known. For this reason drawings and sketches are plentifully provided.

Experience has shown that better results are obtained, both in the development of ability to think and ability to do, if the ability to “do” is given a maximum of attention at the beginning of the course, opportunities for original thinking being introduced gradually as the pupils’ knowledge, appreciation, and skill increase. In the beginning groups the sizes or dimensions are fixed, no variation being permitted except as poor work necessitates. Requiring all to make the same pieces in the beginning groups permits comparison of results and the establishing of standards of accuracy as well as making it possible to give definite instruction with the minimum of talking.

Another reason for emphasizing technique and processes at the beginning is that interest is so easily directed. A beginner is interested in anything. In fact, a few exercises—not more than two or three—might be introduced at the very beginning without in any way violating the principle relating to interest previously mentioned. The writer does not make use of exercises in this way but can understand some of the advantages secured by so doing.

Having taught the pupil to respect a “working line,” which experience shows takes the greater part of the seventh year, it will be time to begin to encourage original thinking on the part of the pupil. This, because of the pupil’s ignorance of the subject matter, will come slowly, if satisfactorily. Modifications of the dimensions of the projects should be the first step. While originality is to be encouraged in every way it should never be forced at the expense of appreciation. Appreciation must be developed first. Better a chair of good design and proportion made after another’s design with appreciation than an absurdity made after one’s own design and its weaknesses not seen. The greatest value of design in public school education is expressed well by Professor Sargent when he says, “For one who will produce a design, a thousand must know how to select it.”

Pupils possessed of exceptional originality and ability will find ample opportunity for expression in the group system without hindrance upon the part of the slower neighbors and without requiring all the instructor’s time at a sacrifice of the time which the slower pupils have a right to. The slow pupil has a right to an equal share of the instructor’s time, and this is not always easy to give when the brilliant pupil is to be given individual and advanced instruction as the systems other than the group system necessitate.

In general, it will be found advisable to hold seventh grade pupils quite rigidly to the execution of the projects offered. In the eighth grade pupils should be encouraged to modify existing projects, while in high school they should be encouraged to “work up” original ideas. By this time they should have acquired a fair fund of information and some judgment and appreciation.

A glance at the outline on woodworking will show that the projects in eighth grade and in high school are most all of such a nature as to demand considerable repetition of processes. For illustration, in the making of the taboret there are eight dado joints. We have heard so much of the non-educational value of repeated processes that one may be inclined to question the arrangement of a course which introduces but two joints in the course of a year’s work, as is done in the eighth grade of this outline. In view of the fact that very many courses introduce the glue joint, mortise-and-tenon, etc., in the eighth grade it may be well for the writer to state his point of view. It is this: The highest educational value comes not from many joints put to the pupil in such rapid succession that he has not time for the acquirement of a fair degree of proficiency, but rather from the mastery of a few by repetition so planned as to maintain a keen interest in each joint made. As a recent writer has said, “There is need for more investigation on the point that repeated processes are non-educational. Doing certain things until the process becomes automatic sometimes leads one to take the first step toward a higher freedom.” This, in view of the present demands of industrial education, is the excuse for offering a few joints well made rather than many joints with the consequent mechanical indigestion that usually follows. As soon as the process has become fairly automatic, or when the joint has been fairly well mastered, then are we ready to proceed to new fields. In the seventh grade outline the introduction of new processes is more frequent. This is due to the fact that the operations are simple and of such a nature, planing for example, that future work necessitates their frequent repetition.

The accurate use of the chisel is kept until the eighth grade, as is also accurate sawing to a knife line with the back-saw. It has taken us a long time to come to a realization that, while the chisel and saw are simple tools, their proper handling is not simple. A general survey of the groups for grade seven will show that each is concerned with one of the various type processes used in squaring up stock, both mill-planed and rough. In eighth grade the groups are concerned with the accurate use of the chisel and back-saw in chiseling, or paring, and sawing to fit.

In Group IX, which is the first year high school work, the pupil may be expected to give most of his attention to the principles of simple joinery of board and framed structures with the necessary joints. A full set of individual edged tools should give the instructor excuse for demanding a much higher degree of technique than is to be found in the grades. The pupils will not be perfected in the use of the chisel, saw, and other tools but they should have acquired enough skill to enable them to proceed with the work of the mortise and tenon.

Exercise pieces in mortise-and-tenons, miter, modeling and glue joint belong here. It is possible to arrange the work so that the modeling and glue joint exercise pieces may be considered under Application. The modeling exercise may well be a hammer handle, the metal part of which is to be worked in the metal class the other half of the first year. The glue joint may well be made upon wood of sufficient size that it may be used later, such as the taboret top. The mortise-and-tenon and miter, however, will be most profitable as exercises pure and simple. A moment’s thought will indicate the reason for making the distinction.

Many courses give modeling in the grades. Modeling to be of value requires judgment and experience. This a grade pupil has not. The first year high school is sufficiently early for this kind of work. To place it earlier is to give the pupil a wrong impression of the requirements of good modeling, and his later work, in pattern-making for example, suffers accordingly.

Two machines should be made use of in the first year high school work, the band-saw and scroll or jig-saw. Both, when properly safeguarded, are well suited to give the pupil his first acquaintance with machinery. There is little educational value in further excessive ripping by hand at this stage of the course.

The cabinet-making course is not to be considered as manual training per se. It is best to make it optional and more purely a trade course, tho the work may still be individual in its nature. An exercise in making a small door and one in the making of a drawer will introduce the student to the use of most of the machinery specified. These exercises should be detailed so as to involve stock of the same size for each boy. In this way the machines may be set and all the parts of similar kind run thru. Classes of considerable size may be taught with the use of the minimum of machinery. Each boy should, of course, be taught the setting of the various machines.

After these two exercises, with hinging and locking, the pupils may be allowed to work out pieces of their own choosing involving these elements, preparing their own stock, setting their machines, etc. In this way the “shop” practice, quantity or piece work, is obtained in the making of the exercises while the application later allows for the individuality of the pupil.