Correlated courses in woodwork and mechanical drawing

by Ira Samuel Griffith

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.