Standardization in the manual training shop is just as desirable and as profitable as in commercial shops. Not infrequently young teachers begin their work with the idea that the greater variety of tools and materials they can introduce into their course the richer is its content. To a certain extent this is true but experience will soon prove that there is a limit beyond which it is not profitable to go. In grammar schools, with classes of twenty, it is inadvisable to have more than one plane on a bench—or even in the general tool equipment, if the courses outlined herewith are followed. By planning the joint work carefully beforehand, or requiring the pupils to plan their joints according to certain standards as to size, no more than two chisels need be placed at the disposal of each boy and none in the general equipment. The same may be said of bits, etc. Make use of certain screw sizes, as few as can be used to advantage, and equip in auger bits accordingly. This practice not only is less expensive but it enables the instructor to keep the equipment well in hand both as to sharpening and accounting.
Except with individual oversight, in small classes, it is not advisable to plan projects for grammar schools in which holes smaller than 3⁄16″ diameter are to be bored. The expense of maintaining or replacing bits of smaller size that get broken is unwarranted.
Of course, it is not to be inferred from the foregoing that any necessary tool is to be omitted, or that any tool is to be made to do a work that will cause it to be injured thereby.
There is educational value in the way of imparting information in providing pupils with a different kind of wood for each project. This used to be specified in some of the very best courses some years ago. Today the tendency is not only to standardize the kinds of wood but to standardize the thickness. The economic problems arising from the handling of many kinds and sizes of lumber more than offset the informational value that pertains to the practice. A study of samples of wood that are placed within easy reach of the pupils will compensate somewhat for the loss occasioned by standardizing the kinds of stock. After all, the presentation of three or four type woods is about all that can be expected, as the work is now presented.
Wood finishes can be standardized in a manner similar to that of lumber and hardware. There is undoubtedly educational value in a boy’s making his own stains. Under ordinary school conditions, however, it is not possible to have him do so. Nor is it advisable for the instructor himself to mix his own finishing materials. Even the most expert woodfinishers find it taxing their ability to mix a fresh lot of stain that will exactly match that of a previous lot. There is nearly always some boy, or boys, with pieces but partly covered when the stain in any given lot is exhausted. The best way, everything considered, is to make use of some standard color of finish in stain and filler. When a given quantity is exhausted it is an easy matter to order more of the same color with the assurance that the color of the new lot will match that of the old. It is not possible to teach everything in the short time allowed and there are excellent reasons for omitting these.
The price list and the list of equipment given herein show to what extent the author has standardized his material and tools.
11. Records, Forms of Reports, Grading Work.
The following forms have proven satisfactory.
(Form for front cover)
CLASS BOOK