Dave you have pretty well nailed it. I guess I didn’t put enough info in my opening post. He is somewhat interested in all aspects of model railroading. As you suggested he has ask to plant trees.
I think I’m on the right track with him. I did screwup when the switch machine wouldn’t work, it took almost two hours to figure out the never used new in the box switch machine was defective.
I explained and demonstrated what surface tension is and he picked up on that much faster than I expected. He even explained in detail to his Mom what surface tension is.
He called me this afternoon and ask if he could come over Tuesday. He also ask about the houses. I ask him if he would like to mix up some plaster (Sculptamold) for the ground under the houses, his reply was very encouraging.
So far he is content running his GP40 back and fourth uncoupling over the Kadee magnet, he hasn’t ask to run his train on my layout since we started the diorama.
Personally, I’m not sure that I would want someone Eli’s age operating a table saw. There are too many things that can go wrong, and I doubt at his age that he has the physical strength to control things if, for example, the fence was to come loose and start to wander. For now, all I would have him doing is taking the boards off of the saw at the opposite end from the feed position. Running a table saw, or any woodworking bench tool for that matter, is not something that can be learned 60%.
Likewise with X-acto knives. I have one numb fingertip thanks to a classic mistake in judgement. I would suggest maybe starting him with simple straight cuts using a straight edge. One option that might give him a little more control is to use a utility knife/box cutter like doctorwayne does. The bigger handle might give Eli a safer grip:
I wasn’t trying to have Eli use either the saw or the Xacto, he just nutted up being around them. When I reduced the plywood from 24” x 48” to 18” x 48” I ask him to catch the end of the 6” cutoff, he did but he handeled like it was hot. He never even got close to the saw. I had put a new Xacto in his toolbox and he didn’t want to pick it up.
I ask both Eli and his Mom why and neither had an answer. After using my Xacto with him looking on he accepted it better. I haven’t asked him to do anything where he could hurt himself. Safety First!
When I was in Junior High Woodshop I witnessed a kid loose two fingers to a planer, that was in 1951 and I can still visualize it today. Like most model railroaders I have a fairly large group of power tools and I’m a lucky one, I’ve never dinged myself using power tools.
Interesting comment about the box knife, I bought one for Eli and it’s in his toolbox . . . . he doesn’t have a problem using the box knife only the Xacto.
I hesitated writing here as well, as my contribution will not help the cause at hand. I do have experience in the matter, having 4 older kids (48, 49, 50, 50) and several grandchildren.
My kids (3 boys, 1 girl) were exposed to MR from day one. They were also exposed to Dad’s other pasttimes (auto mechanics, wood working, yard/garden, firearms, various collections, etc.) as well. Guess what, while they appreciated them, none were interesting enough for them to persue…
My advice is to make sure the boy has access to the hobby, but let him determine to what degree… As I’ve always said,
“you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him gather any moss”…
With that, I will fade away for the rest of the morning.
Maybe it is just me, but I wouldn’t be encouraging a 9-year old to mess with box cutters or Xacto knifes. And I sure wouldn’t let a 9-year around a table saw.
I agree Rich, mess with No! But to learn to use properly, now that’s a different story.
Far too much negativity creeping into this thead, me thinks.
[2c] Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
That’s my intent, to teach him safety around power tools. He isn’t a dumb kid like some I’ve seen, he is a very quick learner and has an excellent memory as well as being safety minded.
As I said earlier I would never put anyone in any danger. I’m 88 years old and have been using power tools probably longer than most of the guys on this forum have lived and never had an accident using them.
Thanks Bear, I agree with you. Positive stuff only guys.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
I am with you in regard to hoping that our grandchildren might perhaps find interest in the hobbies that interest us. I have six grandchildren myself, and I am always hoping that the things that interest me will interest them as well. Good luck with your grandson.
#@$%#$ Mel[:D] Awesome to hear your 88 and still doing this stuff with grandkids, that’s pretty awesome.
I have 2 kids,a 6 yr old and 3 yr old. Younger one always wants to check out my Transformers room(one of my other too many hobbies), we end up spending an hour or two in there most of the time. My 6 yr old is done in 15-20 minutes.
Same thing happpens when we go to the train club(6 yr old), some days it is 2-3hrs, sometimes it is 1-1.5 hrs. It is far easier for me to pack up and leave than it is to fight him while he doesn’t listen because today he tuned out early. While, I don’t always like it, the stress level goes down[:)]
They will not sit there as we can for 2-3-4 hours working on something, the patience isn’t there. Best thing is to shift gears, work on another aspect of it or just walk away for the day.
The other thing that I find is them actually doing the stuff works the best for the longest time on average. I say go for it on the tools, hobby knives, power tools. More kids need to learn those things today. Only time I kick the older boy out of the garage is when I’m using the welder, plasma cutter or cutoff wheels/grinders. That will change as he gets older. Show them how to use things properly now and they will most likely do it for life.
Keep working on it and your on the right track. Just keep in mind a 9 yr old does not have the patience that you do so mix it up a little.
Talking to my local hobby shop owner its like a 75% ratio who have to buy ready to run anymore. It’s so bad he has had to show people phillips and flathead screwdrivers… That will not be my kids and it sure doesn’t sound like it will be your grandkids
Eli is pretty sharp at many things and dumb as a rock on others. He is a fast learner and retains what he learns. I have a hard time keeping a straight face sometimes and on the dummy stuff I have to control my look so as not to discourage him.
My dad referred to everyone as Dummy just to get to them a bit and I fit right in his shoes. I called Eli Dummy a couple of times and he asked me to stop so I did. Eli is the only one that ever said anything to me about that
I’ve seen the ones that don’t know the difference between straight and Phillips, unfortunately two of them belong to me. One is a school teacher the other is a retired Correctional Officer.
I didn’t press my own kids and all of them turned out successful so I guess we did OK raising them. I was always working instead of giving time to my kids and that was a huge error. We had three girls and four boys, only one of the boys has followed in my footsteps and none were/are interested in model railroading. Only one of my offspring has a craft type hobby and to my knowledge none of their offspring have hobbies either . . . . go figure.
Good luck. If he likes it, he’ll go with it. Maybe if it’s only a few short years. Let him do, and encourage him to do, what he likes, as long as it’s in grandpa’s perameters of whats right and wrong, as far as being a person, a human, and interreacting with others.
I put together a MTH “O” scale set, for my grandson, that a co-worker wanted to sell, along with more track, to fill a 4’ x 8’, and a box of cars I picked up on Ebay, over time, and he loved it, and so did the neighbor kids. Now, with computer stuff like “Mind Craft”, and sports, he’s moved on, and the neighbor kids, and his friends, did like-wise. Still building, and using his imagination.
I never did, and never will, push or “nudge” any of my kids, or my one and only grandson, into anything. My son and daughter learned their mom and dad’s work ethic, and are doing just fine, along with my grandson. They find, and pursue, their own interest.
Just help “guide” them along the way, as grandpa’s do.
I’m 72, and I realize there are a lot of other forum members within my age group.
For us, we grew up when trains were a major moving force and toy trains were standard childhood playthings. And when we got a little older, cars became the center of life for many of us.
Well, succeeding generations didn’t grow up that way. Trains are just not a big deal to them, and cars are just a means of getting around.
So don’t be surprised if the young folks are not interested in our trains or cars and related hobbies. Ha, if we approached them with a new model “I” this or that -------well then they would jump all over it.
Of course I am generalizing here, for there are exceptions. I just wish one of them was a kid of mine.
Without the intention to hijack this thread, but while I was reading the latest replies, a question came to my mind, which is somehow related to the OP´s issue.
How do you hook the younger generation on trains in general, when trains are not a part of your every day life anymore?
When I discovered my love for trains, we did not have a car, so all family travels were done by train. In those days, most of our summer vacations were spent in Switzerland and the train ride to our destination was always an adventure of its own! Trains for that purpose meant vacation, leisure time, summer, sunshine, adventure! I remember how disappointed I was when we went on our first vacation by car! It was just boring, rather dreadful, being locked up in a small car for hours.
IMHO, if you want to interest your kids or grandkids in model railroading, you have to develop their love for trains first!
Take the railfanning, take them on a steam train ride, tell the how you discovered your love for trains!
For a generation of kids born in 1930s, 1940s, and even the 1950s, an electric train set was a real innovation, compared to wooden toys, wind up toys, and the like. Steam engines were a primary mode of transportation in real life. They were big and powerful and stately.
Today’s kids have been brought up on computers, electronics, automation. A model train layout doesn’t have the appeal that it had to an earlier generation. It is no longer an innovative “toy”, if you will. And, trains are no longer a primary mode of transportation, except for commuters.
I believe that Ulrich has offered some positive suggestions to get kids interested in trains. Take them on a railfanning trip. Get them close up and personal to today’s trains. Take them on a steam excursion so they see what got you excited as a kid.
A friend of mine bought a Marklin starter set for his grandson, plus a few additions to go beyond just an oval. His grandson was only 5 when my friend intended to give him the set as a present - way too young. Now, knowing that I am “into trains” he asked how to get the kid started.
The family has never traveled by train, so little Max has no connection whatsoever to trains. A “train set” will be nothing more than a toy, bound to get boring soon and put aside in favor of more “gadgety” electronic things.
I really don´t know what advice to give Max´ grandpa [:^)], who does not have a love for trains himself.
I have to apologise for assuming that you were going to teach Eli how to use the table saw at his current age. I should have given you more credit.
As far as him ‘fearing’ the saw and the knife, I think that is a good thing to some extent. I’d have been more concerned if he had jumped right in.
FWIW, both my kids were using my radial arm saw by 14 or 15 years old. Interestingly, I wasn’t the one who taught them. They learned how to use bench tools of all kinds in shop class, and I have to say they were taught quite well. They were able to explain to me what I shouldn’t be doing. If the blade would be coming anywhere near their fingers , or if the piece couldn’t be held securely with a push stick or fence, then the cut was not doable. That’s not to say I was taking risks myself, but they were taught to be much more conservative than I was. FYI, I did not allow them to run the saw without me present.
Well Guys, today will be day 5 and I have the two houses and two railroad structures setting on his diorama along with a bag of Sculptamold and a dozen or so trees.
The last time I talked to him on the phone he was wound up tighter than a rubber band airplane wanting to see what I had set up for him.
I like the idea about checking out a real train! We live about 165 miles south of Fish Camp Ca where the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad still operates several steam Shays.
I haven’t been there myself in many years. My wife and I have taken several grandkids there over the years to ride behind a Shay. I will attempt to get Eli’s Mom and my wife to make a day of it up there, they should enjoy the mountains as it’s well into the tripple digits here in Bakersfield (106° yesterday 107° the rest of the week). I would love to go along but unfortunately my health won’t permit it.
I think the best to get the younger generation hooked is just by showing our enthusiasm and excitment. That said, I’m considering my son, now eight. Of course, being a parent, caring for, playing with, and educating is a 24/7 job, unlike a grandparent, but as I high school teacher, I definitely know that if I’m excited about what I’m teaching, no matter how “wierd” I may be about it, that enthusiasm can spread to my students and my kids.
My current layout is version 3.0. I got back into the hobby about 4 years ago when Josh was 4. At that time he loved his duplo blocks and toy work bench. But he also loved following me around. Needless to say as I was building my L girders, Josh had to help out. While he didn’t use the saws, I let home drive home a lot of screws. When I was tracing my track plan onto the plywood, he was “marking his plans” on the table legs.
Josh, like many other kids, had his short-lived fascination with Thomas – I bought and added DCC to a HO Bachmann Thomas. And while many of us started with a Lionel or Tyco trainset, he started with a Lego train this past year.
Recently, I started weather track with some paint markers – a couple of nights ago, we spent 30 minutes together paint ties and rails. After I finished installing my turnout control panel for the yard, he immediately wanted to learn how to read the schematic – and he does a decent job setting the routes for me. Will he be a life-long modeler? Who knows, and who cares! I’m just enjoying our time together.
Tuesdays session went fairly well. Eli sat at the workbench for about 30 minutes moving the buildings around then he asked me if what he came up with was OK. I explained that he needed roads to access the structures and after several minutes he made some final adjustments and said “that’s what I want”, not to bad for a 9 year old.
I showed him how to position the railroad station next to the track and showed him how to use the NMRA track gauge, he caught on quickly. We raised the station a bit for the freight dock and loading platform to be at the right height.
I explained the difference between Paper Mache and Sculptamold and he decided on Paper Mache for the base and Sculptamold for ground cover.
He’s returning Wednesday to start the ground work. His attention span is pretty short so I don’t think Wednesday will go very good because of the Paper Mache drying time. I’m going to try to speed up the drying time by setting the Diorama in the Bakersfield Sun <
