Using ends of 2 x 4s (or 6) for craftsman

[christineka]

The one-member cub committee has told me that I am not allowed to spend any money to buy materials for craftsman. (I'm really irked at this because I know there are ample funds, which will not go with us to 2014. If we don't spend them, they will disappear and we will be given a lower budget allowance in 2014. We have spent $0 on den meetings to this point, $80 on blue and gold, pinewood derby and camp were paid 100% by a fundraiser. Budget is $1000. Not sure how much awards cost, but I would be shocked if we were anywhere close to having spent our budget.)

 

Anyway, I have no money, but I have a newly finished basement and kept the ends of the wood that was used to frame my house. The pieces are 8-18 inches long. I don't know what thickness they really are, but I'm sure they are whatever is standard size for framing. My little kids use them to build forts and houses on the porch, but I am willing to donate them to scouting. What can the boys make out of them?

[King Ding Dong]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

[christineka]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

LDS scouting can require no dues and no materials or anything. It's all paid for by the church. (The members do pay tithing to the church, then it is disbursed.)

 

So these projects don't have to be anything difficult? The description made it sound like they shouldn't be as easy as the wolf projects. We could easily cut these into triangles and call them door stops. Maybe we could cut the block down a little before attaching the clothespin and have them whittle a groove in the end for the rubber band?

[King Ding Dong]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

Yes they should be more involved than wolf projects. Cutting, carving whittling, painting, staining could all be involved. Door stops is more wolf level. You could make it a bit more complex making it a crossbow type shooter.

 

I don't know how they expect you to make something out of nothing. I guess you will just have to ask around for donations of materials. I am all about making scouting as thrifty as possible, but good grief this CC just sounds nuts. If you are not already a craftsman type person, how in the world do they expect you to do this by yourself with absolutely no budget ? Are there other people you could ask to help you, like some of dads ? Or is even that not allowed ?

[King Ding Dong]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

It is raining and watching football right now. Had an idea. Do you have any plywood ? You could have them make a model football field with goalposts and kick fieldgoals with those little folded paper triangles.

[qwazse]

Builfing block sets. Giant Jenga game. Model ships. Shoe stands.

[christineka]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

The cc member told me to supply plans to the families and tell them craftsman was an at-home badge. Seeing as how I have to get guys to come in to help with this badge, it's definitely not going to work as an at-home badge for my kid. We have pieces to past wood projects still sitting in our house, not assembled.

[King Ding Dong]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

Hmmm. By telling a scout it is an at home badge isn't that the same as making them supply materials ? Distinction without a difference ?

 

Can you work on assembling those other wood projects ? What is involved ? Glue, drilling a hole and screws ? You should be able to guide your son to do that.

[5yearscouter]

Let me think about it.

we don't usually spend much on craftsman things. I'd ask the parents if they have any scrap wood you could use. I'd ask my pastor and the people at church if they have any scrap wood things. Definitely ask the people who may come in an make a project with the boys for their recommendations for the cheapest, scrap wood projects using whatever they have laying around.

 

go to home depot, get paint stir sticks, usually free if you just get a few at a time. make the mini shelving unit someone linked to with rulers. have them cut, sand, glue, paint with whatever leftover glue or paint you can find.

also you can use the paint stir sticks sanded down really well, use shoe polish for stain drill a hole in one end and put a shoe lace thru and string up beads or buttons or whatever that you can find to show what they did for the year. look for the pattern for the old cous stick from the old webelos leader book.

the little blocks make one den worths giant jenga game (familyfun or whatever it's called now has directions), you can also google KUUB it's a swedish lawn bowling game. we made a den set out of scrap wood pieces including a scrap dowel someone had from a closet bar they replaced. have the guys sand them, paint them, etc.

have them make their own career arrows, see if the cc would pay for those. check a local bow shop and see if they will help you out--a local bow shop sells us the arrows for $6 but you could have the boys do something to pay for the arrows plain with just the feathers, lash on a fake rock type arrowhead, and then work with them to pinstripe paint colors on it as they earn badges thru the year.

have them cut the wood nicely, sand it, drill two holes, stick in 2 dowels (or pencils), paint it all up nicely. the you loop a rubber band over the two dowels and take a plastic spoon (or make a little spoon like thing out of wood pieces) and you put the spoon in the rubber bands and twist it round and round, put a small ball in the spoon and let go and it's a catapult. I'd count it for craftsman and/or engineer depending on how craft like it is.

similarly cut and shape a base piece of wood, drill a hole in the center and put in a long dowel, sand, paint, etc and it's a neckerchief slide holder.

have them try whittling a shape out of the softer of the wood you have to use as a neckerchief.

there are tons and tons of ideas that don't cost much of anything.

check with home depot/lowes, sometimes they do a birdhouse thing that doesn't cost anything and they provide the kits. sometimes joannes or michaels will do something cheap or free as well. also ask if they have any scraps that are too small to sell that could be used by cubs

 

I would consider asking your primary president or other stake leader if there is any way around this.

 

For metal working, get cans all the same size, freeze water in them, and using a big nail and a hammer, have the boys punch holes to make a pattern. use scrap candes (or tell them they ahve to provide their own candle), and a pipe cleaner or a piece of clothes hanger for a hanger for their lantern.

You can make hardening clay and have them make a project--neckerchief slide or an arrowhead to go on their career arrow, or something to hang from their cous stick. more than just cut something out of clay and let it dry. I'd count it for artist if they do a good enough job,to show the overlap between art and craftsman projects.

 

there are a bunch of pow wow books that have tons of ideas for craftsman type things that don't involve a lot of cost. consider a check online at baloos bugle and boy scout trail and other sites like that.

 

[christineka]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

committee member pointed out that the boys need not earn every badge, so she recommending just skipping it. Her husband had volunteered to help, but she says he's too busy. I have other helpers lined up, though.

[christineka]

Builfing block sets. Giant Jenga game. Model ships. Shoe stands.

I like that giant jenga set. I will see if I can get enough, long enough scraps rounded up.

[christineka]

Let me think about it.

we don't usually spend much on craftsman things. I'd ask the parents if they have any scrap wood you could use. I'd ask my pastor and the people at church if they have any scrap wood things. Definitely ask the people who may come in an make a project with the boys for their recommendations for the cheapest, scrap wood projects using whatever they have laying around.

 

go to home depot, get paint stir sticks, usually free if you just get a few at a time. make the mini shelving unit someone linked to with rulers. have them cut, sand, glue, paint with whatever leftover glue or paint you can find.

also you can use the paint stir sticks sanded down really well, use shoe polish for stain drill a hole in one end and put a shoe lace thru and string up beads or buttons or whatever that you can find to show what they did for the year. look for the pattern for the old cous stick from the old webelos leader book.

the little blocks make one den worths giant jenga game (familyfun or whatever it's called now has directions), you can also google KUUB it's a swedish lawn bowling game. we made a den set out of scrap wood pieces including a scrap dowel someone had from a closet bar they replaced. have the guys sand them, paint them, etc.

have them make their own career arrows, see if the cc would pay for those. check a local bow shop and see if they will help you out--a local bow shop sells us the arrows for $6 but you could have the boys do something to pay for the arrows plain with just the feathers, lash on a fake rock type arrowhead, and then work with them to pinstripe paint colors on it as they earn badges thru the year.

have them cut the wood nicely, sand it, drill two holes, stick in 2 dowels (or pencils), paint it all up nicely. the you loop a rubber band over the two dowels and take a plastic spoon (or make a little spoon like thing out of wood pieces) and you put the spoon in the rubber bands and twist it round and round, put a small ball in the spoon and let go and it's a catapult. I'd count it for craftsman and/or engineer depending on how craft like it is.

similarly cut and shape a base piece of wood, drill a hole in the center and put in a long dowel, sand, paint, etc and it's a neckerchief slide holder.

have them try whittling a shape out of the softer of the wood you have to use as a neckerchief.

there are tons and tons of ideas that don't cost much of anything.

check with home depot/lowes, sometimes they do a birdhouse thing that doesn't cost anything and they provide the kits. sometimes joannes or michaels will do something cheap or free as well. also ask if they have any scraps that are too small to sell that could be used by cubs

 

I would consider asking your primary president or other stake leader if there is any way around this.

 

For metal working, get cans all the same size, freeze water in them, and using a big nail and a hammer, have the boys punch holes to make a pattern. use scrap candes (or tell them they ahve to provide their own candle), and a pipe cleaner or a piece of clothes hanger for a hanger for their lantern.

You can make hardening clay and have them make a project--neckerchief slide or an arrowhead to go on their career arrow, or something to hang from their cous stick. more than just cut something out of clay and let it dry. I'd count it for artist if they do a good enough job,to show the overlap between art and craftsman projects.

 

there are a bunch of pow wow books that have tons of ideas for craftsman type things that don't involve a lot of cost. consider a check online at baloos bugle and boy scout trail and other sites like that.

Primary presidency has told us that they want nothing more to do with scouts, so not to bug them.

 

I'm looking into stuff. The boys need to learn about tool safety, do the wooden projects, and make a frame. They've already completed projects out of other materials. I checked the leader how-to book. I guess we could make frames from craft sticks. Kinda overused, but we could do it.

[christineka]

One idea is rubber band shooter. Glue a clothespin on. Do you have den dues ? The dens don't get any pack money for projects in my pack either. We just come up with a cost per scout for a project and the parents pony up. We made squirrel release boxes for the dept of conservation. Cost for cedar boards and screws was about $15 per scout.

Rubber band shooter sounds like a good boy thing. I cannot imagine that gluing the clothespin to the wood is going to work for long. Any ideas on how to attach it so that it will last a while? Screw it on?

[jc2008]

Do you happen to have a Freecycle group in your area? I post there sometimes when I need something for scouts that most people would throw away (ie wood scraps).

http://www.freecycle.org/

[Sakitama]

For frames, look at door casing and other trim. Even 1x2 furring strips. Use a plastic miter box and back saw (lowes had a saw and box kit for under $10). The 1x2 is like a dollar for an 8 foot piece.