Tinker Shop Day Two

Day Two of Tinker Shop was electric. And gas powered. And most of all, fun.

The three groups rotated today when the automotive group moved into the woodshop, the woodshop group transitioned to outdoor grounds, and the outdoor group shifted gears to the automotive section.

The outdoor and grounds group started their day with a slideshow and videos that covered a variety of material. Included in the presentation was a chainsaw safety video, pruning techniques, a tool selection video, and a PowerPoint of New Hampton's grounds and required maintenance. At the end of the presentation the group moved outside to do a prune walk around campus looking for certain trees that met the criteria. They looked out for overlapping branches and dead limbs on Norwegian Maples, which the students can now identify by bark and limb structures.

This group finished the day by operating the machinery and working on a snow removal system. Students operated the back-hoe, plow, and tractor to help the grounds crew.

The automotive group began with instructions on tools and then got dirty. The students in this group collectively jacked up and rotated the tires on two New Hampton work trucks, changed the oil, brake, and transmission fluids, replaced washer fluid and antifreeze, and even washed the truck's interior and exterior.

Mark and Luke, two students in Tinker Shop, had this to share about their automotive experience:

"In Tinker Shop our group worked with mechanics Jim and Steve. We leaned the basics of cars and how they function. They taught us the basics of the engine and how it functions. Also we learned how to change and replace a car's tires, which seems easy, but is not. It takes lots of time and effort and there are many different techniques used. We also learned how to change the oil in a car, how to change the air filter, windshield wipers, and many other things. It takes a lot of time and effort to be or become a mechanic, and we are glad we learned the fundamentals because it was very interesting and could help us later in our lives."

The third group worked in the woodshop today. Garrett and Alex described their day:

"Today in Tinker Shop, group three worked in the workshop replacing windows. We learned how to successfully remove old windows, cut and make trim, safely use a nail gun, table saw, a router, and how to fit the new window. To replace the window, we had to cut pieces of wood at an angle to make the trim. Next we had to line the window with caulk, which Marco took the lead on. After Marco sealed the trim, we placed the new window and nailed it in with the nail-gun. All and all, great day at the workshop for group three."

This group utilized the miter-box to create the angle cuts and worked well as a team as the day went along. There was a sense of competition that drove this group into a fun and productive day.

Day Two is in the books, and the students look forward to tomorrow.