Replies

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jun 19, 2006 05:54am | #1

   The local Rockler sells a washable cloth dust mask that's very flexible and adjustable. I don't know if it would fit a small child, but it couldn't hurt to check it out; I seem to recall they are available in various sizes.

   Two alternatives: (1) invest in the best dust collection gear you can afford; (2) use hand tools when the little one is in the shop with you. At least you'll have the benefit of a quiet, relatively dust-free, environment in which the two of you can talk while you work!

    

   -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

2. 
   Nikas | Jun 19, 2006 06:12am | #2

   My son was ill recently and I had to take him to the hospital, where they administered vaporized medicines via a small very comfortable clear mask, probably made out of silicon. They have three openings, which I´m sure a home-made filtering device can be adapted. My 3-year old can´t let go of it now, it´s the only "carpenter´s" mask that´ll fit perfectly. Hope you can find one!

3. 
   AdamCherubini | Jun 19, 2006 07:47pm | #3

   Turn off the machines and get out some hand tools. Not sure what kind of work you're doing. You may not be able to do everything you were doing or as fast. But I think it would be a good trade- fun for dad and son, perfectly healthy. I think you're wise to be concerned with airborne dust. There's also the danger of the power tools. Maybe he'll decide to surprise you with a special project when you're not around.

   I grew up with a woodworking Dad. I recall standing near the table saw- feeling I was always in the way and the ear splitting noise- kids ears are pretty sensitive. Ya know, there was nothing fun about that as I look back. Its amazing I work wood at all. The only thing he ever let me do was sand. And you know how much fun that is. There wasn't even an opportunity for a father and son chat. I'd start a sentence and he'd switch the planer on.

   Now I know my work is different than most guys. I can get away with stuff other guys can't. But I had my 3-1/2 year old in my shop this morning. I ripped some lumber, made a mortise and tenon joint, did a couple other little odds and ends and never missed a word he said. He was never once in any danger- there was no noise and no dust. I hope he and his older brother and sister will look back at visits to Dad's shop with fonder memories than I have.

   Adam

4. 
   GRW | Jun 19, 2006 11:23pm | #4

   PY,

   One of the things I do for my own health and enjoyment is to schedule time for machine runs. I raise some dust (Even after good dust collection), then I take a break, let my air cleaner run a while, and return to some quiet hand tool, or assembly work with little or no power tools. I can turn on the radio, and actually hear it. I'm a part timer and can afford to set time aside to do this, maybe you can't.

   Be carefull with mask filtration on your son. My primary job is in a "clean room" and masks are worn at all times. I've seen folks carried out of the clean room because their masks resricted breathing due to poor fit or material problems.

5. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 20, 2006 02:41am | #5

   THIS IS A HARD ONE ...

   Dirt and Whatever is EVERYWHERE!

   I live close to a Airport! Ya talk about dirt!

   No expert on this subject BUT a EPA rated face mask and what I think they need more is a full face shield.... works wonders...

   If you have some sort of dust collection and they (I worked outside with my Children) with LOTS of fresh air.. Who knows.. I'm OLD and me and my brother use to 'cook' Mercury on our kitchen stove. Mom use to yell.. What is that smell? BOYS.. Go to bed!

   NO I am NOT a Doctor or anything like that.. If the wood does NOT cause any reaction then I think they be OK with BASIC safty stuff...

1. 
   QCInspector | Jun 21, 2006 10:02pm | #10

   <<me and my brother use to 'cook' Mercury on our kitchen stove.>>I'm glad to see you survived your childhood. To bad you didn't get through without the brain damage. ;-)<<If the wood does NOT cause any reaction then I think they be OK with BASIC safty stuff...>>By the time you detect or have a reaction it too late, and the harm is cumulative and combines with all the stuff we get exposed to throughout our lives. Surely you've run into some one that say's. "Ahh! I've done (cough cough) that all my (cough cough cough) life and it never (cough cough hack hack) never hurt me (cough cough hack hack cough spit) at all.".......There's a reason for it.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 22, 2006 11:08pm | #15

   Just funnin ya.. To bad you didn't get through without the brain damage. ;-)

   I have ALOT of it but I'm OK with it.. Nobody told us it was bad for for us.. I still got a 3.9 something at College!

2. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 22, 2006 11:45pm | #17

   "Ahh! I've done (cough cough) AND I have been a smooker since 7'th grade! I'm noNone of my children smoke.. I asked my first grandbaby why she did not smoke,, She said YS STINK!

   Edited 6/22/2006 4:49 pm by WillGeorge

6. 
   Segil | Jun 20, 2006 11:46am | #6

   Papa Yanni,
   I too, have a seven year old son who loves to come into my shop (full-timer, lots going on all the time). He has grown up hearing me say "no shoes, no glasses, no enter". He understands that my shop is a dangerous place and if Dad is sanding or using loud equipment, he must leave. Any finishing and I won't let him in the door. As much as we love our workshops and our children, there are just too many dangers and unhealthy temptations to make it a safe place for him. When he gets older, we will spend more shop time together. In my heart, I want him down there with me all day; in my head, I know it is no place for a seven year old boy.

1. 
   miller | Jun 20, 2006 06:03pm | #7

   I agree 100% about children out of the shop.  I have a three year old that wants to help dad with everything.  I thought I was safe just unplugging my equipment, until a few weeks ago I caught him plugging in my miter saw.  Needless to say he isn't allowed in the shop when I am working at all now.  I only turned my back for literally a second. 

1. 
   John_D | Jun 20, 2006 09:03pm | #8

   If your equipment sockets are on a separate breaker, you can turn off the breakers and really disable the gear.  When I safe my shop, that's seven breakers (five 220, two 110), and the power tools are REALLY disabled.  Lighting is of course unaffected.

   Three is pretty young, though -- at that age, even a chisel or hand saw can be too dangerous to have lying about (or the sharp blade of an unplugged miter saw).

   Well, much more fun awaits you. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

2. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 22, 2006 11:16pm | #16

   True story.. My oldest Daughter.. She was VERY little and she like me ALOT! Followed me everwhere.. I was staining the house.. I was up on a ladder about at least 20 foot or higher.. She was really little..
   BUT could climb a ladder I guess.. I FELT SOMETHING pulling on my leg pants.. It was her! She said... DAD.. I want to paint too!
   I grabbed her by the hair and she said why ya' hurting me?

3. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 22, 2006 11:54pm | #18

   I only turned my back for literally a second.
   I did that and.. As a much older than when it happened... Hell, She is Chemest and makes stuff to keeps us alive!

1. 
   miller | Jun 23, 2006 07:32pm | #20

   Tell me about it.  My children make me feel as if I am aging at twice the normal rate.  My wife and I are considering having a third child because our first two are growing up so fast. 

1. 
   John_D | Jun 23, 2006 11:43pm | #21

   Know what you mean.  I have sons 16, 15 and 13; also twin daughters almost 2 years old.  That "second batch" is both keeping us young, and running us into an early grave.  I expect that when they're older and in high school, when I'm almost 60, there will be at least one teacher or administrator who will say "Can we talk with the parents?  We're not authorized to go over this with grandparents..."

   Heh.My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

2. 
   miller | Jun 24, 2006 01:10am | #22

   Twins is what scares my wife and I away from trying again; God bless you.

3. 
   bones | Jun 26, 2006 04:24pm | #23

   "I'm almost 60,"

   Whith twins and 2 years old! You da man!!!!!!!. I thought my dad was up there at 50 when I was born.  He sure did have a ton of knowledge to pass to me! God bless and good luck!

4. 
   John_D | Jun 26, 2006 07:46pm | #24

   I probably didn't write that very well.  I mean, since I was 43 when they were born, I'll be almost 60 when they go to high school (and 60 when they graduate).  So I must graciously refuse the huzzah and congratulations, as they were intended for one more intrepid than I. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

5. 
   bones | Jun 27, 2006 04:35pm | #27

   You have twins, so take a half a Huzzah. I have a 16 year old son, and a 10 year old son, I'm 43 and I fell like 80.  Good luck and God Bless.

6. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 26, 2006 08:02pm | #25

   My wife and I are considering having a third child because our first two are growing up so fast. GO FOR IT! Be sure to bring her Flowers and wine before you start...Kids (I hate that word for some reason) I prefer Children.. But just me.. I am lucky.. ALL my children are the greatest but still get pissed at then on occasion! Who said life was easy? Three Daughters and the Son... My wife did not want another child to care for.. (I wonder why?) I think her Son was the favorite.. I now babysitting two adopted girls from China.. I love them like my own.. They are the greatest.. To bad I did not spend the time with my own daughters I do with my adopted grandbabies.. But then again, I was ALOT younger and had a JOB and mouths to feed!

7. 
   miller | Jun 27, 2006 05:40am | #26

   My wife cried the day we found out we were having a boy, but since the day he was born she hasn't put him down.  She spoils him rotten.

7. 
   QCInspector | Jun 21, 2006 09:39pm | #9

   Since you don't give any profile info as to where you live I'll assume your in/near a city some where.

   Look for an industrial supplier of safety supplies and take your son there and get them to find a mask that will fit him properly. While you're at it, you can also get matching ones for yourself to set a good example. When he see's you in yours, he's got his on. It's also important that the straps are worn on the head as recommended by the manufacturer.

   There is an almost endless choice of breathing protection to choose from. This is a link that will help if you not in a city. There are others out there too.

   http://www.labsafety.com/search/default.htm?N=4294966963+4294966918&Nu=dept%5Fid

   Look for and don't buy anything less than an N95 or P95 rated mask. If properly stored the good disposables can be used many times before they plug up and become hard to breath through. If you are going to get disposable (lightest and easiest on the neck) look for the one with a full rubber foam seal around the edges. All the manufacturers make different versions and some fit better than others. Something like this.

   http://www.labsafety.com/search/default.htm?N=4294966963+4294966918+4294962631+4294950914&dept_id=42031

   While your at it you should also have him fitted with eye and ear protection too. Unless your son has a very tiny face they should be able to fit him with some gear. And don't cheap out! Buy the high end.

   The start you give your kids towards safety will become ingrained and second nature and keep them from accumulating health problems later in life. Especially since you have to pay through the nose for your health care. There is a pun in that last sentence I think.

8. 
   eddiekee | Jun 22, 2006 04:38am | #11

   Here is my take.  My son is currently 8 years old.   He has always been around tools and equipment.  When he was six he started seeing the turners from the local woodturning clubs at different events around the area.  We went to a meeting and then he was hooked.  The club has several turning events to teach newcomers and we went.  I eventually bought a mini lathe and learned about safety centers, small safety glasses, and dust maskes.  I found that home depot does have safety glasses to fit.  They also have a mask with replacement cartridges that will fit a child.  The mask is blue silicon.  

   He is very closely supervised in the shop and now has a scroll saw and his own cordless drill.  I spent more on his cordless drill.  Panasonic has one that is light enough for him to use and should last him until he is well into adulthood as long as batteries are available.

   With some guidance from dad he mad his own workbench.  I did cut the 2x4 on the miter saw for him.  But he squared, screwed and assembled the bench himself over two weeks working in the evenings.  He has turned pencil boxes for gifts to his teachers, mallets for his workbench, tops and toys for his sister, and last fall started to turn christmas ornemants at the club.  He made one that went to the gift christmas tree.  Now He has turned out to be the safety officer from all of my harping.  I can't even leave a pile of chips laying around now. 

   There are rules when the tablesaw or shaper is running that he has to leave the shop, other than that he does stay put.  In order to keep him around I have upgraded to a full cyclone dust collector with 8" main duct, electrostatic air filter on the shop furnace.  We have had some minor incidents.  Once a small bowl that he was turning flew apart it got dad who was standing over it watching a little too close.    He was been taught by me and others to stand off to the side when working at the lathe.  He has damaged turning chisels by using  a slip stone to re-sharpen the edges.  Planes and chisels do get dropped on the floor more often, lids get left off of glue bottles,  good wood ends up on the scroll saw etc.  I have taken the attitude that as long as he is not going to get too injured I leave him alone.  He is guided to think before he does and then proceed. 

   I grew up with a workshop available to me from the age of 5 and so has my son, my daughter is also welcome, but she has not shown much interest as of yet. 

   Hope you many good times and yes people will have the opinion that you are a bad parent by letting your child around the shop.  However, I would rather have him in the shop than some adults.  Good luck and enjoy.

   Eddie

    

    

1. 
   yieldmap | Jun 22, 2006 05:42am | #12

   I'm with you, eddie.

   I have a 2.4 year old that just loves to go "downstairs" to the shop.  When we're there, he turns on the DC, sands with paper, and just watches for now.  If I'm running a power tool, he's on his stool several feet away and out of the line of fire.  I've even let him hold on to the random orbit sander a couple of times...he's already hooked.

   I grew up on a farm and was around dangerous equipment from day one.  It's our job to teach them about safety and paying attention.  Lots of valuable lessons are learned from working in the shop with dad, and there's no better family time than teaching your kids the passion of your hobby/craft.

   He and his mother can both fall asleep to the sound of a router or saw in the basement...what better lulliby is there?

    

1. 
   eddiekee | Jun 22, 2006 05:53pm | #13

   Some of my mostvivid lessons are from early childhood.  My dad had a service station when I was young.  To this day I still remember the lesson about messing with a jack.  I must have been 2 or 3 at the time and he had the handle low enough for me to reach the release.  The car went down.  No one was hurt, but dad got his point accross about what no touch meant.  I always knew what I as aloud to do and not in the shop, there was no special disconnect breakers or switches, tool where left out etc.  I also learned young to protect your eyes and hands from getting hurt.  Now we also protect our ears and lungs. 

    

   When my son was 2,  we where very involved in building our house.  I still rember him placing the small screws for the storm doors and learning how to get them started in the holes.  At that time my dad decided that he needed to learn how to go up and down a ladder.  He said that if we took the time to show him how then he would not be so inclined to do it when we had our back turned.  So grandpa and my son spend the day going up and down a six foot ladder.  Grandpa was right, after that the ladder was not so attractive and when he did get on it to "help dad" he at least could manage it.   I think that alot can be learned and if they are shown what it can do and why it does it, they do leave the big stuff alone.

    

   Eddie

    

    

9. 
   GHR | Jun 22, 2006 10:34pm | #14

   My granddaughter is 3. She comes in the shop and makes curlies with a hand plane.

   The best way to keep good lungs is to move a lot of air through the shop - blow the dust out.

   I have a 5" wide door and several window fans, the normal wind and fan by the door and the bad dust goes out.

10. 
    bones | Jun 23, 2006 04:58pm | #19

    My young son has asma, so I have seen the effects of a youngster not being able to breathe. For me, I keep a box of the white masks that you would see a doctor use. They have a flexible metal band that bridges the nose. You can bend it down pretty snug and it covers the face pretty well. I also have dust collection equipment that captures a lot at the point of work. Finally I have a filter system that I run to constantly filter the air. When I am going to be doing some sanding, I try to catch as much as I can and get the rest with a air filter. The masks are pretty much use and thrrow away.  I do not let him hang in the shop for long, if I am going to make tons of dust. Good luck and I hope he keeps the interest in woodworking.