Industrial stuff to do with my son

Perhaps I missed you mentioning railroad yards or constrtuction sites, these are a no brainer. Great fathering on your part.

i

You've got a mechanical mind in the making there. Encourage it.

Another suggestion, start getting stuff for him to take apart. Almost anything will do. (I allways pre-loosened everything) Explain what each piece is for as he gets it off. This should be his project, you work on something else; but stop frequently to see how he's doing.

My baby boy started doing this along side me 20 years ago. He made shop supervisor at 22. At 24, they made him machining engineer. Only one in the company without the four year ticket. I'm sure he's the only engineer that just repairs the machine when it goes down.

karl

We've been on the Amtrak to San Diego a few times, and a couple of rail museums, but there aren't any good rail yards around here, at least not that I know of. Does anyone know of any in So. Cal. that give tours? Or just have a good place to watch what's going on?

As for construction sights, we've hung around outside a few where they were using big earth movers, but I don't know of any projects like that that I can stop off at. If anyone knows of any in any in So Cal, please let me know.

Thanks. My oldest, Jeffrey (3 1/2 yrs), gets to go in the shop. I show him how to do stuff, like saw styrofoam boards and bolt things together. I'm thinking it's time to move him up to balsa wood, so we can cut and glue and paint stuff. Maybe make some boats for the bath... It's important for me to be there for my kids, and I really like showing him science and industrial stuff.

Any way, I grew up without a father around, and I refuse to do that to my kids. So, I'm looking for things we can do together.

That's an excellent suggestion. I'll keep an eye out at the swap meet for good junk to take apart.

Congratulations!

Taking things apart is the first step. The second is putting them back together, and that takes a bit more skill!

You shouldn't need to go to a swap meet to find things to take apart. When you start looking for junk, you'll be amazed at how much you find. Next time you have a domestic appliance which you aren't going to repair, set it aside for taking apart. And look for stuff in skips (or dumpsters, or whatever the American name for car-sized waste containers is). I first started doing this when I was 10. The first thing I remember finding was a big fan. Funnily enough I still have it. Not so long ago I used it to make a flamethrower. You can enjoy the movie here:

Best wishes,

Chris

How about the Vista Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum. Located in north San Diego County...

Or maybe the March Air Force Base Museum in Riverside

And, for rainy days (not that they ever occur in SoCal) there are several videos available of heavy equipment operating. Little boys will watch them over and over... Caution: So will daddies...

Jerry

wrote: (clip)Does anyone know of one in Orange County/Southern California? (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Printing Museum (somewhere near Disneyland.)

My boys had a wonderful time with an old cash register. When I was a kid, my fathr used to bring home old typewriters. (If I had those today, they'd be worth a fortune.)

Your approach is outstanding! His brain circuits are forming at this age. The more things you expose him to, the smarter he becomes. Don't neglect nature walks, music, the zoo, bike rides.

Try Ecology Auto Parts in Rialto if you can't find anything closer to you. There was a story in our local (Victorville) paper this morning about them crushing some seized street racers while the (former) owners watched! One of the twits had over $10k invested, on top of the cost of the car, and he had to stand there and watch it be flattened. I'll bet he thinks twice about street racing again! :-)

Jim Chandler

BWAHAHAHAHA...........sweet!!! And a very well done video. Youtube is your opportunity for science superstardom.

Was that the final exam project for your PhD in..........oh, I don't know...............INSANITY? Dave

This is a good idea. My parents gave me a lawnmower engine when I was

1. My Dad loosened all the bolts so I could take it apart and put it back together. Karl

Do all the things that have been suggested. Then "do not" send him to public schools to be "dumbed down".

B

General aviation airport. Dirt track races (get a pit pass).

Wes

It just so happened that on our youngest son's, Cory, 6th b-day, a friend of mine, Mike, had brought his excavator out to do some work for me. Cory watched him intensely for about an hour. Mike has a son about th' same age and asked me if it was Ok if he let Cory operate it for a bit. You never saw a kid smile so big as when I said *sure*.

Mike showed him th' controls (that Cory could reach) and how to dig a hole. That kid must've really been paying attention 'cause he actually dug, then back filled a hole about 6' deep. Both Mike and I were actually pretty impressed and th' kid just said, "that's way cooler than any video game, Dad."

My favorite picture ever of Cory is him giving th' two thumbs up sign after he backfilled that hole. He's 14 now and anything electronic or female seems to be where his interests lie .

Snarl

In the UK kids (and old kids) can play with full size excavators for GBP12.50, or around USD25 per day, and if you are a REALLY OLD kid it's half price :-)

It was just something we did for a laugh. There will be more!

Best wishes,

Chris

The airport is a good idea. The local airport, John Wayne, used to be really good for just hanging out -- you could walk out onto the tarmac, but now it's almost like any other big airport. Maybe we could get a tour of one of the hangers? Or maybe Ontario Airport? Oh, I know a good one -- the police or Sheriff's helicopter pad. I'd bet they give tours.

He's going to the Long Beach races with his grandpa next April, mostly to the pits. Now that you bring it up, I'd bet he'd enjoy a figure-8 race, or crash derby at Irwindale. It's about as good as we get here, not being The South. I think NASCAR would just freak him out -- it's so loud and long.

Thanks for all the help!

Forget the big airports. Take him to Flabob in Rubideaux. They have an Experimental Aircraft Association chapter (Chapter 1) there and they would be happy to show him around. He can get to sit in the planes and really get the feel of things.

Jim Chandler

I was able to get all of the fruit crates - 1/2" thick ends and slats. I had a big stack of them - as I knew the local shop owner in my (town of 400) lots of box nails - headed 6's. Dad came home with a crate of chickens from the post office. Yea back then mail anything!

He looked at me and said there was some wood in the shop and my stacks - build a chicken coop and a run. Wire to be added when he got back. He flew out unknown to me on a B-36 to England and was back in a week.

I was glad that we had a boarder (big big house (old)) that helped in the concept. The run was the real trouble spot.

Martin

Mart> This is a good idea. My parents gave me a lawnmower engine when I was

My brother was an auto body tech - owned his own shop. His wife ran the office, did the estimating, drove the tow truck, and helped in the shop, so Junior spent a lot of time around the shop. Brother got an old Dodge van and parked it in front of the shop - gave the 3 year old a set of tools and had him totally dissassemble the interior before he was 5. Saved every screw, and knew where everything came from and could pretty well put everything back on. He took the entire dash, HVAC (already drained) radio, and everything out and apart.