When you can’t go do anything really fun with your nephew for his birthday due to Covid-19, build things!
One of the coolest things that my partner Melissa and I have decided to do for our niece and nephew is our ongoing plans for their birthdays. While everyone loves getting stuff (read: toys!) for one’s birthday, our niece and nephew have a number of other relatives that more than adequately fulfill that need. We had heard this plan from one of our fellow paragliding pilots and loved the idea: give experiences, not stuff! So, starting on their 9th birthdays, we started to give them the gift of ‘Whatever you want to do today, we will go do!’. So far there have been two day-long trips to arcades and a trip to a pottery studio.
This year was supposed to be a fossil hunting trip to Vancouver Island, however Covid has made that an uncomfortable and very possibly dangerous process what with ferries full of boneheads who can’t seem to understand how polite society behaves during a global pandemic! So, the proposal was made to spend the day in my shop and make some stuff! Specifically, making a set of three lache bars for W’s home Ninja Gym.
It was such an outstandingly amazing experience to share what I love with my nephew! He was amazing too; before this he had never used a power tool in his life with the exception of a hot glue gun! He paid attention, listened and above all asked questions when he didn’t understand something. I had been prepared to do most of the work and have him there just helping out however in reality and without any Uncle Russ Hyperbole he did 95% of the work!!
We went through the whole process of design, dimensions, sourcing materials, marking, drilling, cutting and assembling in about 4 hours. The nice thing was that the 36″ threaded pipe was the perfect size for his needs (he wanted 34″ long bars), so our work was largely reduced to marking out and drilling holes, then cutting bolts to length prior to attachment. We got done about an hour before dinner, so I suggested we could do a bit of smithing; you know, if he wanted to…Enthusiastic nodding ensued and a small coathook was made! I had to do a bit more here as the anvil was just a bit too tall for him (I will be now on the lookout for an inexpensive small anvil to add to the tripping hazards in my shop), but he loved the whole process!
All in all, an outstanding time had by all! 14/10 Would do again with either him or his sister M!
