Woodworking Hands-on @ Ross Farm Museum

The workshop has always played a vital role in keeping tools and implements usable on any farm. This shop has many different tools for carving and shaping wood by hand. Electricity, ho no, there are no electric hand tools here. Everything is powered by human muscle, so all tools must be kept in excellent condition in order to be able to use them properly.

On most farms family members would spend many days in winter fixing and repairing implements, making ready for spring planting time. If there were no tools needing repairs or replacement, there maybe other objects build. Examples may be; utensils or windows. As any farmer/homeowner can tell you, there is no end to the work that can be performed in the family woodworking shop.

When the class first come into the shop, the children will smell the aroma of the wood burning stove and use its heat to warm their hands. The hands-on class will have an opportunity to tour the shop and be introduced to the many tools and artefacts kept in this building.

There task while visiting the workshop will be to make a mallet by using a few simple hand tools. With the assistance of the interpreter, each student will be able to cut their needed materials to the proper length. Using a spoke shave, the corners of the square handle stock can be made round and smooth. Once the handle is finished, a hand drill called a brace and bit will be used to drill a hole to fasten the mallet head to its handle. At this point the handle and head can e fixed in place and the mallet is then complete. Each student will be able to take their own creation home.

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Ross Farm Museum; Nova Scotia's Living Museum of Agriculture offers an exciting hand-on program where children have the opportunity to perform many different tasks, which involve many of the daily chores, on a 19th century farm. Children will learn practical things, from days gone by, so they can distinguish the relationship between themselves and the early setters. By using hand tools, wood fired stoves, or a coal fired forge, students can create their own images of life before modern conveniences, powered by electricity. The experience produced will be a very enjoyable one with memories lasting a life time.

For Further Information
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