Had two of my grandsons here for a few days (10 and 12 year olds) on my farm and had a great time with them. Last year we participated in an annual rafting contest for families (build the raft and take it down river 7 miles) and the moment they got out of the car they asked if we we could do to do it again this year. Last year we finished towards the back of the pack but had a fantastic time doing it regardless of where we finished.
I said of course we are (what else is a Grandpa going to say?) so we sat around talking about what we did less than perfect last year, (way too heavy) how we would change things, and then sat around sketching it up. I brought out some graph paper and explained what it meant to do a scale drawing and how to go about it. The 10 year old said he had seen paper like that before but thought it was to help you write letters the same size.
That only took one evening and they were going to be here three more days so "Grandpa" had to come up with something to fill the time. The 12 year old has been diagnosted as "hyper active" but has not been put on meds yet. When I look at him all I see is a smart kid that NEEDS to be doing something productive instead of playing video games or sitting at the computer chatting. You know, something that burns off that energy. (Man I wish I could get a transfusion of his energy.)
Last winter I picked up an old Sears 10' tinny (no engine, trailer, etc.) for the cost of putting it in the back of my truck and hauling away. We dragged it out of storage and all in all, not so horrible. I told the boys I wasn't planning on doing anything with it and would probably sell it cheap or scrap it out if no one wants it. WE WANT IT GRANDPA was the immediate response! What would the two of you do with a boat? Use it on your pond Grampa!
Well boys, Grandpa is pretty busy so you would have to do all the work to get it in shape to use it. Of course I am not too busy for them but I wanted them to step up and take resposibility, do the work and reap the reward and satisfaction of having done it themselves.
We put it in the water, put a pair of oars in it and they rowed around the pond for a bit until they noticed water coming in one of the seams. Pulled it back out, dumped a couple gallons of water and took it to the shop. Got out the rivet tools, showed them how to use them on a couple pieces of scrap and then showed them how to use them on the boat. They caught on pretty quick so I found something else I needed to do and left them to it.
Long story short, they spent an entire day going over ALL the rivets in the boat. I asked why do all the rivets and the 12 year old said, "If some where loose then the others might be loose." Can't fault that logic at all. They put it back on the pond the next day and while there were no bad leaks, there was still some weeping in one seem. How do we fix that Grandpa? I had a can of Gulvit but wanted to push them a little to come up with a solution.
Not sure how we should fix this I said, but, I bet if we look at one of the internet forums I use someone will have an idea. Of course there were dozens of posts on it and Gulvit is mentioned in almost all of them. After a half hour of reading the posts here they came back and told me they had decided the best way was to paint the inside with Gulvit, where could they buy some and how much does it cost?
Gulvit? I think I have a can of that somewhere in my shop. No more than got the words out and they were out the door headed to the shop. they found it, got a couple of brushs and were ready to start painting but I told them they had to clean it before they could paint it. Gave them a box of scotch bright pads and they tore into it. An hour later they said they were ready and wanted to start painting. I mixed the catylist for them and told them to go for it and left them to it.
Ok, it was a little sloppy and wouldn't win any beauty awards but they had done it themselves and I was not about to say anything negative in anyway. Left it on the saw horses to cure and spent the time "plinking cans" with the .22 rifle. Came back, was dry to the touch so we put it on the pond and, not a drop of water anywhere. They played around on the pond for a couple hours before running out of gas. They pulled it up on the bank and came to talk to me asking, What are you going to do with "our" boat now that its all fixed Garnadpa?
Well, you boys did all the work so I think when I sell it I'll give you half the profits? How much will that be!? (Time to put on my deep in thought face) I think I can sell it for $50 so you two can split your $25 in half and each will get $12 and change. Grandpa, we don't want to sell it for $12! (I had no plans to do that.) Well what do you guys think we should do with it? Keep it Grandpa, keep it and we can use it when we visit!!! Well, I suppose we could keep it but someone will have to keep it clean and put it away when its not being used. WE WILL GRANDPA!
I made one mistake, I told them if they were going to have a boat they had to give it a name. That discussion still wasn't done when they went home. The youngest wants to call it "The Minnow" the older wants to call it "Enterpise". LOL
Of course when their parent came to pick them up they were given a blow by blow description of how they had fixed "thier" boat all by themselves, how they looked up information on the internet, and took both parents for a ride. I wish there was a way to decribe the PRIDE on their faces when rowing mom and dad around the pond. Don't know that I have ever seen a prouder boat owner anywhere.
Talked to my daughter this morning and she wanted to know what I had done to the 12 year old becaue when they got home he went straight to bed. I told her try rowing a boat a couple hours and she would understand.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. As they were getting ready to go home the youngest asked, "Grandpa what are you going to do with that old boat motor (2.5 HP) in the shed? I don't know, it doesn't run so I thought I would scrap it.
Yeah, I LOVE being a Grandpa...
I said of course we are (what else is a Grandpa going to say?) so we sat around talking about what we did less than perfect last year, (way too heavy) how we would change things, and then sat around sketching it up. I brought out some graph paper and explained what it meant to do a scale drawing and how to go about it. The 10 year old said he had seen paper like that before but thought it was to help you write letters the same size.
That only took one evening and they were going to be here three more days so "Grandpa" had to come up with something to fill the time. The 12 year old has been diagnosted as "hyper active" but has not been put on meds yet. When I look at him all I see is a smart kid that NEEDS to be doing something productive instead of playing video games or sitting at the computer chatting. You know, something that burns off that energy. (Man I wish I could get a transfusion of his energy.)
Last winter I picked up an old Sears 10' tinny (no engine, trailer, etc.) for the cost of putting it in the back of my truck and hauling away. We dragged it out of storage and all in all, not so horrible. I told the boys I wasn't planning on doing anything with it and would probably sell it cheap or scrap it out if no one wants it. WE WANT IT GRANDPA was the immediate response! What would the two of you do with a boat? Use it on your pond Grampa!
Well boys, Grandpa is pretty busy so you would have to do all the work to get it in shape to use it. Of course I am not too busy for them but I wanted them to step up and take resposibility, do the work and reap the reward and satisfaction of having done it themselves.
We put it in the water, put a pair of oars in it and they rowed around the pond for a bit until they noticed water coming in one of the seams. Pulled it back out, dumped a couple gallons of water and took it to the shop. Got out the rivet tools, showed them how to use them on a couple pieces of scrap and then showed them how to use them on the boat. They caught on pretty quick so I found something else I needed to do and left them to it.
Long story short, they spent an entire day going over ALL the rivets in the boat. I asked why do all the rivets and the 12 year old said, "If some where loose then the others might be loose." Can't fault that logic at all. They put it back on the pond the next day and while there were no bad leaks, there was still some weeping in one seem. How do we fix that Grandpa? I had a can of Gulvit but wanted to push them a little to come up with a solution.
Not sure how we should fix this I said, but, I bet if we look at one of the internet forums I use someone will have an idea. Of course there were dozens of posts on it and Gulvit is mentioned in almost all of them. After a half hour of reading the posts here they came back and told me they had decided the best way was to paint the inside with Gulvit, where could they buy some and how much does it cost?
Gulvit? I think I have a can of that somewhere in my shop. No more than got the words out and they were out the door headed to the shop. they found it, got a couple of brushs and were ready to start painting but I told them they had to clean it before they could paint it. Gave them a box of scotch bright pads and they tore into it. An hour later they said they were ready and wanted to start painting. I mixed the catylist for them and told them to go for it and left them to it.
Ok, it was a little sloppy and wouldn't win any beauty awards but they had done it themselves and I was not about to say anything negative in anyway. Left it on the saw horses to cure and spent the time "plinking cans" with the .22 rifle. Came back, was dry to the touch so we put it on the pond and, not a drop of water anywhere. They played around on the pond for a couple hours before running out of gas. They pulled it up on the bank and came to talk to me asking, What are you going to do with "our" boat now that its all fixed Garnadpa?
Well, you boys did all the work so I think when I sell it I'll give you half the profits? How much will that be!? (Time to put on my deep in thought face) I think I can sell it for $50 so you two can split your $25 in half and each will get $12 and change. Grandpa, we don't want to sell it for $12! (I had no plans to do that.) Well what do you guys think we should do with it? Keep it Grandpa, keep it and we can use it when we visit!!! Well, I suppose we could keep it but someone will have to keep it clean and put it away when its not being used. WE WILL GRANDPA!
I made one mistake, I told them if they were going to have a boat they had to give it a name. That discussion still wasn't done when they went home. The youngest wants to call it "The Minnow" the older wants to call it "Enterpise". LOL
Of course when their parent came to pick them up they were given a blow by blow description of how they had fixed "thier" boat all by themselves, how they looked up information on the internet, and took both parents for a ride. I wish there was a way to decribe the PRIDE on their faces when rowing mom and dad around the pond. Don't know that I have ever seen a prouder boat owner anywhere.
Talked to my daughter this morning and she wanted to know what I had done to the 12 year old becaue when they got home he went straight to bed. I told her try rowing a boat a couple hours and she would understand.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. As they were getting ready to go home the youngest asked, "Grandpa what are you going to do with that old boat motor (2.5 HP) in the shed? I don't know, it doesn't run so I thought I would scrap it.
Yeah, I LOVE being a Grandpa...
