Sawing aid.

[Son of a gun-ner]

Wow, how things changed for you youngsters, did they provide safe spaces too

Back in the day, all the tools were sharp, we even had a couple of wood turning lathes. And we had a metal work shop with lathes and a forge. I could never forget that forge, I was often made to stand by it till my behaviour improved

[silversurfer1947]

I remember these from my woodwork lessons at school, though I was heavily discriminated against. Being left handed, trying to use one of them was not exactly simple. No left handed ones were provided!

And all those years have passed, and I bet you still haven't made yourself a left handed one

I did actually have a left handed one, but as to its current whereabouts......

[Son of a gun-ner]

You sound as bad as me Richard, I spend most of my time looking for stuff.

I think a bench hook is an invaluable tool, even for keeping a mitre block still when sawing any type of material.

[jarndice]

Wow, how things changed for you youngsters, did they provide safe spaces too

Back in the day, all the tools were sharp, we even had a couple of wood turning lathes. And we had a metal work shop with lathes and a forge. I could never forget that forge, I was often made to stand by it till my behaviour improved

When I started my ONC Mechanical Engineering it came as a bit of a surprise to discover that I was the only student who was familiar with a welding torch,
I had assumed (wrongly) that everyone was taught the skill at School just as I was taught how to set up a lathe (PreDigital) and most other workshop tools powered and otherwise.
I also learnt to read music and play the Violin but that had rather more to do with the hour and a half lesson coinciding with a maths lesson
You talk to School Children today and it's a different world

[Son of a gun-ner]

Although I didn't do welding at school, I was taught it within my apprenticeship.
But at school I forged a screwdriver blade, one end for screwing, the other end had couple of tangs for attaching the handle. Then I placed the blade into a steel mould, and poured molten aluminium into the mould. When that was cool enough to handle, I then held it in a lathe to turn the handle.
And in between all that, I'd hardened and tempered the blade and had used an offhand grinder to clean and shape the blade.
And not one injury at the tender age of 13/14.

[silversurfer1947]

I had to make choices at school. We had no metalwork. Progressively, we had to choose options. Art or woodwork - my woodwork skills ( apart from the lathe) were minimal, but still exceeded my artistic talents. Latin or geography. Latin took over. Next year it was biology or woodwork. Woodwork took the backseat. As you will gather, technology did not play a strong role. I do still have a bowl that I turned, though.

[Son of a gun-ner]

Wow, that was very limited.

We also had to make choices for our final two years (14 to 16), but I guess I was lucky to have a varied variety to choose from.

Out of the practical I chose wood work, technical drawing and metal work, the latter I swapped out of to go to an art class instead (it had girls). I did consider doing cookery or needlework instead of metal work, but the head teacher of domestic sciences wouldn't allow it as I would have been a "bad influence." Although they did have a male in the cookery class in a higher year.
I could have also chosen brick laying/building. Sadly they didn't have it then, but car mechanics was going to be a choice for later years.

[RobW]

I remember the bench hooks being ambidextrous at school. Handy as I had a tendency to work with whichever hand I picked the saw up with. Used to drive the teacher nuts but did avoid Martin's issue with blunt blades as I swapped as I got tired.

[jarndice]

Quite early in life I discovered that the ability to use both hands was helpful and often pleasurable.
I am thinking of Pin Vices what Vices are you thinking of

[Tiger6]

I remember the bench hooks being ambidextrous at school. Handy as I had a tendency to work with whichever hand I picked the saw up with. Used to drive the teacher nuts but did avoid Martin's issue with blunt blades as I swapped as I got tired.

You are forgetting that I have 2 wet noodles for arms, Rob, it doesn't take long to wear both of them out