# That's My Girl



## taycat (Oct 18, 2016)

my eldest girl rang me the other week they had to design a pedal powered go-cart out of scrap parts they could scrounge.
she is only girl who took the design tech course as an option during her last two years at school a and few of the boys give her lots of grief cos girls can't do tech.
well she rang last night to say she came top of class and her design has been entered into a county wide competition and if she gets into final will go into a national one.
apparently she turned rd to guy and said don't ever tell me i can't do something.

She got extra merits for listing 
tools
materials
and even what thread sizes each part were.

thats what happens when your girl grows up in the shop with you


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## David S (Oct 18, 2016)

Taycat, awesome news!  My hats off to you and your daughter for encouraging her to go into what may be non traditional, but something she obviously likes.  I hope she continues to excel.

I mentored my 15 year old grand daughter last fall / this spring while she built a working model of a river canal lock and she won 3rd place in the science fair and took the newspaper presentation award for the entire fair.

David


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## David S (Oct 18, 2016)

Taycat, just to follow up.  Is it possible to post a picture of your Daughter's accomplishments?

You show me yours, and I will show you mine....

David


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## taycat (Oct 18, 2016)

I will try to get stuff of her.
She lives with her mum and won't see her for two weeks.
I can when I get home tomorrow put pic on of a bike she built 2 years ago.
All my my important pics are stored on laptop and memory sticks.


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## taycat (Oct 19, 2016)

as promised this is her first solo build without me doing anything.
she did all welding design etc herself. bike came from a skip.
 she was 13 at time.


and this was a later project of hers .


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## David S (Oct 20, 2016)

Taycat, very nice and a real welder to boot.  For my grand daughter's project she had to do solvent welding for all the acrylic parts.

Perhaps others could show some projects from the young girls in our lives.

David


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## David S (Oct 25, 2016)

Taycat not to hi jack your thread, but hopefully to compliment it;  Here is My Grand daughters science fair project.  I had to made the plans so we could work with in the envelope of my machines... she did the research and most of the machining .



this is with the lock chamber full to raise the boat.



David


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 25, 2016)

taycat said:


> as promised this is her first solo build without me doing anything.
> she did all welding design etc herself. bike came from a skip.  she was 13 at time.



excellent work!
she is gifted and can only get better!
the bikes are really cool, thank you for sharing the pictures and the story.


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 25, 2016)

David S said:


> Taycat not to hi jack your thread, but hopefully to compliment it;  Here is My Grand daughters science fair project.  I had to made the plans so we could work with in the envelope of my machines... she did the research and most of the machining .this is with the lock chamber full to raise the boat.David



Hi David,
your grand daughter did some very nice work too
great stuff!


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

Hi David
great pics love to see what other kids get up to building things.
beats all the negative stuff you usually see about kids today.


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

couple more pics of bikes done with kids.
2 with my boy in he did some if not most of welding on.
and my little girl did spanner work on hers.
we have built dozens of bikes between us.
boys chopper got build of month on a bike site we belong to 2yrs ago when he did it.


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

and here is his first weld aged 5.


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## David S (Oct 26, 2016)

Taycat I hope your kids keep doing this stuff.  When they go to college, university or whatever these hands on skills will be indispensable.   Seems like lots of kids don't know what a screwdriver is these days.
Kudos.
David


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

My eldest boy isn't very practically minded but red hot  at computer stuff in fact have him down as tech support on my phone.
All my other kids are very hands on like me.
Hoping to be back on my feet next year and get place with workshop so we can get back to work.


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

Unfortunately a lot of kids think a screwdriver is a weapon.
Never forget day she told her uncle a screwdriver wasn't for opening paint tins.
Only8 at time.


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## David S (Oct 26, 2016)

Oh taycat I didn't mean to imply that all kids should be competent in the use of tools / machines.  I was just saying how great it is that we can encourage and mentor those that have the desire.

My son in law is not all that mechanically inclined but is my go to guy for all things computer related.  Your eldest son should be encouraged to pursue his talents as well.   He can fix your electronic stuff and you can run the screwdriver 
David


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

Didn't think you did.
I meant it as in it's odd how all but one of my kids as followed my love of hands on stuff.
He as made me a speed controller with built in digital tacho to go on lathe when I get another workshop.
Got forward and reverse on it and a no volts on off switch.
Is going to do one for my big drill press project I want to build.


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## David S (Oct 26, 2016)

Thanks, I feel better now.  When I reviewed the posts I thought that ..opps I have said something wrong.  As parents we need to encourage and help develop all our kids talents.

David


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

I am mildly autistic and sometimes when I say things they don't come across how I mean it to.
I have put it on my signature.
Yes we should encourage kids to be the best they can and to follow their dreams.
Hardest part I find of being dad is to let them make mistakes and fail so they learn.
Just have to stand back and help when asked.


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## David S (Oct 26, 2016)

We all have challenges.  When I first saw this thread that you started, I was impressed, so much so that I was hoping that others would share their experiences mentoring their kids in the hands on stuff.  Didn't want to hijack your original thread, but rather bring in others that can share how their youngsters are coming into the "hobby machinist" forum.

David


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## taycat (Oct 26, 2016)

Would be nice to see others put things up.
Might encourage other kids to have a go and give kids already doing things to try other ideas.


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