Woodworking Education: Learning the Actual Costs of Their Projects.

Students rarely know to ask, but fabrication of wood or metal projects can be very costly. In a beginning woodworking class it is helpful to have students know the actual cost of everything they use and keep a running tally of it all. Even if they aren't paying directly for provided things such as glue and sandpaper it helps if they know what those things actually cost as they consume it. 

While it may be more economical to provide glue in gallon jugs that all students will share, this doesn't make it easy for them to care or know how much they use in a semester for their projects.  

Provide a small bottle of wood glue to each student that they can put their name on and keep in their personal locker. Small bottles can be bought in large packs. Tell them the actual cost of that bottle.  They will know how much they use and can easily keep track of the cost. The same can work with sandpaper.  Issue each student a stack of sheets in each suggested grit they use. 80, 120, 180, 240, 360.  Each higher number is 1.5 greater than the previous grit save for 240.  Let them know how much each sheet is worth. Encourage them to put their name on the back of each sheet, and then each half or quarter sheet if they split it.   If they need more glue or sandpaper then issue them more, but remind them to record what they would have paid for it. Finishes used and brushes and rags and cleanup materials all cost something. 

If you provide wood or metal for their projects then give them a fixed amount of virtual money they can use to "buy" the wood or metal with at its actual cost per board foot or linear foot.  If they purchase or provide their own material they should keep track of what they actually would have spent for it. 

At the end of the semester have them turn in a balance sheet.  Having kept track of their actual costs (even if everything was provided to them) will ease sticker shock in later classes when they are asked to actually buy the wood or metal they will use in their larger projects.  Having a good idea of actual production costs will help them price future work they might want to sell.  A good lecture on overhead costs to consider is also recommended. HVAC, Electricity for all the machines and lights, Trash disposal, shop cost (rent or monthly loan payment and property tax), etc..   This project is a great filler for moments in class when there is nothing else to do.