Creative Woodworks & crafts 2005-03, страница 74

The joy of victory! Students Steven Loh and Eric Ekholm show their prize-winning projects from the Texas Technology Student Association Conference in Waco, Texas.

Jason Rue of Orange Park, FL, was a freshman at Clay County High School when he discovered pen making. After looking through the Penn State Industries School Products Division catalog, he bought a lathe and within a short period of time turned his hobby into a business.

Middle school students press pen parts together on an assembly press. This is the final step in pen making after turning and finishing the pen barrels.

the many handmade pens donated to the Freedom Pen Project. This project provides beautiful handmade writing instruments to our military stationed in foreign countries. The goal of the project is for every freedom pen to serve as a constant reminder to our troops that they are not alone and will have continued support until every one of them returns.

continued from page 73

A Cost-Effective Solution

School districts also find pen-making equipment very cost effective when compared to technology products. Rather than spending several thousand dollars, schools can spend just a few hundred dollars to get started with a small pen-making setup. Pen kits, wood, and other supplies to maintain the program are quite affordable. For example, a package for 35 students (2 or 3 classes) is available for around $2000, which includes 2 lathes, 2 duplicators, turning and pen-making hardware, finishing supplies, videos and instructions, plus enough kits and wood lo make about 115 projects. After ihc initial purchase, subsequent individual kits would only cost from $2 to $4 each. The Tech Ed teacher's job of "selling" the program to upper echelon school district administrators becomes easy because of the program's low cost.

For Additional Information

Pain Levy is the School Products Manager for Penn State Industries. Pam works extensively with students, teachcrs, administrators, and school districts to fit their particular needs. "Our projects are fun to make, have educational value, and can be integrated across the curriculum to involve many disciplines." Pain's enthusiasm for the schools extends well beyond being a sales coordinator. "By using mini lathes, educators have excited the curiosities of middle and high school students, making learning fun while also producing a beautiful and salable product."

Pam can be reached at 1-800-847-8984 anytime between the hours of 8:30 a.m.. and 11:00p.m. EST, or by e-mail at pam@pennsiateind.com. Also, you can visit the School Products Division on the web at www.PSlschools.com,

28 • Creative Woodworks S. Crafts March 2005