What age limit is appropriate for using tools (such as screwdrivers, hacksaw, drill, etc.)?
I've told my 15-year-old son off because he's not allowed to use tools because he could cut himself if he touches something dangerous.
What's the right age limit for using tools?
Please use an age, like 45 years old.
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I was using screw drivers, hammer/nails, low voltage (1.5, 3, 9, 12) electric wiring, pocket knives, stove top, oven, washing machine, and hand saws (not power saws) before I turned 11. I learned to swing an axe when I turned 12. I was introduced to soldering electric wires before 13. I very strongly suggest not providing a pocket knife to a pre-teen, not because they might use it poorly, but because they might forget to leave it home when going places it shouldn’t go, and kids are often not treated in a reasonable manner for that sort of mistake.
Like everything else with potential danger, (1) start small, safe, & supervised (ex: nuts & bolts & wrenches) until they are safe without supervision. (2) Introduce something a little less safe, until they are safe without supervision. (3) repeat step (2) until you’ve run out of things to teach. If you want to skip the “supervision” part, skip the “introduction” part too. When they want to jump ahead, explain step (2) as how they get there.
There's no simple answer to this question in the form "X years" as you'd hoped for. The right age for a child to use tools depends on the tool, the child and the parent (or other supervising adult).
To assess the what's right for your situation, consider the following checklist, which applies to all tools, from a paintbrush or mixing spoon right through to a chainsaw or bulldozer. If you can't satisfy any of the headline statements below, then you might need to
wait for the child to grow older,
change the tool
change the adult, or
simply pick a better time and place.
The child wants to use the tool
Like all learning experiences, if it's imposed on the child then it's probably going to be counterproductive. Children are most likely to ask for tools to help with their own projects, such as making a dolls' house or model railway, but may also want to help the parent with household repairs or making furniture, for example.
The child is able to use the tool
Usually it's obvious if a tool is too large or heavy for the child. Some common tools such as scissors come in small sizes especially suited for younger children (often too small for adults to use effectively). Also consider the degree of control required; for example a hand-held power drill requires much more coordination than a workshop pillar drill. Depending on where you live, there might be legal restrictions on age when using vehicles, firearms or explosives.
The child can understand and follow instructions
As you're concerned about safety, you'll want to teach the proper respect for (but not fear of) tools.
You might find that you're a better teacher if you ask the child to suggest safety precautions, rather than simply reciting them yourself. If you ask, "how could this hurt us or make a mess, and how can we change that?" you'll have an engaged youngster actively thinking about safety, rather than a bored and impatient one.
It definitely helps if the child can understand the reason for each precaution we take, such as why we cut away from ourselves and other people, and why we always use a solid backstop for airgun targets. The "explain, not tell" rule also holds for instructions that improve the quality of results, such as how to hold a saw for a straight cut.
Try not to be too anxious yourself. If you're unable to hide your anxiety, you might want to ask a trusted friend to supervise and teach on your behalf. Also, make the instruction appropriate for the child: for example, when I started my engineering degree, the university showed graphic photos of the consequences when a person's hair is dragged into an electric drill - that jolted the undergraduates out of their complacency, but there's no need to scare pre-school children like that!
The adult is confident in using the tool correctly
This means that you should demonstrate the use of the correct safety equipment, not merely insist on "do as I say, not as I do". For instance, always use oven gloves for handling hot dishes, safety glasses when drilling or sanding, and ear protection when breaking up concrete. Again, consider asking a trusted friend (or an organisation, such as Scouts or other youth group) to demonstrate and teach the use of tools you're not confident enough with.
The adult has time to teach the child
It's no good being in a hurry to complete your project. If you are, then you should probably defer the teaching to a more suitable time. You need to be able to go at the child's pace, to tolerate their early mistakes and to answer their questions. You should allow some extra time for practising on scrap material before committing to making the once-only cut on their valuable workpiece.
Most of the above sounds like statements of the obvious, but I hope it gives you a tool (!) to assess what's right for you and your child.
I would normally expect a 15-year-old to be familiar with hand tools for woodworking and simple metalwork (saws, files, chisels) and with some power tools (pillar drill, bandsaw). When I was at school (in the 1980s in England), all pupils were taught the use of these tools around age 12-14. As I had a farm upbringing, my personal experience is probably not representative, but suffice to say that with the right environment and opportunity, I was able to use just about any tool except the arc welder by the age of 15.
At age 15 I was doing all the electrical jobs in the house. I was far more capable of it than my parents, and indeed more capable than I am today at 65. I did make the odd mistake, but how else do you learn?
If a 15-year old wants to tackle such jobs, encourage it, but obviously check that he/she is properly equipped for the task and knows what safety precautions are appropriate.
Throughout most of history, 15-year-olds were regarded as adults and were out and about doing useful work. They need to be flapping their wings and leaving the nest.
I made a watchtower for my Action Man (GI Joe in the US) when I was 8, with minimal help from my dad. I don't know when I first started using real tools, but clearly by this time I knew how to use a saw, hammer and nails. At age 10 we were making simple models at school with balsa wood, hacksaws and chisels. When I started senior school at age 11 we had woodwork lessons using saws, chisels and drills. And when I started Scouts at age 11, all kids were taught how to use a knife, bow saw, hand axe and felling axe on their first camp, because each patrol had to maintain their own stack of firewood.
If your son is 15, then the only reason he might not be safe around basic hand tools is that you haven't taught him how to use them. Assuming your son doesn't have learning difficulties or physical handicaps which would affect his ability to use them safely, he is at least 5 years past old enough that you should already have taught him how to use them. Any age limit for your son is null, void, expired and so far over the horizon you couldn't see it with a telescope.
I was taught to use wood-working tools (hammer, screw-driver, hand plane, hand-saw, hand-held electric circular saw, electric drill, sand paper, paint, also sewing needle) at home when I was a child. Not to mention kitchen knives.
Later I was taught to use power tools, at school, when I was about 14: that included chisels (for cutting wood), drill press, table saw (a circular saw, not a band saw), lathe.
Our wood-working teacher was missing part of one finger -- when he taught us safety, he knew (from personal experience) what he was talking about! The safety lessons weren't only about sharp tools: they included wearing a mask to avoid wood-dust, safety glasses, etc. Also, what can go wrong (e.g. that a power saw might snatch the wood if it hits a hidden nail or knot), and how to mitigate that (use a tool, not your hands, to feed the wood into the saw).
At home and at school I was usually supervised, at least initially: e.g. at home I was "helping" an adult to do something; at school the teacher watched people work.
I was taught to drive a car, and handle a military rifle, when I was about 16.
As a teenager I also sometimes used a big (two-handed) axe for splitting logs.
There are many machines that I haven't learned to use (e.g. motorcycle, pistol, chain saw, band saw), and (knowing tools are dangerous if mis-used) my inclination is to not touch one until or unless someone taught me how to use it.
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