How do you Handle CNC cars?

[GravityRacer]

Interesting. You can have pictures of me helping my two youngest sons cutting their PWD car bodies out on a scrollsaw (I was helping defend the free world when my oldest was that age). My hands are on the boy's hands, gently but strongly guiding the part. One pop from the saw, and his elbows would be in his ribs, when I pulled his hands away. And they wore goggles. A scrollsaw is way less dangerous than a bandsaw. CNC is out of the question. However, the motor skills and interest in my 3 sons vary widely.

SlartyBartFast, I agree that CNC is a good knowledge to have. This may be the direction that the US needs to go to stay competitive. The problem here in the US is that our kids don't do a lot of things that we did. Jobs that we used to do as kids (general cleanup, mowing lawns, etc.) are now done by persons of Hispanic descent, mostly, here in California. I mow my own lawn, or have one of my boys do it. The reasons are manifold, but the two biggest are instilling a work ethic and making sure that they realize that "brown-skinned people do that stuff" is not the case. That's mostly to avoid raising prejudiced children.

Pack529, if the Tiger or Wolf has less skill, then have him make an easy body style, like a wedge or even a flat body. It's pretty bad when a Tiger Cub shows up with a replica of a '63 Corvette Split-Window coupe and says he made it...and beats out senior Webelos Scouts, to be number one in the Pack (I've seen it). That's cheating. If you had seen the car, you would know it.

Also, those "trailer queen" cars that the dad brings to the race, don't let the kid touch it at any time during the event, and then grins like an idiot when he accepts the award are a travesty. That isn't what it's all about. I realize you are talking about real cars, but the concept is the same- the guy at the car show probably poured money like honey into the restoration of his ride...and then is afraid to start it, for fear of crinkling the paint (or chrome) on the headers.

mbb, I know what you mean. Identical projects made by my sons (e.g., the pencil box from the Webelos Craftsman Badge) came out markedly differently- the oldest has ADHD, and that pencil box looked pretty bad- sawn crooked, nailed crooked, runs in the shellac. The second son's could be on an executive's desk. Third son? Well, just like the first. Same materials, same dad, each time. It is really irritating when people base their experience on their own children's capabilities...and doubt the others. Do you mean even after showing the pix, he was disbelieved?