# Children and locking your shop



## Jeekinz (Apr 18, 2007)

Quick history:

My shop is in my basement, only accessable from either the cellar door from inside the house or a bilko door outside.

Without getting into personal details, my wife and I are having her 10 year old son move in with us (who I never met). I can't decide whether to put a lock on the shop or not.

When I was growing up as a kid, I always had respect for my Fathers tools, which are now mine, and never felt the need to flip switches or mess with chisels.

Besides the utilities for the house, there is nothing in the basement he or my wife would need.

What say you?


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## RLHERRON (May 15, 2008)

My opinion, LOCK IT. Better safe than sorry. In time as you get to know him you may welcome him into your shop. Only time will tell.
Kids today are a lot differnet than they were when I was a Kid. I'm 56 now.

Better to error on the side of caution. 

Just my thoughts,
RLH


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## kjhart0133 (Feb 4, 2009)

Just make sure there is a way to get out in an emergency or if someone inadvertantly gets locked in.

Also, you'll want your wife to be able to get in to the shop in case you need emergency assistance, e.g. you get hung up in one of the machines. 

Think about anything that can go wrong, because it probably will.


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

Have you talked to your wife about this? It could be
a sore point if not handled right.

It should not be a big deal to change the door set
on the walk door and a simple hasp on the other.

I would try to not make a big deal of it, you can get
in trouble fast when you come between a Momma bear
and her cub!!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

You may be getting a good helper for your shop?
It can be a positive time if you make it so.

I'm a retired teacher, I try to think the best of kids
until they show other wise.

It might be the time to teach him about tools, buy
some cheapies just for him and give him some projects
to build.

I built my first real sailboat when I was twelve with a
little help from my Dad. A twelve footer, flat bottom
sloop. I gave it to the Boy Scouts when I went in the
service. They used it for almost twenty years.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Jeekinz,
Leave your shop open and just lock the kid up.:laughing: Just kidding.
Maybe you could lock up your sharp tools in a cabinet or roll around, and shut off the breakers for the machinery and put a lock on the electrical panel when you aren't around.
Mike Hawkins


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

RLHERRON said:


> My opinion, LOCK IT. Better safe than sorry. In time as you get to know him you may welcome him into your shop. Only time will tell.
> Kids today are a lot differnet than they were when I was a Kid. I'm 56 now.
> Better to error on the side of caution. Just my thoughts, RLH


RLHERRON hit the nail on the head. I agree with him 100%


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## steve mackay (Oct 5, 2008)

ROFL ! ! ! LOCK THAT SUCKER ! Wife's girl was 12 at the time of aquisition (sp?) but by 14 I noticed tools missing and turning up in the pawn shop down the street. NOT infering anything as to the boy's honesty. But we all know what a lock does . . . just keeps an honest person honest. As an aside . . . and on a personal note . . . from experiance . . . when he moves in . . . tread LIGHTLY ! Its a mine field my freind ! :yes:


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## Kupcake (Feb 18, 2009)

I would put a pad lock on the door. You can always invite him in when your there, but when an adult isnt there he has no reason to enter. When your present the door wont be locked, but accidents happen. Even if he is a good boy he could get curious and cut a finger off!

Just my 2c


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

You are on touchy ground. I had no children coming out of my last marraige, and LOML didn't come in to this one pre loaded with kiddos, so I lucked out there. But I have plenty of friends that are step dads, and had I not met LOML, who knows what would have happened?

I do know one thing, locks only serve to keep an honest person honest, but I wouldn't be AS worried about theft as much as unsupervised use of equipment that can be dangerous to the kid. AND the kid can be dangerous to the equipment by means of using chisels to pry stuff, using screwdrivers as chisels etc... Not to mention using that $100.00 WW2 blade as a wheel on a concrete floor, or simply losing things...

Another reason I want a dedicated outbuilding is the future potential for kids (LOML and I want to be parents. Must be insane but that is a different story...), and a dedicated outbuilding is FAR easier to secure than an attached garage that shares storage space with bicycles and swim fins...


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## tator234 (Nov 6, 2008)

*safty*

LOCK IT UP:thumbsup:


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## Jeekinz (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies.

I decided to install a keyed doorknob. The DW doesn't feel the boy will have an interest in the shop, but still....a few friends at the house and boredom is a recipe for trouble. 

Believe me, I know. lol

Thanks again. :thumbsup:


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## steve mackay (Oct 5, 2008)

Best of luck brother !


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## AZ Termite (Dec 20, 2008)

Good luck, hope everything goes good for you.


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## BobbyfromHouston (Jul 4, 2008)

I hope you lock it for now and teach him how to use the tools and and help him maybe develop an interest in woodworking and tools. At ten years old I was making wooden toys for myself like: guns and airplanes.


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## dollis (Dec 28, 2008)

*Teaching him is as necessary as locking things up!*

Not sure, by the time I was 10 I had made three doghouses a worktable repaired a bunch of small things built a 20 pen fly house for our chickens (3’wide 8’ high 10’ long each) which took 2 weeks I could run a chain saw I had cut and split more wood than a small lumberyard. That being said, we lived in the country it was necessary to learn how to use tools and do it *properly*I was taught by my father how to use tools and what I could not do und any circumstances and what I needed his help with. Now there are switch locks on just about, everything you buy child locks on the Tupperware drawers and no accountability on the part of the parents who only keep saying to their kids don’t touch than the fork is sharp. When they should be teaching their kids how to properly use things. The future is very scary as I see it, the trade skills are disappearing at an alarming rate I have seen people trying to get a job (electrician in my case) because they see a good wage on it without the ability to use a screwdriver let alone a power tool. I believe that a trade job is as important as any other if not more. Most people want to send their kids to a college to learn a business skill (accounting, office management, business management ect.) what they do not realize is that there are jobs that people need to do that still requiring sweating! The road in this country need fixed the power lines need replacing, trees need to be trimmed wire needs to be installed and pipes need to be buried. All of this being said yes I would lock it and then I would teach him.


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## oldgoat49 (Oct 30, 2006)

All things considered I would put a lock on the shop. If for no other reason than for safety which should help if there are any feelings frm the wife about the lock. You are responsible for him be safe and until you have chances to work with him and teach him the right way or find out otherwise. Kids get into things and will turn on equipment without realizing that it is what they are doing. Hopefully he will be a good helper and you can have fun teaching him and you can also find that it is sometimes easier to talk about things when you are working together. Hope that it all works out.


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## odleo (Jan 11, 2009)

*Lock on Shop*

I am not blessed with any children yet, but I do have a nephew and niece who are always trying to get in my shop to see what I have that they could use. There father is not one to teach his children anything useful and to respect tools. I have installed locks on all the doors and told them they are welcome in my shop when I am there to help them. I keep all my machines unplugged till I am ready to use them and the chisels an other sharps locked in a roll around. 
All this wife the blessing from my wife, sister and grandmother


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## WRDinAZ (Jan 4, 2009)

Lock it for sure but invite the kid down when you are there. Could develop another generation of woodworker instead of a mindless video gamer.


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## Barry Ward (Mar 22, 2008)

*Children and locking yourn shop*

LOCK IT I can tell you from experiance ,its best to have a ticked off wife than a child maimed for life or even worse.You never know,but he might just be a super kid and you hit it off right away,I sure hope so,but when I was with my X I couldn't lock the shop,so when her gran kids were comin over I had a deadman switch for all my tools an NOBODY but me new where it was :shifty:You just can't take chances


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

LOCK IT AND BOOBY TRAP IT! Rig up a switch so that when you are there, its turned off, but if you're not there the electricity is sent directly to every tool in the shop. The minute he touches anything, he'll be stuck to it until you come and turn off the switch. .....:thumbsup:

Naw... just lock it up. :laughing:


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## Jack Giovo (Feb 10, 2009)

When I was a kid and I didn't think of something to get into my two other brothers did. Not that he would get into your tools but I lock my shop and unplug everything. I have a couple of girls and they know not to be in the shop alone but things are sharp and can hurt big fingers. I also would go over this with your wife like others have suggested - BUT kids are kids - you know the range is hot and till they touch it:thumbsup:

Jack


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## wormbowley (Nov 22, 2010)

*Locking individual tools*

My "shop" is my garage which I share with the family vehicles (sort of an oversized 3 car tandem). As such, I can't lock the whole shop. I've noticed that most of my new larger tools have a hole through the ON switch where you could thread a wire/stick/rod to keep it from turning on. Some of the manuals even describe it as a locking hole. Unfortunately, I have never been able to find a "lock" that fits. Most don't have the length to get through and still lock.

Anyone found a lock that works on those holes? My boys are getting curious about the tools and I need to get something on them.

Much thanks,
CB


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Quick history:
> 
> My shop is in my basement, only accessable from either the cellar door from inside the house or a bilko door outside.
> 
> ...


I say that time will tell. Why worry about a problem that may or may not exist? A locked door will just be an invitation to enter on the day that you forget to lock it.

This may be a youngster who will just love to learn with you.

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Power cord locks*

It may be easier to lock the end of the power cord than the switch like this: http://www.familysafemedia.com/powerstop_power_plug_lock.html 

or this: http://www.labsafety.com/Stopower-Power-Cord-Lock_24546336/?CID=9PP001


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

First explain to your wife that it is easier to lock than to have fingers re-attached.

Then every time you go into the shop invite the boy to join you. You will accomplish several things. Most importantly you will be building as bond with the boy and will strengthen your marriage. You will be able to teach the boy how to use the tools SAFELY.

Finally the boy is going to go through a huge life altering experience by changing his residence. You don't want the boy to wallow in boredom.


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## Chad (May 10, 2009)

I lock up the super sharp stuff, and unplug and flip off the breakers to the electric stuff. I do find the more they work with me the more respect they have for the tools and saftey, but better piece of mind for me with what I do now.


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