
Make: Asks is a weekly column where we ask you, our readers, for responses to maker-related questions. We hope the column sparks interesting conversation and is a way for us to get to know more about each other.
As a young boy I helped my dad build a picnic table for the backyard. It was the first time I could reliably swing a hammer, and I even chimed in on some of the design elements. It was the first project I did alongside dad, rather than being an observer and the tool gopher.
This week’s question is a special Father’s Day edition: What was the first (or a memorable) project you did with your father that could be called a collaboration, or one where you played an active part?
Post your responses in the comments section.










I had a project on the Wright Brothers in 4th grade. My Father helped me by the balsa wood, dowels and string, drill all the hole, lash the dowels, and even helped me cut a coat hanger into runners. I will never forget the look on people’s faces when the saw an almost exact scale replica of the wright brothers plane that we were able to make without any plans at all…
We always did pinewood derby cars for cub scouts together. But my favorite project was the time my dad and grandfather (and mom) helped me build a hovercraft out of plywood and vacuum cleaner motors when i was 10.
My dad and I have done many projects over the years. Without a doubt, my favorite was building a house that I Iived in. He had retired from home building and took a year off. He and I did everything on the house, from the framing to building the kitchen cabinets. It turned out great, but the best part was the time with my Dad.
My first real project with my Dad was making a radio from a Heath Kit. I must have been 9 or 10 and it was one of the first soldering projects he let me work on with him.
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