Scrapping With Your Kids

This is the first time I have ever started a thread on here. Mostly because, well, almost everything I have thought of was found by searching the old threads. But this is something I didn't specifically come across.

Last night I was doing a little breaking down of some eWaste. My 16 year old son (he's a hermit, comes out of his room for food and once in a while you hear the bathroom door close, so we know he's still alive) comes out to the garage and just starts asking questions about stuff. He grabs a regular screwdriver and asks if I mind if he takes a couple things apart. GO FOR IT (was kinda cool watching him learn a few things and spending the time out there talking to him, doesn't feel like we do enough of that these days anyway).

After about 45 minutes or so, he says he wants to start doing more scrapping with me and learn some more about how it all works. That works for me. I love spending time with my son.



I know that we have people from every area, age group (there are a lot of very experienced guys on here, a few young guys just finding their way, and a bunch of us in between. I guess what I am asking here. Is how many of you guys (or girls) spend time scrapping with your kids or grandkids? How old are they? And how involved do they get?

My son and I work together on occasion.

I have two kiddos
Boy- Age 8
Girl Age 6

Both of them looooove when daddy drags home a car- they know they get to go in and "hunt for treasures" So they get in there and pilfer coins and other items they deem as "treasures"

As of now my son likes to see what I am doing but fails to want to join in.. my daughter.. she's off riding her scooter and playing jump rope.


It is great that you and your son use this to bond! When I was a kid my dad had an old car. He would go to a junkyard and look for car parts and I went with him to hunt for license plates. We'd get up at the a$$ crack of dawn.. get breakfast at some greasy spoon restaurant and head out for the day to hunt. It is one of my fondest set of memories of time with my dad as a child!!

My son took interest in what daddy was doing in the garage when he was 4. By 5 he knew the difference between a flat head, phillips and torx screwdrivers, was turning a screwdriver and a ratchet a few months later. By 5 1/2 he knew all the main parts of a computer tower and was sorting mobos and heat sinks on his own. This past summer he was using the cordless drill removing the screws from power supplies so I could pull those when I opened the towers up.

Its been a lot of fun watching him absorb as much as he can and retain it. The time spent together has been priceless. He is six now and still loves tearing stuff apart. He says its fun because he can make a mess and mommy won't tell him to clean it up.

My boy 8 is either out in the woods with his friends or in the shop (friends busy). He loves creating from the scrap pile (kinda like the old man)and loves loves loves tools and heavy equipment. If left unattended too long he will bolt my heavy steel pile together into some sorta "super laser" or other device of ultimate destruction. (yeah I mighta helped on more than a few "no no.. see here the mega cannon needs a sight" lol
Besides that he hasn't much interest in dismantling, usually helps with some items that peak his interest, seems things I bring home with engines are much more fun to play with...
NH- ain't afraid of shooting down the aliens and Bigfoot with MEGA CANNON!!!! (now with Optics)

Originally Posted by NHscrapman

My boy 8 is either out in the woods with his friends or in the shop (friends busy). He loves creating from the scrap pile (kinda like the old man)and loves loves loves tools and heavy equipment. If left unattended too long he will bolt my heavy steel pile together into some sorta "super laser" or other device of ultimate destruction. (yeah I mighta helped on more than a few "no no.. see here the mega cannon needs a sight" lol
Besides that he hasn't much interest in dismantling, usually helps with some items that peak his interest, seems things I bring home with engines are much more fun to play with...
NH- ain't afraid of shooting down the aliens and Bigfoot with MEGA CANNON!!!! (now with Optics)

Now that sir... is downright awesome... NICE!!

Originally Posted by sledge

I have two kiddos
Boy- Age 8
Girl Age 6

Both of them looooove when daddy drags home a car- they know they get to go in and "hunt for treasures" So they get in there and pilfer coins and other items they deem as "treasures"

As of now my son likes to see what I am doing but fails to want to join in.. my daughter.. she's off riding her scooter and playing jump rope.


It is great that you and your son use this to bond! When I was a kid my dad had an old car. He would go to a junkyard and look for car parts and I went with him to hunt for license plates. We'd get up at the a$$ crack of dawn.. get breakfast at some greasy spoon restaurant and head out for the day to hunt. It is one of my fondest set of memories of time with my dad as a child!!

You know... I have still to this day, never scrapped a car. Maybe I should... Awesome story tho... shows how we get the ideals and morals we have today. I used to help my dad every weekend, he wasn't a scrapper by means of hunting for scrap, he is an old school auto-body guy and there were always parts accumulating from things that had to be replaced completely on restorations. So we did take quite a few loads to the yard back then, anytime he had enough for a trailer load, off we went. Back then I remember he was happy if he got $40-50 for a trailer load. Always stopped and had lunch on the way back and then got back to work. Also where I learned a lot of other things... (welding, tearing down engines, hanging exhaust systems etc..) Ironic that my dad knows absolutely jack about computers and telephone systems, and that's where I am keyed in at. But it gives me a lot more experience and ability to rely on in any other situations, and of course... a ton or two worth of great memories!

Originally Posted by michaelcali

Nice to see this topic being brought up! My 4 kids (17, 15, 14, and 11) are my eyes on the street. Hell even my Ex is on the band wagon, I get random texts and calls almost every day from them, especially on their way home from school. "hey dad stove and ac unit on 4th and utica" or someone just put everything from their garage sale out by the road better hurry! My oldest likes to help break stuff down however he really likes to get overly into it, almost to a micro managing breakdown. Every screw, nut, wire and piece has a pile...LOL But that has yielded me some nice stuff as well, taking apart something I may not have and suddenly Boom! treasures!

But the best part is your staying in contact with them and spending time with them. They grow up too fast so cherish what time you have before they fly the nest,,,

My 5 year old son has his own "smash it" box at my warehouse. He loves doing it and it makes him feel helpful and strong.... Two of his biggest assets! It's fun working with him.