Good Knight

"Dad let's go to the hardware store and get the stuff to make chain mail."

My fourteen year old son had his laptop taken away and was looking for something to occupy his time. Oh course he had gotten this idea off the net.

"Making chain mail is labor intensive. It takes hours and hours linking together these little rings. You've never had the patience for that kind of work!" I held my tongue, I didn't want to discourage him if he wanted to start something creative. I tried a different tack, "Do you know how much stuff it would take and how much it would cost?"

"Yeah it's all right here. A couple pairs of pliers, wire cutters, steel rod and some wire. About $30." He showed me the plans on the web site.

"Well no one ever bought me the stuff to do crafts with!" This was unfair on my part and somewhat of an exaggeration. It brought up a hurt from long ago. I wasn't able to ask my father for stuff like this. It's not that he wouldn't get it for me, I just didn't feel like I could ask. Plus I didn't believe he would be willing to help me with my projects. "You got money. Why don't you buy it yourself?"

"OK", the kid has answers for every thing. You might have guessed by now that I just didn't want to be bothered. Running around and trying to find the stuff on the list, clearing a space in the shop to work and building a jig for making the necessary rings. Then helping him figure out the process. I'm starting to understand my dad a little better.

"Well if you are really interested in doing this ask me next weekend." I thought that would be the end of it. Next weekend he would on to something new like finding hidden sexual references in old copies of Mad magazine, or more likely, trying to get his laptop back. Optimistic I know but he is my first child and I am still learning.

Later that same day, "Can we go to the hardware store now?" "Can we go to hardware store later?" And the next morning before church, "When can we go to the hardware store?"

"After church, OK? Just quit bugging me about it." I like it when people don't give up. I taught my wife if she really wants it to keep asking or better yet keep telling. I respect those who know what they want and are willing to fight for it. Drives me nuts but it works. I had tried to get out of going to church because I was on vacation. My wife insisted, hummm?

So we go into the store and get the pliers, wire cutters (also known as bull dikes), a one half by fourteen inch bolt for the "steel rod" and a roll of twelve gauge wire. The only roll of wire they had was this monster about two feet across, enough to make armor for the next crusade.

"Do you have enough money to pay for all this?"

"I got thirty bucks."

Total, $29.70. The plastic stayed in my pocket. Maybe this won't be so painful. Back in the shop making the jig went quickly and after a little trial and screw up we were turning out rings with production line efficiency. Winding the wire around the bolt, even with the jig, was a two man operation and we had to improvise a speed wrench for a handle. The instructions had called for wire cutters for clipping off the rings. Maybe a bull dyke can cut twelve gauge that way, I can't. Luckily I had a pair of bolt cutters. So we spent a couple hours learning to process raw wire into protection from pointy objects. Together we twisted the rings, I snapped them off and he linked them up.

I sent DW home with a pile of rings, a new hobby to keep him busy so that he doesn't get into trouble again and maybe a positive experience.

It was for me.

OWL

April 23, 2007