By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Chilton County High School agriscience students will be gaining new equipment to hone their sanding skills in woodworking class with equipment purchased through a Partners Enhancing Education in Chilton County grant.

Teacher Marlon Harton applied for $420 to purchase hsnd-held sanders.

Harton has been successful in securing funds through the grant program in the past.

“For this year, we applied for two belt sanders to be used in our woodworking classes,” Harton said.

These classes are taken by intermediate and advanced agriscience students. Harton said at least 70 students will be using the sanders.

After learning the basics of sanding by hand, students will move up to working with the hand-held sanders. Harton said the tools will be “another level to show them how to sand wood to make it smooth to accept stain or polyurethane.”

“It will help them to understand the manipulation of wood,” Harton said.

When sanding, Harton has students focus on making the finished product smooth, free of splinters and comfortable.

“A nice smooth, glassy finish (after staining and applying polyurethane) is what you are looking for,” Harton said.

Students also learn about planning projects, figuring needed measurement calculations and precision in cutting during the classes.

The woodworking students complete a number of projects. Earlier this year, students completed farm tables and donated them to Butterfly Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center to be auctioned off at their annual fundraiser.

PEECh grants are awarded annually to local public school educators through the Chilton Education Foundations. Teachers apply to the program, and funds are distributed to schools in each area of the county. Decisions on which requests to fund are made by the organization’s board of directors.