# Small Wooden Toys. Advice please.



## WoodAddict (5 Feb 2010)

Hi everyone,

I've just logged on after stumbling across this site whilst searching for info on small wooden toys. I'm moving house soon and I've been promised (by she that must be obeyed :roll: ) that I can have some space to tinker around in with my wooden projects.

Has anybody had a go at this kind of thing before? If so then I'll be happy to hear any hints or advice on books, tools, wood species etc..........

It'll only be a small space, maybe a spare room in the house or a 8' x 6'' shed or similar.

What's your thoughts?

Thanks
Paul :wink:


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## TrimTheKing (5 Feb 2010)

Welcome to the forum Paul.

There are a couple of people around here who knock up some pretty amazing toys. There a chap in the US, Lee Brubaker who makes wooden toys for disadvantaged kids and most of his stuff is great.

Do a search on his posts, they might inspire. And remember, anything you make needs pictures on here or it never happened


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## WoodAddict (5 Feb 2010)

Thanks,

I've just been looking through some of them :shock: I'll be scared o put my pictures up if thats the kind of standard you're expecting :lol: 

Some very nice stuff there,


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## woodsworth (5 Feb 2010)

Woodworking is for everyone, well not everyone, but we all start somewhere. It doesn't matter how good you are today, it is a good day to be creative as simple as that. Gaining skill takes practice and you should never be ashamed of anything you make because it all contributes to your skills and knowledge. 

I haven't shared anything either but am going to share a project because i think it is fairly unique. That'll be my stair case thread. 

Any how welcome to the forum and have fun and stay safe. Good to hear your getting some space to work in. Soon you'll need more space but by then your skills will convince your partner that it is a good idea.

good luck


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## Harbo (5 Feb 2010)

I'm not at home at the moment but I have a few books on making small toys but I cannot remember all the titles?
One was called "Making Heirloom Toys by Jim Makowicki" (which to be honest were not that difficult) and another was published by the BBC.

Will check when I get back.

Rod


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## WoodAddict (5 Feb 2010)

Harbo":u0p1581k said:


> I'm not at home at the moment but I have a few books on making small toys but I cannot remember all the titles?
> One was called "Making Heirloom Toys by Jim Makowicki" (which to be honest were not that difficult) and another was published by the BBC.
> 
> Will check when I get back.
> ...



thankyou, I think I saw that one on amazon. If it's worth buying then I'll order it.

Thanks
Paul


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## Shultzy (5 Feb 2010)

WoodAddict, welcome to the forum. All the books by Richard Blizzard contain toys from the very easy to the more difficult. My avatar is one of his from "Wonderful Wooden Toys"


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## WoodAddict (6 Feb 2010)

Thanks shultzy.

I was looking at your workshop build pics yesterday. great stuff


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## Dave D (6 Feb 2010)

I can highly recommend two books

How to make animated toys by David Wakefield ISBN 0-943822-94-7

Marvelous Transforming Toys by Jim Makowicki ISBN 1-56158-381-2


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## StevieB (7 Feb 2010)

Welcome! One way of approaching this is to wander into your local bookshop and just browse until something catches your eye. Most decent sized shops have books on wooden toys as its a popular form of woodworking. I must admit to having far more more plans and books then I will ever make! The internet is also good, although most of the sites are American, they will quite happily ship plans to the UK. Places such as Hobbies of Derham also stock plans.

As mentioned, Richard Blizzard is probably a good starting point, and he was very popular in the 80's and 90's. e-bay is a good source for his books as they tend to be hardback and quite large. Another good 'vehicle' maker is Les Neufield whose book 'Tremendous Toy Trucks' a few of us here have. What toys were you specifically interested in making?

Steve


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## dedee (7 Feb 2010)

Paul,
welcome, I can't add anything to the list of aforementioned books. As you asked about wood species...
If you are going to use ply make sure it is good quality birch ply - NOT the stuff you can by in the DIY Sheds.
Beech is the preferred hard wood - close grained, easy to work and does not splinter.

What sort of toys are you think of making? and for what age groups?

I have made a few jigsaw puzzles in the past which the kids still love to play with.
Moving toys on wheels with offset axles are also great fun.


Andy


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## Dave D (7 Feb 2010)

Here are some photos of planes that can be assembled from a set of parts.
There are simpler toys in both books I listed but even these planes can be made with hand tools and a drill press.
I think that I got the wheels from Hobbies.I bought a load years ago in anticipation of a few grandchildren.
Good luck with your projects. The joy I get from watching the kid's eyes light up is worth all the effort.


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## WoodAddict (7 Feb 2010)

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm looking at toys for ages of around 5-10 years, things to play with and things simply for them to sit on a shelf and hopefully keep. I found this on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ip2lbif ... re=channel simple yet very clever! 

I was worried about only having a small space available but on looking around the net at different workshops and woodworking in action I think I should be fine. I'll saving one wall for a lathe, a corner for a scroll saw and leaving the other side as a workbench with maybe a vice if I can squeeze one in. If I keep things tidy I think I should be ok.

Thanks for the tips and replies  And congrats to you all on a such a fun and informative site you have here 

Paul


:wink: :wink: :wink: 8)


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## Harbo (7 Feb 2010)

A good source for wheels and other tiny fittings is Hobbies 

http://www.alwayshobbies.com/

Rod


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## Shultzy (7 Feb 2010)

WoodAddict, to add to your list of tools may I suggest a small band saw, useful to cut out small parts (3-wheel is ok), and a sanding disk which helps to get the accuracy needed when getting small parts to fit.


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## Harbo (8 Feb 2010)

The other book is: Making Wooden Toys : James T. Stasio 

Still available - basic toys very easy to make.

The Jim Makowicki toys have a bit more style I think?

Rod


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## Shultzy (8 Feb 2010)

Dave D, I have the same book (Marvellous Transforming Toys). Did you make the bolts with wooden threads or steel threads and a wooden top?


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## DaveL (10 Feb 2010)

Dave,

Take a look here, I have made both of these and they were well liked, some of the bikes are now half way round the world.


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## Dave D (13 Feb 2010)

Hi Schultzy

I am afraid that I cheated and used a threaded metal rod and nut with the rod araldited into the wooden top.

My grandson is not a purist however so I can get away with it


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## Dave D (13 Feb 2010)

Nice Bikes DaveL

Now I used to ride to work on a Royal Enfield Meteor 700.
Got any plans for a model of one of those?


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## Lee Brubaker (17 Feb 2010)

Mark....correction, I'm Canadian but if you go back to about 1910 my Grandfather moved the family from the U.S. to Canada.
Paul: David Wakefields book is a good one complete with many hints on how to make animated toys. Another source is your local library who often have books in their handcrafts section.
In my case, I make all of the components that go into my toys except dowelling which I purchase & use as axles for the wheels. Because the
toys are donated at Christmas for inner city kids I never meet the parents & with the hoo haw over the toxic finishes recently on Chinese made toys I never put a finish on the toys. I would not want a parent to deny use of the toy over finish concerns. Instead for color, I rely on different wood species to provide contrasts.





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Lee


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