Saturday, October 31, 2015

Toy Workshop - 10-31-2015

All - the week slipped away fast, but don't forget the Toymaking Workshop on Saturday Oct 31st at the Shop at the Club for Boys from 9 am to noon.

Looking ahead to Nov 7th - toy workshop in morning, TOOL SALE at Julian's Shop from 1 to 5 pm.  Lots of good clean tools for sale at very reasonable prices.  Everything must go!  Band saw, scroll saw, joiner\planer, sanders, drill press, air compressor, miter saw, nice wood lathe (variable speed) , table saw, routers, router tables, clamps, jig saw, nail guns, shop vac and lots more.  Spread the word.

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Attendees Today (16):  Lauree and Darwin Buus, Al Oines, Ben Shatraw, Ed Pike, Lon Gose, Julian Wigen, Rollie Lynde, Harley Schmadeke, Bel Felix, Bob and Kathie Buchanan, Frank DiCesare, Grant Coffin, Gary Graves, and Rick Weisbeck.

Tasks Today:
1.  Assemble small oldies.
2.  Assemble wheeled vehicles:  PT cruisers, ameba cars, oldies, small cars, racers and vans.
3.  Assemble rocking chairs.
4.  Pack up completed locomotives.
5.  Hand sand critters with sharp edges.
6.  Sort all completed critters, place in cloth bags.
7.  Pack up completed cradles with handmade quilts and baby dolls.
8.  Complete string/ball assemblies for the basketball games.


(10-31-2015)  Items completed today - 334 toys including rocking chairs, wheeled vehicles, critter bags, and cradles.  All items were packed and moved to storage.  We reached and passed a milestone today:  we currently have 2,085 toys packed and located in storage - and this was accomplished before Nov 1st.  Congratulations to all the elves!  

Other items still in work and nearing completion for the 2015 toy delivery include:
1.  Basketball games  - 100
2.  Turtle Banks -          50
3.  Block Bags    -         25
4.  Tugboats      -         100
5.  Tractors       -         100
6.   Ring Toss Games -  35
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            Total              410






















Tasks to do before next workshop:

1.  Sand a half box of Large Oldies, then seal and finish.
2.  Cut axles to length for Large Oldies.
3.  Cut posts for basketball games.  Round over one end.  Make wedges.  Install posts in bases with wedges.  Spray games.
4.  Prepare/sew more small critter bags and block bags.
5.  Prepare Plexiglas rounds for turtle banks.
6.  Finish blocks for block bags.
7.  Tugboats - assemble.
8.  Tractors - assemble.
9.  Ring Toss - turn handles on lathe.
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Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:




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Friday, October 23, 2015

Toy Workshop - 10-24-2015

Just a reminder that we will be having a Toy Workshop on Saturday from 9 to noon at the Shop at the Club Boys.  See you there!



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Ken Wright rescued me today, and let us into the Shop, as I had left home without my Shop keys. Ken dropped over and unlocked the Building, the Shop, and the cabinet padlocks at 8:30 am.  Many thanks to you Ken for your kindness!

Attendees (17):  Rick, Rollie, Lauree, Grant, Bob, Kathie, Julian, Al, Lon, Gary, Ron, Harley, Frank, Ben, Danny, Bel, Ken Wright


Items received today:
  • Rick - rocking chair parts (4 x 38)
  • Bob - cradle bottoms (30)
  • Lon - sanded basketball game bases - ready for installing launchers
  • Bob - basketball game parts - hoops, backboards, bases, launchers



Tasks Today:
1.  Basketball Games: 
  • Backboards - sand edges and corners.
  • Backboard/Hoop Subassemblies - glue hoops to backboard - attach with #6 x 1 1/4" no 1 square head screws after glue is dry.
  • Bases - sand edges and corners
  • Bases - attach launchers with glue and #6 x 1 1/4" no 1 square head screws




2.  Rocking Chair Parts - need hand/mouse sanding.



3.  Cradle ends - made by Rick W - sand edges lightly.



4.  Large Oldies - install 2 1/4" wheels on vehicles.  



5.  Paddles Games - add string/ball subassemblies to paddles.


6.  Strings - cut strings to 17" for ball/string assemblies (Basketball Games/Paddle Games)
7.  Strings - cut strings to 24" for critter bags and for block bags.




8.  Batman and C-Cars - install 1 1/2" wheels on vehicles.




9.  Rocking Chairs - assemble with glue and screws. 







Items completed today - 221 wheeled vehicles and paddle games.  All items were packed and moved to storage. (10-24-2015)



Tasks to do before next workshop:

1.  Seal wheeled vehicle bodies.
2.  Cut posts for basketball games.
3.  Final spray cradles.
4.  Cut axles down to 7/8" for small oldies.
5.  Sand more rocker parts.
6.  Sand cars before sealing.
7.  Prepare/sew block bags.
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Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:




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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Toy Workshop - 10-17-2015


Continuing our marathon of toy workshops leading up to Toy Packing day on Dec 5, 2015, a group of toymakers from the Rapid City Woodworkers Association gathered at the Shop at the Club for Boys this morning at 9 am.

Attendees (16):  Rollie, Lauree, Darwin, Grant, Bob, Julian, Al, Lon, Ed, Richard, Margaret, Gary, Ron, Harley, Frank, Ben

Also meeting today at Rick Weisbeck's shop to build Rockers:  Rick, Mary, Danny, and Mary

Items received today:
  • Rick - Axles - painted green (3/8") - 400
  • Rick - Wheels - final spray (600)
  • Rick - Cradle ends (20) - 10 pairs
  • Lon - One box of sanded toys - ready for sealing/finishing
  • Bob - basketball game parts (100 each x 4)
Tasks Today:
1.  Basketball Games: 
  • Backboards - drilling 1/2" holes for posts, and holes for attaching hoops.
  • Launchers - sand edges.
  • Backboards/Hoops Subassembly - glue hoops to backboard - attach with screws after glue is dry.
  • Bases - drilling 1/2" holes for posts, and holes for strings, and for launchers screws.
2.  Vehicles - sealed but need sanding before final finish.
3.  Ball/String Subassemblies - cut strings to 17" - drill double holes in balls - assemble ball and strings
4.  Ball/wooden Rings - cut strings to 17" - attach to wooden rings
5.  Large Oldies - drill out axle holes to match 3/8" pegs; install wheels on vehicles.
6.  Whale and rabbit - install large wheel and small wheel on each.
7.  Cradle ends - made by Rick W - sand edges lightly.
8.  Crayon vans - sand first time after cutting on the scroll saw.
9.  Items revived from ICU - Gary Graves returned a large bag of vehicles ready for wheels. Gary had rescued the vehicles which had failed final inspections and needed rework.  Gary filled voids in the wood with matching putty, and sealed and finished the vehicles.
10.  Rough cut wheeled vehicles needed to be sanded using the Ryobi Oscillating Edge Belt Sander.

Lon took home another box of basketball game bases to router and sand. Launchers are ready for installation.  Two boxes of toys are ready for sealing/finishing. 

Rollie brought in his spring attaching tool to use for pulling strings through the wooden balls.  This was a lifesaver and greatly improved the process.  He will look into ordering a few tools for use on the toy making line.  He also used his bees wax stash to wax the shims used in wheel making - greatly improving that process as well.  Grant spend some time cleaning all the glue bottles and nozzles.  He suggested this should be a daily process at the end of each toy making session for each toymaker.  That would greatly improve the gluing process.

Toymakers enjoyed coffee and cookies provided by Kathie (in absentia).

Items completed today - 20 rabbits and whales - packed and moved to storage. (10-17-2015)

Basketball Game Parts Fabrication/Milling





Wheel Line




Basketball Hoops to Backboard Sub-assembly - Assembly Line



String-to-Ball Sub-assembly - Build Up




Cradle Parts Preparation


Sanding Wheeled Vehicle Bodies after Sealing



Show and Tell

Intarsia - COLT - Ed Pike

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Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:




the end