Preparation for Saturday Nov 21, 2009 Workshop

This week the launchers were prepared from re-cycled packing crates. The rough boards were jointed on two sides, then planed to a usable thickness. Then a 5 degree slot using a special .087" kerf table saw blade was cut into the boards. Before cutting the individual launchers, two edges were round-over routed.

The basketball hoops were generated on a CNC machine by Jim and Dick of J&D Woodworking, Inc. in Black Hawk, SD. A quick sanding of the hoop edges on a 12"disc sander was required, followed by a 1/4 inch roundover bit on the router table. The only way to go!

Here are the launchers ready for pre-drilling to accept screws to hold them to the base.

String assemblies consist of a 17 inch long nylon string and a 1 inch wooden ball. The balls were pre-drilled at the previous Saturday toy workshop. The string assemblies were built on Tuesday evening by Bob and Kathie and Becky using a hot knife to cut the nylon string and Titebond glue to secure the string in the wooden ball.

So at the end of this week, we have completed launchers, hoops, string assemblies, bases, and backboards to build 120 basketball games all in place. This is just in time for the next Saturday workshop in which we will drill holes in the bases to accept the string assemblies and the launchers, and drill holes in the backboards and hoops to prepare the backboard/hoop assemblies.

If you want to help build and assemble toys for the Toy Program, we can always use an extra hand. If you have the skills for running a scroll saw, we can use your help as well. If you can help between now and Christmas, call Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 or check our website http://www.sdwoodworker.org/ for more information.

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Making the Parts for the Basketball Games

Parts List

1. Base


2. Backboard


3. Hoop


4. Launcher


5. Post


6. String


7. Wooden Ball

We have been working on making the parts for the basketball games for several weeks.

1. The base and backboard were cut from oak and cherry wood donated by our friends in Silver City, SD. Sizes: base: 3" by 10" by 3/4"; backboard: 3" by 4" x 3/4".

2. The most labor intensive part of the BB game is the hoop. This year we were assisted in making the hoop by our friends at J&D Woodworking, Inc. Jim and Dick put their heads together and decided their CNC Router would be a great tool to use to cut the hoops. This was a huge help to us and saved us countless hours of time. They cut the hoops from a piece of 3/4"birch plywood. The parts then were popped from the mother piece, requiring only a quick touchup on the router table with a flush cutting bit. Thanks Jim and Dick!

3. Launchers were made from recycled packing material reclaimed by Grant. The launchers are 2"wide by 1 5/8" deep by 1 1/8" thick. A slot 3/4" deep and cut at a 5 degree angle was cut to hold the launching spoon.

4. The post was cut from 1/2" dowels. It is 9 3/8 " long.

5. The string used for the BB game to retain the launched wooden ball is nylon and cut to a length of 17 inches using a thermal wire cutter. This leaves a clean cut with no frayed edges.

6. The basketball is a 1 inch diameter wooden ball, which is drilled to accept the string. Two holes are drilled, one small hole all the way through, and a large hole to hold the knot in the string.

Jigs were assembled last fall which allows us to repeat several essential operations in the assembly process. We will begin that assembly process this week.

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Toymaking Workshop - Saturday Nov 14, 2009

A group of 175 car bodies were prepared for assembly on Thursday and Friday. They were sealed with a coat of sanding sealer and then sanded with 320 grit sandpaper in preparation for installing wheels and axles at the Saturday workshop on November 14th, 2009 at the RCWA Shop at 910 Wood in Rapid City, SD.

Thanks to several donations of materials and money, we have axles and wheels in place for installing on the completed car bodies. So, beginning at 9 am at the RCWA Shop, the toymakers began putting axles and wheels on the car bodies. By noon, the entire set was done, and ready for the final coat of laquer. As soon as it warms up in the backyard green house/spray booth, they will be sprayed with a coat of DEFT laquer spray. They they will be sorted and placed in boxes in preparation for our TOY DISTRIBUTION exercise on Dec 5, 2009.

Harley, Willis, Kathie, Ron and Gary pulled wheel and axle install duty today.

Here, Grant is drilling holes in 1" wooden balls. So next Saturday, we will be assembling Basketball games...

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RCWA Nov 9th, 2009 General Meeting

The November 2009 General meeting of the Rapid City Woodworkers Association was held on Nov 9, 2009 at 7 pm at 910 Wood Ave. A short business meeting was conducted by President Bob Buchanan, followed by show and tell. We want to extend a welcome to new members Andy Wilson, and Howard Willis. Plans were made for a Christmas Potluck to be held at our next general meeting.

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Toy Workshop - Nov 7, 2009

A Toy Workshop was held on Saturday Nov 7, 2009 at the RCWA Shop at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City from 9 am til 1 pm. The workshop served as a wood/parts exchange. Members in attendance: Lon, Grant, Harley, Ron, Kathy, Bob.

Kathie and Ron put wheels on sanded car bodies.

Bob and Grant hooked up a drill press donated by Grant; Grant hooked up a Ryobi table saw donated by Grant.

Bob brought in 200 animal cutouts. Animal cutouts were passed out to Harley, Lon, and Grant for sanding and edge easing. Bob returned finished cars with windows ready for sanding, passed to Lon for sanding.

Lon used Jig SK001 (jig for drilling holes for the dowel in the base and backboard) to drill 1/2 " holes to accept basketball pole (dowel). Checked fit of dowels in backboard and base. Found a discrepancy in depth of some holes, so we will re-drill some holes and use final assembly jig to check for proper hole depth. Basketball game parts count: 100 bases, 96 backboards, 60 dowels. Grant brought in material for launchers. Bob will cut the stock and add the .087" slot to accept Wendys spoons. Will need 3 more boards at 5' each to make 100 launchers. J&D Woodworking is making the basketball hoops using their CNC router. Bob and Kathie will begin making the ball/string sets.

Grant brought in ten cup and ball game prototypes. Bob will install strings and balls when 3/4 inch balls ordered by Roger are received from Casey's.

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Toy Workshop - Oct 31, 2009

A toy workshop was held on Saturday Oct 31st, 2009 at the RCWA Shop at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City from 9 am til 11 am. The workshop served as a wood/parts exchange.

Toy car blanks and animal cutouts were passed out to Harley, Lon, Grant, and Gary for sanding, routing, and axle hole drilling. Basketball game parts (bases and backboards) were received from Harley and passed on to Lon. The jig for drilling holes for the dowel in the base and backboard (SK001) was passed to Lon. Axle pegs were received from Gary. Cars needing window cutouts were passed to Bob.

Cup and ball games being made by Grant were evaluated - need to order some 3/4 inch balls to fit the current wood supply and current available tool sizes. Order was passsed on to Roger.

Wheel count was estimated for completing 125 cars currently in work - requested 500 as a minimum. Order was passsed on to Roger.

Donations for wheels was given to Roger ($100) to deposit.

The owner of Curves in Rapid City graciously offered to let us do a quilt raffle to raise money for Wheels for Toys for our Toy program in her place of business. The two donated quilts to be raffled off in December are located in the Curves on Sheridan Lake Road. The quilts are presented next to a display of some of the toys we have made (shown above), and some brochures about the toy program and the RCWA. Tell anyone who likes quilts and wants to support the toy program to go to Curves and check out the raffle.

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Oct 24, 2009 TOY Workshop

The toymakers in the Rapid City Woodworking Association (RCWA) began a series of workshops this weekend, as the final push to build and finish wood toys for delivery at Christmas. One of the purposes of the Rapid City Woodworking Association (RCWA) is to enhance the quality of life for underprivileged children of the Black Hills. This is accomplished through this special year around Toy Program for making and distributing handmade holiday gifts and toys to charitable organizations in the local area. Members work year around in their own garages as well as in monthly Saturday Toy Workshops to produce quality wood toys. Before Christmas, the toys are distributed to various organizations in the area.

The workshop was held Saturday October 24th, 2009, in the RCWA Shop in the basement of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church at 910 Wood Ave from 9 am to noon. Call Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 or Roger Bares at 484-3498 for any questions.

If you want to help build and assemble toys for the Toy Program, we can always use an extra hand. If you have the skills for running a scroll saw, we can use your help as well. If you can help between now and Christmas, call Bob Buchanan at 348-2865 or check our website http://www.sdwoodworker.org/ for more information.

If you want to help with donations, we are currently in need of wheels and axles to make toy vehicles. Monetary donations can be mailed to our RCWA Treasurer, Roger Bares at 834 Farlow in Rapid City, SD, 57701 or dropped off at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church office at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City.

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