A Visit to OCWA Toy Work Party 3-5-2022

Anaheim Hills, CA

It was a nice cloudy day for a Toy Workshop outside in sunny Anaheim Hills, CA.  The Orange County Woodworking Association (OCWA) has been making toys since 1982.  I attended their meetings from 2000 thru 2007.  Several people from that time frame are still making toys.  But there are many new members attending as well.

OCWA

After moving to SD in 2007, I have visited there workshops periodically.  But I had not attended any of their workshops since May 2015.  A lot can change in that time.  But people still really enjoy this activity and continue to attend.  Many new people (to me) are attending and many new kinds of toys are being made.  I visited with as many people as I could during this visit, and checked out all the toymaking projects in work. 

Heart boxes

Jewelry box assembly/ glue ups

Spraying Final coat

Lacquer for spraying toys 

Building Walking Ducks

Building Long Dachshunds

Illustration of the hinges used on Jewelry Box

Spraying egg roller type toys

Bus with passengers and Driver

Bus chassis

Like many toymakers, you build with donated supplies.  These were all donated to the group.  Busses were the result of this donation.

This bus was designed using a donation of a large number of wood parts.

Hippo with moving jaws

Simple Helicopter

Grasshopper

Ducks with moving wings

Display of wooden items

The Shop - A Carriage House converted to a shop

Helicopter Rotors (Simple)

Sanding Station (Manual/Hand Sanding)

Long Dachshunds

Simple helicopter

Newer style Cradle and Vintage Basketball Game

Grasshopper Assembly

Clamp used to assemble jewelry boxes

This is a Luthier tool used to clamp frets etc.

Jewelry boxes are sprayed inside and out

Ed Smet at age 91 still makes 40 per month

Blank maple scraps from stair building are used for the jewelry boxes

Jewelry Box assembly

Tow truck

Airplanes in display case

Another work station for grasshopper build

OCWA

Ed Smet makes Jewelry boxes of all kinds and sizes for his grandchildren, friends, and charity events.  He also continues to makes 40 Jewelry boxes for the toy program each month.  Ed is happy to be 91.

Toy Workshop (TWS2022-03) 2-19-2022

Our third Toy Workshop (TWS) for 2022 on held on Saturday Feb 19, 2022, from 9 to noon.  This was at the Wood Shop at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City.  The shop is in the basement of the annex to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

We continued our 2022 Toy Build with Tracing and Boxing of blanks.  Tools of the day were miter saws, sharp pencils, awls, and a packing of blanks into paper boxes.  Ron and Rick visited Western Stationers last week and picked up a truck load of empty boxes for our use.  They had been stockpiling them for us.  Thank you Western Stationers!

Lauree Buus brought in a half dozen boxes from her sources as well.  Thank you Lauree!

Attending today (15):   Rollie, Ken, Julian, Harley, Bob, Kathie, Rick, Mary G, Nick, Don, Darwin, Lauree, Lon, John, and Frank.

Activities included tracing toys, cutting into individual blanks, boxing and tagging.  A total of 571 toys were traced using 25 patterns.  This brings our running total of traced toys to 1,157 + 571 = 1728.  This is more than 90% of the toys that can be traced for this year.  At our next toymaking workshop we will commence stage 2 with cutting to shape, sanding, routering and drilling.

Rick and Lon repaired the wiring on a new-to-us Craftsman Bandsaw.  This is very useful during the tracing stage of toymaking as we can easily cut the traced toys into individual blanks.  The use of the Radial Drill Press was demonstrated.  Rick oiled up the shaft of the press as well.

As part of our shop safety reviews, Bob and Rick bolted a drill press to a larger wooden base to prevent "tippage" during use.  Additionally, the lead wires for our auxiliary new LED lighting was tacked down to prevent accidental catches in the workshop.  

Coffee and cookies were provided by Kathie B.  The weather was splendid and very welcomed by the outside cutting crew.

 For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA

Scroll Saw SIG (2-17-2022)

Email on Thursday at 10:37 AM:

Just a quick reminder that Rick is holding the Scrollsaw Special Interest Group this evening at 7 pm at his Shop in Blackhawk.  We have several activities planned including Puzzle Cars for the WW Show.  Hope to see you there!  Bob B

The goal for the evening was to get a good start on the toy that will be given away to kids at our Woodworking Show to be held on 23 April, 2022 at the Knecht Home Center.  Kids will be given a toy to color,  we will add wheels, and then the kids may race them down our 8' long race track.

This year's theme is "Puzzles and Games".  In keeping with the theme, a toy was  selected for the show.  This is a puzzle car based on a toy car featured in the most recent Scrollsaw Magazine.  Jerry Hood designed the toy car while vacationing in Florida.  Bob refined and enlarged the design slightly, but overlooked the need for the puzzle car to be taken apart after wheels are added.  At the SS SIG, we refined the design further and came up with a fix.  Each of the 35 traced blanks were fixed and a prototype cut out.  The traced blanks were distributed among the SS SIG attendees for working on in home shops.  The refined toy also includes provisions to pin the parts together to allow uninterrupted racing.  Jerry is cutting 15 toys in Florida.  We will convene next month with (hopefully) completed toy cars, ready for the WW Show.

Jerry's first prototype

Scrollsaw Magazine article

 

 Proposed/Revised Toy Design

Prototype with all routered edges (but not completely a puzzle)

Rick cutting the new prototype.

Refined and now repaired pattern

Piece part review

Repair discussion

Drilling for Retaining Pin

Prototype of Repair and Proof of Design for meeting the Puzzle Criteria (before final routering)

Future project

 For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA

February General Meeting 2-14-2022

The February meeting of the RCWA was held on Feb 14, 2022 in the annex to the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church from 7 to 9 pm.  

Eighteen members attended and discussed preliminary details of the upcoming woodworking show planned for April 23, 2022 at the Knecht Home Center.  Officers for 2022 were elected and appointments for other positions were announced.

Officers elected for 2022:

President:  Bob Buchanan 
Vice President:  Rick Weisbeck 
Secretary (Primary):  Harley Schmadeke (with backup: Frank DiCesare)
Treasurer:  Tony Verchio

Appointed Positions:

Toy Program Chairman:  Bob Buchanan
Toy Program Co-Chair:   Rick Weisbeck
Toy Program Chief Assistant:  Jerry Hood
Program/Extra Curricular Activities Chairman:  Al Oines
Librarian:  Grant Coffin
Photographer:  Lon Gose 
Badges/Membership:  Gary Graves
Public Affairs (Newsletter/Webmaster/Press Releases):  Bob Buchanan

Wood Preparation for Workshops Committee:

   Ken, Jerry, Rick, Grant, Lon, Tony V, Bob, Jim + Others

Wood Recovery:  Mary Green + Others

Discussion tonight:

1. Guests/new members
2. Treasurer’s Report- Reminder about Dues - $25/year
3. Sign-in / Email / Newsletter Check / Hats $10 to members

4. Next Events:  

a. Election of 2022 Officers – Feb 14, 2022
b. Suggestions for 2022 EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

c. Special Interest Groups

i. SS SIG - Feb 17, 2022 at Rick's Shop

ii. WT SIG - in work

d. Pinewood Derby Assistance at 1st Assembly of God Church – Mar 11th (6:30 pm to 8:30 pm) and 12th (9 am to 11am)
e. 14th Annual Woodworking Show at Knecht’s

5. Next General Meeting – Mar 14th, 2022 at 910 Wood Ave

a. Refreshments:   __Al_Oines__

6. WOOD SHOW at Knecht Home Center

a. Date:  Saturday April 23, 2022  - 9 am to 4 pm

b. Theme for 2022: “Games/Puzzles”

An extensive review of the details of the Wood Show was done during tonight's meeting.  More details will be firmed up next month. 

7. TOY PROGRAM

a. Toy Workshops – every 2nd and 4th weekend

b. Tracing List – re-organized toy list

8. Projects for the WOOD SHOP

a. Drywall in former bathroom

b. Radial Drill Press install

c. Additional Shelving

d. Toy Hospital – all wooden toys fixed here

9. Events since last meeting (Report/Feedback/Discussion)

a. TWS (1-22-22 and 2-5-22)

b. SS Sig (1-20-22)

c. Install/hang Lights (4’ LEDs) all around the shop

d. Wood Source Committee – met at Mary’s RV Barn

e. Toy List reorganization effort 

10. Topics for Discussion

a. Present/demo - one or more quick tips per meeting with Show and Tell; volunteer(s) at each meeting

11. Woodworking Display Cases
12. Wood Recovery Projects
13. Future Discussions 
14. SHOW and TELL

For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA

Toy Workshop (TWS2022-02) 2-5-2022

Our second Toy Workshop (TWS) for 2022 on held on Saturday Feb 5, 2022, from 9 to noon.  This was at the Wood Shop at 910 Wood Ave in Rapid City.  The shop is in the basement of the annex to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

We continued our 2022 Toy Build with Tracing and Boxing of blanks.  Tools of the day were miter saws, sharp pencils, awls, and a shortage of paper boxes.  

Attending today (20):   Rollie, Ken, Al, Harley, Bob, Kathie, Rick, Mary G, Nick, Bel, Lyle, Don, Darwin, Lauree, Lon, Grant, Frank, Tony, Cori, and Gary Graves. 

Activities included tracing toys, cutting into individual blanks, boxing and tagging.  A total of 665 toys were traced using 23 patterns.  This brings our running total of traced toys to 1,157.  This is almost half of the toys that can be traced for this year.

Rick hung signs from past woodworking shows in the wheel assembly area today, for all to enjoy.

A donation of wood from Edgemont from Jerry at the Nuts and Bolts Quilt Shop was sorted into 1x4, 1x6, 2x4 and 2x6 sizes.  Appropriate sizes were used today for toys using 2” thick material.  Another donation of cedar and pine 1x6 siding was sorted and stored for future use.  Finally, Lauree and Darwin brought in a donation from Magnum Enterprises consisting of several boxes of 1”premium-grade popular(5”X5”X1”).  These were moved to the storeroom for future use to build airplanes, tractors, and animal toys.  Thank you to Magnum Enterprises!

Photos from the workshop:

For more information, go to www.rapidcitywoodworkers.com.

RCWA