Toy Workshop 2 (TWS2021-02) 2-20-2021

TOY WORKSHOP 2-20-2021 (TWS2021-02)

We met at the SHOP in the Club for Boys for a Toy Making Workshop on Feb 20, 2021.  The previous weekend workshop was cancelled due to sub-zero weather and snow.

Attendees (22): John, Harley, Ken, Don, Al, Grant, Mary and Danny, Jerry and Patsy, Bob and Kathie, Rollie, Ralph, Jim, Laurie and Darwin, Carson, Rick, Lon, Dennis, Gary Graves

Activities:

Tracing patterns on 2” thick wood (douglas fir and pine)

Tracing patterns on 1” thick poplar and dimensional 1x pine

Rick installed a hasp and lock on our new tool cabinet in the small parts room by the Shop at the Club for Boys. 

Results today:

Toys Traced:  1,174 / 38 patterns

            This included tractors and airplanes traced in Rick’s shop:  295 toys

            Breakdown:  949 toys on 2x material

                                  225 toys on 1x pine

Toy Blanks taken home:  15 boxes

Toys completed, packed and sent to inventory:  0

Total new Toys in inventory to date: 114

Decisions:  We picked the color GREEN for the axles for 2021.  But we will need 100 black pegs painted all except the last ¼” for the Racing Lady Bugs' antennae for the Woodworking Show on April 17, 2021.

Photos from the event are shown below:

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

RCWA

 

FEBRUARY 2021 General Meeting 2-8-2021

 The February General Meeting of the RCWA was held on Monday evening at the annex to the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rapid City. 

 Tonight a motion to accept the current slate of officers for another term for 2021 was made by Rollie Lynde and seconded by Harley Paulson.  The motion was passed unanimously.

Future events were discussed, specifically the annual Woodworking Show planned for April 17th, 2021 at Knight Home Center.  This year's theme is "Anything GARDEN".

Show and Tell items included:

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

RCWA

Research and Development Post - Racer/Marble Track with Racers

 On a continuing quest to find entertaining toys for kids, I happened on a treasure at the Goodwill Store in LaPorte, Indiana, in mid-November 2020 while visiting the kids.

  

David immediately turned it into a marble game and was entertained for several hours.

RACERS

But it really was made for racing cars, so I found a car from a similar game in our toy box at home, and started re-engineering it.  

Sidenote:  The Toymakers from the Orange County Woodworkers in Tustin, CA, had showed me their version of this toy back in 2010.  Here's what they have incorporated into their toy program recently.

  

Here's my initial sketches for making the racers.

Here's a pattern for several race cars.  (If you print this for a pattern, check the size vs your printout.) 

Here's a bill of materials for the race cars:

1. Car Body:  3/4" T x 9/16" W x 1 1/2" L  (Any type of wood - I used alder.)
2. Wheels:  P/N TW0625 from Woodworks LTD in Dallas, TX; 5/8" Diameter x 3/16" Thick with 1/8" hole
3. Axles:  1/8" dowel x 1 1/4" L

   

Here's some progress shots:

 

RACE CAR TEST RESULTS USING SAMPLE RACE TRACK

Here's a video of test results using some of the first 7 prototype racers.

Now here we go in slow motion:

(It worked in slow motion on my iPhone but doesn't seem to be going slow here...)

RACE TRACK

The race track in my sample is made from a long piece of molding cut into ten pieces.  It looks like the OCWA toymakers used 3/8" plywood beveled and re-glued.

My Sample

OCWA Sample

    

Here's a sketch of the race track.

The racer was the easy part, I guess.  More work needed on the race track design and documentation.

Challenge - build a few racers for the next meeting.  I have some extra wheels.  I will order more.  We could have a race on Monday Feb 8, 2021.

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

RCWA

Toy Workshop 1 (TWS2021-01) 1-23-2021

Toy Workshop 1-23-2021 (TWS2021-01)

This was our first official toy workshop held at the SHOP in the Club for Boys since March 2020.

Weather today: cold (it's January)

Results today:

Toys Traced:  840 / 25 patterns

Toy Blanks taken home:  185
    Toys completed, packed and sent to inventory:   0  
    Total Toys in inventory to date:  (see red book) 

Attendees (22): Danny, Mary, Patsy, Jerry H, Jim, Rick, Ed, Tony, Darwin, Lauree, Harley, Mary Jo, Lon, Al, Grant, Bob and Kathie, Ken, Don, John, Gary G, and Dennis

Activities:

1. Tracing
2. Relocating contents of two file cabinets into one Vertical Cabinet

General Tracing Procedure utilized for Tracing 1-23-2021

 1.    Tracing

a.     Get a Tracing Request with a pattern from Pattern Table - they record the pattern number and tracer.

b.    Please work in pairs – print your names on the Tracing Request.

c.     Look over both sides of wood (2x4 or 2x6 or 1x__) before tracing.  Look for defects including wane, splits, cracks, pitch pockets, loose knots, checks, shakes, and metal (nails or staples).  Adjust pattern location accordingly.

d.    Trace as close to bottom edge as is feasible.

e.     Trace quantity that is requested (Tracing Request.) 

f.      Write toy part number on bottom of each toy lightly.

g.    Mark “window hole locations” with a pointy thing (awl or sharp nail).

h.    Lightly write hole sizes for windows on wood

i.       Mark axle peg locations with a pointy thing (awl or sharp nail) – size not required unless it’s different than 7/32”.

j.       Move tracings to the cutting area to be cut into blanks.  Stay with traced toys until cut and packed, before starting on the next pattern.

2.    Cutting

a.     Separate traced toys to one per blank if possible (preferred)

b.    Pack all traced toys by part number:  one toy number per box if possible (general rule).  This does not apply to CRITTERS.

c.     Move to packing area.

3.    Packing Area

a.     Fill out Assembly History Tag label, then put label on end of box with tape. 

b.    Stack boxes (on a cart or in a vehicle or above cabinets in Shop).

c.     If member is taking a box home to work on, tell the Pattern Table, so they can record the part numbers in the log.

4.    Return Pattern

a.     Bring pattern back to Pattern Table – tell them the toy number and status – this will be recorded in the log.

b.    Have a cookie (and/or coffee).  Then get another pattern from Pattern Table.

Sample of Tracing Log and Tracing Request   

 (Show and Tell - awls)

   

Refreshments (CPT has started)

Tracing

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

RCWA