Prep for Next TWS (11-9-2024)

Seal toys - Six boxes (11-2-2024)

Package cradles for inventory - 25 cradles

Spray toys - two boxes

Apply poly rub finish to heart boxes (singles and doubles)

Paddle games

Necklaces

Turtle Banks

Jewelry Boxes

 

TWS (TWS2024-23). 11-2-2024

We held our 23rd Toy Workshop (TWS) for 2024 on Saturday Nov 2, 2024, from 9:00 to 12:00 am.  This was held 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.

Another cool day (60 degrees for the high) with jackets needed outside. We worked inside today handsanding, finishing basketball games, drilling locomotives for stacks, and installing regular wheels. Those working outside were sanding, and routering.

The attendees at today's workshop (22) included Rick, Harley, Bob B, Don, Mary Jo, Frank, Keith, Darwin, Lauree, Lon, Cleon, Gary G, Patsy, Jerry, Ken M, Nick, Jim Brown, Maggie, Grant, Roy E (new), Russ, and Dennis.

Activities today:

• Inventory Control
• Hand sand toys and cradles and heart boxes
• Drill smokestack holes in locomotives
• Wheel Installs
• Machine Sand toys (80/100/120 grit)
• Spindle sand windows
• Router edges of toys after first sanding
• Bring in Toys completed at home (Chalk Boards - 68 - by the Graves)
• Jim Brown (at home) installed the strings and balls on the cup and ball games, inserted them in ziplock bags and brought them into the workshop for entering into inventory today.  Maggie sanded the puppy's ears at home.
• Build basketball games:  Adding string/balls to games, plus spoons with rubber bands

Photos from the workshop:

Harley makes sure the glue bottles are in good working order ready for the wheel installers.  Darwin in putting the pegs into the wheels, so they can easily to inserted in the locomotive bodies.  Today's wheels installers were Keith and Cleon.

Locomotives with stacks are ready for wheels.

Cradles are being handsanded with "wet" 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper.  The sandpaper is actually dipped in water.  This wet paper technique removes only the very small bumps in the finish without removing any finish, leaving a very nice smooth surface.

Basketball Games - Final steps - install ball and string and add spoons.

Spoon selection was made today - we had a sizable donation of 1000 spoons from Sysco.  Unfortunately the triangular shaped handle didn't work with our launchers, so we selected a product called "Diamond - Daily Cutlery" spoons from Menards.  Nick procured a group of spoons from Menards today.  Once the spoons to be used were selected, the final installation of strings with 1" balls could be made.  We finished 72 basketball games with the ball/string and two spoons, secured with rubber bands.

Lon is prepping the games by inserting the strings in the 1/8" mounting hole in the base of the basketball game.  Grant prepped the nylon strings with the flame from a candle.

Frank secured the string with an 1/8" dowel cut to 1/2" long and glued in place.

Nick trimmed the strings from the bottom and secured the string with a drop of glue.

Packing the basketball games in boxes is a work of art.  Proper placement of games in the boxes is as shown (9 to a box).

72 basketball games were finished and put into inventory today

Remaining to do:  28 games

Break time for outside crew

Toys ready to be sealed:  6 boxes

Toys ready to be sprayed:  2 boxes

Cradles are ready for quilts and dolls

Heart boxes are ready for finishing

Toys put into inventory today:  259

 

WT SIG 10-30-2024

Ken Ketel and Michael Howard hosted today's Woodturning SIG at the West Hills Shop on  Oct 30 @ 1:00 PM.  The West Hills kitchen provided tasty rice crispy treats and coffee.  Ken demonstrated how to setup for inside outside turned ornaments and simple cube turnings.   If you have any questions on today's presentation, call Ken.

Attending (14):

Michael Howard, Ken K, Bob, Lon, Rick, Dave, Nathaniel, Darwin, Nick, Harley, Adam, Jerry, Maggie, and Grant

Two types of turnings work well as Christmas tree ornaments

Simple cube with finials.

 

Inside out turning based on the pattern below.

Simple cube is the starter for this ornament.

Inside out turnings  - step by step.

Patterns

Prep for Next TWS 11-2-2024

 To Do's This Week

1.  Seal some toys (4 boxes)

2.  Spray some toys (One box)

3.  Basketball Game ball/strings (ready to be installed).

4.  Get spoons - Nick is working on this.

4.  Check all remaining toys to make - look at all remaining boxes.

5.  Put strings on cup and ball games.  Jim Brown is working on these.

6.  Make necklaces for heart boxes.  Bob and Natalya are working this.

7.  Make rectangular jewelry boxes.  Nick is working on some.

Photos

Toys needing sanding and routering: 16 boxes

Toys needing routering: 2 boxes

Toys needing wheels and ears: 4 boxes (ears are ready)

Blocks needing sanding (only need one more block bag.)

Glue in stacks in some locomotives (10-28-2024)

Seal single heart boxes made by Jerry (10-29-2024)

Seal whales, locomotives, and vans (10-29-2024)

Seal rest of the vans (10-30-2024)

Seal double heart boxes made by Jerry (10-30-2024)

Make necklaces for heart boxes. (10-31-2024)

Toy. Workshop (TWS2024-22) 10-26-2024

We held our 22nd Toy Workshop (TWS) for 2024 on Saturday Oct 26, 2024, from 9:00 to 12:00 am.  This was held 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.

Today was a nice cool day with jackets needed outside.  We worked inside today handsanding, building basketball games, drilling locomotives for stacks, and installing regular wheels. Those working outside were sanding, and routering.

   

The attendees at today's workshop (24) included Rick, Al, Harley, Bob B, Don, Keith, Darwin, Lauree, Dee, Lon (and 3 guests), John, Cleon, Ken M, Nick, Jim Brown, Maggie, Grant, Stu, Roy, Russ, and Dennis.

Activities today:

• Inventory Control
• Hand sand toys
• Drill smokestack holes in locomotives
• Install smoke stacks in locomotives
• Wheel Installs (50s toy car, taxi, soccer van, school bus, off road vehicle, and locomotive)
• Machine Sand toys (80/100/120 grit)
• Spindle sand windows
• Router edges of toys after first sanding
• Bring in Toys completed at home (Basketball game bases and hoop sub-assemblies)
• Build basketball games:  gluing hoop sub-assemblies to bases (99 completed)

Lon's guests helped in the basketball game building - we invited them back next year to help again!

Photos from the workshop:

Lon and guests:  Son-in-law Stuart, grandkids Claire, and Laurie

Toys put into inventory today:

Results from today's efforts:

4 boxes ready to seal

99 basketball games assembled (with hoops and bases)

Dachsunds ears redrilled to 1/4"

Heart boxes received ready to be sealed

Locomotives drilled for stacks

Stacks installed on locomotives

New sander put into commission today (donation from Harley)