Toymaking Workshop - Nov 28, 2009

In preparation for this weekend's toy workshop, all animal cutouts were checked over for the last time, any squawks found were corrected, they were sanded for the last time, eyes painted on turtles and rocking horses, and all animals sorted and counted. On Saturday morning, Nov. 28th, 2009, the animals were packed into cotton bags, four to a bag in preparation for toy distribution on Dec 5th. At the end of the morning, over 100 bags were completed and ready for kids.

Today's workshop was the last workshop for 2009 - the end of the year-long toy making efforts by the toymakers of the Rapid City Woodworkers Association. The goal for today was to complete the basketball games for the toy distribution to happen next Saturday, Dec 5th, 2009. Our local WENDY's generously donated a case of spoons to be used as basketball launchers, and all the parts were completed before this workshop. We started the day with a team of two working to assemble the hoops to the backboards, another team assembling the launcher pads to the bases, and a third team working with the final assembly jigs. The setup included two nail guns, one for the 5/8 inch nails for the backboard to post, and one for the 1 " nails for the base to post. As parts rolled off the end of the line, a new team was formed to install the string/ball assembly to the completed game assembly. At the end of the afternoon, we had completed 96 basketball games. With only a few minor technical problems, the event was a major success!

Weather permitting next week, we will put a finish coat of laquer on the basketball games, in time for toy distribution on Saturday morning, Dec 5th, 2009.

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Toy Workshop Nov 21, 2009

The toymakers in the Rapid City Woodworkers Association Toy Program held another Toy Workshop this morning Saturday Nov 21, 2009 at the RCWA Shop at 910 Wood Ave in the basement of the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD.

Today we were preparing the parts for the Basketball Games. The basic parts of the game have been prepared over the past few weeks. Today we drilled holes in the backboards and hoops to attach the hoops to the backboards. String holes were drilled in the base to attach the string assemblies prepared last Tuesday evening. Launcher holes were drilled in the base to attach the launchers which were prepared over the last two weeks.

Bases stack up with string holes, launcher holes and post holes. Grant drilled holes in the bases.

Hoops were pre-drilled to prepare for assembling the hoops to the backboards.

Launchers with slots for Wendy's spoons were pre-drilled to prepare for assembling launcher to bases.

Lon pre-drilled post holes in the backboards a few weeks ago.

Kathie and Willis sanded the launchers to be ready to attach to the bases next week.

Rick drilled string holes in the bases for gluing the string assemblies with the 1 inch wooden balls.

Harley set up a jig and drilled the holes in the backboard and hoops.

Jigs were built in 2008 to repeat the operations of drilling holes for attaching the hoops to the backboard (LEFT PHOTO), and for attaching the launcher to the base (RIGHT PHOTO).

Grant turned bowls (small) and Bob attached them to Shaker Pegs to make a cup and ball game.

We have now finished enough parts to complete 120 basketball games. Next week we will begin assembling the basketball games, using a FINAL ASSEMBLY Jig, some Titebond glue, and a pneumatic nailer. Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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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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