Toy Workshop 21 (TWS2021-21) 10-30-2021

The day was sunny and 52 degrees at 9 am; it warmed up to 54 degrees with lots of wind by noon.  The outside work tent was flopping around, but we tied it to the new carts, so it stayed on the ground and much sanding/routering progress was made.  

Attending today (23):   Mary Jo, Bel, Jim, Gary, Rollie, Ken, Al, Harley, Grant, Bob, Rick, Frank, Mary G, Don, Darwin, Lauree, Lyle, John, Jeff, Julian, Lon,  and Tony and his friend.

Activities today included attaching tugboat cabins to tugboat hulls, stacks installed on tugboat cabins (102),  ball/string to paddle game assembly, Love Bug wheel installs, cup and ball games fitted with ball and strings, wheel installs on wheeled toys, hand sanding of toys and blocks, filling block bags with 10 large blocks, 10 small blocks and some large dowel shorts, routering of critter edges, hand sanding of shark cars, and other  2" cars, drilling holes in wooden balls and attaching strings, attaching strings to basketball games with 1/8" pegs, adding 2 spoons to each basketball games for packing in boxes for delivery, and inserting heart necklaces into heart boxes.  A total of 320 toys we're put into inventory today.

Wheels were installed on several different types of toys that were put into inventory for Christmas giving.  Wheels/rotors were installed on helos, oldie bugs, small bugs, and small cars, puppy dogs, and dauchsunds.

Results of this workshop: 

Two boxes of wheeled toys (shark cars, small cars) are ready to spray final finish.

Tugboats (102) are ready to spray final finish.

Batman cars, caravans, PT cruisers, oldies, plus recovered ICU toys are ready to be sealed.

One box of critters ready for inventory.

One cradle (#25) is ready to be sealed.

Items placed in inventory (320) today:

Block bags (5)

Helicopters (58)

Paddle games (58)

Love Bugs (84)

Heart boxes w/necklaces (48)

Puppy dogs (22)

Basketball games (45)

Photos from today's workshop:

 

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

RCWA

Toy Workshop 20 (TWS2021-20) 10-23-2021

The day was dry but cloudy and 40 degrees at 9 am; it warmed up to 50 degrees with lots of wind by noon.  The sanding/routering tent was flopping around, but stayed on the ground and lots of sawdust was made.  

Attending today (17):   Mary Jo, Bel, Jim, Gary, Rollie, Ken, Al, Harley, Grant, Bob, Rick, Frank, Mary G, Don, Darwin, Lauree, and Tony.

Activities today included tugboat cabins to tugboat hulls assembly, ball/string to paddle game assembly, Love Bug wheel installs, cup and ball to handle assembly, wheel installs on about 223 toys, hand sanding of toys and blocks, filling block bags with 10 large blocks, 10 small blocks and some large dowel shorts, routering of critter edges, sanding of shark cars, and others 2" cars, and drilling of critter eyes.

Carts purchased at the RC School surplus auction this week were evaluated for use as tool carts, and repurposing plans put in place.  This will be an extra curricular activity we will do when not making toys.

Next week, we look foward to adding stacks to tugboats, ball/string assembly, hand sanding blocks and sealed toys, finishing up cup and ball games, wheels installing on toys, more work on basketball games, tractor building, more critter routering and sanding, crayon whales sanding and routering, rotors installing on helicopters and caravan sanding.  Critter bags will be filled when we complete the last few boxes of critters in the coming weeks.

Rocking chair parts are completed and will be assembled soon in home shops and then sealed and finished.  Basketball game parts are completed and are being assembled this week in home shops.  The "in-work" shelves are slowly being emptied and the "finished" shelves are filling up.

Keep up the good work!

Results of today's workshop:      223 toys were finished and put into inventory.

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

RCWA

Scroll Saw SIG 10-21-2021

 A small group of RCWA members attended the October meeting of the Scroll Saw Special Interest Group (SS SIG) at Rick's Shop on Thursday Oct 22, 2021.

Attendees:  Darwin, John, daughter Joan, Bob and Rick

Rick gave John and his daughter Joan (visiting from Minneapolis) a special tour of his shop with emphasis on Scroll sawing technics and an introduction to the CNC router.

During the tutorial, Darwin finished cutting the last pieces for the current Silent Auction Project - a Noah's Arc cutout project.

Bob finished the school surplus auction before attending the SIG.  Items purchased at the auction (Invoice total ($8.52)) can be picked up Thursday am.  Rick's trailer will be needed to transport the carts to the Shop on Wood Ave for repurposing the carts.

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

RCWA

Toy Workshop 19 (TWS2021-19) 10-16-2021

Attending today (18):   Mary Jo, Mag, Bel, Jim, Gary, Rollie, Ken, Al, Julian, Harley, Grant, Kathie, Bob, Rick, Patsy, Jerry, Mary G, and Jeff.

During the previous week, cradles (24) were assembled, sealed, sanded, finished with polyrub, fitted with handmade quilts and baby dolls.  Then they were packed and brought into the storeroom today.  

Hand sanding activity involved locomotives, vans, Lightning Mc Queens,  puppies, mixed ICU, helos, race cars, small cars.  

Wheels were installed on 5 different types of toys for a total of 333 toys put into inventory for Christmas giving.  Wheels were installed on airplanes, helos, oldie bugs, small bugs, and small cars.

Tugboat cabins were cut to shape on a scrollsaw.  Tugboat hulls were fitted with pegs and sanded flush.  Axle holes were drilled in Shark cars.  Basketball games:  back boards were secured to hoops with screws.  Airplanes were fitted with wheels.  Helicopters were finished with CNC generated rotors.  The last of the Batman cars were cut to shape on the scrollsaw.  

Sanding and routering activities in the big tent:  Crayon whales were sanded on both flat and curved surfaces, and then routered.  Caravans were routered, and sanded on the flat sides.  Wooden blocks were partially routered and then cut to length.  Ten complete sets were cut today.

Shop improvements:  Grant hung an LED shop light over a dimly lit area by the drill press.  Mary G brought in several plastic chairs.

Major progress was made on lots of toys that are still in work.  This effort is held under the big tent in the parking lot.  The curved edges of these toys were sanded on oscillating sanders, their edges were routered, and their flat sides sanded smooth.  Improvements to the work shop continued with two sets of shelves added to closets.  Many members are still working on toys at home shops and then bringing them to the toy workshops for further activities.

Results of today's workshop:  333 toys were finished and put into inventory

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

RCWA