Marketing Trip to Find New Toy Designs

On Thursday March 5, 2015, I attended the monthly meeting of the Orange County Woodworkers Association in Tustin, CA.  There I gave a brief update to the CA group about happenings in the Rapid City Woodworkers Association.  The speaker for the evening was David A. Wade, a long time employee of Sam Maloof furniture company in Alto Loma, CA.  He shared a slideshow of some of his projects, along with tidbits of his experiences while working with Sam Maloof over a 25 year period.  The trio Mike, Larry, and Dave were the main woodworkers in Sam Maloof's shop for many years.  Many of his projects can be seen on his company website Wade Made.  The projects were both traditional as requested by customers, and some of his own "eclectic" items.

Members of the group presented several SHOW AND TELL items, one of which might be of interest to members of the RCWA.  Al Whitcraft from Huntington Beach, CA brought his latest rocking chair made in the Sam Maloof style.  This is his sixth rocker, but the first made from OSAGE ORANGE.  He harvested the osage orange in Alabama in 2005.  He has made several pieces of furniture from his truck load.  There was just enough wood left to build this rocker.  The rocker has one coat of finish in this picture, and will get several more.  The rocker is currently a yellow color, but within six months, depending on how much sunlight it receives, it will turn a medium brown color.

On Saturday, March 7, 2015, I attended the Toy Workshop on the Orange County Woodworkers
Association at Bill Rogers Shop in Anaheim, CA.  There were close to 40 people in attendance at the outdoor event.  The purpose of attending the event was to visit with old woodworker friends that I worked with from 2000 to 2007, as well as to get some ideas for new toys to build for the toy program in Rapid City.

Harvey Carr and Bob Perkins had some extra time during the morning, as the two air compressors they had planned to use to assemble the walking ducks were both inop.  They shared with me their techniques and patterns for building a walking duck, moved by a pushstick on the south end of the duck.  Rubber flaps are attached to the wheels to give the toy a most impressive flap flap flap sound as it is moved.

Bob Perkins had obtained a game similar to a marble game, and was researching it as a re-engineering project as a potential toy for 2016  Here's a video (sideways) of this toy in action:

So it was a very worthwhile outing, as I am outfitted with all the patterns for the duck, as well as photos and sketches of the jigs used to build the parts.  Plus, I have Harvey's email address for any questions that come up as we get started.

I also looked into the possibility of making dolls for the cradles that we make in the Toy Program.  I received written instructions, as well as a sample doll, to show to the gifted seamstresses in our group.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

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Toy Workshop - Feb 28th, 2015

A toy workshop was held on Saturday Feb 28th, 2015 at the Shop in the Club for Boys in Rapid City, SD from 9 am to noon.  Several members attended, and exchanged boxes of traced toys for boxes of partially finished toys.  Woodworking tactics, techniques, and procedures were discussed as well.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

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February 9, 2015 - General Meeting of the Rapid City Woodworkers Association

Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

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Toy Workshop - 2-7-2015 at the Club for Boys Shop

Thirteen toymakers attended the Feb 7th, 2015 Toy Workshop held at the Club for Boys Shop in Rapid City, SD from 8:45 am until noon.  Attending were Grant Coffin, Richard Rasmussen, Lon Gose, Rick Weisbeck, Al Oines, Darwin and Lauree Buus, Kathie and Bob Buchanan, Frank DiCesare, Ed Pike, Rollie Lynde, and Gary Graves.

Custodian Mike from the CFB unlocked the shop (on his day off).  Julian Wigen prepared for the workshop by making a Dakota Kraft wood run, and then spent a day in the shop planing the 2 by stock to be ready for tracing.  Unfortunately, Julian picked up a bug Friday night and was unable to function, so Bob and Kathie picked up the lumber from Julian's shop early Saturday morning before the workshop.  Thank you Lois for calling!

Also during the week, Bob retrieved several wood supplies from the pole barn for distribution to other toy makers for various toy projects, and for tracing activities today.

Today was the final day of tracing templates onto the planned wood.  There were also exchanges of toy parts that were worked on in home shops during the previous weeks. Wood for other toy projects was retrieved from the pole barn and distributed to various toymakers.

Today's workshop was the third held in 2015.  We continued last week's workshop theme as we started TRACING - Day 3.  Today we traced 433 toys on 2" material, and 120  critters on 1" material.  After today's efforts, we will need to trace about 53 more vehicles/toys on 2 inch and 1 inch material for 2015.  At the end of the day, we had traced 98% of the traceable toys needed for the year.  Other toys which require different efforts besides tracing are being worked as well.

Rollie brought in a large box of cutout batman cars (61).  Grant finished cutting out a box of tugboat hulls (87).  Rick took home two boxes of locomotives to work on, Darwin loaded up four boxes of various toys to cut, and Rollie loaded his car with about 7 full boxes for cutting.

Rick took home airplane cutouts, and some large pre-finished wood for making toy parts on his CNC machine.  Bob took home several prototype toys to do a low rate initial production run, including bouncing rabbits, swimming whales, hungry-hungry hippos, a new helicopter with two rotors, and several extra large OLDIES cars.  Lon took home a good supply of 3" pre-finished wood for making the paddles for the paddle games.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

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Remembering Roger

Many of us attended memorial services yesterday and today for one of our long time members, Roger Bares.  Roger was a friend and a mentor to us all.

Roger Bares
1941 - 2015

Roger was one of the charter members of our group, joining in the summer of 2008.  He very soon established himself as a mentor to us all.  He had a passion for woodworking and toymaking specifically.  The first order of business for Roger was to make a sign to tell people who we were.   

His first toy for the toy program was a John Deere Tractor.  He liked them so much, he made 300 for part of our first year's toys.  Some lucky kids at the Club for Boys were very happy on that Christmas Day!

   

   

Pastor Ray helped with the first toys as well.

Roger soon started a splinter group to talk about the techniques of Scroll Sawing.  He held these meetings in his shop.

On Nov. 21st, 2011, Roger showed us the technique for making signs with free-standing letters. Remember that one?

Read more about this in the December 2011 newsletter - the Cutting Edge

Time went by and it became obvious that Roger was deserving of our newest award, Master Toymaker.

Wednesday evening, November 21, 2012, the Scrollsaw Special Interest Group gathering was held in Roger Bares shop.  During the event, Roger was presented with somewhat of a lifetime achievement award for his involvement in the Toy Program for the Rapid City Woodworkers Association.  Roger has been a key figure in the production of hundreds of toys since 2008 when the Toy Program was started.

Roger Bares receives the Master Toymaker Award

Click here for more about this award.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

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Toy Workshop Jan 31, 2015 / Remembering Larry

Attendees today included Grant Coffin, Julian Wigen, Ed Pike, Frank DiCesare, Lon Gose, Darwin Buus, Al Oines, Richard Rasmussen, Gary Graves, Rick Weisbeck, and Kathie and Bob Buchanan.

The name of the game today was TRACING - Day 2.

Today's workshop was the second held in 2015.  We continued last week's workshop theme as we started TRACING - Day 2.  Today we showed what the training curve is all about, and traced 649 toys on 2" material, and 60 critters on 1" material.  After today's efforts, we will need to trace about 250 more vehicles/toys on 2 inch and 1 inch material for 2015.  This means that as of today, we have traced about 2/3 of the traceable toys needed for the year.

This has been the easy part.  After this, the fun will really begin.

Today's tracing efforts included the following standard toys:  Tugboat hulls, Racers (Large), Oldies (Large), Ameba cars, C-Cars, Locomotives, Oldies (Medium), Small Cars, Crayon Vans, and critters for bags.  Also traced were a few toys from the research and development department (R&D) including a new helicopter and Extra Large Oldies.

Larry Borg (1941 - 2015)

Today our hearts go out to the family of Larry Borg.  Larry (the retired Veterinarian) was making wheels for locomotives up until about ten days ago.  He had been diagnosed with Leukemia back in Dec 2013.  He and Barb battled for over a year with month long treatment/trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  Larry put up a heroic fight, but the disease was relentless, and Larry passed away on Jan 29th, 2015.  We'll miss you Larry.  In lieu of flowers, a memorial for Dr. Larry Borg has been established for Leukemia Research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, c/o Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (please write Leukemia Research in memory of Dr. Larry A. Borg on the memo line) or you can donate online at philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donate.  Dr. Borg’s online guestbook is available for friends and family to sign at osheimschmidt.com.

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For more information, contact Bob Buchanan at (605) 348-2865 or Rick Weisbeck at (605) 431-7375.  Or go to our website at www.sdwoodworker.org.

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Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

sdguildrcwa2

				sdguildrcwa2 Main website of the Rapid City W

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Shop Tour - Jan 24, 2015

RCWA Shop Tour

Saturday Jan 24, 2015

10:00 am to noon

Gary Graves’ Shop at 5330 Pine Tree Drive in Rapid City, SD

Welcome to Gary's Hobby House!

This is the clean side of the Hobby House, for planning and finishing.

This is the working and getting dusty side of the Hobby House.

Here are the 2015 Model Racers!

Attendees today (12) included Harley, Gary, Bob, Kathie, Steve, Rick, Richard, Ed, Al, Lon, Rollie and Julian.



For more information, contact Bob Buchanan at (605) 348-2865 or Rick Weisbeck at (605) 431-7375.  Or go to our website at www.sdwoodworker.org.

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Click on the link below to learn more about the Rapid City Woodworkers Association activities on the main page of the website:

sdguildrcwa2

				sdguildrcwa2 Main website of the Rapid City W

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