Toys for Tots!

[Darrin Davis]

My high school woodshop classes always seem to have time left at the end of each year and so much scrap wood left that we usually throw away and some of the stuff we through away would make most woodworkers cringe. So a student in one of my classes suggested we could make wooden toys for needy kids and donate them to the local Toys for Tots org. I have a couple of questions:

1. Some of the toys would be cars and planes (hopefully) but we would need to make wheels for them. Any experts out there on wheel cutters and their luck with them?

2. Any great ideas out there for wooden toys that you guys have done or seen before that moderate high school woodworking students could safety build under supervision. (the small cuts scare me with kids)

Some of our ideas for toys so far are - small baseball bats, cars, trucks, rubber ban gun rifles and pistols, & non-rubber band gun rifles and pistols (for the young ones). We could sure use some more ideas.

Also, if anyone know of a really good box supplier for packaging would be great. We could order common sizes and build toys to fit in them (not sure if that's the correct approach or not.

Anyway, I'm sure I could Google everything myself but you guys seem to have all the answers.

Thanks!

***Any other suggestions are welcome!

[Joe Hillmann]

Hobby horses are very easy to make and little kids love them.

[Paul Steiner]

Great Idea this is waht I did with my students:
http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/shop/archive/2008/09/23/School-NewsVirginia-Students-Build-1000-Toy-Trucks-for-Charity.aspx (http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/shop/archive/2008/09/23/School-NewsVirginia-Students-Build-1000-Toy-Trucks-for-Charity.aspx)
I think I have the plans and all the info, I will check.

[Joe Hillmann]

Here are some rubberband guns I built the small ones on the left only take about 10 minutes from start to finish and are the standard clothespin type.

The ones on the right take about 20 minutes each to make to shoot them you slid back the dark piece of wood and you can shoot 10 rubberbands one at a time or all at once or anything in between depending on how fast you slide the the ramp back.

To make them I trace the pattern on to the wood from a hardboard pattern, then cut them out on the bandsaw, then use a 3/4 inch bit to drill the "trigger" hole, next I use the stationary belt sander to take out the saw marks and last I use a round over bit in the router. From there you can finish them as you see fit, you could pint them (as I did on the pink one) you could carve crosshatching into the stock and last you glue the clothes pin on.

The funny thing is, I grew up with rubberband guns (I'm 27) but most people I show them to have never seen one.



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[Stephen Cherry]

Isn't it illegal to make kids toys? I thoght I had read that somewhere.

[Darrin Davis]

Paul, thanks for sharing this and reminding me about our discussion last year. I remember reading this about you. Thanks again!


Great Idea this is waht I did with my students:
http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/shop/archive/2008/09/23/School-NewsVirginia-Students-Build-1000-Toy-Trucks-for-Charity.aspx (http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/shop/archive/2008/09/23/School-NewsVirginia-Students-Build-1000-Toy-Trucks-for-Charity.aspx)
I think I have the plans and all the info, I will check.

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> Isn't it illegal to make kids toys? I thoght I had read that somewhere.

Yes. Here is a link that should be read and understood. Legal advice may be appropriate.

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/CPSIA/smbus/manufacturers.html

[Joe Hillmann]

>>>> Isn't it illegal to make kids toys? I thoght I had read that somewhere.

Yes. Here is a link that should be read and understood. Legal advice may be appropriate.

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/CPSIA/smbus/manufacturers.html

No it is not illegal. Under some circumstances it requires testing items made of wood do not require testing unless the finish may contain lead (if the paint is for sale in the US it doesn't have lead unless marked otherwise so doesn't require testing) and testing is also required if it has small parts and is intended for children three and under so simply by including a tag saying it is intended for children 4+ you don't have to worry about it.

[Kurt Cady]

peek through the last year or so of Wood Mag. They have had 6-8 toys lately. 1-2 per month

[Steve Mellott]

Darrin:

Last year, our local woodworking club made 715 toys for the Atlanta Toys for Tots chapter. Before you proceed, you should check with your local Toys for Tots chapter to ensure they will accept handmade toys - not all chapters accept them. If they accept them, they may have some ideas regarding the toys they need or the age groups they want to target. Good luck with the project.

Steve

[Lee Schierer]

1. Some of the toys would be cars and planes (hopefully) but we would need to make wheels for them. Any experts out there on wheel cutters and their luck with them?

2. Any great ideas out there for wooden toys that you guys have done

My father started making wooden toys and bought a wheel cutter. Once we sharpened the cutters it worked pretty well. You have to prep the stock to be about 1/2" thick and you cut part way from one side and finish from the other. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the speed right for for the wood you are cutting. Sorry, I don't know what brand it was and the manufacturer wasn't proud enough of their work to put their name on it.
Check out "The Great All American Wooden Toy Book" by Norm Marshall. It has some great toys.