Here is a red painted version of my previously posted shellac finished version of my tow truck. It was played with by my grandson before the photos were taken.
I made this version of the tow truck for my grandson. There are a few differences from the previous version. This one I painted red using Apple Barrel "Bright Red" acrylic craft paint. I did not apply any primer or clear coat. The color was applied directly from the bottle with a brush. I have used this paint on many toys. It covers well, cures fast, and looks good by itself. Applying a clear top coat will make the color pop. This time I chose not to use the clear coat.
I cut the body from a section of pine 2x4 using a scroll saw and a #5 skip tooth blade. The pattern is designed for cutting from 2x6 stock. I shrink the template slightly to fit a 2x4 Avoiding the rounded corners. You can't shrink it too much without using smaller wheels. You could make this from any wood you like by gluing up stock to the proper thickness. This toy truck would be an excellent candidate to make from MDF. There are no sharp corners or easily breakable parts anywhere on the body.
I used solid axles made from 1/4-inch dowels for this version of the tow truck. Using sold axles lets you be a bit less precise with hole placement. If axle pegs are used on a six-wheeled vehicle, it is easy to get one or more of the holes out of alignment and have a wheel or wheels that don't touch the ground. Because the axle holes have some wiggle room the holes can be a bit off, and the wheels will align just fine. However, I do like the look of the hubs provided by the axle pins.
I used hardwood for the tow hook instead of plywood for this build. So far it has held up well. This would be stronger using baltic birch plywood or some shop made hardwood plywood.
Comments
Post a Comment