2019-07-25

Tools for the Toy Maker

I make toys and fretwork. Here is my take.

1. Workbench with a Vise

It doesn't have to be fancy, but you can't work without it.

2. Drill Press

Everything I do uses a drill press in some form or another. Drilling, hole saw for making wheels and sanding with various attachments.  Sanding mops are a must have in my shop. You can use it as a drum sander, and there are many attachments that you can buy or make for it.

3. Belt Sander

I have a 1" x 42" Delta Belt and disk sander. This one is very much like it. I also have a 6x48-inch belt sander. One or both of these get used on every project. I don't find the disk sander to be very useful.

4. Saw - Type depends on the situation.

You need to cut wood  Provided you can get the wood in the thickness you need. There are many options. If all you are doing is scrollsaw projects, a hand saw will work. You can use a scroll saw in place of a bandsaw for everything but resawing lumber. You can use a scroll saw for cross-cutting and ripping with the proper blades but only for smaller pieces of wood. I some times cut parts from 3/4-inch stock and resaw them to get the appropriate thickness. I have a table saw that I rarely use. I break down larger stock with a battery powered circular saw and straight edges and cut the rest with a 12-inch sliding compound miter saw. If you set it up right, you can cut just about any size you need square and safe. Resawing with a bandsaw is not something for beginners and you really need to add jointers and planers to this.

5.


Steves List
1. Table saw.
2. Disc/Belt Sander
3. Drill press
4. Workbench
5. Planer
6. Band saw
7. Drum sander
8. Jointer.

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Tool Review - Harbor Freight - Pittsburg 4 inch Ratcheting Bar Clamp

Harbor Freight - Pittsburge 4 inch Ratcheting Bar Clamp
Harbor Freight - Pittsburgh 4 inch Ratcheting Bar Clamp
The first one of these I ever saw was the next larger size. I purchased some and discovered that the clamps would not hold. I could clamp hem down tight, and a short time later I would find the clamp had loosened. I finally gave up on them when one broke and tossed them in the recycle bins.

Several times over the last few years, I tried them again in the store and found that they broke easily and would not clamp tightly. I got a deal on some Irwin clamps and didn't look at them again.

The one day I received an email from a trusted friend telling me how great the 4-inch clamps worked and that with a coupon I could buy them for $0.99 each. I build toys, and when I am making a large batch of them, I sometimes run out of small clamps. For $0.99 I had to give these a try.

They must not make many of the Pittsburg 4-inch clamps, or they are in high demand because I had to stop by the store several times to get five of them.

Once I got them in the shop and had a chance to play around with them a bit, I found that they worked quite well. Better than the small much more expensive Irwin clamps I have. The best clamps I have in this size and type are DeWalt clamps. So far the Pittsburg Clamps are on par with the DeWalt clamps.

During the first real glue up the clamps slipped just like the old ones and I had to use the DeWalt clamps. What happened? They worked good when I was testing them. Something had to have changed.

I eventually figured out why they slipped. It was my fault. For years I have routinely put johnsons Paste wax on my clamps to keep the glue from sticking to them. Wax on the bar clamps never caused a problem for me before because I was using clamps that had multiple clutch plates and grooves cut in the metal for them to grab. Waxing the Pittsburg Ratcheting Bar Clamps will make them slip.

The fix was easy.  Using a blue paper towel and some mineral spirits, I gave the clamps a good cleaning. After the mineral spirits evaporated, the Pittsburg clamps worked great.

If you need some small light duty clamps, it's hard to go wrong with these. With a coupon, they are only $0.99 each. Without a coupon, they cost $1.49. My DeWalt Trigger Clamps cost $4.99 each, and I had to buy a dozen of them to get that price. The DeWalt clamps are $5.97 each a Home Depot. The IRWIN Micro Handed 2-Pack Clamps are $12.98 for two at Lowes.

On price alone, the Pittsburg clamps are hard to beat but add in Lifetime in-store replacement warranty, and this makes these clamps a must-have for toymakers.

2019-07-13

Handmade Wooden Toy Car, Old Fashioned Vintage Style from Bad Bob's Custom Motors Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Cars Bad Bob's Custom Motors Sedans & Coupes In Various Colors
Handmade Wooden Toy Cars Bad Bob's Custom Motors Sedans & Coupes In Various ColorsHere is a fleet of cars ready for the camera. A few of them are missing from the photo. My grandson managed to talk me out of four of them. One of them he gave to his friend for a Christmas gift. These cars were a lot more work than they appeared to be looking at the number of parts. The fenders are delicate until I glued them to the body of the car. I broke several of the solid wood fenders during sanding. The next batch I make with this style fender will either have plywood or other laminated wood fenders. Baltic birch would work well, I think. The breakage problem was caused by the cross grain in the thin part of the wood. With this shape, there is no way to cut the fender where there isn't a weak point. To get around this problem, I cut the frames so the more vulnerable areas would be glued directly to the sides of the body of the wooden car. They are plenty strong once glued. Sanding was the problem. Push a little too hard on the sandpaper and the fender would snap along the grain. All of the sanding had to be done by hand, slow and careful.

Here is a fleet of cars ready for the camera. A few of them are missing from the photo. My grandson managed to talk me out of four of them. One of them he gave to his friend for a Christmas gift.

These cars were a lot more work than they appeared to be looking at the number of parts. The fenders are delicate until I glued them to the body of the car.  I broke several of the solid wood fenders during sanding. The next batch I make with this style fender will either have plywood or other laminated wood fenders. Baltic birch would work well, I think.

The breakage problem was caused by the cross grain in the thin part of the wood. With this shape, there is no way to cut the fender where there isn't a weak point. To get around this problem, I cut the frames so the more vulnerable areas would be glued directly to the sides of the body of the wooden car. They are plenty strong once glued.

Sanding was the problem. Push a little too hard on the sandpaper and the fender would snap along the grain. All of the sanding had to be done by hand, slow and careful.

2019-07-12

The best Countersink I Have Ever Used - KEO 53512 Cobalt Steel Single-End Countersink

KEO 53512 Cobalt Steel Single-End Countersink, TiN Coated, 82 Degree Point Angle, Round Shank, 5/16" Shank Diameter, 1/2" Body Diameter
KEO 53512 Cobalt Steel Single-End Countersink, TiN Coated, 82 Degree Point Angle, Round Shank, 5/16" Shank Diameter, 1/2" Body Diameter

This isn't a tool I use much for toy making, but I use it a lot for making jigs and special purpose fences. I have tried lots of countersinks for cheap ones from Harbor Freight to some expensive Bosch brand countersinks. Some cut better than others, but they all chattered. After trying one of these, the others went into the recycle bin.

In some materials, this countersink will cut shavings not chips. You will get smooth, round countersinks. After using this one for a while, the others went into the recycle bin.

I don't use it for metal, but you can use it for that. From the seller, "Cobalt steel tools are similar to high-speed steel, but with more cobalt for improved performance when cutting harder metals such as stainless steel or nickel alloy."

The KEO 53512 Cobalt Steel Single-End Countersink costs about twenty dollars on Amazon.