Odin's Toy Factory

You can see some of my toys here.  I am not an expert in finishing. These notes are based on my years of learning. All paints and finishes sold in the US are considered nontoxic when fully cured. When something is dry, you can touch it without getting paint on your fingers. But when it's cured, all the volatiles have dissipated, and the finish has hardened. A finish can take hours, days, or weeks to cure fully. Nontoxic doesn't mean you should eat it or that there is no long-term harm if you do. It simply means it won't send you to the emergency room if ingested. For an easy, clear finish, you can use butcher block conditioner, a combination of mineral oil and wax. Many toy makers use a mineral oil and beeswax blend for a simple, fast finish. However, there is no cure time, and it is not a durable finish. Polyurethane is an excellent finish that adds a slight amber tint and enhances the wood grain. However, it takes a long time to cure, typically two weeks or more, and requ

Wood Toy Truck, Handmade and Finished with Shellac and Metallic Saphire Blue Acrylic Paint, Pickup from the Play Pal Collection       Buy Now: https://www.etsy.com/listing/662919813/   I made this toy truck using traditional woodworking tools in my toymaker's shop. It was carefully sanded and finished with hand-rubbed amber shellac and Metallic Sapphire Blue acrylic paint. Each toy is carefully assembled and tested. My toys are of the highest quality I can make. Sometimes, I reject as many as 20% at some point in the build process for defects. Quality assurance happens at all build stages, so very few completed toys have issues. The few completed toys that have a problem are fixed or rejected. All of the materials used in making my toys are nontoxic. My grandson has many versions of this toy truck. He has been playing with them for over three years. They are still going strong, outlasting many factory-made plastic toys. Approximate Dimensions: Length: 3-1/2 inches Height: 1-3/8 inc

Bad Bob's Custom Motors I use a variety of paints from various sources. I like the acrylic house paints the best. All of the paints are nontoxic when cured.  I like to use a white primer to seal the wood and make the colors pop. In this case, I am using Zinsser B-I-N shellac based primer.  I prefer to use an airbrush for painting toys but, I have to paint outdoors, and the weather where I live does not cooperate, and I have to wait or use a brush. I used an airbrush for these wooden toy cars. My airbrush is a Badger Anthem 155.  I prefer acrylics over all other paints. They clean up easily, cover well, and are readily available in a vast array of colors. To clean, I flood with water to get rid of the bulk of the paint. The remaining paint is easily removed with ammonia-based cleaners such as window cleaner. I use household$ ammonia to remove dried paint.  I used the following to paint these wooden toy car bodies. Pink - Behr Acrylic House Paint Green - Apple Barrel Gl

Zinsser B-I-N White Shellac-Based Interior/Spot Exterior Primer and Sealer Is what I find works best. I originally purchased this to use for a white base to make the color pop. Previously I use white acrylic paint on top of shellac. It worked pretty good but using the shellac based primer I get a white base and sealer in one step. Shellac is compatible with just about any finish. It will seal pine knots. This primer is used for a sealer when repairing smoke damage after a fire. I just did a test on an MDF Play Pal minivan. One coat was all it took. I get it at  Home Depot in the paint department.  

It's not a simple choice when you intend to sell them or even give them away. You have to consider the age of the person the toy is designed for. There are several finishes to choose from when finishing wooden toys. Drying Oils Non-Drying Oils Polyurethane Shellac Paint There may be others, but these are the ones I have used. If I am making a toy intended for a child under three years old that puts everything in their mouth and likes to chew on things No finish at all is probably the best choice. These toys should be very simple and made from woods like hard maple. Although ti its used by many toymakers, I would not put any sort of oil on these toys. In my totally unscientific testing, I find that kids will almost always go for the painted toys. I have seen a few exceptions to this, but not many. Where the kids get to look at the toys, the painted toys may rule the day. If selling online adults are usually the shoppers. They seem to like to see the wood grain, but not

If you are going to make toys you are going to use a lot of wheels. The last time I bought wheels I ordered about 1600  wooden wheels. Sounds like a lot but keep in mind that one of my little tractor trailer rigs has 18 wheels. 500 hundred wheels make 27 trucks with a few extras. After that last order I've taken to storing wheels in the large jars that nuts and other things come in.  I did this after I received an order of a 1000 wheels that all came in one big bag. Previous to this they were all in bags of 100. Once you open the bag you have to do something with the wheels.  The jars are cheap as in practically free.  They are quite sturdy and sit nicely on a shelf. Using the set up pictured below I can finish wheels continuously provided the weather cooperates. If the relative humidity is below 50% shellac drys very fast. The first wheel in the rack will be dry long before I drop one into the last hole. 20171201_122332_HDR Wooden Toy Car Wheels TWT150 On the Drying Rack