Odin's Toy Factory

  See My Shop Here Measuring is a crucial step in any scroll saw project. Whether you're working on intricate designs or simple cuts, accurate measurements are essential for a successful outcome. In my experience, every project I tackle involves precise measuring using rules or squares, and sometimes both. I can't imagine scrolling without measuring. When I need a specific piece of wood, say a 1/2-inch thick piece, I carefully go through my stash, measuring the thickness of each piece to find the right one. I also measure to ensure that a piece of wood is wide or long enough for the pattern I have in mind. Sometimes, I measure to determine if I can get two or three pieces out of a single piece of wood, optimizing the material and minimizing waste. To further assist in my measuring tasks, I use Inkscape to size patterns to fit the wood I have selected and sometimes to arrange parts. Resizing patterns to fit is an essential part of the measuring process, ensuring that the final p

  12 Wooden Truck Bodies Cut From 2x Construction Lumber   Custom Orders Available Here I am working on a custom order for a batch of toy trucks that I cut from 2x construction lumber. I usually only make things from construction lumber one at a time. Still, this time, I am making twelve trucks all the same, and this was an excellent opportunity to experiment. If you have ever cut 2x construction lumber on a scroll saw, you know this stuff can be a pain to work with. Hard and soft grain, hidden knots, pitch pockets, and other defects are common. It is a challenging wood to scroll. I could use a band saw for this, but I prefer to cut slower and get a smoother cut. Less sanding is the goal. I have been scrolling for years and acquired a considerable collection of blades, including Olson, Flying Dutchman, Pagas, and several others whose sources I no longer know are in my blade collection. I used a variety of these blades in the test. I started with Pegas #3MGT because that was already in

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

Klingspor Sanding Mop Mounted On A Drill Press   See my shop here. Shopsmith 6" Belt Sander  - Useful for curved edges and flat surfaces that I want to remove material quickly. The best tool I have for sanding wheels to size. Shopsmith Disc Sander - Sometimes used for making wheels. Although this is not a powered operation, these are use full for sanding small flat parts. Delta 1" belt sander  - It does a great job on outside edges and can be used for some inside curves. I also have the  Shopsmith  version, which does the same thing and lets me do inside sanding.  Klingspor Sanding Mop  - Expensive, but worth the cost. Removes most fuzzies and leaves a silky smooth surface. Klingspor Mac Mop  - Similar to a sanding mop but a bit more aggressive.  Ridgid Spindle Sander  - Great for sanding inside curves as small as a 1/2 inch radius. It also has an oscillating belt sander.  Random Orbital Sanders  - I use these for sanding flat surfaces, such as prepping wood for the scroll sa

Handmade Wooden Car Carrier Puzzle Truck Under A Christmas Tree  Click here to order. I make wooden toy car carriers and three cars in my workshop using traditional tools. Each piece is finished by hand with clear shellac, and the wheels are covered with non-marring amber shellac and blue acrylic paint. All the materials I use are safe and not harmful. These items are handmade using natural wood and wood products. They are unique and might look different from the pictures. The wood's thickness may also vary slightly. Please note that the differences in wood grain, color, and knots make each piece unique and add to its character. These variations should be expected and are not defects. If you have any concerns about the variations or want a specific look or size, please contact me before placing your order. These items are made in Tallahassee, Florida, USA.I craft this wooden toy car carrier and three cars in my toymaker's shop, using traditional woodworking tools and techniques

  My Dinosaur Collection From Steve Good Blog Post Edited grammer and punctuation, https://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2024/05/welcome-gnome-scroll-saw-pattern.html Another similar question concerns setting the speed on a variable-speed scroll saw. When I get a new saw, I determine the maximum speed at which the saw cuts without too much vibration. This is often just slightly below full speed. I run at that maximum speed unless I cut fragile wood, 1/8" or thinner. The thin wood gives little resistance to the blade, making it easy to make miscuts. If that is what I am cutting, I do one of two things: slow the saw's speed down or stack cuts to add resistance. None of the above advice is an unbreakable rule. Saws are different, people get a different feel from the cuts, and blades are different. My best advice to a new scroller is to try different techniques and use what feels best. You'll learn which blades work best for various cuts, wood, and patterns with practice and

  See my dinosaurs here.  This is the best description I have seen for selecting a scroll saw blade. From Steve Good Blog Post Edited grammer and punctuation, https://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2024/05/welcome-gnome-scroll-saw-pattern.html If you're new to scroll sawing, you may wonder which blade to use for different wood or cuts. While there are general guidelines, the truth is that different saws, blades, and people have different preferences and skills. As an experienced scroller, I can tell you what works for me and offer some tips that may help you get started. First of all, I rarely choose a blade for the wood. Instead, I select the blade based on the pattern I'm cutting. If the pattern has small interior cuts, I use a #3 or whatever blade I need to get into the small holes. It will cut slowly, but it will cut accurately. When you see people talking about using a #9 blade to cut thicker or harder wood or a #3 for thinner or softer wood, they are talking about the eff

  Completed wooden toy dragon ready to finish sitting on my Shopsmith belt sander table. I make this dragon to order. This dragon is my latest build. You can order one of these dragons in my Goimagine Shop . After collecting and cutting the wood to size, I attach the paper pattern to the wood and drill the required holes. I have learned that if I cut the body first and then drill the holes, and the bit catches, I can easily break the part. The dragon's original design called for holes drilled through the neck, which was too weak. I now drill the holes 1/4 inch deep and pug them with contrasting wood that I cut and sand flush. Now, there are inlaid spots instead of holes, and the neck is much stronger. After sanding the back so the pegs are flush, I cut out the body on my scroll saw. This dragon's wings will be a different color from the legs. I am curious to know what kind of wood this is; it came from a box of cutoffs a friend gave me. Cutting the legs for some 1/2" of da

Creating precision toy truck parts with the help of hardboard templates and nails to mark the axle holes.     My Goimagine Shop I've been making toys and other small projects for over 40 years. When I first started, I used templates. However, everything changed when I discovered the power of Inkscape, a free and open-source vector graphics editor. When I first started using a scroll saw, I made project templates. I would trace the pattern and create a template using plastic laminates, hardboard, thin plywood, and posterboard. Eventually, I had boxes full of unorganized templates and a pain to search through. Once I had a scanner and could print paper patterns, this changed. When starting a new project, I scan the pattern and convert it to SVG format. From that point, I can make the lines any size and print as many as I want. The lines on paper are much easier to see and follow. Clear, precise lines can be essential for projects requiring precise cutting. Using Inkscape, I can chang

A Batch of Mini Gnomes   My Goimagine Shop I created some SVG files that would fit on the labels using one of Steve Good's gnome patterns. I planned to use the labels instead of spray adhesive. As I headed to the shop with the patterns, I stumbled upon a five-gallon bucket full of offcuts from my scroll saw. This discovery sparked a second experiment idea – how many gnomes could I make using only the wood in this bucket? The answer: more gnomes than I have time for. The wood in the bucket was 3/4 inch or thicker, which was too thick for the mini gnomes I had in mind. Undeterred, I applied the patterns, cut them from the wood in the bucket, and resawed them using my Shopsmith bandsaw. Once I had a small bucket of parts, I assembled them and stopped when I ran out of feet and didn't have time to cut more. I found that the labels worked well, but I had to be much more careful about dusting off the wood to get them to stick as well as I liked. If the wood was smooth and clean, the

Nail files are just one of the tools I use to smooth and shape this wooden toy truck. Nail files are excellent tools to use for relieving edges.   Order Your Tow Truck Now My Five Truck Fleet Collection As the maker of these trucks, I take great pride in creating each. After cutting the truck body on my trusty scroll saw, I sanded and shaped it to perfection. My years of experience and attention to detail come into play. Using a nail file, I carefully remove sharp corners and smooth out bumps on the truck's edges. This step may seem small, but ensuring that each truck is safe and comfortable for little hands to play with is essential. Once the sanding and shaping are complete, I paint the truck in your chosen colors.

  Order your tow truck here. The tow truck body has been meticulously crafted with utmost attention to detail, ensuring all components fit perfectly. The axle holes have been expertly drilled using a precision drill press, and the opening for the hook has been precisely cut, along with the hole for the pin. The body was meticulously cut on a scroll saw, with the utmost care taken to ensure that the cuts were clean and precise, and the patterns were then carefully removed to reveal the final shape of the tow truck body. All that's left now is to give the body a good sanding to smooth out any rough edges and ensure a flawless finish, and it'll be ready to paint.

Drilling axle holes in a wooden toy tow truck using a drill press.   Buy This Tow Truck Drilling axle holes for 1/4-inch axles can be challenging, especially when I need three axle holes to be aligned perfectly and square to the bottom of the truck.  To ensure that the axle holes are square to the bottom of the truck, I align the drill press so that the table is square to the bit. This will help me achieve the perfect angle and precision required for the job. Once I have aligned the drill press, I must get the three holes to be the same distance from the bottom. I can do this by aligning the bottom of the truck body to the proper position, with the bottom of the truck tight against the fence. Next, I drill the holes with a brad point bit to ensure accuracy and smoothness. I adjust the drill press depth so that the bit's point protrudes from the bottom just enough to locate the exit point. Once all the holes are drilled, the truck body is turned over, and the hole is finished from t

Order a Tow Truck Building this tow truck is a fun and engaging project for DIY enthusiasts, but it can also be challenging. One of the most critical steps in constructing a tow truck is cutting the space for the tow hook, which can be a tricky task. Over the years, I have experimented with various methods to cut the space for the tow hook, and drilling the 3/4-inch hole before cutting the body on my scroll saw works best. This approach minimizes the risk of tearout, a common problem when drilling after cutting. By drilling the hole before cutting, you can create a guide for the saw blade, making the cutting process more precise and straightforward. However, other options exist besides drilling before cutting using a drill press. Horizontal boring using a Shopsmith is another approach that I want to explore. Once you have cut the body, the opening still needs to be finished. This is where handwork comes in. I cut away space for the hook using files, rasps, and sandpaper. This process

      Buy Now Are you looking for a unique and high-quality toy for your child or a gift for a loved one's child? Look no further than this handmade wooden toy truck play set! Here is one of the cars in the set that is available separately. Crafted with traditional woodworking tools and techniques in a toymaker's shop, this toy truck and three cars are made from natural wood and wood products. Each piece is uniquely handmade and finished with clear shellac, and the wheels are coated with non-marring amber shellac, accented with metallic sapphire blue acrylic paint. Moreover, all the materials used in making these toys are non-toxic, making them safe for children to play with. It's essential to note that because each toy is handmade using natural wood, the appearance of each piece may vary slightly from one to the next in terms of wood grain, color, and knots. These variations are not considered defects but add to the item's character and charm. If you have any concerns

My Grandsons Wooden Toy Truck Martin Motors Antique Car Carrier Under The Christmas tree Order Yours Today Many of us grew up playing with wooden toys as children, and some may even have fond memories of the unique smell of wooden toys. But have you ever wondered about the art of creating wooden toys? Today, we'll take a closer look into the world of a toymaker and learn about the process of crafting wooden toy car carriers and cars. I am a toymaker who creates wooden toy car carriers with three cars in his shop. I have been in the craft for years, building wooden toys using traditional woodworking tools and techniques. My toys are made from high-quality wood, which is durable and long-lasting. Creating each toy is time consuming and requires skill and precision. I start by selecting the wood used for the toy car carrier and cars and then use traditional woodworking tools, such as a saw, drill, sander, and plane, to shape and mold the wood into the desired shape and size. Once the

Wooden toy car wheels, hand-finished with amber shellac. Buy The Martin Motors Car Carrier As a toymaker, I always pay attention to the details of my toy collections. One of the essential aspects of toys is the wheels. They contribute to the toy's overall design aesthetic and affect how the toy moves and performs. That's why I'm very particular about the wheels I use on my toys. I usually purchase most of my wheels as long as the desired style is available. However, I avoid black painted wheels because they don't look quite right, and their flat black color needs to be coated to prevent marring on certain surfaces. That's why I use shellac on the wheels of almost all my painted toys. Shellac is an excellent option for coating wheels because it's easy to apply, wears well, and is safe even if kids chew on the wheels. It also provides a smooth, glossy finish that enhances the wheels' appearance, making them stand out on any toy. I first sand the wheels to remo

Test fitting the parts for a wooden toy car carrier truck. See At Goimagine After the first coat of shellac is cured, I lightly sand it to remove the fuzzies stiffened by the shellac. I prefer to use the red 3M Scotch Brite pads for this. It gets into tight places easily and lasts a long time. This process repeats until I am happy with the finish. The photo is a test fit to make sure everything fits like it should. If I had a large enough piece of clear wood, I would have cut all the pieces at the same time like I would a puzzle, ensuring that the pieces would fit. For this project, I am using wood I have on hand. When cutting individually, I must be very careful to follow the lines. https://odinstoyfactory.com/ #odinstoyfactory #handmade #woodtoys #madeinusa #madeinamerica.

After applying a coat of shellac, I hang the parts on a copper wire and wait for the shellac to cure before sanding them again. After the first sanding I apply several coats of clear shellac. I like using shellac. It cures rapidly, and I can get a beautiful finish with it. Shellac is food-safe and hypoallergenic. It is used as a coating for many foods, so children chewing on it is not an issue. While not as durable as some synthetic finishes, it's easily repairable. I am using a dewaxed clear shellac, also known as Sealcoat, for the truck and car bodies. I use pieces of copper wire to form hangers and hang the parts until they are cured enough to sand and apply the second coat. These are hanging on the front rail of my Shopsmith. http://odinstoyfactory.com #odinstoyfactory #handmade #woodtoys #madeinusa #madeinamerica