Blog Archive

2019-11-29

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series 521760128

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Do you have someone in your life who loves Hot Rods and Halloween? If so, this toy car might be a perfect gift for them. The orange and black color scheme is one of the best paint jobs I have ever done. It is a beautiful toy, but it could also be the perfect man cave or nursery decor.

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

This is probably the glossiest finish I have ever put on any toy. The clear coat on the top of the already bright orange paint makes the color pop. If I were to do this over again, I would start with a white Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based White Interior Primer and Sealer to seal everything, and the white background under the orange paint would really make the colors pop.

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

The base color is Krylon ColorMaster Paint + Primer Gloss Pumpkin Orange Orange spray paint from a rattle can I purchased at WalMart. The topcoat is Rust-Oleum Gloss Clear Triple Thick Glaze Spray Paint I purchased at Home Depot.

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

I don't use much rattle can paint. In the environment I have to work in is not suitable for this. Most of the time, the humidity is too high or the temperature is too hot or too cold for the paint to work properly. I have to spray outside, and the weather prevents this from happing. One day I hope to have a spray booth for painting my toys. I will probably not make any more toys with this paint scheme in the near future.





Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series
Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod 1927 T-Coupe From the Hot Rod Freaky Ford Series


2019-10-21

My First Scroll Saw - Beginners Scroll Saw

AMT Scroll Saw
AMT Scroll Saw
This was my first scroll saw and the only one I used for forty plus years. I cut a lot of projects on this saw. I purchased it new direct from AMT. It is solid cast iron, which I am sure helped a lot with the vibration.

The stand I purchased from Sears after the first attempt at cutting. At the time, I did all my work outdoors, and it was evident that using a scroll saw sitting on some 2x4s stretched across sawhorses wasn't going to hack it.

I made some simple projects from one of Patrick Spielman's books and learned to use the saw cutting out little animals pallet wood.  Forty years later, my grandson plays with these. I still make them using small bits of wood leftover from other projects.

Handmade Wooden Toys Elephant Puzzle and Animal Cut Outs Made With My Scroll Saw
Handmade Wooden Toys Elephant Puzzle and Animal Cut Outs Made With My Scroll Saw

I soon discovered that pin end blades were inadequate for most scroll saw work.  Fortunately, there was a kit available for my saw that let me use pin end blades. I cut lots of fretwork patterns, one I could use pinless blades, and the blade selection was much better.

Scroll Saw Layered Wood Toy Animals, Cat, Giraffe, Puppy, Cat, I cut with my AMT
Scroll Saw Layered Wood Toy Animals, Cat, Giraffe, Puppy, Cat, I cut with my AMT


Many years later, I bought an old RBI Hawk two speed saw cheap and refurbished it.  I used this saw for a couple of years while the AMT collected dust. It didn't cut better, but the blade changes were much improved, and I liked being able to cut standing up.
Fretwork Rose I made from oak reclaimed from pallets using my AMT scroll saw
Fretwork Rose I made from oak reclaimed from pallets using my AMT scroll saw

Then one day I saw a short video demonstrating how easy it was to change the blades on an Excalibur EX21 scroll saw. I wanted one badly but not for $800. I got lucky, and a used EX21 showed up on my local Craigslist.

Fretwork Grape Vine Shelf  - One of many fretwork projects I cut with my AMT scroll saw.
Fretwork Grape Vine Shelf  - One of many fretwork projects I cut with my AMT scroll saw.
I surely didn't need three scroll saws, so I gave the AMT to a friend, but only after doing a side by side comparison where I cut the same project on all three saws. EX21 wins. Blade changes trumped and advantage the other saws had. As far as cut quality goes, I could not tell a diffrence.

2019-10-20

Rebuilding My Excalubur EX21 Scroll Saw

This isn't a how-to or tutorial. Although in hindsight, it could have been if I had taken the time to take a bunch of photos.
This all started when I was cutting a project on my scroll saw, and it suddenly began making a knocking sound and vibrating badly. So bad that the blower tube was bouncing off the table. Slowing it down very slow let me finish what I was doing.

After some troubleshooting with tech support, I determined that the noise and vibration were caused by an accumulation of wear in the various bearings. There are eleven bearings in this saw.
I could have ordered parts one or two at a time until I found the right part, but since we are fast approaching Christmas I bought complete assemblies and replaced all the moving parts except the motor.

The photos were nearly unusable. Some things were completely missing. There were no instructions for removing and replacing the front rocker arm assemblies.  The instructions would tell you to loosen a screw when what they meant was to remove the screw.  Also, they didn't tell you about the four other screws you had to remove. I knew I was in trouble when I read the part that said to use an adjustable wrench. The instructions were obviously written by someone who already knew how to do this and not tested or proofed by a person who had never done it.  The instructions told you how to take it apart but very little about how to reassemble every thing.
You can put the assembly in upside down. I'm real good at taking this saw apart now.

I knew there was going to be trouble when I read the part about using an adjustable wrench. Adjustable wrenches are for using on the occasional odd size fastener or fitting you might run across. I would never use an adjustable wrench to work on an $800 tool. It is to easy to break or round off a fastener that you can't easily replace. I have several, but they stay on the tool board and only get used as a last resort. If you want to do quality work, you use the right tools.
Why do they make things with a mix of metric and SAE fasteners? I spent way to much time trying to figure out which wrench to use. Especialy the cap screws.

Then there was my usual dropping parts and crawling around the floor looking for them. One thing I learned while searching for a tiny part was that my DeWalt Spotlight (DCL043) works great for finding parts. It lights up my floor like daylight. 

The saw runs great now. I don't know if it is like new since I bought it used. This is the second saw I purchased used. My next saw will be a new one. Both of the scroll saws wound up needing to be refurbished. This one (EX21) wound up, costing me almost as much as buying a new one. My other saw is an older RBI Hawk that I purchased for $100 and spend $200 on, so it was still a bargain of sorts.

I didn't take many photos these were taken so I could see how to put things back together. 
--

2019-09-08

Etsy Listing - Handmade Wooden Ghost Cutout Custom Sizes Available Made To Your Specification 540504790

Custom handmade Halloween cutouts made from wood or wood products made to your specifications. Sizes available up to eight inches and thicknesses from 1/4-inch to 1-1/2-inch. Larger sizes are possible. Material choices include pine, oak, poplar, MDF, and plywood.

Do you have an idea for a ghost that you don't see anywhere? If you can draw it, I can probably cut it for you.

The sample size shown in the photos below is currently available for purchase on my Etsy shop. If the size or materials are not what you want, contact me through my Etsy shop to place a custom order

These make great pretend Halloween toys for kids. My grandson has an entire set of them and was my inspiration when I made the first ghosts.



Click here for this listing.

Click here to see my other Halloween items.

Click here go to my shops front page.




Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette On My Work Bench

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette Front View

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette Size


Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette Size on Ruler

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette Size On Ruler

Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette
Handmade Wooden Toy Halloween Ghost Cutout Silhouette Size On Ruler

2019-08-31

Handmade Wood Halloween Ghost Cutout Made From Solid Pine Wood Custom Made To Order 643250709

Use these ghosts to make Halloween decorations, mobiles, ornaments, toys, or cake decorations. Use several or mix and match with other cutouts and create unique items.

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood


A handmade, unfinished 3/4-inch thick Halloween Ghost cut by hand on a scroll saw. It has been lightly sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and is ready to be painted. Use the ghosts as is or paint them. The kids always want colors. Unlike many thinner cutouts, these are freestanding and are good pretend toys.

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood



I can easily make these in any size up to eight inches. Sizes above eight inches require a custom printed pattern at additional cost.

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood


Hardwood, plywood, and MDF are a few of the materials I can cut ghosts from. Some materials will cost a bit more. Custom orders are always welcome.

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood

Click this link to see more Halloween items:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/OdinsToyFactory/?section_id=22228027



I made the first batch of these for my grandson, Odin. He is crazy for anything Halloween related. Some friends saw them and wanted them too. They are great Halloween decorations, but, for my grandson, they are toys. He builds haunted houses from blocks and uses them as scary occupants.



This toy is not for use by children under three or children who like to chew on things.

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood


I recommend sealing with shellac before applying craft paint. You can use craft paint without sealing. However, it will require more painting and more sanding to get a smooth finish. If sealed and painted, wooden Ghosts are safe for outdoor use.

  Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood


Another option for painting is Behr exterior house paint. You can get it in small sample cans at Home Depot in just about any color you can imagine. Other hardware, home centers, and paint stores offer similar samples.

Height 3.5 inches
Width 3.5 inches
Thickness 0.75 inch

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood


These Ghosts are handmade from real wood. Each piece, even from the same board, is different. The one you receive may not look the same as the one in the listing photos.

Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood
Handmade Halloween Wooden Toy Ghost Cutout Made From Pine Wood



I sell these individually instead of in sets so you can pick and choose only the ones you want. Shipping per item gets lower as you buy more of them.

Free Shipping for purchases over $35.

 

 

2019-08-25

Wooden Wheel Patterns for the Scroll Saw

Wooden Toy Wheel Patterns Ready To Cut With A Scroll Saw
Wooden Toy Wheel Patterns Ready To Cut With A Scroll Saw

I salvaged the wood from 2x4 pieces that would typically go into the burn bucket and used for kindling the next time we have a backyard fire. Because the wheels are so small, it is simple to work around defects such as knots and pitch pockets. I resaw the wood to 1/2-inch thick on my Shopsmith band saw, sand the wood on the belt sander, apply the blue tape, and the patterns. I drill using a drill press and a very sharp brad point drill bit getting as close to the center as possible.

I have tried several methods for drawing the circles on the wood using printed patterns is by far the most accurate way to do it.

The blue painter's tape lets me remove the patterns with little fuss, leaves no residue, and lubricates the scroll saw blade.

I made a pattern to print 35 wheels on a page. I used two and a half pages and made 88 wheels. There are always a few that are don't come out well, but the yield was very high for this batch.

Click here to get a copy of the pattern I used to make these wheels.

2019-08-11

Toy Makers Shop - Dust Collection For My Sanding Mop Made From PVC Pipe Coupler

Pipe Coupler Dust Collector Mounted ON My Harbor Freight Drill Press with a Sanding Mop
Pipe Coupler Dust Collector Mounted ON My Harbor Freight Drill Press with a Sanding Mop



In my toy making shop, I use a sanding mop a lot. It makes a considerable amount of fine dust, that is hard to collect. The 2x4 PVC pipe coupling is the best solution I have found so far. It is straightforward to build and costs about $10 if you don't already have the parts.

To make the collector drill a hole in the 2x4 pipe coupling and bolt on a magnet. Then connect your shop vac. If you don't have a cast iron top an electrical box cover screwed to a piece of plywood or MDF will give you something to clamp.

I used a magnet from a previous project that I didn't need anymore. I  got mine from Harbor Freight, but they are available from Amazon and eBay if you don't have a Harbor Freight store. Warning, Test your magnet to be sure you can get it off. The one I used sticks so tight I needed a pry bar to get it off. This project is a good candidate for mag switches if you move it around a lot.

All vacuum hoses will not fit tightly. I have an extension hose for my shop vac the fits tight on the inside of the coupler. However, the regular hose end is a little too small. You may need to make an adapter.

This contraption works very well as compare to what I used to do. Nothing or clamp the shop vac hose to the table and hop it stays put. The vacuum hose worked, but it was quite tricky to keep in place. The Pipe coupler with this magnet isn't going anywhere. The hose will pull out before it moves.