Odin's Toy Factory

2021-02-15

Installing Blue Max Urethane Tires on a Shopsmith Bandsaw

My first set of tires were the orange ones. They stretched and came off. I bought a pair of blue tires, and those worked well for a while and then came off and got chewed up by the blade—my fault. Putting these on was a struggle. Both times it took a couple of hours to get them on, finally.

I purchased another set of the Blue Max belts.

I changed the tires on my bandsaw yesterday for the third time. I finally figured out how to do it. I did not heat the tire or any of that nonsense. I discovered that you have to keep the wheel from moving and hold the belt in place. I have tried every sort of clamp you can imagine, only to have the clamp pop off and go flying across the shop.

It finally dawned on me to try hand screw clamps. Hand screws are made of wood, so no worries about damaging the wheel. You can apply a lot of pressure with these clamps. Not only did they hold the belt very well, but I managed to stretch the tire onto the wheel the first try.

I used spring clamps on the bottom wheel to stop the wheel from moving when I pulled down on the tire. I didn't do this on the top wheel, and it was a bit more complicated.

#odinstoyfactory #shopsmith #bandsaw #bluemax #tools

2021-02-13

Handmade Baby Dragon Pull Toy - Made To Order

Just finished, and shipped.

A handmade wooden baby dragon made these from 100% premium grade hardwoods and all non-toxic materials. I finish with beeswax, mineral oil, and carnauba wax.

Approximate Dimensions:
Length: 8 inches
Height: 8 inches
Width: 3-4 Inches Varies depending on the thickness of wood used to make the dragon.

Each toy is individually made, and dimensions will vary.

The wood species may vary depending on what I have available at the time the order is placed.

Other sizes and colors may be available via custom orders.

I make items by hand from natural wood and wood products. They can differ from one piece to the next. The one you receive may be slightly different from the item in the listing photos. Wood thickness may vary slightly from the stated size.

Not for children under three years old or kids that are still chewing things. If the toy breaks, small parts may present a choking hazard. Small children should not play with this toy without adult supervision.

Custom orders are always welcome in my shop. Please contact me with your needs.

Handmade in Tallahassee FL USA

Using Rubber Bands For Clamps

Handmade Baby Dragon Pull Toy - Made To Order

Sometimes a project requires clamping some irregularly shaped piece, and none of the clamps in your collection will do the job. When making wood toys, you can use rubber bands to clamp these irregular parts. I keep a large box of rubber bands in my toymakers shop just for this purpose. When I make my Dragon Pull Toy, I use a hand full of rubber bands to glue the dragon to the base.

2021-01-27

Handmade Wood Toy Cars From The Speedy Wheels Series In the Toymakers Shop Part ( 13 of 13)

Handmade Wooden Toy Cars From The Speedy Wheels Series

This Multipart post (part 13 of 13) is a series of photos I made after a recent Speedy Wheels build. Speedy Wheels series is a series of handmade wooden toy cars I made from 1-1/2-inch thick pine and trimmed with walnut.

The car's body comprises two parts of 1-1/2-inch thick wood I cut into two parts and finished separately with contrasting colors of clear and amber shellac. The two parts are glued back together, producing a car with a two-tone body with a clearly defined line that is almost impossible to get otherwise.

I don't usually make wheels; however, in this case, I did not have ready access to the correct size flat/slab wheels. I dug through my cutoffs and found enough pieces of wood to make a batch of wheels. Small wheels are an excellent way to use all those small cutoffs toymakers accumulate.

I have made many wheels over the years using hole saws. Hole saws produce a rough cut wheel that requires a lot of sanding to get a smooth wheel. This time I decided to try something different. Using Inkscape, I created patterns for my scroll saw and cut all the wheels with the saw. Cutting wheels with my scroll saw is much better than the old hole saw method. The wheels still need sanding after cutting with the scroll saw, but not anywhere near as much sanding as is required using a hole saw. The sanding was mostly due to my inability to cut a perfect circle. Using a simple jig, I sand the wheels perfectly round and the same diameter. The patterns I used for these wheels are available in my Etsy shop.

Another issue I have with making wheels with a hole saw is that the hole size must be the drill bit's size in the hole saw arbor. You can't have a smaller hole, and if you want a larger hole, you must drill it after the wheels are cut. Cutting wheels with a scroll saw allows you to use any size axle you want.

Handmade Wooden Toy Cars From The Speedy Wheels Series

Handmade Wood Toy Cars From The Speedy Wheels Series In the Toymakers Shop Part ( 12 of 13)

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod Roadster Mini Van From The Speedy Wheels Series

This Multipart post (part 12 of 13) is a series of photos I made after a recent Speedy Wheels build. Speedy Wheels series is a series of handmade wooden toy cars I made from 1-1/2-inch thick pine and trimmed with walnut.

The car's body comprises two parts of 1-1/2-inch thick wood I cut into two parts and finished separately with contrasting colors of clear and amber shellac. The two parts are glued back together, producing a car with a two-tone body with a clearly defined line that is almost impossible to get otherwise.

I don't usually make wheels; however, in this case, I did not have ready access to the correct size flat/slab wheels. I dug through my cutoffs and found enough pieces of wood to make a batch of wheels. Small wheels are an excellent way to use all those small cutoffs toymakers accumulate.

I have made many wheels over the years using hole saws. Hole saws produce a rough cut wheel that requires a lot of sanding to get a smooth wheel. This time I decided to try something different. Using Inkscape, I created patterns for my scroll saw and cut all the wheels with the saw. Cutting wheels with my scroll saw is much better than the old hole saw method. The wheels still need sanding after cutting with the scroll saw, but not anywhere near as much sanding as is required using a hole saw. The sanding was mostly due to my inability to cut a perfect circle. Using a simple jig, I sand the wheels perfectly round and the same diameter. The patterns I used for these wheels are available in my Etsy shop.

Another issue I have with making wheels with a hole saw is that the hole size must be the drill bit's size in the hole saw arbor. You can't have a smaller hole, and if you want a larger hole, you must drill it after the wheels are cut. Cutting wheels with a scroll saw allows you to use any size axle you want.

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod Roadster Mini Van From The Speedy Wheels Series

Handmade Wooden Toy Car From The Speedy Wheels Series

Handmade Wood Toy Cars From The Speedy Wheels Series In the Toymakers Shop Part ( 11 of 13)

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod Roadster Mini Van From The Speedy Wheels Series

This Multipart post (part 11 of 13) is a series of photos I made after a recent Speedy Wheels build. Speedy Wheels series is a series of handmade wooden toy cars I made from 1-1/2-inch thick pine and trimmed with walnut.

The car's body comprises two parts of 1-1/2-inch thick wood I cut into two parts and finished separately with contrasting colors of clear and amber shellac. The two parts are glued back together, producing a car with a two-tone body with a clearly defined line that is almost impossible to get otherwise.

I don't usually make wheels; however, in this case, I did not have ready access to the correct size flat/slab wheels. I dug through my cutoffs and found enough pieces of wood to make a batch of wheels. Small wheels are an excellent way to use all those small cutoffs toymakers accumulate.

I have made many wheels over the years using hole saws. Hole saws produce a rough cut wheel that requires a lot of sanding to get a smooth wheel. This time I decided to try something different. Using Inkscape, I created patterns for my scroll saw and cut all the wheels with the saw. Cutting wheels with my scroll saw is much better than the old hole saw method. The wheels still need sanding after cutting with the scroll saw, but not anywhere near as much sanding as is required using a hole saw. The sanding was mostly due to my inability to cut a perfect circle. Using a simple jig, I sand the wheels perfectly round and the same diameter. The patterns I used for these wheels are available in my Etsy shop.

Another issue I have with making wheels with a hole saw is that the hole size must be the drill bit's size in the hole saw arbor. You can't have a smaller hole, and if you want a larger hole, you must drill it after the wheels are cut. Cutting wheels with a scroll saw allows you to use any size axle you want.

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Hot Rod Roadster Mini Van From The Speedy Wheels Series

Handmade Wood Toy Cars From The Speedy Wheels Series In the Toymakers Shop Part ( 10 of 13)

Handmade Wooden Toy Car Convertible From The Speedy Wheels Series

This Multipart post (part 10 of 13) is a series of photos I made after a recent Speedy Wheels build. Speedy Wheels series is a series of handmade wooden toy cars I made from 1-1/2-inch thick pine and trimmed with walnut.

The car's body comprises two parts of 1-1/2-inch thick wood I cut into two parts and finished separately with contrasting colors of clear and amber shellac. The two parts are glued back together, producing a car with a two-tone body with a clearly defined line that is almost impossible to get otherwise.

I don't usually make wheels; however, in this case, I did not have ready access to the correct size flat/slab wheels. I dug through my cutoffs and found enough pieces of wood to make a batch of wheels. Small wheels are an excellent way to use all those small cutoffs toymakers accumulate.

I have made many wheels over the years using hole saws. Hole saws produce a rough cut wheel that requires a lot of sanding to get a smooth wheel. This time I decided to try something different. Using Inkscape, I created patterns for my scroll saw and cut all the wheels with the saw. Cutting wheels with my scroll saw is much better than the old hole saw method. The wheels still need sanding after cutting with the scroll saw, but not anywhere near as much sanding as is required using a hole saw. The sanding was mostly due to my inability to cut a perfect circle. Using a simple jig, I sand the wheels perfectly round and the same diameter. The patterns I used for these wheels are available in my Etsy shop.

Another issue I have with making wheels with a hole saw is that the hole size must be the drill bit's size in the hole saw arbor. You can't have a smaller hole, and if you want a larger hole, you must drill it after the wheels are cut. Cutting wheels with a scroll saw allows you to use any size axle you want.