Odin's Toy Factory

  Wood Toy Car, Hot Rod 32 Sedan, Handmade and Painted  with Lavender,  Metallic Purple, Black Acrylic, and Amber Shellac I made this wooden toy Hot Rod car in my Toymaker's Shop using traditional woodworking tools. I hand-painted it with Lavender, Metallic Purple, Black acrylic paint, and Amber Shellac. All of the materials I use to make my toys are nontoxic. I make every effort to make sure my toys perform well. I carefully test each toy before it is listed for sale. There are four hot rods in this collection. You can see other versions I have available or request a custom order by clicking one of the links below, Approximate Size: Length: 6 inches Height: 3 inches Width: 2.5 Inches Other sizes and colors may be available via custom orders. Request Custom Order https://www.etsy.com/conversations/new?with_id=81938978&ref=shop_contact_items Other Items You May Like More Hot Rods https://www.etsy.com/shop/odinstoyfactory?search_query=hot+rod Handmade Wood Toy Cars http...

  Rear view of the nativity platform ornament. Front view of the nativity platform ornament    Shop Front Page: https://odinstoyfactory.etsy.com   If you are selling online, it is getting; you must prepare for Christmas early. I'm sure this is where the term Christmas in July comes from.  Here I am experimenting with two things.  A style of ornament that I have never made before A new material; Purebond Plywood I am not sure the person who designed this ornament did a test cut. There are some tiny details that I could not cut with the smallest blade I had. I'm not too fond of the tab and slot construction. It is challenging to get the sizes right with a scroll saw, and the only way I can get a snug fit is to make the slots purposely small and the tabs too big and file them to fit.  Mounting the platform without getting glue all over is complicated by design, requiring you to slide the piece into place. I don't think this one will get listed in my shop....

Nativity Platform Christmas Ornament Glued and Clamped With Jorgensen Hand Clamps   Etsy Shop https://odinstoyfactory.etsy.com    These little Jorgensen hand clamps are perfect for holding this ornament in place while the glue sets. Spring or close pin clamps would likely slip off the curved lower surface and apply too much pressure. The pressure alone can break delicate parts. Metal spring clamps have sharp edges that can damage or scar the wood. Plastic spring clamps have hard plastic jaws that can slip even on flat parallel surfaces. The last thing you want when clamping delicate pieces is to have the clamp slip and snap off, sending the clamp and the parts flying.  

  Clamping a Christmas Ornament Using Clamping Squares I like these clamping squares. They are cheap. Dead on square. Glue doesn't stick to them. Perfect for assembling small projects. Unlike aluminum clamping squares, they are not damaged by dropping or bumping against a hard surface. I originally purchased the clamping squares for keeping the toy truck bed sides square during assembly. They worked great for this. These are available in several sizes from Aliexpress.

  Filigree Fretwork Cross On a Baking Sheet After seeing someone else using baking sheets in their shop, I picked up a few at my local dollar store to see if they would work for me. One of the uses I came up with was id removing patterns from a complicated scroll saw cutting. In this example, I put the cross on the baking sheet and wet it with mineral spirits. The backing sheet catches any excess mineral spirits, and the pattern will lift off in one piece. The baking sheets are proving to be quite handy and only cost one dollar.

  I have tried every method I can find for attaching patterns. My favorite is to glue the pattern directly to the wood with a spray adhesive like 3M77. Removing the pattern is easy. You wet the pattern with some mineral spirits and let it sit for a short time, and the whole pattern will release in one piece. You may need to clean off some adhesive residue by wiping it with a piece of paper towel wet with mineral spirits. The downside, and there always is a downside, is now you have wood or other material wet with mineral spirits. The mineral spirits will evaporate, but you can hurry things with a fan. These crosses were wet on both sides. One is laminated hardwood flooring, and the other is hardboard. The hardboard soaks up mineral spirits like a sponge. The first ones I propped up so air could circulate, and it took a couple of days for the smell to dissipate. Hanging them on a fan will eliminate the mineral spirits in a couple of hours.  

  Filigree Fretwork Cross Made From Laminated Harwood Flooring Samples After making two of these, I needed to devise a way to package them for shipping. I got many good suggestions for several people experienced at shipping this type of item. I combined the suggestions with my own experience and packaging materials and settled on the following. The heavest cross so far is 3oz. Packing them and getting them under the USPS 16oz First Class Package limit should be no problem. I can make boxes if needed.  My customers had never chosen high-cost priority mail shipping when they did not have to because of the weight. Going to USPS priority mail more than doubles the shipping cost. Keeping the weight below 16oz is a goal. I like using air pillows for padding. I wrap my item in air pillows that are taped together tightly. If there is room in the box, I fill it with more air pillows or some other lightweight material I have. The item itself is also wrapped with stretch wrap. Most of wh...