Wooden Toys for Sweden

I have been working on multiple small tasks in my shop these last few days. I got all the repairs done for 10,000 Villages and will drop them off tomorrow. The job that  I enjoy most is making toys for grand children. 

  Shortly we are headed to Sweden to a while and I am taking some toys with me.  The turtle still needs some colour but the trucks are done.  I left the wooden truck wheels unfinished so thay will be less l likely to mark the floors or tables.  In the past I have painted wheels black, but the paint can come off and leave marks. 

  If you want to make toys and aren't comfortable drawing or designing your own toys the internet is filled with patterns, ideas and videos to get you started.

 When you decide to make toys you will find that the investment in tools is very small. About the only specialized tool you need is a coping saw. Everything else can be done with a few hand tools and sand paper.  

  With my table saw dead I have been exploring other ways of sawing.  I like my band saw, it is quick and for these small projects I have been squaring the ends and edges on my shooting board.  I have also been using my backsaws, I've got a pair, one cross cut , one rip, both saws work great in soft wood.  Kids toys can easily be made from pine, basswood or some other soft wood and so the energy and effort to saw, shape, plane smooth and the toys is really quite small while the rewards are huge.  

 cheers, ianw