All Replies on Articulated Pull Toys

I have made a bunny to hop by just moving the axel to a bit off center.

-- In God We Trust

Hi Donna, It took me a few minutes to find among my 100 or so toy books.
Try: “MAKING HEIRLOOM TOYS” By Jim Makowicki, Copyright 1996 by Taunton Press, Inc. Page 19

This Is A very good grasshopper.

Pop

-- One who works with his hands is a laborer, his hands & head A craftsman, his hands, head & heart a artist

Excellent, Pop, thank you very much. I have heard that this is a very good book, so I will get it right away. In looking through my woodworking books I found a dragonfly pull toy that I will just have to make. It is not the easiest, but it looks beautiful and the wings flap. It was in one of the Fine Woodworking compilation books. They are full of wonderful projects and information.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

> I have made a bunny to hop by just moving the axel to a bit off center.

I’ve found that poking it with a long stick works pretty good too. :)

Seriously, an alternative fun toy for kids is the walking ones that travel down a ramp. See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41YCtb8yYl4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BiIjEwIbBg
or Google for “walking toy”.

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

You are bad, Rance, but your suggestion is a good one. Anybody have the instructions/plan for making those cute guys? We may get to make more toys.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Yes, I make it a point to be bad. :) I also make it a point to politically INcorrect.

I googled and found plans for a rhino:
http://blog.dugnorth.com/2010/09/plans-to-make-ramp-walking-wooden-rhino.html
I don’t like the hinge though. I looked into building some of these a while back. There are many variations(read: Animals). All about the same.

http://www.woodentoys-shop.com/toys.php3?toy=Original%20Toy%20Ramp%20Walking%20Animals

The video at the bottom of this page gives away the key(IMO) of how these work. Perfectly balancing on the rear leg:
http://toywizard.org/blog/page/18/?s=
Same video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huOoqu6O-Yo&NR=1
Note how the aligator is front heavy and has a hard time walking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNg6HDVPBIE&feature=related

more googling, and wouldn’t ya know:
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/19701

It is literally laid out for you. You might just jump to post #17.

And one more google result that you might find helpful:
http://www.zfm.ethz.ch/~leine/toys.htm

———————————————-

And another distraction, uh, I mean toy:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/44273

(interesting note in the referenced UTube video, the author is the same guy)

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

WOODEN PULL TOYS woodworking plans and information
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?search=WOODEN%20PULL%20TOYS

Making Heirloom Toys , Used Book
$5.86
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/used/results.aspx?r=1&usedpagetype=usedisbn&pean=9781561581122&cm_mmc=Google%20Product%20Search-_-Q000000630-_-Making%20Heirloom%20Toys-_-9781561581122

-- E J ------- Always Keep a Firm Grip on Your Tool

What great references- I knew you Lumberjocks would be able to help me out. Rance- thanks to you I think I can proceed from those references. Bubinga- yeah- I ordered that book yesterday. Many people have recommended it, and that grasshopper is the cutest. Thanks, guys.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Donna/Bubinga, I tried to find an index to that book to see if it had actual plans for the ramp toy but was unsuccessful. If either of you find out, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

Grasshopper? Or are you talking about the Caterpillar? Yes, that one is cute.

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

That book has the grasshopper/cricket in it- a very cute articulated pull toy with legs that move. The inclined ramp toys are not in that book, but the plans you sent in that link look good enough for a true LumberJock (or Jockette)- gotta keep politically correct.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Politically correct? Bah Humbug. :) But you women can certainly do as good of woodworking as us guys.

Note the slight variation with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoin6f7R4_Y&feature=related

And here’s plans for a Robot, pretty cool too:
http://blog.dugnorth.com/search/label/ramp%20walker

And a dinosaur:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANFBQAOUm7U&feature=related

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

Just ‘as good’ as the guys!!!!!?
Hmmm—and just WHO makes the best band saw boxes????
Just kidding- peoples is peoples- male or female doesn’t matter too much, especially when it comes to the smaller things. When I taught Woodworking Basics for Women I told my ladies that it was very similar to sewing- find a pattern, get the material, cut it out, put it together.
Biggest helps for woodworkers are patience and a critical eye.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

May not be in print, Donna but, “HOW TO MAKE ANIMATED TOYS” by David wakefield, Sterling Pub. is a great resource.

I just found one for $2.30 on amazon.com. Here’s the linky

If woodworking and sewing are so much alike, why can’t I get the wife to sand for me….and why can’t I quilt?

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Thanks for the recommendation, Gene, because of you I just bought it too. Shame that shipping costs more than the book.
My book is also now out of print- but I have the market cornered so all is not lost. I even sent a box off today with 10 books to a woodworking supply store in IL. They couldn’t find it anywhere.
I have a bunch of other woodworking books that I will never look at again. (Caricature Carving, Router use, etc) I should sell them. Maybe Amazon? I already sell my book there, but I have to mark it up a lot to cover their charges. It is still cheaper than anyone else’s price.
Something to think about. I’ll need to make space on my bookshelves for the 2 new toy making books. I could put them here on Lumberjocks, right? That would incur no extra charges- always a good thing.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Oh- and just because one CAN do something doesn’t mean one WANTS to do something. I’m sure your wife could sand just as well as you could quilt- it would just take a bit of practice for both of you.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Here are some of the toys I have made and sold this past year. The balls spin as the toy is pulled.

-- In God We Trust

Jim, those are cute. Are those golf balls?

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Donna! NEVER sell a woodworking book. You don’t know when you just might need it “real bad”.
Then it’s GONE!

Pop

-- One who works with his hands is a laborer, his hands & head A craftsman, his hands, head & heart a artist

That has been my philosophy up to now, but I bought a lot of books when I worked for Woodcraft. If we were closing it out I often bought it. So, I have some books that are taking up space. I have a ‘just woodworking’ bookcase with 6 linear feet, and it is over-full with some books laying flat on top of other books- bad. I’d like to bring down the collection to at least all vertical. Not only that, Pop, but I do a lot of research online now, so if I have a question that is where I look first. Not much you cannot find out online- if you are a good searcher.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2800/2809.html

Donna, above is a link to a Woodwright’s shop video all about wooden toys with several examples and how he makes them.

-- "Measure twice, cut once, count fingers"

Yes golf balls…...I have used golf practice balls too and wooden balls….all are 1 1/2” diameter

-- In God We Trust

Donna,
She is able, just not willing. On the other hand, I do cut quilting pieces for her….with scissors, not a saw!
She did cut out 2 puzzles for our grands. And she used to make dino puzzles out of 2Xs. But since she discovered cross stitch and quilting, the puzzles are the only thing she’s done in the shop. Doesn’t stop her from commenting on the mess in the shop, though. Maybe if I cleaned…..????

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Donna, you’re right. I did the same thing as you when I worked for Klingspore’s woodworking store. I think I have around 100 toy books plus binders of assorted toy plans in addition to the other woodworking subjects. I was in the process of setting up a handmade heirloom toy business when I found out about the “Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act” and pulled the plug. Yes, now I also do a lot of research on line. How did we exist with the internet?

Pop

-- One who works with his hands is a laborer, his hands & head A craftsman, his hands, head & heart a artist

With me it has been boxes, not toys. Before I wrote my book I wanted to see what everyone else had done- so I would not be duplicating/copying previous work. I bought every book, old and new, on the subject. Then, after doing my book I kept buying and I don’t think I’ve missed any since. I have 18. Boxes are infinitely intriguing with their different construction techniques and design elements.
Toys are similar, and I’m looking forward to reading/learning more about them too.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Some times ,Some times ,searching a hundred differant ways, the info ,online is just not there, so !!! the good old books ,you search for !! ,some out of print

-- E J ------- Always Keep a Firm Grip on Your Tool

True, bubinga, it would be hard to find some info online that I put in my book- like plans and instructions for certain boxes, but a lot of the general woodworking info is readily available. . . like here at Lumberjocks.
Some of the best older books I bought were already out of print, and now mine is too. Over 16,000 copies of my book printed though, so I’m not complaining. The old copies will be floating around long after I’m gone. My stab at immortality.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Donna, I took my 1st stab at the Robot and the Duck. I got the Robot to sorta walk, but not the duck. I found it more difficult than I originally imagined. I’m no where near giving up, just realizing there is more to it than meets the eye. I’m also no where near the point of actually buying a duck and taking it apart. That would cost real money. I’d rather spend 50 hours going through the learning process. LOL!

PS: I sent you a PM about your book.

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--

Rance- let me know how you come out with the toys. Save me some trial and error.
Your answer next week when I’m stuck in the motel room nights- right now need to do 5 days prep in two.

-- "So much wood. . .so little time!" www.woodworks-by-donna.com

Will do. No hurry on the book info. take your time. :)

-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--