Making Wooden Toys

[lexbeach]

Hi Crafty Ones,

I have long wanted to become a wooden toy maker of sorts, and am finally feeling like the time is right (we just moved into a new house with the perfect basement room for a workshop).

What tools and equipment would you recommend for someone just getting started? I figure I will need some sort of a saw, and maybe a drill press?

Thanks for any advice!

Lex

[Think of Winter]

I am not an expert, but I saw that you haven't had any responses. There are tons of posts about wooden toy making on this board, so you'll get better info than I can give you just by doing a search.

What you need depends on the kind of wooden toys you want to make.

For Holztiger/Ostheimer type wooden figures, check out this thread: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=562923. It's full of information and links to pics of really inspirational fos. My basic tools are a scroll saw, sandpaper, and a dremel. I also have a wood burner/engraver that I haven't done anything with yet. Some kind of paper and a spray adhesive are good for drawing a pattern, then temporarily sticking it to your wood. You can then cut through the paper pattern and peel it off when you're finished cutting.

If you want to make thicker toys, like blocks or stacking toys, I think you'll need a different saw. A band saw, maybe? A scroll saw is best at intricate cuts on thin wood. I can cut a 1" thick board (which is actually 3/4"), but I don't think I can use much thicker wood.

Hths!

[sweetpeppers]

It depends on what you want to make. Scroll saws are great for animals. A miter saw and table saw are useful for making dollhouses. Bandsaws are handy for making cars. Also for making cars a drill press is practically a must (at least if you are like me and have trouble drilling in a straight line).

But I can't stress enough: buy your tools used!!!! Go on craigslist, there are tons of used power tools for sale that have barely been used.