Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my grandson. Does
anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or internet sites for toy
ideas and / or patterns?

TIA

Ian

--
Ian M

I have this one and it is a great book:

Great All-American Wooden Toybook (Reader's Digest Woodworking)
(Paperback)
by Norm Marshall (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/All-American-W...2557916&sr=1-3

And I have heard very good things about this one:

Making Heirloom Toys (Paperback) by Jim Makowicki (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Heirloo...2558040&sr=1-1

Good Luck,

Neil


On Oct 16, 11:00 am, "Ian Malcolm" wrote:
Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my grandson. Does
anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or internet sites for toy
ideas and / or patterns?

TIA

Ian

--
Ian M

Tue, Oct 16, 2007, 5:00pm (EDT+5) (Ian*Malcolm)
waves and says:
Hi!
As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my grandson.
Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or internet sites
for toy ideas and / or patterns?

Well, you didn't say what type of toys. For a newborn, a mobile
would do it. Older, a rattle. And so on. Here's a link that tells how
to make toy blocks. Those are good for about any age, but you need to
make 'em so a little kid won't be bothered from chewing on them, and
they will.
http://www.barclaywoods.com/wooden_b...e_your_own.htm I think
they vastly over-rate the cost, but that may be because they want you to
buy the wood from them - I wouldn't. There's at least one other link
out there with pictures and cutting diagrams for the same type of
blocks.

I'd say go to your local library and start there. I wouldn't buy
any books without the chance to thumb thru it in person first, I don't
care what anyone else says about it. Used bookstores should be good.
Or, just check the archives here, I've posted a number of plans and
patterns, all free.

I've been planning on putting my links for kids toys on one page,
and posting that every once in awhile. Guess it's time to get on that
project. By the way, if you want to do something nice for mommy, don't
maker her a cradle, make her a rocking chair, there'll be a LOT more use
made of that than a cradle.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

This book is for when he's a little older, but you can start anytime!

http://www.amazon.com/Tremendous-Toy...2579188&sr=8-1

I don't know where you live, but our local library has quite a selection of
decent wood toy books, as someone else suggested as well.

Clint

"Ian Malcolm" wrote in message
t...
Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my grandson.
Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or internet sites for
toy ideas and / or patterns?

TIA

Ian

--
Ian M

Tue, Oct 16, 2007, 7:22pm (J*T) on this day
I did say:
snip*I've been planning on putting my links for kids toys on one
page, and posting that every once in awhile. Guess it's time to get on
that project. snip

And, here's the start. There's be more added within the next few
days, and, hopefully, adding links will be a continuing process.
http://community-2.webtv.net/Jakofalltrades/TOYS/



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

In article ,
says...
Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my grandson. Does
anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or internet sites for toy
ideas and / or patterns?

TIA

Ian

About the best wooden toys I've ever seen ( and used, I got one of these sets
when I was about 3 y.o. and it was still in use when I was 10 or 12) are simply
wooden blocks and plates, with holes drilled and connected by wooden dowels
(some with heads) that I could use to build gazillions of my own wooden toys.

You make him a set of these (I suggest beech as a material, doesn't need
finishing) and he should get many miles out of it.

this webpage shows the principle:
http://www.nix-als-spielen.de/matador-klassik.htm
.... the one I had was a lot more primitive than that though. Well it was 50
years ago! The fact that they're still made and going strong suggests something
good to me.

Feel free to email me if you want a closer description of the basic parts. (see
message footer for address)

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

On Oct 16, 12:00 pm, "Ian Malcolm" wrote:
Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my grandson. Does
anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or internet sites for toy
ideas and / or patterns?


http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1987-BOO...QQcmdZViewItem

The Hamiltons are friends, so that's the disclaimer, but they've
already gotten their royalties off this one.

You might also look up Richard Blizzard's toy book. It is a standard,
but the toys are for kids a few years older.

Wed, Oct 17, 2007, 3:51pm (EDT+4) (Charlie*Self)
did posteth:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1987-BOO...QQcmdZViewItem
snip

On-line book sellers have this book, at a much better price,
including postage.

Any more, I would only recommend looking on eBay if it's something
you absolutely cannot find anywhere else. Awhile back I got a book off
of eBay, signed by the author even, for $99+, including shipping.
Pricey, yes, but the only other one I saw for sale was priced right at
$300, not signed, and I'd been searching hard for a copy for about a
year. It was a limited printing, and I've got it from the author's son
that it will ever be reprinted. In that case eBay was probably the only
place one would be available. I'll probably sell my copy after a bit,
but don't figure on asking $300 for it. Oh yes, for those interested,
it's: Single Shot Rifles - Their Design And Construction.



JOAT
"I'm an Igor, thur. We don't athk quethtionth."
"Really? Why not?"
"I don't know, thur. I didn't athk."

Ian Malcolm wrote:
Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my
grandson. Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or
internet sites for toy ideas and / or patterns?

If you just google "wooden toy plans" you'll find a zillion hits.

You might also think about games when he gets older. Dominos are
always a good bet--lots of things you can do with them besides play
the games. "Incra jig projects and techniques" will show you step by
step how to make both the dominos and a very nice box for them, and
the version of the jig that Rockler sells for 100 bucks will be fine
if you already have a router table. A good backgammon or chess set
can be an heirloom if you go in for carving or turning and intarsia.

While not toys, don't neglect furniture--a desk with a good solid top
that can be easily raised as he grows is something that he may not
appreciate until he's much older, but I wish that somebody had given
me one when I started first grade.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Peter Huebner wrote:
In article ,
says...
Hi!

As a new grandfather, I would like to make wooden toys for my
grandson. Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable books or
internet sites for toy ideas and / or patterns?

TIA

Ian

About the best wooden toys I've ever seen ( and used, I got one of
these sets when I was about 3 y.o. and it was still in use when I
was
10 or 12) are simply wooden blocks and plates, with holes drilled
and
connected by wooden dowels (some with heads) that I could use to
build gazillions of my own wooden toys.

You make him a set of these (I suggest beech as a material, doesn't
need finishing) and he should get many miles out of it.

this webpage shows the principle:
http://www.nix-als-spielen.de/matador-klassik.htm
... the one I had was a lot more primitive than that though. Well it
was 50 years ago! The fact that they're still made and going strong
suggests something good to me.

Feel free to email me if you want a closer description of the basic
parts. (see message footer for address)

Now _that_ is _sweet_.

If one is going to make such a set, I think it would be clever to make
it with the same hole spacings and diameters as Meccano parts, then if
the kid has Meccano (and Grandpa, you make _sure_ he has Meccano or
Vex--Vex is Meccano that died and went to heaven) then he can combine
the two.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

In article , says...

If one is going to make such a set, I think it would be clever to make
it with the same hole spacings and diameters as Meccano parts, then if
the kid has Meccano (and Grandpa, you make _sure_ he has Meccano or
Vex--Vex is Meccano that died and went to heaven) then he can combine
the two.

They have two systems, a bit like Lego for older kids and Duplo for
preschoolers. The basic 1-unit cube on my set was ~50mm, the plates were sized
2x1x1/2 units, 3x1x1/2 unit and 3x2x1/2 unit along with a bunch of 1x1x1 cubes,
and misc. wheels obviously. Clearly the variety can be improved on :-)

The advanced system for older kids is much smaller and closer to meccano in
makeup and versatility. The neighbour's kids had one of those and you could
build 3' high working cranes with it, from parts not much larger than meccano.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com