Easy Handmade Toys & Puzzles E-Book

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 99

Beschreibung

A compilation of fresh, fun, and whimsical toys and puzzles from the most recent issues of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, this must-have project guide is perfect for beginner to intermediate scroll sawyers looking to make a wide range of timeless, natural wooden toys! From kazoos and emergency vehicle puzzles to a fairytale castle playset, a toy robot, race cars, and so much more, Easy Handmade Toys and Puzzles features 35 scroll saw patterns with detailed instructions, coordinating photography, and expert tips for achieving each amazing woodworking project. Also included is a detailed introduction on scroll saw basics, choosing blades, selecting wood, and applying finishes. Learn to make wooden puzzles, durable gifts, and handmade toys kids will love while you build your scroll saw skills! Original scroll saw designs and projects contributed by talented scroll saw artists, including Judy Peterson, Sarah Chamberlain, Bob Gilsdorf, Brad Anderson, Paul Meisel, Sue Mey, and several others.

Leseprobe

© 2022 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Easy Handmade Toys & Puzzles is an original work, first published in 2022 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. All projects were previously published in Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0276-7

eISBN 978-1-6374-1082-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021945931

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free 800-457-9112 or visit us at www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to

[email protected].

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with 9781497102767 Easy Handmade Toys & Puzzles in the subject line.

Foreword

Nothing beats a handmade toy. Crafted with careful thought, dedication, and detail, these gifts are often more unique and durable than their plastic counterparts. Handmade toys are not only special to the recipient—they’re special to the maker. With this in mind, we searched the archives of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine to bring you a collection of wooden puzzles and toys that are fresh, whimsical, attractive, and achievable with minimal workshop experience. Perfect for play or display, these pieces are infinitely customizable and bound to bring out your playful spirit.

Each project is presented with a full list of materials and tools, as well as instructions to guide you through the crafting process. The patterns are provided in the back of the book. We’ve also included an introductory section on scroll saw basics, such as choosing blades, selecting wood, and applying a finish—so even if you’ve never made a puzzle or toy before, you can succeed.

Fire up the scroll saw, pick out your favorite project, and start creating a wooden heirloom that your loved ones will cherish for generations to come!

Kaylee Schofield, Editor of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Scroll Saw

Choosing Wood

Selecting a Blade

Cutting and Finishing

Puzzles

What’s in a Name?

Layered Animal Farm

Whimsical Hearts

Emergency Vehicles

Circus Elephants

Cowboy Boot

Wish Upon a Star

Under the Sea

Swordfish and Friends

Spooky Spider

Hot-Air Balloons

Holiday Cookies

Baby Penguin

Toys

Speedy Race Car

Doll Scooter

Robot Man and Rusty

Box of Elves

Simple Kazoos

Popsicles and Treats

Wheely, Warty Frog

Magic Castle Play Set

Bottle Cap Shooter

Skip Loader

Mini Toy Ornaments

Ramp Walkers

Patterns

About the Authors

Like the Projects in this Book?

Then you’ll love Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine!

Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts is a quarterly magazine produced by Fox Chapel Publishing. Each issue is packed with all the latest and greatest projects, user-friendly patterns, tool reviews, tips, and features for woodworkers at all skill levels. Whether you’re a fan of toys, puzzles, gizmos, fretwork, intarsia, or inlay—or just want to expand your woodworking repertoire—we’ve got something for your specific interests. Visit foxchapelpublishing.com/magazines to subscribe.

Then, once you’ve tried your hand at some of our out-of-this-world projects, join the community! We’re on Instagram and TikTok @scrollsawwoodworking, and on Facebook at Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Magazine. Also, be sure to check out our message board at forum.scrollsawer.com or sign up for our regular newsletter at scrollsawer.com/enews.

Once you’ve made one (or a dozen) of the projects in these pages, write to us directly! Send an e-mail to [email protected] to share photos and information about your creations. We love hearing from you!

Introduction to the Scroll Saw

A scroll saw is an electrically powered saw with a reciprocating blade that moves up and down to cut through wood and other materials. One of the main advantages of a scroll saw is its removable blade, which you can easily insert into a pre-drilled hole and cut outward from the center of your project. Thanks to the scroll saw’s versatility and ability to handle curves, tight corners, and tricky cuts, it is an excellent choice for creating beginner-friendly puzzles and toys, such as race cars, bottle cap shooters, ramp walkers, kazoos, and more. The multipurpose saw relies on your handiwork to tell the blade exactly where to saw. Remember: go slow, have fun, and let the blade do the work.

Safety

Properly prepare your workspace so that your scrolling experience is safe and enjoyable. Work in a well-ventilated space and surround your setup with good, even lighting. Always wear a dust mask and safety goggles, tie up long hair, and secure loose clothing before beginning a project in your shop. When using power tools such as drum sanders and band saws, employ a benchtop dust collector to help keep your work area clean and protect your lungs to ensure that you can scroll without difficulty for years to come.

Construct a shopmade dust collector by encasing a standard box fan in a wooden frame with furnace filters. Sandwich the fan between the filters, using a lower-efficiency filter on the intake side and a high-efficiency HEPA filter on the exhaust side.

Materials & Tools

You will need common woodworking materials and tools to complete the projects in this book. And they might already be lying around your shop! Among other things, you’ll need a scroll saw and blades, your choice of wood, a sander for preparing blanks and finish sanding, clamps, and a drill press and bits.

Other Useful Items

Air compressor: To blow away excess dust.

Acrylic paints, stains, and dyes: For adding pops of color.

Assorted grits of sandpaper: For smoothing pieces of wood before and after scrolling.

Blue painter’s tape, scroller’s tape, temporary-bond spray adhesive, graphite or carbon transfer paper: For attaching patterns to wood. Alternatively, use rubber cement or glue sticks instead of spray adhesive.

Mineral spirits or commercial adhesive removers: To aid in removing paper patterns from wood.

Paper towels: To aid in wiping off excess glue or finish (see Cutting and Finishing, pg. 10). Be sure to properly dispose of oil-soaked towels and rags, as they can spontaneously combust.

Paintbrushes: For applying acrylic paints, stains, dyes, and/or finishes.

Wood glue: For attaching various project elements.

Wooden dowels: For adding ornamentation or securing pieces together.

Choosing Wood

Each project is presented with a full Materials & Tools list that includes a recommendation on which wood to use. Here, we’ve listed some common wood varieties you may find useful.

Cherry: This hardwood has a rich, reddish hue and is similar to walnut in hardness. Cherry burns easily when cut with a power saw, so make sure to cover the wood with clear packaging tape before applying the pattern. In addition, you could use a large skip-tooth blade, as this can reduce the amount of dust that gets caught in the kerf (the cut path created by a blade).

Maple: Dense and light in color with a distinctive grain, maple is highly prized by woodworkers. Just make sure to apply clear packaging tape to the surface of the wood before attaching a pattern, as maple can burn easily.

Pine: Light-colored and beloved for its affordability and ubiquity, pine is a great starter wood for beginners to scrolling.

Poplar: Soft and easy to work with, poplar often takes on a slight greenish tinge once a finish is applied.

Walnut: This durable wood is prized for its workability and deep, chocolatey color.

Why is wood dust a health concern?

Wood dust is considered carcinogenic to humans. Exposure to certain kinds of wood dust has been associated with health issues due to the natural chemicals in the wood, or substances in the wood such as bacteria, mold, and fungi. Wood dust is also associated with toxic effects; irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat dermatitis; and respiratory system effects including decreased lung capacity and allergic reactions. It is imperative to wear personal protective equipment (see Safety pg. 7) while working with wood. Always research a wood’s toxicity before beginning any project.

Wood Toxicity

Selecting a Blade

Not only do blades come in different sizes, but the cutting teeth come in different configurations and different numbers of teeth per inch (TPI). As a general rule, the thickness of a blade increases as the numbers ascend; for instance, a #3 blade will have a smaller kerf than a #7 blade and be better suited to detail work, or thinner pieces of wood. You’ll use two main blade types for the projects in this book:

Skip-Tooth

Skip-tooth blades are the most common configuration. Instead of having one tooth right next to the last, they skip one tooth, leaving an open space between the teeth. The space helps clear sawdust and helps the blade cut faster. Skip-tooth blades produce a slightly rougher cut surface, so you will likely need to sand after cutting.

Reverse-Tooth

Reverse-tooth blades usually follow the skip-tooth or double-tooth configuration, but with the bottom couple of teeth pointed in the opposite direction from the rest. These teeth cut as the saw blade travels upward. Where the skip-tooth, double-tooth, and regular-tooth blades splinter the bottom of the blank slightly, reverse-tooth blades remove these splinters. Reverse-tooth blades produce a cleaner bottom cut than other blades, but they don’t clear as much sawdust. The sawdust can slow the cutting and possibly heat the blade, making it more likely to break or scorch the wood.

Wood

Thickness

Blade Size

Hardwood, softwood, plywood

¼″ or thinner

#2/0 to #1

Hardwood, softwood, plywood

¼″ to ½″

#1 to #2

Hardwood, softwood, plywood

½″ to ¾″

#3 to #4

Hardwood (less dense), softwood, plywood

¾″ to 1″

#4 to #6

Hardwood (dense)

¾″ to 1″

#5 to #7

Cutting and Finishing

Each project will require a different plan of attack. Generally, the best course of action for puzzles is to start by cutting the outside shape, and then working through the rest of the cuts. It helps to begin with large and unwieldy areas; this way, you can set them aside early on and maneuver the remaining stock more easily. Once the pieces are cut, remove the patterns, reassemble the project, and use a sander to smooth the front and back. Sand the edges by hand, moving up progressively through the grits until you reach 320. Color as desired; assorted stains, dyes, and acrylic paints come in handy here. Make sure to keep the pieces separate until the paint is dry. Once all of the pieces are dry, apply a finish.

For toys, it can be helpful to drill any necessary holes in the pattern stock before cutting the individual pieces; this way, you have a larger surface area to secure when drilling. Cut the pieces individually, and then sand and do any shaping prior to assembly.

Tip

Sanding Through the Grits

The grit number on a length of sandpaper refers to the average number of particles per square inch. The lower numbers, such as 60 and 80, are the coarser grits, which remove the most wood and are used for rough shaping. The higher numbers—220 and above—refer to finer grits that remove less wood and are used for smoothing. “Sanding through the grits” simply means using progressively finer sandpapers to smooth the scratches left by coarser grits. Rub sandpaper on a project until the wood is smooth and shaped the way you want, and then move on to a finer grit of paper and repeat, sanding with the grain when possible.

Acrylic Paints, Stains, and Dyes