Manual Training Toys for the Boy's Workshop Part 6

SAND WHEEL--PLATE 21.

Fine sand will make a wheel like this spin around lively. Most of the parts are easily made, the wheel offering the most difficulties.

As shown in the drawing it consists of two boxes, uprights connecting the two, and a wheel with paddles swung on an axle between the uprights.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 4]

To make the curves on the uprights, lay them edge to edge in the vise and start the spur of a large bit in the crack, 1-1/2" from each end. If a big spool cannot be obtained for the wheel, plane out an octagonal block 1-3/8" long, 1" in diameter. The slanting part of the spool must be whittled away. Divide one end into eight equal parts and draw lines lengthwise on the spool at each division. On these lines, measure very carefully 11/16" from one end. Then, holding the spool level in the vise bore 3/16" holes half thru the spool at each of these dots. The easiest way to lay out the paddles is in one long piece as shown in Fig. 4. If lines A and B are sawed carefully (see page 12) they will fit the spool well enough to glue. The stems of the paddles go into the holes bored in the spool. They are easily made round by paring the corners a little, and then s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g them around in a 3/16" hole in a piece of hard wood.

The ends of the paddles where the sand strikes are bevelled on the under side. The holes in the uprights, thru which 1-1/4" brads are pushed into the center of the spool, must be exactly opposite each other, 3-1/4"

from the bottom. Little leather washers should be put between the spool and the uprights.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SAND WHEEL

PLATE 21]

Now make the boxes. To nail the boxes to the upright follow the suggestions on page 59 for nailing the floor of the weather cottage.

Keep the brads near the center of the uprights lest they split the curves. A 5/16" hole for the sand is bored in the upper box in such a position that the sand will strike near the middle of the ends of the paddles. The peg is tapered to fit this hole.

RUNNING WHEEL--PLATE 22.

It is fine fun for several boys to race down the street with running wheels. Each boy can have a different kind of wheel by following the suggestions on Plate 22.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 5]

The wheel may be made any convenient size. Saw a board off square and plane it flat. To be sure that it is flat, it must be tested with a straight-edge from corner to corner, crosswise, and lengthwise. Draw the circle with a string pinned to the center, if a large compa.s.s is not at hand. Saw it with a turning saw and finish it as suggested on page 20.

Bore and countersink a hole in the center for a 1-1/2" flat-head screw.

Make the handle and drill a small hole in it where the wheel is to be screwed on. Round off the upper end and edges of the handle so that it feels good to the hand grasping it. The screws used in the connecting rod should slip easily thru the holes at each end. Altho one arm will do, two look better. To draw the boy, draw as many 3/4" squares on the board as there are in Fig. 5, then sketch the outline one square at a time. To cut it out, a scroll-saw or turning-saw is almost surely needed, tho a patient boy can do it with auger-bits, back-saw, knife, and file--the bits to be used first at all the inside angles. On the handle, must be put a block on which to screw the boy. To fasten the two arms loosely at the shoulders, the screw should be loose in the shoulder and first arm, and tight in the second arm. The same is true of the hands and flagpole. In the top of the flagpole, bore a hole to fit a small flag. Paint of bright colors makes the model look much more pleasing.

An easy way to make the sliding part of the lower right-hand running wheel, Plate 22, is to cut out with bit and chisel a narrow slot thru the handle, wide enough for two screws, with washers on them, which screw into the block holding the flag.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RUNNING WHEEL

PLATE 22]

RATTLE--PLATE 23.

This is a noisy toy and will make a safe subst.i.tute for fire-crackers on the Fourth of July. Some of the dimensions may be changed to suit such a spool as can be obtained. It should be a rather deep spool, that is, one that held a lot of thread.

The noise is made by the spring snapping off the slats in the spool as the head of the rattle is swung round and round. Draw lines across one end of the spool to divide it into eight equal parts. Place the spool endwise in the vise and, with the back-saw, cut eight notches a little more than 1/16" wide straight towards the opposite side of the spool. By sawing twice at each notch, the wood which remains can easily be removed with the saw held slanting. There are several ways of making the eight little slats which fit into these notches; the easiest, perhaps, is to split them from a block (1-5/8" 1-1/2" 5/16") of a straight-grained wood, and plane them on the jig described at the foot of page 19. Glue them in the notches. Plane the back and the spring this same way. Square both ends of the back but do not plane it quite to width until it is glued and nailed in place. In the two sides, bore a 5/16" hole for the dowel, 3/4" from the end and a little over 3/4" from the back edge.

(Holes are always located by their centers.) This dowel must fit tightly in the handle and spool, and loosely in the two sides. Plane the spring thinner at the narrow end. It should be narrow enough and its corners cut off enough so as not to touch the spool when it snaps. The handle might well be octagonal rather than round.

The parts may now be put together as follows: Glue and nail the sides first to the thick end, second to the thin end. The distance between the ends inside is 3-5/16". Keep these four parts flush on the back edges so that the back will fit. Glue and nail the back. Glue the dowel in the handle. Put glue inside the spool and on the middle portion of the dowel, then, with the spool between the two sides, push the dowel thru all three holes. Glue and nail the spring in place. It should be as far towards the spool as it will go without snapping the next slat when it snaps off one slat.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RATTLE

PLATE 23]

CART--PLATE 24.

The important features of a cart are the wheels and axle and the tongue; if these are strong and the tongue securely fastened, almost any box will do for the body. Two tongues, nailed or screwed to the sides of the body, probably make the strongest handle, but they are not so good looking as the one shown in Plate 24. If this one is screwed to the box with six 1" screws, two in the tongue and two in each block, it will be strong enough. Some of the nicer boxes to be secured of a grocer will do for a body, tho it is better to make one one's self.

Four wheels of 1/2" hard wood should be made (see page 20) and then each two of the four glued and nailed together very securely with the grain crosswise. For this purpose, 1-1/4" clout, or clinch nails are best. Do not drive them too near the center nor the rim. To clinch nails, they should be driven onto a piece of iron. After this is done, a 7/8" hole (or larger if you can get a larger stick for the axle) is bored straight thru the center. To cut the cylindrical ends of the axle, first draw a 7/8" circle at the center of each end, then lay out and saw out two rectangular pieces, one on each side of the circles so as to leave a 7/8" square pin, 2-1/4" long. Proceed to make these pins; first, eight sided; then, sixteen sided; then, round; using knife or chisel and a coa.r.s.e flat file. Make the hole in the washers before cutting off each corner 9/16". These washers are to be fastened to the axle when held rather snugly against the wheel with two 1" screws put crosswise the grain. Before putting the wheels on the last time, rub the axles and holes well with hard soap to make them run easier. Draw a line across the bottom of the body 5" from the back end, and bore four screw holes thru the bottom; countersink them well on the inside of the body, and put 1" screws thru into the flat side of the axle. The axle is planned so that the wheels run within 1/8" of the body.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CART

PLATE 24]

With a curved lower edge, the tongue is 2-1/2" wide at one end and 1-1/2" at the other. To get the correct slant at the wide end, block up the cart level, have some one (or the vise) hold the tongue in the position wanted when finished, then with a strip of wood about 2" wide placed upright against the front of the body, draw a line on the tongue.

From the lowest corner of the tongue, draw another line parallel to the first, and saw off. After making the two blocks and fastening them securely to the tongue, saw the lower ends flush with the curve of the tongue. Place the tongue in position, draw a line around it on the body, then bore holes where screws will go best into the tongue and blocks.

Six 1" screws well countersunk will hold the tongue securely. Since the tongue is fastened to the _front_, the sides and bottom must be well nailed to _it_; or, the corners may be strengthened with a piece of tin inside and outside each corner, tacked or riveted together. Each piece of tin should be about 3" square.

A piece of old bicycle frame forced tightly into the hole of a wheel, makes it very durable. Such a hole would doubtless have to be bored with an expansive bit. A bicycle frame is easily filed in two at some distance from the reinforced joints. Such a piece should be longer than the thickness of the wheel to allow filing it flush after it is driven in. To force it in, use a strong vise, or, after protecting it with hard wood, drive it slowly with a heavy hammer.

Small carts can be made with wheels made of spools like those of the cannon. (See Plate 25.)

CANNON--PLATE 25.

This cannon will shoot small marbles very well. The force of it depends, of course, on the strength of the rubber bands. Because the ramrod and handle are rather heavy, a strong dowel is put thru the handle and ramrod. The rubber washer absorbs some of the shock.

For the barrel draw a 1-1/4" circle on one end of a stick 6-1/2"

1-1/2" 1-1/2". From the center of this circle, bore a 9/16" hole straight thru the stick endwise, stopping as soon as the spur comes thru. Set the needle of the compa.s.s in this spur hole and draw a 1"

circle and, if possible, a 1-1/4" circle; then finish boring.

Plane the stick round to the 1-1/4" circle. To hold the stick while doing this, put a rod thru the hole, open the vise 6-1/2" and let the barrel rest endwise in the vise. Two and one-half inches from the breech end of the barrel, draw a line around it to limit the taper of the muzzle end. Plane the muzzle to the 1" circle. Two inches from the breech, bore a 3/8" hole straight thru the barrel; and into this hole glue the axle. After the glue is dry, bore out the barrel again, and sandpaper the hole well.

Make the ramrod fit loosely in the barrel. (See directions for Dart, page 16.) Make the handle in the same manner as the barrel was made, except that, after drawing the 1-1/4" circle at the end where the spur just appears, the hole is _not_ bored further. Glue the ramrod in place, and fasten it with the 3/8" dowel. The curved notch into which the rubber bands are tied, can be worked out patiently with a round file, first cutting a V-shaped notch with a knife. Pare the corners and sandpaper all parts well.

The rubber washer can be made of an old rubber heel. To bore a hole in it, squeeze it between two boards and bore thru both together.

At least one of the uprights must be screwed to the base. The first one may be nailed. Glue and nail this one 1/4" from the edge of the base.