Automata Dog

Here's a fun little automata project that's perfect for the scroll saw! This project is provided by Lee Valley Tools. They include detailed instructions with plenty of photos. They also provide the pattern in PDF format for easy printing. The project is easy enough for an afternoon in the shop. Check it out! And while you're there, be sure to take a look through their woodworking catalog. It's like being a kid in a candy store!

Color & Shapes Puzzle

Here's a fun project that would make a perfect gift for the little ones in your life. This Color and Shapes puzzle was designed by relfEZ of Tangible Art Projects. The pattern is provided in JPG format for easy scaling. This quick project can be easily cut from plywood or MDF. Paint the shapes with craft paint, a quick clear coat of acrylic spray and you're set! Check it out. And while you're there, check out his other projects. He has a lot of unique scroll saw patterns freely available for download. Very cool.

No More Handmade Toys

We all remember the massive toy recalls back in 2007. Toys made in developing countries, namely China, contained dangerous amounts of lead and other chemicals. This brought a lot of fear and concern about regulations regarding toy manufacturing. As a result, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in August 2008. This act requires third party testing and certification of all toys distributed in the US. This testing could cost up to $4,000 per toy. Large manufacturers could easily absorb this cost. Unfortunately, it will kill the handcrafted toy industry. Thousands of home crafters who make toys to supplement their income will have close up shop because they can't afford to have their toys certified. Parents who want a natural alternative to Mattel products will no longer have that option. Can you imagine a world without handcrafted toys? No more wooden cars and trucks. No more plush teddy bears or dollies.

The Handmade Toy Alliance has a website that explains the details of the CPSIA and how it will affect crafters. I urge you to send a letter to your Senator and Congressperson and request changes to the CPSIA so we can save handcrafted toys. You can find a sample letter and the name and address of your representatives on the Handmade Toy Alliance website.


Addendum:
You can also sign an online petition here.

ep03 - Making A List And Checking It Twice

Who's on your Christmas list? This episode I brainstorm some ideas for possible handmade gifts for the loved ones in your family. There are a lot of great ideas out there, so this certainly isn't a comprehensive list. But it should get you on your way.


Listen to Episode 3 - Making A List And Checking It Twice.


---SHOW NOTES---

Traditional Puzzles

• Carter Johnson Tutorials (article 1, article 2, article 3)
  

Standing Puzzles

• Animal Puzzles For The Scroll Saw (Judy Peterson)
• Fantasy & Legends Scroll Saw Puzzles (Judy Peterson)
• Dinosaur Puzzles For The Scroll Saw (Judy Peterson)
• Scroll Saw Art Puzzles (Tony Burns)
• Scroll Saw Holiday Puzzles (Tony Burns)
• Scroll Saw Farm Puzzles (Tony Burns)
• Woodamals (Jim Sweet)
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (back issues)
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts (back issues)
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• FreeWoodPuzzles.com
• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns

Tray Puzzles

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (Fall 2007)
  

Logic Puzzles

• Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles (Charlie Self)
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Japanese Puzzle Boxes

• Bruce Viney (homemade puzzles)
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday 2008 (Bruce Viney)
  

General Toys

• Making Toys That Teach - Les Neufeld
• Making Heirloom Toys - Jim Makowicki
  
• Great All-American Toy Book - Norm Marshall
• Meisel Hardware Specialists
• Winfield Collection
• Scroll Saw Goodies
  

Chess

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Wooden Chess Sets You Can Make - Diana Thompson
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2001 (Ayleen Stellhorn)
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2003 (Diana Thompson)
• Scroll Saw Goodies
  

Checkers

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2008 (Sue Mey)

Tic Tac Toe

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Ultimate Scrolling Pattern Collection Volume 1
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Fall 2004 (Diana Thompson)

Barrel Of Monkeys/Elves

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday Ornaments Toys & Gifts 2008

Hair Clips

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Spring 2008

Earrings

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday 2006 Theresa Ekdom
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Holiday 2008 Dave Van Ess

Mirror

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Pencil Holder

• Creative Woodworks & Crafts Nov 2008

Note Holder

• Creative Woodworks & Crafts Sept 2007

Clipboard

• Christensen & Burgout Designs

Name Plate Pattern Generator

• Scroll Saw Pattern Printer (Steve Good - Scroll Saw Workshop)

Business Card Holder

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Letter Opener

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Key Chain

• Scroll Saw Goodies
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Ornaments

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  
• Holiday Ornaments for the Scroll Saw (Rick Longabough)
• Compound Christmas Ornaments for the Scroll Saw (Diana Thompson)

Free Standing Word Art

• Christensen Burghout Designs
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  

Lichterbogens

• Arnold Volkner
• Sue Mey
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts

Christmas Pyramids

• Arnold Volkner
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts

Wildlife portrait

• Sroll Saw Goodies
• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  

Coasters w/Inlay Team Logos

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Fall 2008

Sports Number Plaque

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Desktop Book Shelf

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Book Marks

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Scroll Saw Blog (David Griffin)

Trivets

• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  

Paper Towel Holder

• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Meisel Hardware Specialists
• Winfield Collection

Napkin Holder

• Creative Woodworks & Crafts Jan 2008
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Wine Caddy

• Creative Woodworks & Crafts Aug 2008 (Wayne Bosler III)

Wine Holder

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Summer 2008

Candle Holders/Luminaries

• Sheila Landry Designs
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Scroller LTD
• Wildwood Designs
  

Shelves

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  
• Scroller LTD
• Wildwood Designs
• Meisel Hardware Specialists
• Winfield Collection

Custom Portraits

• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns

Trinket Boxes

• Box Making Projects For The Scroll Saw (Gary Mackay)
• Custom Wooden Boxes For The Scroll Saw (Diana Thompson)
• Sheila Landry Designs
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)

Bowls/Baskets

• Making Wooden Baskets On Your Scroll Saw (John Nelson)
  
• Scroll Saw Basket Weave Projects (John Nelson)
  
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Scroll Saw Blog (David Griffin)

Music Box

• Custom Wooden Music Boxes For The Scroll Saw (Rick Longabough)

Clocks

• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  
• Miniature Wooden Clocks for the Scroll Saw (Rick Longabough)
• Super Simple Scroll Saw Clocks (John Nelson)
• Scroll Saw Workshop (Steve Good)
• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns

Inspirational signs

• Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns
• Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
• Creative Woodworks & Crafts
  
• Christensen Burghout Designs
• Words of Faith in Wood (Jeff Paxton)
• Inspirational Scroll Saw Projects (John Nelson)

A Few Notes:
First, a little self promotion. Scroll Saw Goodies has a ton of great information and links to free scroll saw patterns. Be sure to check out my "Free Patterns" section as well as the "Toys & Games" section. I have highlighted hundreds of free scroll saw patterns that should keep you busy until next Christmas!

Both Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and Creative Woodworks & Crafts has a ton of great patterns. It would take me too long to link to each individual issue, so I only linked to the magazine's main website. Wherever possible, I noted the issue in which the project came from. I encourage you to consider buying a few back issues of these great magazines. I love having access to so many great projects.

Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns has recently merged with Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts forum. I still have linked to the main MSN Group page. But it won't be long before the patterns will be moved to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. If you have trouble finding a project, just post a question in the forum. Everybody there is very helpful and can point you in the right direction.

Steve Good at Scroll Saw Workshop has a lot of great free scroll saw patterns. Again, it would take me too long to link to all of the patterns I've discussed in the podcast. So instead I pointed you to his main website. You can dig through the archives to find patterns. Or you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and select the "Pattern Catalog". This is a picture reference of all the projects available.

T-Rex Dinosaur Puzzle

Since we're on the subject of T-Rex, here's a fun little dinosaur puzzle you can easily make for the budding paleontologists in your life. This free standing puzzle was designed by William Berry for Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts (Issue 29 Holiday 2007). You can read the full article online which includes detailed instructions and a free PDF version of the pattern. Check it out!

Pictures In Wood

When I came across Pictures In Wood, I had a tough time choosing what to write about. They had this really cool farm toy with some progression pictures of the construction process. I was really drawn to that because of my recent interest in toy making. But on the flip side, their intarsia is amazing as well! You see my dilemma? Do I talk about their super cool toy, or do I talk about their amazing intarsia? Well, it looks like I just talked a little about both! Check out their website. It'll certainly inspire you to get out into the shop and make something super-cool too!

Scroll Sawing Egg Roller Toys

I wanted to end the week with a book review that got me started on this folk toy kick. I recently got Scroll Sawing Egg Roller Toys by Doug Turner. Don't look for it on your bookstore shelves, because you can only find it online. This is a self published 44 page ebook with detailed instructions, 12 egg roller patterns and 2 bonus craft show quick-sellers.

An egg roller is a wheeled folk toy popular in rural areas. A wooden egg balances between a set of wheels and spins as you push the roller. This mechanical movement is a lot of fun will provide little ones with hours of entertainment.

Traditionally, the egg roller was a pull toy. But the long string is now recognized as a strangulation hazard. So in the interest of safety, Doug left the pull string off the designs. He was also conscious about making sure that the wheels and egg would not be a choking hazard. To avoid toxic chemicals, he chose not to paint or finish his toys. However, he does offer suggestions for safe finishing.

The ebook comes on CD and mailed to your home. All you do is email Doug with your name and address, and he'll send a PayPal request via email. The CD was in my mailbox within 3 days. So I was very happy with the prompt service.

When I looked through the patterns, I immediately wanted to make the turtle roller. I read through the instructions and printed the pattern. I found the wheels and egg at a local craft store. I ended up using some scrap poplar and began cutting it out. The cutting, sanding and assembly took less than an hour. I wanted to add some color to my roller, so that took a bit more time. But in the end, I had a fun little toy for my son pictured to the right.

When I showed it to him, I was the greatest person in the world, at the same time the most unimportant person in the world. He was completely focused on his cool new toy. He grabbed it, sat down and immediately started to push the roller on the floor. It was quite a thrill to see my son enjoy a toy I built with my own two hands. At first, he wasn't terribly interested in the egg until I showed him how it worked. Then all he wanted to do is watch the egg spin! I think I have a winner! I'll be making a bunch of these for my nieces and nephews for Christmas!

Overall Impression:
I was pretty happy with Doug's book. The egg rollers were simple and easy to build. The charming design will certainly delight young and old alike. I can easily see how this would be a great seller at craft fairs. The patterns were a simple and effective. I found the turtle roller was a bit front heavy. But it certainly didn't affect the enjoyment or playability of the toy. The other designs look a bit more balanced. Doug provided great service, but I wish he had a shopping cart with instant download on his website. I'm an immediate gratification kinda guy. But the CD was at my home much quicker than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The book may not be as polished as something you'd find at a bookstore, but I didn't expect it to be. The information and the patterns contained within is where the real value was.

OK, here's the rundown:

The Pros

• Full size patterns.
• Descriptive assembly instructions and photos.
  
• Instructions for production runs.
• Jigs designs to make production easier.
  
• Lists sources for pre-made parts.
• 2 bonus craft show sellers.
• Very good at answering questions promptly.
• Prompt shipment and service.

The Cons

• No shopping cart.
• No instant download.
• Turtle pattern was a bit front-heavy.

Jacob's Ladder

The Jacob's Ladder is a folk toy that dates back to the ancient Egyptians. This simple toy was especially popular during the American Colonial times and still played with children to this day. Donald DeVeny of Woodcraft Arts has a nice tutorial on how to make this timeless toy. While a scroll saw isn't necessary to make the Jacob's Ladder, the flat panels do offer an opportunity to embellish the design with fretwork. The panels can be made with any size lumber, and the ribbon can be any width. So get creative and make a few of these Jacob's Ladders for the little ones in your life.

PS - They make great stocking stuffers!

Hobby Horse

My son loves cars. If it ain't got wheels, he just isn't interested. Mom and dad drive cars, and so does he. Much was the same for children of former times, but instead of driving cars, they imitated their parents by riding hobby horses.

Woodcrafter.net has provided a nice set of vintage plans with instructions to make your own hobby horse. Unfortunately, the horse's head graphic is not full scale. So, I recommend saving the JPG file and enlarging it with a graphics program until the grid measures 1 inch. You could also use a photocopier to enlarge the pattern. Then all you have to do is glue the pattern to the wood and cut out!

When finished, paint it with some non-toxic acrylic paints or leave it the natural wood color. Maybe break out your wood burning kit to add the details. Perhaps add some reigns, or some string for the mane. Intarsia artists, I think there's certainly a great project waiting to be born. There's so many possibilities with such a simple concept. Get creative. Have fun!

Climbing Bear

This little climbing bear folk toy has been around for generations. Originally, it was used to teach children the art of milking cows. But in today's day and age, it's just plain fun! Pull each of the strings in an alternating pattern and the little bear climbs to the top. Release the strings and he comes back down.

Shopsmith has a pattern and detailed instructions for this cute little toy.They recommend a tilting-table drill press, but a hand drill could be carefully used instead. The angle of the holes should be close to 45 degrees as possible, but it shouldn't matter if you're off a little. Just eyeball it and you'll be fine.

Give this cute little toy a try. They're easy to make, and will certainly delight young and old alike!

Safety Note: The strings dangle and can become a strangulation hazard for young children. So I'd recommend supervised play with very little ones.

Folk Toys: Patterns & Projects For The Scroll Saw

In this day and age of mass-produced plastic toys, it's so nice to see a hand-made wooden toy. Toys that have character in their simplicity, but never short in fun or imagination. There's definitely a sense of great satisfaction when a child puts down his Transformer to play with a toy you built with your own two hands. So I thought I'd step back into history and talk a little about Folk Toys this week.

To start things off, this week's Book of the Week is Folk Toys: Patterns & Projects for the Scroll Sawby Ken Folk. This book includes 19 patterns for the scroll saw with detailed measured drawings. The patterns range in difficulty from beginner to advanced. A great place to start if you're looking into creating some 'old fashioned fun'. Check it out!

Wooden Bi-Plane Toy

As a blogger who highlights scroll saw resources on the internet, I have a difficult time not constantly writing about Steve Good's website, Scrollsaw Workshop. If I was to write an article each time Steve creates a wonderful pattern, this blog would quickly turn into a Steve Good fan site. So I constantly have to reel myself in and only write about the patterns I really find extraordinary. Today, Steve came through with this wooden toy bi-plane pattern. The thing I like best about this pattern is that this design isn't bogged down by excessive detail. I think a lot of designers get caught up in detail. There's a fine line between too much detail and not enough, and I think Steve found that balance. The simple elegance and smooth curves really make this project stand out. This free scroll saw pattern is provided in PDF format for easy printing. Steve has also included a great video covering construction tips. Check it out! You won't be disappointed.

Elk Puzzle

David from Tuliptree Crafts has another great puzzle pattern. He has made this elk pattern available for free on his blog called (oddly enough) Scroll Saw Blog. This elk puzzle is similar to Jim Sweet's Woodimal puzzles. This is David's second attempt at this style of puzzle, and I must say he's getting pretty good at it. It's a fine balance between making the text readable without sacrificing detail. Give it a try. While you're there, be sure to read some of his blog entries. He's always working on something new and innovative. I know I read it everyday. I'm sure it will become one of your favorites too.

If you like this elk design, be sure to check out Jim Sweet's Woodimal pattern site. He has a ton of designs to choose from!

Making Toys That Teach

My son is getting to the age where he wants to play with more interesting toys. I'm getting to the point where I want to make those toys for him. There is no greater satisfaction than having a child enjoy a toy created by your own two hands.

Last week, I bought Making Toys That Teach, by Les Neufeld. Let me tell you, this book is awesome. It is exactly what I was looking for. Toys that are simple, fun and educational. I liked it so much, I had to make it this week's Book Of The Week.

These toys are designed for children between 7 months to 12 years old. Each toy offers numerous teaching opportunities, but still allows room for creative play. They teach the basics like manipulation, shape recognition, sorting, and pattern making. But they also teach more advanced concepts like fractions, decimals, geometry and even basic structural engineering! These toys will provide countless hours of play, and they'll be learning too. Its a win-win situation!

This book has 9 fantastic projects. I know I'll build each one of these wonderful toys. The coolest toy, in my mind, is the Ultimate Building Block Set. It is the best blocks set I've ever seen. I wish I had this when I was a kid!

OK. Here's the rundown.

Pros:

• The toys are simple and elegant.
• The toys offer creative play and learning opportunities.
• Each toy has a section on how to use it for teaching opportunities.
• The projects are easy to make.
• Only basic tools are needed.
• Easy to read plans and measurements.
• Clear instructions with plenty of color photographs.
• Lots of lists; Cut lists, Materials List, Recommended Tools List.
• Great bibliography for further reading (mostly academic).
• List of resources and suppliers.

Cons:

• I wish the book would go into more detail about safe finishing techniques.
• I also wish the book would include information of toy safety.

If you have kids or grand kids, this book is perfect for you. It is worth it just for the building blocks alone. The toys you create will provide countless hours of fun, and help foster creativity and problem solving. I can't recommend this book enough. Grab yourself a copy!

Cutting Miniature Puzzles

I've talked about our favorite puzzle master, Carter Johnson before (CarterJ Puzzles, Puzzle Tutorial, Puzzle-Cutting Tutorial). One thing about Carter, he's very generous about sharing his knowledge on puzzle cutting. Well, he has another video demonstrating how he cuts out his signature puzzle, the one cent stamp! I'm lucky enough to have one in my collection, and I assure you these miniature puzzles are amazing. Check out his cool video. I'm sure you'll walk away with a lot of great tips for making your own puzzles. If nothing else, he's certainly fun to watch!

Teddy Bear Bookends

Here's a fun project for the little reader in your life. This child's bookend pattern is provided by Reader's Digest. It certainly is a quick project and perfect for beginners. They take you step by step through the process of building this cute teddy bear bookend. I'd suggest taking the pattern grid and enlarging it to the appropriate size with a graphics program or a photocopier. That way you don't have to redraw anything. And since the teddy bears have a retro/folk art feel, try distressing the wood with sandpaper after you are done painting. It will certainly enhance the end product.

Bull Puzzle

My favorite blog has got to be David's from Tuliptree Crafts located at scrollsawblog.com. He writes daily posts about the behind the scenes work of his scroll saw/craft business. He has plenty of pictures of the projects he is working on. I especially enjoy reading which items tend to sell better than others and his time saving techniques to reduce labor costs. Its a very interesting blog and I make a point of reading it every day.

One of David's popular items are Woodimal puzzles designed by Jim Sweet. It seems like he can't keep them on the shelf for very long before he's sold out. David recently tried his hand at designing these unique puzzles. It turned out great. He has made his pattern available to anybody who wants it. Check it out. While you're there, be sure to check out his other blog entries. I think you'll find yourself going back to his blog on a daily basis too.

If you like this Bull design, be sure to check out Jim Sweet's Woodimal pattern site. He has a ton of designs to choose from!

Simple Toy Bus

Once you start making toys, every kid in the neighborhood will be knocking on your door wanting their own. You certainly don't have the time to make a detailed toy for every kid who wants one. So here's a very simple toy bus that you can make in no time. Best of all, you can use scraps laying around the workshop! Just cut it out with your scroll saw, drill the holes for the windows and wheels, sand, glue and maybe a clear coat and you're done!

Heirloom Train Set

Here's a Train Set that will be sure to please. The project is provided by ShopSmith. Much of it can be cut with the scroll saw and a few basic tools. Unfortunately, they also require a lathe to turn the boiler and smoke stack. But, with a little imagination, I bet you can alter the pattern to suit the tools you have in your shop. The project has detailed instructions for each step of the way. It includes plans and exploded drawings for ease of assembly. Give this project a go. When you're done, you'll have an heirloom project that will be passed down for generations.

Doggie Pull Toy

My son loves doggies. And why wouldn't he? They're a loyal and obedient friend. Here's a doggie that will follow you around and be a close companion for any child. The pattern is provided by Don Firt of Grandpa's Workshop. It can easily be cut with a scroll saw and a drill to finish the hinge. Instead of using wood for the ears, consider some leather scraps instead! Doggies are much cuter with floppy ears! The pattern is provided in JPG format. It's pretty small, so you'll need a graphics program or photo copier to enlarge it to the appropriate size. But that shouldn't pose too much of a problem. While you're there, check out his other woodworking plans. He has so many great projects to try.