First Toy-Model T Car

[wolflrv]

Well..here is my first attempt at toy making. It's the Model T car from Norm Marshall's book. I know Crowie and several others have also made this one, but what can ya say..it's a good book, especially for the beginner's like me!

It definitely has some flaws, but it turned out almost ok! The biggest one is the fenders are not the right scale. I must of had a brain hiccup, because I copied them straight from the book, instead of retracing them to the proper scale, so they are about 2" too small! There are also a few lopsided spots, especially the roof line. I've definitely already learned a lot and am tweaking my tools and techniques, so hopefully the next one will be a bit better! Had a blast making it though!

Here's the pics...













Overall I'm pretty happy with it as a first attempt. I'm still debating whether or not to put a poly finish on it. Only reason to do it, would be for the experience. It's supposed to rain today though and temp is only about 57F, so probably wouldn't be a good day for it.

[bj383ss]

Looks very good Wolf for a first attempt. I can't wait to see your next one. You should build the Big Rig and trailer next to haul Tin Lizzie around.

I am in the same predictment as you with the weather except it is raining and has only got up to 45* today. So I had to brush the paint on my toy garage instead of spray like I planned oh well. It is comfortable in the shop though at 68*. Just can't spray because if I ventilated would lose all my heat.

I am so glad I was able to infect you with the toy building bug. Great to see you posted pics.

Bret

[colbra]

Hi Wolflrv
Your model looks great I like the way the end grain comes together and displays a pattern its a real feature.
Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
I am making the same toys at the moment, I do this every year for some charitable organizations if you go to my album https://www.woodworkforums.com/member...ums/back-shed/ its picture number 11
you can see a picture from a couple of years ago doing the same thing as I do every year at this time.
Are you going to stain the timber or paint I think stain would be better although children like bright colors.and it easier to paint before you glue up Top effort!
colbra

[clarence1]

I think it looks great. The short guards look good actually. Toys do not have to be perfect. I always visualise what the kids do to them and there is no need for them to be perfect. I agree, bright colours - red, yellow, green, blue and the odd bit of black.

Mike John

[wolflrv]

Thx Bret...this is all definitely because of you. Earlier this summer, I just knew I wanted to do some woodworking, but meeting you(online) has really given me a direction to pursue. I'm just fascinated with all of the models I can build!

Colbra...wow! You have a mini-fleet of Model T's going! I'm hoping to get to that point, but it will be awhile I'm sure. I'm still trying to get my shop outfitted with the right tools and learn the right techniques to produce quality work.

The wood I used in this and many more models to come is old reclaimed 2x6 lumber from a carport we tore down a few years ago. It's well aged and seasoned and is much harder and easier to work than some of the "new" studs I have to work with. I don't have a moisture meter or anything, but I can tell it's very dry. It was on the underside of the carport for over 10 yrs and has been sitting in my shop out of the weather for about 5 yrs now.

I'm just now kind of tuning into grain patterns. My first attempt at the engine was bad and when I tried to drill the radiator cap hole, it split out the front, because I got it too close to the edge. So I started over and just did a basic glueup on some rough boards. Only sanded the glue up sides, everything else was still rough studs. Didn't even look at the grain direction until I started dimensioning it down for the engine, when I saw the little round pattern. I had to cut it out carefully from the center of the block and tried to get as much of it as I could. I wish I'd seen it before the glueup, because I could of made it even better. I'll definitely be looking closer at the wood next time around. It's all a big learning experience...LOL!

[colbra]

Hi Wolflrv
There’s a couple of things I do that maybe of help with model and toy making I like to make a pattern just cut it out of cardboard or even paper and when you get it right you can paste it onto some mdf or ply, then you have it for all future jobs very handy with repetition jobs also you do not waste timber and you it get right first go.
The next thing is and you probably do this already.
Read through the whole job so you could build it in you head write notes if necessary this would be used in bigger jobs and more complicated models if you have a scanner you can copy different sections of the plans and cut them out, if your plan is full scale, as in the plans from toys and joys. There are other small things, and at the end of the day your skill level may be ahead of mine.
The methods and practices I have mentioned above you may have used already if not give them a go there just my ideas and other people may have more or even better ones. Above all just enjoy the ride

colbra

[crowie]

G'Day Wolf & welcome to a top forum on the western side of the Pacific.
We are both building the same toy.
I started mine about 2-3 weeks ago, it's posted under "Tin Lizzie".
Yours looks great, especially for the first attempt, well done.
I've used a couple of different timbers for contrast so will look different to your Model T.
Keep up the good work; top photos.
Cheers, from "On Top Down Under" crowie.

PS - Colbra has helped me too on my Tin Lizze....

[colbra]

Forgot to load image of template
Colbra

[munruben]

Great effort for your first build of one of these.. They are great little fun toys. Kids will love 'em.

[wolflrv]

Thx Crowie and munruben!

Colbra..those templates look good! If I start making more than one of each, I'll definitely be making some of those! This first toy, I was really scrambling to figure out which tools to use to make the cuts and finding all the deficiencies in my tool setups. I think the next model will go much better, once I finish the needed tool modifications. I just kind of jumped in feet first...but now I'm gonna dry off a bit and think it through much more! Thx for the tips and ideas!

[colbra]

Hi Wolflrv
I always make a paper template of the toy or model it is a good way to get the item
built accurately first go not mention the wast of martial.
After you cut it out and happy with it, you can glue it onto some cardboard or ply that way you have a permanent record of all the steps that you can go back to at any time.
As you go on you may wish to make design alterations a template is good there also.
As I said before these are my methods and practices and at the end of the day I am not the sharpest tool in the shed.
There are some people on this forum that are top model builders I think some of them may have been pattern maker or tool makers. perhaps they may come forward so we could all learn more from them. as I said before enjoy the journey and have fun
colbra
PS I think that model looks perfect I'm sure Henry would give you a job in his plant making them.

[wolflrv]

Colbra...I will definitely be making some templates. I also have been spending today while it was pouring down rain, making some cut sheets, so I'd be better able to pick from my stockpile. As I said earlier all the wood I'm using right now is reclaimed from tearing down an old carport and also from a few remodeling projects in the house as well. It's all free wood and good to practice on.

The biggest effort has been in taking the raw stuff and dimensioning it down into usable pieces. To give you an idea of what I'm dealing with and where this toy came from I took some pictures this evening. I'm in the process now of sorting through the woodpile to get it better organized.

Here's the wood that the Model T came from.



Backside of the pile...


And here's some other reclaimed stock along with a few sticks of new wood mixed in.









And here's some small scraps...Not sure how much of the really small stuff to keep though. My sister-in-law and her husband use wood heat in the winter and they always need more small kindling pieces...so some of this will probably be going to them. I just hate to waste wood...all the sawdust goes in my compost pile out back.



I have one long piece of cedar that was hand-milled that's for the repair of a cedar chest, a few scraps of red oak left from making my zero clearance insert and all the rest of what you see is either studs, pressure-treated lumber, plywood, trim board or particle board from a few trashed pieces of furniture. I want to use all of this up and then I'll redesign my woodstock area and start looking into some better quality hardwoods. We have about 15 small mills operating in the area, so I just need to find space in the shop to start storing some good wood. My goal is that by the time I've worked through all of this free wood, I'll be able to make some decent stuff with the good hardwoods. No use in wasting money learning on expensive woods. Plus by then I should be an expert at dimensioning raw stock...LOL!

[bj383ss]

Nice wood stash Wolf. I did a similar thing when my house was first built. On Saturday nights I would drive to whatever section of the neighborhood they were building houses and pick throught the trash piles. They usually built 4-5 at a time. At one point I had to stop as I had no where else to put it. I built most of cabinets on the north wall from this wood so they were virtually free minus hardware bought. I still have alot of it I am just like you and can't throw away wood!

I too had the same theory as you build a couple of toys out of cheap pine and if I ruined it no heartache. Only problem with pine is its hard to drill accurate holes sometimes. Bits tend to wonder off center even with brad point bits.

I think you should buid the tractor cab and trailer next. Here is the one I built last year. Was one of my first toys to build. It went downhill from there.
Attachment 190255


You say there are 15 saw mills around you. You suck! LOL I only have one hardwood supplier and there are definately no saw mills around here. Oh well. Can't wait to see what nice hardwood you get.

Bret

[crowie]

Now that you've started Wolf, the bug has bitten;
you'll start to see FREE TIMBER everywhere you go [even hardwood],
and all too soon you'll be running our of storage space plus have you wife on you to clean it up....LOL.
Cheers, crowie

[wolflrv]

The biggest problem with finding wood around here(I live in huge timber country), is that all the pine and softwoods go to the paper mill here and the hardwood seems to be burned up as firewood, before I can get my hands on it! My brother in law does have a nice big firewood stash though with lots of oak and hickory. I may see if I can get him to slab me some with his chainsaw. I don't have the equipment to do it and he's a master with a chainsaw...I'm not! I also plan to check out the local mills for sure, for cutoffs and such. I have several buddies working at a few different mills, so I should have a good opportunity to get some deals.

Oh...btw...the wife doesn't have anything to do with the shop! Whatever I do out there is mine. Her only comments are usually that she doesn't want to break a fingernail, get splinters or that it's so organized it makes her head hurt..LOL! She's a great gal though and she'd much rather be married to a woodworker than a mechanic! Much less grease that way! She's been extremely patient and supportive of all the work on the shop this summer and is quite taken with the little Model T car.

Bret..I'll definitely be building the trucks! I used to drive them..so I'm really pumped about them. I want to work through the book in order though, as having looked at the projects, they seem to have a difficulty progression. Not to worry though, the trucks start at like #7 on the list, so I'll get there soon! Once I finish this book, I plan to maybe work on the LandRovers in the Blizzard book, or I may start buying a few ToysandJoys models. Probably the first of those will be the golf cart. We have 5 golf courses in this county alone and it's pretty big biz around here. I know some doctors that are already interested in what I'm doing that are major golf players. I'm hoping to have a market there.