first toy - ride on truck - WIP

[mick59wests]

Hi all you fellow toy makers,

I have been only doing woodworking for about eighteen months and around 6 months ago decided to make a ride-on truck. It will suit someone around 3 to 5. I do not have any grand-children yet but figured it may take me that long to make anyway! I am primarily interested in making ride on (or in) cars or trucks. I have another plan out of a book for what I would think of as a 'downhill racer' which is really a fancy billy cart which is my next planned toy (after doing some drawers for SWMBO).

Attached are some pictures of where I am up to.

The wheels (and steering wheel) were cut on a home made circle cutting jig with my router. I then used a lathe to 'scoop out' and help round out the shape.

It is all from recycled (picked up in council clean up) pine from a bedhead.

One question where I am up to (see pictures of the back). I have put the hinges on the back of the truck but am trying to work out what 'trick' I can use to ensure the doors are perfectly straight when I screw them in. I can line them up but then they are against the hinge so I can not then mark them. I could try and do it all by exact measurement but thought there should be a sneaky way to put the door in the correct position and have it marked from the inside - something in the holes of the hinge which then marks where I need to drill (hopefully someone will understand what I mean). Any ideas on this would be most helpful.

Any questions I would be happy to answer

cheers

Mick

[Chipman]

Hi Mic,

Nice to see what you are doing. This may work for you with those particular hinges...cut a strip of wood or whatever, the thickness of the hinge.. then clamp the door to the side of the truck cab at the correct height (with the strip in between) with their edges lined up flat. Now screw the hinges on and you are done! I always just use one screw at first so I can do a bit of riggle adjustment if needed.

Note that the centre of the hinge pin must line up with the edge of the wood. If it doesn't, measure the distance from the outside edge of the hinge to the wood and double it for the width of the spacer.

There are other ways but this may be easier.

Should look really good when you are finished.


Cheers,

Chipman:)

[munruben]

Good effort:2tsup:

[mick59wests]

Chipman,

no matter how many times I read it, I have not worked out your suggestion. I know I am knew to this and everything takes me a long time.

cheers

Mick

[Chipman]

No worries..

Have a look at the attached notes...

Chipman

[mick59wests]

Chipman,

as they say - a picture tells a thousand words!! Thanks for the help.

cheers

Mick:D

[mick59wests]

Here are a few more picutres - it is nearly finished.

Unfortunately when putting on the doors for the truck I tried to make it stronger by putting in larger screws but this meant they did not sit correctly in the recess of the hinges. I had to then drill holes so they 'sank' into the wood so they would close properly - see the third picture. Hopefully this is the only time I will have to do this although I am a slow learner!

I just have the steering wheel and a latch for the back doors to put on.

I'm also not too sure of the colour for the wheels and whether I should get rid of the black 'tyres'.

cheers

Mick