Thread: H-E-L-P,- Ideas and suggestions please !!!

Hi Rodger
this is some project I would be using the ply it will stand up to the punishment better that mdf and use pine on the corners
paint I would be looking at a product that is made from old sump oil it comes in all colors
( ecolour Australian Non Toxic Paint )

Originally Posted by rogerjenkins

A local Junior Primary School has asked me to design and make a set of Giant Building Blocks for their pre-school youngsters, & up to 7 yr olds. The blocks are to be of various shapes, sizes, & dimensions, including half-rounds; arches, & cylinder shapes. They must be easily moved and positioned by the young children in, ( either ) an indoor play area, or outside on the school lawn. All shapes must have rounded-over edges. The kids will most probably stand on, roll on, even jump on / off some of these giant blocks
The school has specified bright, eye-catching non-toxic paints, ( what would you recommend ?? )
Construction materials,- what would you recommend;-
6mm. Ply ? 6mm.MDF ?
19 x 42 timber framework for strength ?

OK guys, & gals, put your thinking caps on and see what you can come up with as per good ideas and suggestions.

Roger

Vinyl covered high density foam is my suggestion.
Light, durable and safe.

Crowie, Have YOU seen the asking price for these giant size Building Blocks in Vinyl covered High Density Foam ??
Have a look at this site;- www.smartlearnedu.com.au >> soft play mats,- AND try not to faint from shock, Their asking price, on SPECIAL is, " ONLY, " about Three Thousand Dollars for a set of 24 assorted shapes including GST, & delivery !!!!
( Roughly works out to between $100. - $140. each individual block. )
How many smaller, local Primary Schools, pre-schools, play-centers, etc., can afford that sort of outlay ??
I can understand why a local rural Primary School contacted me and asked me to do some inventing for them!!!!!

Patch3198,- Thanks mate for the info link to the Ecopaint Site. Never heard of it till now. Looks interesting. Shall email them on Monday, and ask some questions, etc.
Construction material,- Yes will go with the plywood skin over a pine frame for strength.

*** P/s,- Have seen similar shaped Giant Foam Blocks on on Alibaba.com made in China to International specs, for round US$100. set of 24 plus freight !!!!!!

Roger.

Roger I would be using a lot thicker than 6mm ply. which when you start to add up the costs, ply $50/$80 per sheet get 2 blocks out of one sheet.paint $30each colour per block.
add the cost of the frame/time/etc. and you have to start to wonder that the ready made blocks are the way to go after all.
The P&C could ask 24 local businesses if they would like their name routered into a block for the price of the block for eg.of just one way of fund raising the money.
Thats the way I would go anyway and you still get the money for the art work on the blocks.
Phil.

Depending on the size of the blocks. Ply and Pine timber framing is going to be relatively expensive to build but probably still the cheaper option compared to other materials.
Phils' idea to find a sponsor for each block would certainly help the school immensely financially and may well be worth suggesting to the school. Good luck with the project.

Plan on using top grade Hoop Pine Ply, in 4mm, & 6mm. thickness, along with some 1.5mm." Bendy," Hoop Pine ply for the round cylinder shapes. The actual Blocks are NOT all that big as little kids must be able to pick them up and move the individual blocks from place to place. The biggest ones are 400mm.square, then there's smaller triangles, oblongs, half-rounds, ramp-shapes, arches, etc. Believe it or not, another School has also expressed interest, as, apparently, an Official Educational Products supplier has quoted that school about Five Grand for a set of 24 ABS plastic Blocks with vinyl outer skin in assorted colours. Also a couple of local mothers with young children are also interested in my design project
Am now thinking that I may be onto something here, as it appears that this project could quite easily, " G-R-O-W," and I end up designing, & making, " Giant Size Toy Building Blocks by the, " Thousand. " - Who knows I migh have to start-up a Production Line

Thanks for your suggestions,
Roger

My kids kinder has these sort of things made out of pine and ply. 4 sides are in pine and ply on the last two. Most have a hand slot at each end to pick up (about 1" x 3") all are varnished

Both the School, & the Kindy have requested REAL timber products, and preferably locally made. I have submitted a price quote today, so shall wait and see what results.
*** Do know of a young child from another junior primary school somehow swallowed a piece of high density polyurathene off a cushion and endded up a very sick little kid for some weeks afterwards,- apparently the high desity stuff is poisionous and can kill, ( Yuk !! ). Methinks the same applies to all modern-day plastics, so perhaps good old fashioned wood and plywood is the best in the long term, sealed with either a high quality Acrylic varnish or a Safe for kids, " Non-Toxic," Paint.
Do know that MDF is NOT appreciated in most schools here in S.A. either, especially where kids acutally are involved with woodworking projects. Something to do with the glue that holds the MDF particles together,- causes too many allergetic reactions in kids.
( I get stinging eyes, runny nose, & sneezes every time I use MDF, so I try to avoid that product whenever practical. )
Roger