Wooden Toy Plans
It’s Graham here, note this is my uncensored review on wooden toy plans which I am publishing warts and all so if you are looking for Ted’s Woodworking site click here.
If you have read any of my other posts you will know that I have been making wooden toys as a hobby on and off for almost 50 years. When I started I did not have any access to wooden toy plans but with the wonders of the Internet these are now readily available for not only wooden toys but literally thousands of woodworking projects.
Why am I writing this review? Well, when I first started looking for wooden toy plans I could not find any reviews so I thought that this site may help others with their woodworking projects.
When I started out with my woodworking hobby I had to design my own ‘plans’ – some were good, some were great and unfortunately some were very poor! I even abandoned some woodworking projects because the complexity of
them was beyond my plan making ability.
Over time my ‘craftsmanship’ has improved although I am still just a hobbyist and in many ways a beginner so when I was looking for plans I wanted:
- Simplicity
- I also wanted step by step instructions
- Visual guides
- I wanted the end results to look professional, pleasing on the eye and be strong.
That’s a tall order for an amateur like me so here is what I found with Ted’s Woodworking.
Pros:
If you want to start a woodworking project, you need all the necessary information, including schematics, blueprints, materials lists, dimensions etc. The plans are clearly drawn and there’re step-by-step explainations of how the plan should be done and put together. They have
- Diagrams which are detailed with a full set of dimensions
- Step -by-step instructions how to start your project
- List of the necessary materials for that particular project
- All the woodworking tools you will need
If you are a beginner or have done some woodworking (I fall into both categories even after such a long time) I believe you will find these plans easy-to-follow as the instructions are very clearly written. The woodworking plans are straightforward so they are not complicated at all. They helped me to master all the techniques that are needed and the woodworking skills very quickly by following the concise and clear instructions.
I also found that the videos included helped me with the how to element of my woodworking projects.
Included in the package is a lifetime member acess and this is very helpful with many extras to help both beginner and expert alike.
It seems to me that Ted Mcgrath is a very dedicated and experienced woodworker who knows what he is talking about when it comes to woodworking and DIY projects as he has been a woodworker for many many years. Refreshingly he also seems to care about his clients.
Cons:
With 16,000 woodworking plans you are bound to get some which look a little disorganized but that is understandable as it is very difficult to place all these plans into their proper categories.
Out of 1600 plans only just over 100 relate to childrens toys etc. but then again like me you may find the many other woodworking plans useful and not just the wooden toy plans.
Next, it might take you a little longer than anticipated to do the downloads on some plans because of the size of them. But the members area includes an option to upgrade to the DVD so you can save time on downloading.
Some projects are still beyond me but I am learning all the time and growing in confidence with each project I complete.
Bottom line:
Truth is, I’ve been a woodworking novice and part time hobbyist for almost 50 years, and I haven’t found anything else like this despite doing lots of research. In short I am happy with them and use them for wooden toy plans as well as many other woodworking projects and they have definitely taught me lots of woodworking techniques and things that I would never have learned on my own.
So to discover more click here for Ted’s website.
The beginning.
wooden toy garage
I first started making toys out of wood many years ago even though I had no wooden toy plans. My elder sister had gone through a divorce and was living back at home with two young children and not much cash. Christmas was coming and the boys wanted a toy garage.
After looking in all the toy shops it soon became obvious that what was available was either very small and not to put too fine a point on it, rubbish, or far too expensive. Even the most expensive items did not seem very well made and were probably not built to last and that was almost 50 years ago! Today with planned obsolesence I imagine finding lasting quality will be even harder.
Anyway to make a long story short we decided to try and make a garage out of wood. We had some scraps and bought a few odds and ends and by using our imagination we managed to put together a large 2 story garage with parking on the roof and ramps that were just great for rolling toy cars down.
Without plans it was not easy but the result was very good and it produced something rather better than the high end toys we had seen in the shops and all for less than we could have bought the cheapest toy garage in the shops.
wooden toy garage
Needless to say the Christmas present was a great hit and lasted for many years and now 50 years later it has inspired me to start this website. If you have ever thought of making wooden toys I assure you that you will find it a very rewarding passtime in many ways.
Now it is easier as it is possible to obtain plans for toys and many other woodworking projects – so don’t hesitate get started right away.
If you want to explore the availability of plans you can click here to visit Ted’s Woodworking.
wooden toy kitchen
One of the most memorable toys that I made was for a friend’s little girl.
Once again it was Christmas and she had been wanting a toy kitchen. These were being advertised and were like a trolley that could be wheeled about with a fake hob and oven and a few drawers etc.
They were, at that time, all the rage and the price was extortionate. However my friends looked and looked and decided that the cost for what was a shoddy, but ‘shiny’ article was just not worth it.
That was when we decided to have a go at making a wooden toy kitchen. This was pre-Internet and once again there was no source for wooden toy plans so we sat down and between us came up with a design. Fortunately at this time my business was in the pet trade and we were manufacturing wooden rabbit hutches so we had most of the required materials and tools.
The kitchen was made and painted brightly. Though I say it myself, it outshone the plastic and metal commercial versions – it really did look good and it was solid and built to last. This is one great benefit from making your own wooden toys!
The final twist to this story is that my friends were visiting relatives in the south of England for Christmas and so were away from home. However they did arrange for Santa to visit, but the toy kitchen was too large to travel with them and so we developed a masterplan!
We had their house keys and so placed the wooden toy in her bedroom so that it would be there when she got home. The next part of the plan was to get my father to make a telephone call on Christmas day. He had a deep and friendly voice and about lunch time (the hour pre-arranged) he called saying he was Santa and asked if Angela was there.
Angela was told that Santa was on the phone and asking for her. She was shocked but thrilled and soon in conversation with a kindly Santa. He asked if she had a good Christmas and asked about her gifts. Angela told him about all the wonderful things she had received but said that the one thing she had really wanted was not amongst them. Santa said, “Would that be a toy kitchen?” Amazed she said that he was correct and to her surprise and delight he said that he had put it in her room at home so that her parents did not have to transport it for her.
What excitement that caused, Angela only wanted to get back home and see her promised gift. The days away seemed long to her but soon she was back and the first thing she did was run to her room. It was there, just like Santa had promised!
That wooden toy kitchen was her main and best toy for several years and it lasted far better than a shop bought product would have done.
Once again we had struck gold even though we had no wooden toy plans available; what we did not know was that a few years later there would be an Internet and that it would provide all manner of resources not even imagined at the time and amongst them my treasured blueprints for so many woodworking projects, not just wooden toy plans but so much more.
If you want to explore the availability of plans you can click here to visit Ted’s Woodworking.
Woodworking Projects Made so Simple Anyone Can Do Them
If you are a relative newcomerto carpentry, like me, you likely need your woodworking projects made simple enough so you don’t make massive mistakes.I know what that’s like. When you put a hole in wood, it is there. You can’t change it after thatand the whole think can be dauntingwhen you considerhow to do mitered joints or get into dovetail joints and whatnot. There is a lot to know and you can get elbow deep into a project and realize there is a a blinding lack of experience right in the way. I have a problem with that, how about you?
Woodworking can be a fulfilling hobby or a lucrative career. When you have a skill and experience at woodcraft, you can make things of topquality for a lot less than you would pay to buy them. life experience will tell you that when you shop for materials and lacka great deal experience at a certain project, you will either buy too much or too little and even then, you may find you lack a crucial part.
Sometimes I expose my lack of experienceeven in these articles. I have been working in wood with my father in law for the past few months, but had never stained a piece. I putin a couple of articles that one should have a well ventilated work area to avoid being overcome by fumes from things like staining. I’d be willing to bet people are laughing all over about that one. It’s true, you need a place with good ventilation so things will dry evenly, but you don’t usually have caustic chemical issueswith woodworking.
What kind of projects are you planning? You can make wooden furniture that is both sturdy and beautiful, quite able to hold its beauty for decades. You can make wooden toys. You can builda dog house or an addition to your home (make sure you get the necessary permits where applicable). There is so much out there and as much depends on your ambition as your native talent.
As I have suggested iin other articles I have written, please make sure your working areais well organized so you can lay your hand on any tool or material you need quickly and handily; make sure it is well ventilated for paint and stain drying purposes; there is enough room for you to move around and work on your project from all angles; and there will not be a problem if you make some noise(be honest with yourself here – will you be making a lot of racket at times neighbors will likely be sleeping?). Table or Skilsaws, lathes, and hammers hitting fingerscan each result in quite a few decibels of noise, so please be considerate.
If you are interested in doing some of these projects, let me give you what you need. Ted has over 16000 plans for carpentry and hobby projects and you can find outabout them here. If you want more information from another article, you can get your woodworking projects made simple at the link.
Hi Guys, I am a married father of four and I love working with wood. I have a shop where I make all sorts of things out of wood and want you to check out the projects I use at http://diycarpenter.info.
A Beginner?s Guide to Obtaining the Right Woodworking Tools
Article by Karenlance
Woodworking is such an attractive hobby for quite a number of people because of its practicality and its beauty. One can create a piece that is functional or artistic or maybe even both depending on the creator?s choice and abilities. Unfortunately, many are intimidated to venture into this type of hobby. What many are unaware of is that one does not need a warehouse full of tools or an unsurpassed talent to be able to create masterpieces which are worth showing off. This guide will help aspiring beginners to choose the right tools for this kind of hobby. Starting a hobby like this requires a decent set of tools and equipment. This does not mean that one has to have a shed full of hand drills or power tools as this can prove to be very expensive. Many beginners are sometimes quick to believe that power tools are the instruments of choice and that hand tools are a thing of the past. A quick look at the magnificent pieces created during the 17th and 18th centuries however will prove that hand tools are just as capable of producing high quality pieces as their modern counterparts. No woodworking tool collection is complete without some of the most common tools there is in the tool shed. A beginner should own a hammer with just the right weight to facilitate ease of use and efficiency. Most woodworkers work with hammers that weigh 20 or 24 ounces. Nail sets are also a must. Every woodworker must also own a measuring device to ensure accuracy of the pieces. A combination square is a good choice for beginners as it serves both as a depth gauge and a ruler. It can also be used to measure 45-degree and 90-degree angles. Owning a tape measure is also a must since this tool can also be useful for other purposes inside the house. Beginners who plan to work on smaller projects first will do well by using a 12-foot or 15-foot tape. Owning the right set of shaping tools is another necessity when starting this pastime. Hand planes can serve this purpose very well. This tool is used to smoothen the wood?s surface. More specialized shaping and hollow planes are used to shape contours and hollow out certain surfaces. While others may choose to buy the more expensive hand plane models, one can never go wrong with the tool?s older versions. Cutting tools are another requirement for this type of hobby. Handsaws are capable of giving high-class performance as well as serving as a form of exercise. When purchasing saws, it might be helpful to know that fewer teeth per inch equates to a rougher cut. A slower but finer finish is achieved when using saws with more teeth per inch. There are several handsaws made for very specific purposes but a beginner can cope with the three most basic types. A crosscut saw is used when making cuts across the wood?s grains; a ripsaw is for cutting along the wood grain while a Japanese ryoba saw is used for general cutting purposes.After every part is cut, a woodworker would need clamps to hold every part in place and assist in assembly. A C-clamp would be a sound investment for beginners. Lastly, smoothing hand tools are used to give the almost finished products a cleaner finish. A beginner would need to own a chisel to smooth and shape wood and raps and files to give a more refined shaping effect. Portable power tools are also available for novices and most of them actually prefer power tools over the traditional hand tools. Their only drawback is that they are considerably more expensive. But for those willing to shell out a few more bucks, the following tools are every woodworker?s must-haves. Routers are power tools used to smooth, shape or decorate wood. Several types are present depending on the buyer?s need and the specialty of each.A circular saw is also a smart addition to one?s power tool collection since it probably is the most flexible of all the portable power tools. Drills are also very essential since they can also be utilized outside the woodshop. Their main purpose is to facilitate attachment by drilling holes for fasteners. The most common drill in use in most woodshops is the 3/8? drill. Portable hand held sanders are also very common in most woodshops as they can be used to shape and smooth edges and surfaces.When it comes to making woodworking a hobby, starting modestly is the perfect way to begin. With the right mix of tools, patience and resourcefulness, a humble hobby might soon become a source of pride.
About the Author
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Online-Shed-Plans.com The #1 woodworking resource on the web, with 12000 plans & woodworking patterns! Includes plans, guides, materials lists & all the how-to information you will ever need to tackle any woodworking project as well as professional tips on home building and maintenance. A sample of the incredible amount of plans included: 60+ Pieces of garden equipment 80+ Garden Furniture 125+ Garden Structures (Sheds, BBQ’s etc) 100′s Outdoor Buildings Book shelves and other indoor furniture Over 70 kitchen plans Over 100 wooden toy plans 90+ Bird tables 120+ Pet Houses 75+ Boat designs Online-Shed-Plans.com The producer of this video may receive a commission for any purchases made by the viewer.
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Succeeding in Woodworking Projects – This is what DIY Woodwork Beginners should do
Woodworking projects can give you a great sense of fulfilment, it’s simply great to accomplish things ourselves! And with the bigger projects you can have a good time with your friends, while being useful at the same time. Woodworking is really fun and it can be a great hobby, but you do need to know what you are doing. You shouldn’t start a project without a good plan.
Easy woodworking projects for beginners
When looking for woodwork plans on the internet, you should always keep in mind that there are plans out there which are anything but easy. Different skill levels require different plans, but this distinction is not clear for some project plans.
For beginners it is usually best to do easy woodworking projects, at least until you have grown some experience and feel more comfortable to aim for complex projects. You should always have your project plan ready, to be sure that you have a complete list of materials, an easy to read cutting schema and all the nescessary illustrations of pieces and how they should fit during the assembly.
A lot of expert woodworkers still favor the step by step woodworking plans also. Even experienced carpenters will say that without good and easy woodworking plans things can easily go wrong. But they can draw up their own plans, whereas beginners in woodworking should always buy a diy plan. The risk of losing money and valuable time is just too big when going without the right plans.
The right tools for your easy woodworking projects
Also essential in any woodworking project is, of course, to have the right set of tools. This can be a big timesaver when working with wood. If you’re missing a screw or if you can’t find the right wrench you’re losing time and it can put you in a bad mood. Preparation is the key to easy woodworking projects, and trying to save money in this stage of your project will usually come back to you when you start to build.
Going to your nearby diy store for easy woodworking projects is usually not a good idea though. Many commercial plans available on their bookshelves are incomplete, or have poor drawings. Measurements and dimensions need to be very precise and acurate, and if they’re not, this can completely mess up your project and greatly discourage easy woodworking for beginners. It’s always best to buy a set of clear plans before even thinking of starting your project.
I know how hard it can be to finish a succesfull woodworking project, but if you really want to succeed you’ll need a single plan of approach that works amazingly well.
The method to do this is very simple to pick up and it doesn’t take much practice, you can read about here: Easy Woodworking Plans.
So don’t give up on your projects, there’s hope! Learn more ways to Easy Woodworking by clicking the link.
SArmstr0ng is a cool guy. I don’t know who made this chart….
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Woodworking For Fun And Profit Is A Great Hob
Article by Michael Olnick
If you like working with your hands, woodworking is a good hobby for you. It is easy to get started at woodworking. You just need a few simple tools, some hardware, a little education and some practice. As you progress you can get more woodworking tools, hardware. The more woodworking projects you work on, the more your skills will improve. The possibilities of things that you can make woodworking are endless. While woodworking, you can make clocks, chess boards, flag boxes, and toys, among other things.
Woodworking Tools – Some tools you might want to have for woodworking are table, radial arm, chop or sliding compound miter saws. In addition to saws, you may need chisels, planes, rasps, scrapers, clamps and many types of jigs for woodworking. These woodworking tools will make your projects accurate. You will also need woodworking hardware such as hinges, screws and ball bearings.
Getting Started With Woodworking – After you have some woodworking tools, you will need to select some wood for your woodworking project. Once you have the tools and the wood, you can get started with your first woodworking project. One method to learn woodworking is to make the same project over and over until you are satisfied with the results. This works best for smaller woodworking projects. For larger projects, or if you are not a perfectionist, make one woodworking project and then move on to your next woodworking task.
Learning about Woodworking – There are several good ways to learn about woodworking. There are woodworking videos, woodworking books, woodworking websites and woodworking clubs that can all help you get started with woodworking. Woodworking plans are available for all sorts of woodworking projects from these sources as well as from hobby stores. Woodworking plans are available for both large and small projects.
Using Woodworking to Make Gifts – Your family and friends will learn to appreciate receiving gifts from you that made yourself while woodworking. Rather than receiving something less personal bought from a store, they will be receiving something into which you put your time, effort and heart. They will be able to cherish these woodworking gifts for years to come. If you are working on larger woodworking projects, your family and friends may start requesting you to build them a table, cabinet, breakfront, bed or other woodworking furniture item. The time to get started on a woodworking project is now. Gather the tools, hardware and wood and obtain some plans and know-how.
About the Author
Michael Olnick is an accomplished woodworker. He loves to share his tips and trick with you. For more of his priceless information, goto woodworking made easy.
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Easy Woodworking Plans – Hints For Finding Just the Appropriate Woodwork Projects For Your own Talent Level
Article by T White
Woodworking could be 1 of the most pleasurable things you will ever do ought to you give it the attention it deserves, but even the most dedicated and skilled woodworker can have problems if they experience poorly-drawn strategies. The problem is elevated in intensity ten-fold if the woodworker is particularly inexperienced, and this is the issue that discourages numerous would-be craftsmen. Undoubtedly, the only technique to turn out to be productive within the field is to adhere to a solid strategy that points you inside the right direction. Online strategies are generally easy, and some are free of charge, but you should to usually be leery of free strategies. They’re occasionally of poor high quality. But good ones do exist, and also the key to success is knowing how you can spot quality plans.
Easy Woodworking Plans, if they’re worth your time, will usually have clear lists of materials that you will require. They should always have the precise amount of lumber that you simply simply simply will need, preferably in exact cuts as nicely. Keeping this list with you when you go to the lumber yard will help decrease extra trips that you simply make, especially if you purchase additional bulk wood in situation of mistakes or the occasional mess-up. Also use these material lists to maintain stock of all of the nails, screws, and bolts that you simply simply will need. Purchase all required tools before you begin your task, since 1 from the important parts from the new craftsman’s motivation is momentum.
Please pay unique consideration to the word Easy! Easy woodworking plans must be just that – simple to realize. The guidelines should be somewhat basic to the untrained eye, and you won’t need to worry about an overly complicated project which will have you bogged down for hours. The good point about finding easy woodworking plans is that you will be able to accomplish your own searching so that you simply can pick your own project that could be carried out in a timely method. Finishing projects each quickly and superbly will construct self-confidence and your knowledge base, that will allow you to soon take on more complex projects
Do not overexert your self though. Many individuals take woodworking as a hobby, which signifies it is essential to start simple so you do not get burned out. As you obtain encounter and knowing, then you can try the more complicated projects.
About the Author
So, where can you find this amazing set of easy woodworking plans? Just click this link —-> Easy Woodworking Plans
Learn more woodworking tips at our Woodworking Carpentry website. In addition to carpentry ideas, you will find hundreds of woodworking ideas to get the ideas flowing.
Who am I?
- Graham, Author of Wooden Toy Plans
Hi and thanks for visiting my site. I am not a "geek" so please do not judge me by website building.
I am an entrepreneur that has been making wooden toys as a hobby for almost 50 years. This has over time progressed to making furniture and many other woodworking projects.
I hope this site helps you find and spread joy through your own woodworking - be it hobby or necessity.
Find Wooden Toy Plans
