TOYS FROM WOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 287, 3 December 1932, Page 3 (Supplement)

TOYS FROM WOOD.

As carpenters will soon be looking for suitable holiday tasks for their skill, here are two suggestions for toys which should prove useful for Christmas stockings. The making of these toys will also provide practice for fret workers. A Pendulum Bird. For this amusing toy, in which th'e head and tail of the bird move up and down as the pendulum swipgs, we require a small quantity of ply wood, some thread, lead, a piece of flower wire, and two small panel pins: The two bodies of the bird ate cut from .two pieces of three-ply wood tacked

together, measuring 2Ain by 4in; the oval is drawn on this, and then the two are cut together (Fig. 1). Next the base piece (sec Fig. 2), 4in by Sin, is cut out, a Jul the hole (C) cut in the middle must allow the support (JJ Fig. 1) to fit into it tightly. The head and tail (Fig. 3)

arc drawn on a small piece of ply wood, and cut out with a fret saw. At the end of the head and tail piercc a, small hole, as shown at X. Half an inch from these pinholes drill another hole (A and B). Drill the same sized holes at X and Y as indicated on the oval, Jin from

the end. Now, either cut a piece of lead, or, bettor still, bore a fin hole 4in deep into a piece of wood lin thick, and, after inserting the ends of a twisted wire eye (Fjg. 4), pour into tlic mould a small quantity of molten lead. We can nmv put our toy together. The upright D is 3in long by -Jin wide and

L uttle thicker than the head and tail I pieces.. It is fixed between the ovals with pins or glue, and attached to the base. The head and tail are also placed between the oval pieces, and held by

SIMPLE JOBS FOR CARPENTERS

using panel pins as axles through the holes in the oval. A 2ft length of thread is put through each of the holes Z of the head and tail, and both are attached • to the lead weight as shown. When the pendulum swings the bird begins to move. The Acrobat. The tumbling acrobat shown in Fig. o is a novel and entertaining toy, and is quite easy to make, provided you have a fret saw. The arms and legs of the acrobat are hinged, and when you squeeze together the bottom ends of the frame, holding it in an upright position, the acrobat turns somersaults and can be made to perform all sorts of tricks. Make the acrobat out of three-ply, wood, drawing the parts out from the

outlines in Fig. G. Cut two pieces of A, one of B, two of C and two of D. Make the holes in each piccc for the joints .with a fretwork drill or a bradawl, and fasten the parts together with thin wire or a strong hairpin. The ends of the wire arc turned over. The holes must be big enough to allow the wire to make a very loose fit, as the acrobat will not perform properly if his joints are at ail : .s-.fi ir. The frame in which the acrobat performs is made from strip wood. The

Uprights are «.|iu long by .Vin by £in.i 'J'he cross .piece is 2 : ] in long by Jial taiuare. They are fastened together with: two wire nails. Cut a notch in the side! of eaeh upright, near the top, for the string. The acrolmt is suspended in his cage l>v standing him on his head and threading strong string as shown in Fig. ' The acrobat must stand on his head when this is being done, or he will not lie able to perform properly. Note that there arc no twists of the string between the sides of the frame and the acrobat's kiimls,• but the string is twisted three or four times between his hands. The correct tension of the string between (he uprights is best found by experiment, until by holding the handles tightly or loosely you can make him do ; just what you like.