keithv Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 Wasn't sure if this belonged here or in the Q&A section. If it's in the wrong spot could someone move it? How well does pine hold up when used for toys? I like the price and apparent ease of use for pine. Since the toys get painted wood grain and the like is less important. Any information/guidance would be appreciated. tomsteve 1 Quote
scrollerpete Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 Pine is too soft for toys they will mark easy, I would use oak which is cheap enough and not too hard to cut. SCROLLSAW703 and keithv 2 Quote
WayneMahler Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 A friend of mine has been making toys for years. He uses nothing but pine and they seem to hold up for him. keithv and tomsteve 2 Quote
Scrolling Steve Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 I have made a lot of toys out of pine and poplar......so far so good ! tomsteve and keithv 2 Quote
MrsN Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 I have made lots of toys out of pine. Like scrollerpete mentioned it is soft so if it gets rough play (or teething) it can get marks. I think those marks add character to the toys so it never bothers me. I also like that it is a bit lighter than most hardwoods, which makes toys a bit easier to play with. Pine is also easy to find in 1 1/2 thickness (think 2x4) and most hardwoods are harder to find thick. The most importat thing is to make sure that you are not using treated lumber (the stuff used outdoors) Poplar is another good choice for inexpensive wood that will be painted. It cuts well and is a hardwood. tomsteve, keithv and SCROLLSAW703 3 Quote
Dan Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 I agree that pine is fine. tomsteve, keithv and SCROLLSAW703 3 Quote
Rockytime Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 Dan the Poet. Good one! tomsteve, keithv and SCROLLSAW703 3 Quote
fredfret Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 Pine works just fine for playable toys. Heirloom toys well hardwoods look better setting on the shelf. Just my opinion. Fredfret Wichita, ks tomsteve, SCROLLSAW703 and keithv 3 Quote
Bill WIlson Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 As noted, there is nothing necessarily wrong with pine. Personally, I would probably prefer a tight grained, medium hard wood, something like poplar or soft maple. Both take paint well, are hard enough to hold up well to normal use & abuse, without being too heavy or so hard & dense that they are difficult to work with. Open grained hard woods like red oak are somewhat more prone to splintering, especially on sharp corners, so they may not be the best choice. keithv, tomsteve and SCROLLSAW703 3 Quote
Fab4 Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 2 hours ago, Rockytime said: Dan the Poet. Good one! And he doesn't even know it Fab4 keithv 1 Quote
Fab4 Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, MrsN said: I have made lots of toys out of pine. Like scrollerpete mentioned it is soft so if it gets rough play (or teething) it can get marks. I think those marks add character to the toys so it never bothers me. I also like that it is a bit lighter than most hardwoods, which makes toys a bit easier to play with. Pine is also easy to find in 1 1/2 thickness (think 2x4) and most hardwoods are harder to find thick. The most importat thing is to make sure that you are not using treated lumber (the stuff used outdoors) Poplar is another good choice for inexpensive wood that will be painted. It cuts well and is a hardwood. Katie: Hit the nail right on the head Marks add Character on a toy - - - This way you know someone is playing with the toys Fab4 Edited January 31, 2018 by Fab4 spelling correction keithv and SCROLLSAW703 2 Quote
banderson Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 It depends on the toys you are making. I make a lot of toys out of poplar. If I am making a toy for someone under the age of 3 it is a hardwood; maple or beech. Kids will eat the poplar and pine right up. tomsteve, oldhudson, keithv and 1 other 4 Quote
Rockytime Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 2 hours ago, Fab4 said: And he doesn't even know it Fab4 Heh, heh. Quote
keithv Posted January 30, 2018 Author Report Posted January 30, 2018 Thank you all for the valuable feedback. I will give pine a shot. Quote
bandaideman Posted January 31, 2018 Report Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, Fab4 said: And he doesn't even know it Fab4 But his feet show it because their Longfellows Edited January 31, 2018 by bandaideman Fab4 1 Quote
amazingkevin Posted February 1, 2018 Report Posted February 1, 2018 On 1/30/2018 at 10:21 AM, keithv said: Wasn't sure if this belonged here or in the Q&A section. If it's in the wrong spot could someone move it? How well does pine hold up when used for toys? I like the price and apparent ease of use for pine. Since the toys get painted wood grain and the like is less important. Any information/guidance would be appreciated. Spruce is a nice alternative and stronger. Quote
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