Race Car for my donation to a cancer charity

[rafairchild2]

As many of you know my "Poppy's Workshop" makes toys and donates them to organizations, helping children in need.  My current big project is 125 toys for a local organization here in Hampton Roads VA, that helps out with kids with cancer.  I am a little behind the 8-ball due to my eye injury early this year and then my summer stoppage. I am about 1/2 way there and have until October, so it should not be a problem.  I finished another 20 toys this week (photo 1), and now working on another dozen race cars.  I am doing 3 or 4 at a time, so this way I am not left with a big pile of unfinished pieces.  It also gives me a sense of accomplishment when I get stuff done, rather than a bunch in 'production'.

That being said, I am working on a modified Steve Good design, the first 2 cars you see with the walnut sides, are more along the way of the original design (minus the number).  I like this, as the interior is 1/2", and the sides 1/8" each.  I can shape the head before gluing, and I think it comes out nice.  However, that is more cutting, and then gluing up, which almost doubles production time.  So I am opting for a single piece of 3/4" wood.  It does make shaping the head a little tricky, but I am working on a process, of sanding on my 1x30 sanding belt, for the rough shape, then using a Kutzall bit to shape the head a bit more.  It is still abstract, but it works for me.

Images: (1) 20 finished from earlier this week, (2 & 3) from single and glued sides, (4) On the scroll saw, #9 FD UR, (5) Rough cut, (6) This is how I set axle length quickly with a spacer (7) Rough shape, (8) The rough shaped blanks

Next will be the rotary tool to shape the head to the finished shape, then on to the barrel sander to add curves to the body of the car, then mop sand, and then the wheels.

I will be doing this after my lunch and nap, so this is the start.

 

[rjweb]

Excellent craftsmanship, RJ

[FrankEV]

1 hour ago, rafairchild2 said:

....I will be doing this after my lunch and nap...

 

A man with a project.  Wonderful!

WOW, you are able to go back to the shop "After lunch and nap"?????   If I don't get into the shop by 6AM and work about 3 hours I would never get anything done.   After my early morning shop time might do a few chores done around the yard and then stop for lunch and my afternoon nap which can last to nearly supper time.   Sooooo, no shop time for me after my "lunch and nap"!!!!

[rafairchild2]

38 minutes ago, FrankEV said:

If I don't get into the shop by 6AM and work about 3 hours I would never get anything done.  

Actually, on Saturdays and Sundays, I am in the shop by 6 or 6:30.  I am taking 5 days leave right now so I have been going in the shop early.  On yard work day, I'll come in, shower, eat and nap.  usually after my 30-minute nap, I might put an hour or more back in the shop.  I wound up not taking my nap, so I just did 2 more hours, but I need to get my 30 minutes...

 

[rafairchild2]

I didn't get any photos with the rotary tool.  Just trying to get a little more shape on the head and shoulders.  But here is more of the process after the rotary tool.

(image 1) I use a soft barrel sander to shape the 'fenders', (2) rounding out the top (front and back) and profiling the underside a little. I can do the car in about a minute or so this way.  The shaping really makes this stand out vs the sharp 90 degrees.

The other thing I did was cut down on how high the windshield and neck brace from the pattern.  I found that not rounding it will leave it prone to breakage. 

(3) Back on the mop sander at 220 grit, to get out any marks.

(4) Finally, I add some gorilla glue to the axle holes and then tap pegs into them, the fit is somewhat tight, so some light tapping works.  I can also use the clamp on my workbench to push them in.  I am figuring out a jig, so I can get consistent results and do it quickly.

I use the mop sander again on the wheels to spin them, and also smooth them out again.  At 900 PRM, it's also sort of a test to make sure the wheels spin freely, and also stay on.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 1 by rafairchild2

[Mike Crosa]

All I can say is WOW!  What a wonderful job you are doing for the kids. God Bless.

[MarieC]

Great work!  I am sure those kiddos with love them!

[artisanpirate]

Outstanding Work!

[daveww1]

awesome work

[TAIrving]

That is true dedication.  Bless you.  

[rafairchild2]

Thanks all, I had an idea this am as I was working on finishing up my last 6 cars, and thought what would happen if I did a "little people" driver? Looked for some inspiration, and then went into Photoshop.  I liked this 1950's Alfa (or Ferrari), very quick to cut out. It is somewhat similar to Steve's.

So this is one of two prototypes, but one broke in 1/2 due to the way I did the grain out of scrap maple. (I am gluing it back together and it goes on my 'learning' shelf.  I went a little too deep with the driver hole on one of these pieces. 

I think next time I'll go 1" thick, scale up a little more, and then make more of a boat tail taper on the back. I am also going to cut down the little people so he sits lower and also glue him into place.  My concern is a choking hazzard for young kids, and also that is an easy piece to lose. Like this inspiration in the 2nd photo.

 

Edited September 2 by rafairchild2

[BadBob]

Very nice. Keep up the excellent work.

I make many toys, and one of my best tools is a set of drill bits in number and letter sizes. Dowels and axle pegs are not always the correct size. When gluing a dowel into a wheel or a peg into a body, there must be enough room for the dowel and glue. These bits allow me to quickly increase the size of a hole by a few thousandths. If the hole is tight when you dry fit, it will be much tighter once it is wet with glue. I have split toy bodies when forcing a peg into a hole, and I once had glue squirt out of the side of a toy. Nowadays, I make the hole larger if I can't fit the dowel or peg into the hole and remove it with my hand.

[rafairchild2]

36 minutes ago, BadBob said:

Nowadays, I make the hole larger if I can't fit the dowel or peg into the hole and remove it with my hand.

I have my bits drilled and sitting in a block of wood, this way I can take whatever I am fitting and just slide it in.  I have my axle pegs, slightly tight and only need a slight tap of the hammer, or I use my bench vice.  I have a space inside between the pegs for the glue to seep.  I am trying to build these as strong as possible so they pass the 10x drop at 4.5 feet on cement.  This is the test for Child Safety certification. So my tolerances are on the tighter side.

NOw if I do a full axel, then of course the holes are somewhat loose for the axel to spin vs the wheel and glued peg.

Edited September 2 by rafairchild2

[rafairchild2]

Okay, so I quickly did a prototype with the boat tail taper and the little people cut down and glued into place for safety.

I had some canary wood cast off so I used that.  I like this... A few more tweaks, but overall fast to cut, drill, and shape.

This is how I spend the last day of my 5-day leave...

Edited September 2 by rafairchild2

[jerry walters]

7 hours ago, BadBob said:

Very nice. Keep up the excellent work.

I make many toys, and one of my best tools is a set of drill bits in number and letter sizes. Dowels and axle pegs are not always the correct size. When gluing a dowel into a wheel or a peg into a body, there must be enough room for the dowel and glue. These bits allow me to quickly increase the size of a hole by a few thousandths. If the hole is tight when you dry fit, it will be much tighter once it is wet with glue. I have split toy bodies when forcing a peg into a hole, and I once had glue squirt out of the side of a toy. Nowadays, I make the hole larger if I can't fit the dowel or peg into the hole and remove it with my hand.

Bod, I have what might be a stupid question.  I think I know but need you to tell me.  How do you enlarge the hole with the smaller bits?  When I need  dowel I will take the project with me to make sure the dowel will fit into the hole.  I have a good supply of dowels that are just a tad to large.  I have also tried to sandpaper the dowels to the right size but they always end up lopsided.  Result is a bumpy ride.

Jerry

[BadBob]

29 minutes ago, jerry walters said:

How do you enlarge the hole with the smaller bits?

I'm enlarging the hole with a larger bit. For example, I have a 1/4-inch hole, and the dowel is too tight. 1/4-inch = 0.25 On my drill size chart, the next larger size is F, which is 0.257 or 7 thousandths of an inch larger.

Yes, I could sand the dowels to fit, but I think this is much easier. I buy dowels, pegs, and wheels in large quantities. I have purchased 1,000 wheels of a single size before. My local stores only keep a few dowels on hand; the last time I checked, they were pine.

[jerry walters]

I didn't know bits came in letter sizes or that they even existed.  At 84 I'm still learning.  Thanks Bob.

Jerry

 

[BadBob]

9 hours ago, jerry walters said:

I didn't know bits came in letter sizes or that they even existed.  At 84 I'm still learning.  Thanks Bob.

Jerry

 

I have known about them for years but did not own a set until a few years ago when I watched a video of a luthier using them to repair an expensive guitar. After watching the video, I bought a set. If you do anything that requires precise hole sizes, these are what you need. You can get letter and number size bits separately, but they seem to be most commonly available in sets that have letter, number, and fractional sizes. I bought mine at Harbor Freight.