The Year of the Toymaker

Day 120 - Block Stilts

2011-05-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

These simple block stilts have been a lot of fun, and surprisingly no one has broken an ankle yet. Or swung them around like a massive flail.

Days 115-119

2011-05-04T17:02:00.003-04:00

I have been really bad about keeping up with my posts, I admit it. I have been making things, though. This is a pair of bullroarers, one hacked out of wood that was a little too hard and one made with power tools and actually works, and a shadow person. Bizarre diversity, that's our motto. One night the toy I "made" was installing Windows on a PC that had Linux on it so my son could play Marvel Super Heroes on it. One toy was discovering something cool to do with a pack of gum i have on my desk at work. Since I won't be back in the office until Friday you'll have to wait until then to see it.

I'll try to be better about the posting, I promise.

Day 114 - Bunny Finger Puppets

2011-04-24T21:39:00.001-04:00

More bunnies. It's almost like there's a bunny-themed holiday going on or something.

Day 113 - Origami Bunny

2011-04-23T22:40:00.000-04:00

Bunnies are cute.

Until they eat your furniture. And your jacket. And the power cord for your laptop.

That Easter Bunny better bring me a lot of candy, his people have some atoning to do.

Day 112 - MKULTRA Top

2011-04-23T22:37:00.000-04:00

Project MKULTRA (may lead to black helicopters following you around)

Scariens (may lead to rocking out)

I'd just follow the second link if I were you.

Day 111- Wooden Sword

2011-04-23T22:33:00.000-04:00

Rest assured, gentle reader. I'm still here and still making toys every day, I just haven't been making a post every day.

I've been getting pressure for, well, since I started this to make a wooden sword. I wanted this one to be crude, like something the Lost Boys would make for themselves to fight Captain Hook. I also want you to be more impressed when I make a more elaborate one later.

Day 110 - Pendant

2011-04-20T20:58:00.000-04:00

Ever since I made a similar pendant for Beth a while ago my daughter has been asking for one of her own. This one is a bit smaller and more delicate than the other one, but that's appropriate since she herself is small and delicate.

This also is made from a piece of our floorboard and it's burned with a rune for protection. Every little bit helps.

Day 109 - Kilt Pin

2011-04-19T22:02:00.000-04:00

There's a wee lad around here that's become much more interested in wearing his kilt lately. The time has come for his own kilt pin, so here it is.

He "helped" in the workshop while I was making it, and the lion rampant was by his request. It might not really be a toy, but everything about making it has put a big smile on my face.

Day 108 - "Marshmallow" Shooter

2011-04-18T21:07:00.001-04:00

This is supposed to be a mini-marshmallow shooter (there's a hole in the bottom of the cup that lets the balloon launch the marshmallows), but we don't do marshmallows around here (except for the vegan ones from Sweet & Sara, and there's no way we're launching those across the living room to get lost under the couch.)

The pseudo-mallows are small bits of plastic packing foam. They have less mass than marshmallows so they slow down drastically when they leave the launcher. Slightly less fun than something that'll fly all the way across the room, but also less likely to get lost.

Day 107 - Barbell

2011-04-17T21:45:00.001-04:00

Have you heard about the big strong man?
He lived in a caravan.
Have you heard about the Jeffrey Johnson fight?
Oh, Lord what a hell of a fight.
You can take all of the heavyweights you’ve got.
We’ve got a lad that can beat the whole lot.
He used to ring bells in the belfry,
Now he’s gonna fight Jack Demspey.

That was my brother Sylvest’ (What’s he got?)
A row of forty medals on his chest (big chest!)
He killed fifty bad men in the west; he knows no rest.
Think of a man, hells’ fire, don’t push, just shove,
Plenty of room for you and me.
He’s got an arm like a leg (a ladies’ leg!)
And a punch that would sink a battleship (big ship!)
It takes all of the Army and the Navy to put the wind up Sylvest’.

Now, he thought he’d take a trip to Italy.
He thought that he’d go by sea.
He dove off the harbor in New York,
And swam like a great big shark.
He saw the Lusitania in distress.
He put the Lusitania on his chest.
He drank all of the water in the sea,
And he walked all the way to Italy.

He thought he take a trip to old Japan.
They turned out a big brass band.
You can take all of the instruments you’ve got,
We got a lad that can play the whole lot.
And the old church bells will ring (Hells bells!)
The old church choir will sing (Hells fire!)
They all turned out to say farewell to my big brother Sylvest’.

Day 106 - Scrap Doll

2011-04-16T23:26:00.000-04:00

I made this doll out of a few scrap parts, some fabric, and some yarn I had laying around. It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, but that's what I get for making a toy in a hurry after a drink or two.

Oh well, at least I have a nice new Polamalu-In-Drag action figure.

Day 105 - Card Trick

2011-04-15T23:23:00.001-04:00

Pick a card, any card...

I didn't make the cards, but I did use them to perform the classic "guess your card" trick that had a five-year-old astounded until I explained it to him. I'll leave it to you to figure out how it's done, but I will give you a hint: the backs aren't even close to symmetrical.

Day 104 -I'm on a boat!

2011-04-14T21:01:00.001-04:00

Now where did I put my nautical-themed pashmina Afghan?

Day 103 - Dracula

2011-04-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

Buenos noches, Señor Renfield...

This vampire is way cooler than that last one.

Day 102 - Grasshopper

2011-04-12T20:31:00.000-04:00

I was playing around with a clothespin this evening and it struck me how grasshopper-like it was. A couple of glued-on illustrations and now it's ready to try to hop on over and try to guilt some ants out of their food.

Day 101 - ???

2011-04-11T21:46:00.001-04:00

I have no idea what this thing is called, but I remember playing with a much larger version in elementary school. My Google-Fu let me down with this one, I could find no trace of them. If you've any idea what it is please let me know.

The way it works is that there are two strings running through the shuttle (in this case, a pen body through a synthetic cork from a rather regrettable, gimmicky bottle of red wine). Two people take the ends of the strings, one in each hand, and give a quick tug apart to send the shuttle flying down the strings. This one only works moderately well, there's either too much friction or not enough weight. I think I'll try replacing the cotton string with a slicker synthetic tomorrow and see what happens.

Day 100 - Kazoo

2011-04-10T21:24:00.000-04:00

Huh. Triple digits.

Here's a kazoo made out of a TP tube, a rubber band, and some wax paper.

Day 99 - Cat's Cradle

2011-04-09T21:57:00.000-04:00

Not pictured: The Silver spoon, Little Boy Blue, The Man in the Moon

Day 98 - Pencil

2011-04-08T22:10:00.000-04:00

I've made a few toys that were miniature versions of other objects, but this is the first giant thing I've made. Everybody likes feeling tiny every once in a while, right?

Day 97 - Rubberband Gun

2011-04-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

Surprisingly accurate, and apparently stings a little.

Day 96 - Fortune Teller

2011-04-06T22:05:00.003-04:00

It's uncanny how accurate this thing is. It predicted that tomorrow will be...

THURSDAY!

Day 95 - Pig and Sheep

2011-04-05T21:22:00.000-04:00

And here we have some livestock to go with the fence. Look at his little tail, isn't it just the cutest?

Day 94 - Fence

2011-04-04T21:45:00.000-04:00

My son asked for some farm animals and fences to play with, so today I started on the fence sections (you've got to have your fences in place before you get your livestock, you know).

Day 93 - Robot Glasses

2011-04-03T21:31:00.001-04:00

We bought a new soccer ball for our son today, and since he is quite the box aficionado he was playing with the packaging. He put it on his head à la Geordie La Forge and our daughter said that I should make it into robot glasses for today's toy. A few quick cuts with a craft knife, some cellophane, and voilà - instant cyborg.

Day 92 - Checkers

2011-04-02T23:30:00.001-04:00

"One other thing I probably should tell you because if we don't they'll probably be saying this about me too, we did get something—a gift—after the election. A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was? It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he'd sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl—Tricia, the 6-year-old—named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it."

Day 91 Part 2 - Gotcha

2011-04-02T23:23:00.000-04:00

You should know better than to believe any extraordinary claims made on April 1st unless you see some pretty extraordinary evidence. The toy for yesterday was the prank. I do love a good prank.

Day 91 - Tragedy

2011-04-01T21:23:00.001-04:00

I figured that since I had the day off today and yesterday's toy was so simple I'd make something more elaborate than I have in a while. Unfortunately that plan was derailed by a bit of a mishap.

The piece of wood I was cutting on the table saw kicked back and knocked my hand into the blade, so I'm now missing the first joint of my right ring finger. That'll teach me to try to make cuts that you can't do without removing the blade guard.

It could be worse, I guess. A similar thing happened to my Uncle Cecil years ago and he lost his pinky, ring finger, half his middle finger, and the tip of his index finger.

Day 90 - Paper Airplane

2011-03-31T23:33:00.000-04:00

I know the title up there says "paper airplane" and the photo looks an awful lot like a paper airplane, but this is really a cop out. I've spent all evening* working on a project for work (which really should have been the project of one of you people [you know who you are], except you jumped ship). I know I'll have a warm fuzzy feeling of accomplishment when it's done, but right now it's just eating into my toy-making time.

*Except for a break where I went to go see my lovely daughter's performance with the all-county chorus. She rocked the place.

Day 89 - Eye Patch

2011-03-30T21:41:00.001-04:00

The universe suggested today's theme. I had a small conversation about software piracy at work today, and then I came home to an article in Smithsonian Magazine about the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Okay Universe - pirates it is.

I made the eye patch out of some scrap leather I had. The piratical demeanor is naturally mine.

Day 88 - Stage Wand

2011-03-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

We got Hee-Haw-Dini and the Great Zambini from the library and it's been a popular story at bedtime lately. It also inspired today's toy, a stage magician's wand. This is different than the wands I did earlier in that this is strictly for illusions and those were for real magic.

Ironically enough, it's photographed on a reproduction of a poster for a Houdini show. As far as I've been able to determine, Houdini never used a wand.

Day 87 - Bearded Axe

2011-03-28T20:47:00.001-04:00

Today we present the second item in our unexpected "Weapons of the Vikings" series. This was a request from my son who asked for a battle axe to go with the war hammer I made a while back.

Day 86 - Robot

2011-03-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

Today's toy is a collaborative effort - I made the robot out of some scrap and my son drew the features. I woodburned over his lines and voila, a chicken-footed robot with lots of buttons and an 'S' on a hatch on his chest that stands for both "stomach" and "Super Robot". At least that's what the designer says.

Day 85 - Pipecleaner Glasses

2011-03-26T21:24:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love playing dress up? And what kid, when presented with a pair of round glasses, wouldn't be a wizard?

Day 84 - Shell Game

2011-03-25T22:13:00.000-04:00

The kids are having a little too much fun with this one. They'll either end up as street con men or big winners on The Price Is Right.

Day 83 - Gold Bar

2011-03-25T22:09:00.000-04:00

I've had a few basswood blocks sitting around for a couple of weeks and my son has kept telling me I should make gold bricks out of them. I finally did, and I'm really amused by the way it turned out. The CHA-CHING mint mark was Beth's idea.

Day 82 - Carosello

2011-03-24T21:29:00.001-04:00

Carosello is a Renaissance ring toss game that's similar to the cup and ball game I made a while back. You toss the ring in the air and try to catch it on the stick, but what makes it a bit more difficult than the cup and ball is the ring's tendency to twist in the air and close off the opening.

This evolved from an Arabian war game where men on horseback would toss each other rings that they would try to catch on spears. A variant of the game used fragile ceramic balls filled with scented oils, kind of like an egg toss.

Yes, this is actually yesterday's toy, but I wasn't able to post it last night. There's another toy today, but the paint is drying and I can't photograph it yet. It may be my favorite so far just because of its sheer silliness. Stay tuned...

Day 81 - Sgian Don't

2011-03-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

April 6 is National Tartan Day and I got up the nerve to ask my HR department about wearing my kilt to work that day. They said yes, but I doubt that they'd appreciate my wearing one of the traditional kilt accessories, the sgian dubh (pronounced skeen doo). For those of you that don't know, sgian dubh is Gaelic for "black knife", and it's the knife that's tucked into the hose top when kilted. Since they have a fairly standard no-weapons policy I figured I should make something a little less bladey than what I would ordinarily wear.

This is a wooden version that is often jokingly referred to as a "sgian don't". While this isn't technically a toy, I sure had fun making it and I'm sure that I'll enjoy wearing it.

Day 80 - Silly Golf Game

2011-03-21T21:19:00.001-04:00

Today's toy is one that all of you can play with, too! I know it's pretty lame, but I think it's at least a little bit fun.

Day 79 - Vamos United!

2011-03-20T21:33:00.000-04:00

Last night was DC United's season opener against the Columbus ~~Canaries~~ Crew. I'm pleased to say that they did very well, winning 3-1 (two of which were scored by Charlie Davies, in what is certainly the feel-good comeback of the year after a near-fatal car accident a year and a half ago). It's looking like a good season so far.

Day 78 - Traingle Solitaire

2011-03-19T23:23:00.000-04:00

You may recognize this particular toy from the tables of a certain country-store-themed restaurant that served me undercooked blueberry pancakes last time. Not that I hold a grudge.

They call it an "IQ Tester" which is kind of a misnomer, but figuring out the hole spacing was a bit of a challenge.

Day 77 - Stun Gun

2011-03-18T21:31:00.001-04:00

Don't tase me, bro!

I know it's a stale meme, but that was one of my son's favorite phrases a couple of months ago. It's still funny when a five-year-old says it, so I'm trying to bring it back.

Day 76 - Smokegrinder

2011-03-17T22:06:00.000-04:00

This is an old-timey toy called a smokegrinder. It's a cousin to the well-known top and is played by giving the spindle a spin and working the handle up and down to oscillate the spindle. I guess if you worked hard enough you could grind out some smoke, but I haven't been able to do it yet.

This is also the design for a primitive pump drill used for putting holes in stones and shells. Use a little bit of sand as an abrasive and apply large amounts of time.

Day 75 - Soccer Goal

2011-03-17T22:02:00.001-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, soccer season is upon us. Tuesday night was the season opener for MLS, and this weekend is chock full of games, including my team, DC United (in what I'm sure will be a solid defeat of the Columbus Crew).

This is a miniature goal made from basswood and a plastic mesh bag. The ball is an eraser that my lovely daughter bought for me a couple of months ago at her school store.

Day 74 - Chair

2011-03-16T21:23:00.000-04:00

I really did make this chair yesterday, but I got so caught up in the first MLS game of the season that I forgot to make my post. Anyway, here it is, a chair to go with the previous day's table.

Today's toy will probably be posted tomorrow due to glue drying time and exhaustion.

Day 73 - Table

2011-03-14T22:10:00.002-04:00

I say we table this discussion for now.

Day 72 - Shaker

2011-03-13T22:07:00.001-04:00

By day, a mild mannered block of wood. By night, a rock star.

Just give it a shake and the handful of BBs in the hollow block make a heck of a racket. Just what Beth wanted, something else for the kids to make noise with.

Day 71 - Throwing Stars

2011-03-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

Hey ninja, can you throw sharp metal things at people? Shuriken!

Anyway, the pirates vs ninjas issue has been debated for far too long and I think people are overlooking the obvious winner - vikings.

Day 70 - Dog Mask

2011-03-11T20:59:00.000-05:00

We've had this unfinished wooden dog mask around for quite a while and my son happened to come across it today. He's been remarkably good about our out-of-whack routine over the past few days, so when he suggested that I paint it as my toy today I had to borrow a line from grandfathers everywhere: "He wanted it. What was I supposed to do?"

Day 69 - Moustaches!

2011-03-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

On sticks!

Day 68 - Paper Flowers

2011-03-09T19:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a work commissioned and financed (in the form of supplies) by one of my biggest fans - my lovely daughter. She requested paper flowers for our pipe cleaner caterpillars to play on and she even brought me her tissue paper collection to use. In addition to solids like red and white she also had leopard print and polka dot. You know I couldn't pass up that combination.

Day 67 - Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor, God of Thunder

2011-03-08T20:18:00.000-05:00

If the only reason you recognize this is because of the trailers for the upcoming Thor movie then you need to crack a book. I suggest you start with The Prose Edda for the full richness of the Norse mythos, followed up by American Gods for an interesting twist, and finish up with The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul for dessert.

I bet you didn't expect me to assign homework, did you?

Day 66 - Stacking Blocks

2011-03-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

They're blocks. They stack. There was a lot of sanding. I need a drink.

Day 65 - Pipecleaner Caterpillars

2011-03-06T20:05:00.000-05:00

In addition to picking up the new chickens yesterday, Beth and I made the first of our many vegetable plant purchases yesterday. I don't know if Southern States knows about this, but some rather interesting bugs seem to be infesting our cabbage and asparagus plants.

There are many old sayings regarding woolly worms and weather, I wonder what kind of weather these guys are predicting. Hallucinogenic, maybe?

Day 64 - Chickens

2011-03-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today Beth and I took a little road trip to pick up some new chickens, so that's where the inspiration for this toy came from. It's just a pair of simple chicken silhouettes right now, but I plan on painting them with the kids soon. Then they'll be a slightly less simple pair of chicken silhouettes.

Day 63 - Twist Drum

2011-03-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

Remember this, Daniel-san? It is one of those annoying drum things everybody had in Okinawa when we went there so you could get over Elizabeth Shue dumping you for that bartender. Anyway, I thought this might help you keep your rhythm in your new gig.

PS - I thought you were great in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead

Day 62 - Carrot Domokun

2011-03-03T19:35:00.000-05:00

Today's toy is just ridiculous, but it had to be made. Beth was fixing dinner tonight (Vegetable soup, and it was delicious. Thanks for asking.) when she happened upon this naturally bifurcated carrot. I immediately saw its potential for greatness and asked if I could have it. The result is a Domokun figure. If you aren't familiar, get out from under your rock and watch this.

I'm clearly not a big believer in "don't play with your food".

Day 61 - Solitaire

2011-03-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

I made this solitaire board from a scrap piece of MDF I had in the shop and a bag of floral marbles I found upstairs. I think my Scots forbears would be proud of my thriftiness.

My daughter said that solitaire is a game for lonely people, but guess who got hooked right away.

Day 60 - Bella

2011-03-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

This was a request to go along with an earlier project. I think it really captures her essence.

For those of you unfamiliar with Twilight I recommend this version.

Day 59 - Puzzle

2011-02-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

The object of this puzzle is to remove the ring from the cord. It's possible, I promise (even without scissors).

Day 58 - Kirk and Spock

2011-02-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

Beyond
The rim of the star-light
My love
Is wand'ring in star-flight
I know
He'll find in star-clustered reaches
Love,
Strange love a star woman teaches.
I know
His journey ends never
His star trek
Will go on forever.
But tell him
While he wanders his starry sea
Remember, remember me.

(Please don't think that I wrote that. Those are the lyrics Gene Roddenberry wrote for the Star Trek theme.)

Day 57 - Tractor

2011-02-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

It took me a while, but I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I know it seems a little weird since the stereotype is the farm boy who wants to get out as soon as he can and move to the big city, but I want to go from the city to the farm. I've had enough of the bright lights, I'll be happy to trade them for more room to move.

In a few years I plan on being the live-action version of that little wooden man on the tractor.

Day 56 - Mini-Timmy

2011-02-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

We've been having an interesting week around here. And by interesting I mean kind of pitiful. Just when our daughter was getting over her week-long illness our son came down with it. So when you ask a feverish 5-year-old what toy you should make you get things like "a wooden cat" as an answer.

Not being the type of guy who can turn down a sick kid I made one. I think it kind of resembles our cat Timmy in his younger, thinner days. I would have made a life-size statue of him, but I have neither time nor wood enough for that project.

He appears less than amused at the weight jokes.

Day 55 - Paper Hats

2011-02-24T18:58:00.000-05:00

I thought what I made today was paper hats, but apparently I made pirates. One with a skunk on his shoulder, no less.

Day 54 - Twig Whistle

2011-02-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

This is a wind instrument that's more my speed. It's a little rough around the edges but it works pretty well, kind of like yours truly.

Of course, I made this from a limb freshly sawn off the pear tree in the back yard so it's liable to crack and fall apart as it dries. Oh well, you work with what you have.

Day 53 - PVC flute

2011-02-22T21:22:00.000-05:00

Not only is it good for plumbing, PVC pipe is perfect for making flutes. It's easily worked, tubular, consistent, moisture resistant, and virtually crack-proof.

I threw this one together in about 20 minutes and it actually plays pretty well. I still need to refine the blow hole profile and fully deburr the inside of the finger holes but it's playable now if you don't mind a little buzzing and feathering on some notes.

Now I just need to learn how to really play the flute instead of just playing random notes. Or maybe I'll just stay an improv jazz flautist.

Day 52 - Dice

2011-02-21T22:07:00.000-05:00

Here are some chunky 3/4-inch dice. Dice games of one sort or another have been part of just about every culture for as long as people have been keeping track of history. They can be as simple as just rolling for a higher number or as complex as Hazard, Panquist (which was very popular in the Middle Ages but apparently not popular enough now to even have a Wikipedia entry), or Yahtzee.

Odds are good that you'll see these again later as part of something else.

Day 51 - Candy Wrapper Spinners

2011-02-20T20:31:00.000-05:00

You know, toys don't have to be elaborate, or even permanent. At least to me, pretty much anything that you deliberately play with can be considered a toy.Doubly so if you modified it in some way for purpose.

These are a couple of spinning tops that are made out of candy wrappers. It's nothing more than a Starburst wrapper folded in half and given a twist to make a bow tie shape (bow ties are cool). Instead of twisting a handle with your hand you blow on them to make them spin.

Day 50 - Flipperdinger

2011-02-19T22:03:00.001-05:00

Here's another oldie-but-goodie with a funny name. This one is called a flipperdinger, and the object of the game is to hook and unhook the cork ball from the wire hoop. It takes more air to move than it probably should since the ball would traditionally be made form cornstalk pith instead of cork. I don't happen to have any cornstalks on hand, and half the fun of this toy is how lightheaded you get anyway, so the heavier ball isn't really a detriment.

Here it is in action:

* Photo from the March, 1960 issue of Popular Science

Day 49 - Sheep Puzzle

2011-02-18T22:35:00.000-05:00

The frog puzzle was such a hit that my son requested a sheep puzzle. I love sheep and requests, so it was perfect.

Some things I've learned from the two puzzles:

1. They're fun.
2. I need some basswood. The grain in the pine is remarkably uncooperative with the scroll saw, especially the smaller blades that are the best for the puzzles.

I guess a trip to the craft store is in the near future. Oh darn.

Day 48 - Pin Badges

2011-02-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Are pin badges toys? Probably not. Do I care? Certainly not.

This is my party and I say we could all use more smiles.

Day 47 - Frog Puzzle

2011-02-16T21:14:00.001-05:00

This morning Beth and I were discussing next week's upcoming holidays - Presidents' Day for us and Día de la Bandera for our neighbors to the south (which has surprisingly little to do with Antonio Banderas) - when the Wrecking Ball (our son) told us to not forget Frog Day. When I asked him when Frog Day was he informed us it was today.

So in observance of the day he designated to honor our amphibian friends I made this chunky little jigsaw puzzle. Maybe Monday I'll make a president.

Day 46 - Lowrider Pickup

2011-02-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

It's a toy pickup truck that rides low. What else is there to say?

Day 45 - Walnut Turtle

2011-02-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

Beth got inordinately excited about this one when she saw what I was making. Apparently she used to make these all the time when she was a kid. I know that they were a prominent feature of every craft book I had, including the ultimate guide to 1970's nature crafts for kids, Snips & Snails & Walnut Whales.

I had that book when I was a kid and I probably made 90% of the projects in the book. I recently got another copy and I think I'll be passing on the tradition.

Day 44 - Paper Dolls

2011-02-13T18:11:00.001-05:00

My daughter suggested that I make paper dolls today, and when I asked my son if he'd ever seen them before he said that he had - on TV. Since that just won't do, we made some together. Well, I made some while he watched - at 5 years old his scissor skills aren't quite up to the task yet.

I folded the paper out of his sight and cut the silhouette while he watched. The look on his face when I unfolded it was priceless. Seeing the "one guy" turn into a whole gang of guys looked like it made his day.

Day 43 - Pyramid of Khufu

2011-02-12T19:39:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you folks have heard, but there's some history being made in Egypt right now. I thought I'd pay tribute to that by making a miniature version of a somewhat older piece of Egyptian history. This is an approximately 1/4000 scale model of the Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Good show, Egypt.

Day 42 - Another Top

2011-02-11T22:46:00.000-05:00

If it seems like I'm phoning this one in it's just because I am. I had a plan for something that I thought was really cool, only to find out that multiple converging 52° angles on the table saw would probably leave me missing fingers. I think I may revisit that project tomorrow when I have more time, but for today you get to see another top. This one is made from a scrap piece of MDF that I happened to spot while I was trying to decide what I was going to make in lieu of, well, I'll let you guess.

Day 41 - Acrobat

2011-02-11T22:43:00.000-05:00

This little guy is quite a talented acrobat. Just squeeze the uprights below the connecting spring and he'll flip all around.

If you squint just right you'll swear you're at the circus.

Day 40 - Cat Toy

2011-02-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

Why should the human residents of the house have all the fun?

Day 39 - Paper Clip Top

2011-02-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

I've talked about my love of tops before, but this is probably my favorite. did you know you could make a top out of a paper clip? It's true, I swear. I offer for your consideration both photographic and videographic evidence.

Day 38 - Magic Ball

2011-02-07T20:16:00.001-05:00

This post would be better with video, but I'm feeling lazy so you'll just have to take my word for this one.

This is a magic ball on a string. You use it by holding each end of the string so it is vertical in front of you and you can make the ball stop and start at will as it slides down the string. Any guesses as to how it works?

Day 37 - Paper Football

2011-02-06T22:26:00.002-05:00

What else did you expect me to make today?

Day 36 - Paper Cranes

2011-02-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

There is an ancient Japanese legend that says whoever folds one thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish.

Two down, nine hundred ninety-eight to go.

Day 35 - Paper Airplane

2011-02-04T21:59:00.001-05:00

And now we come to America's favorite paper toy, the paper airplane. I made this one from the instructions in this video, and it is hands down the best paper airplane design I have ever made.

I made two with different body-heights and they have fairly different flight characteristics. The one with the the narrower body has more rise so you need to throw it at a downward angle if you don't want it to nose up into a stall too soon, but if you get it just right you can get some pretty good distance with it. The other one has a flatter pattern and it gets distance with less effort but its flights aren't as flashy. Both of them will go as far as my house will let them.

Day 34 - Cubeecraft Darth Vader

2011-02-03T19:20:00.000-05:00

Who knew that a Dark Lord of the Sith could be so cute? This is a papercraft version of Darth Vader, created by the fine folks at Cubeecraft. These are fun little papercraft projects that require no tape or glue, just a couple of sheets of paper, a craft knife, and a small amount of time. If you've ever thought of making papercraft models then these are the perfect starting point. Who knows, eventually you might work your way up to something like one of these. Or this (if you don't know when to stop).

Day 33 - Brigid's Cross

2011-02-02T21:43:00.002-05:00

Today is February 2, known to most folks in the U.S. as Groundhog Day. What you might not know is that the holiday has roots that go way back in European folklore. Today is also known as Imbolc, and marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and is celebrated as the time when winter first starts to give way to spring. Another holiday that happens to share the same date is Candlemas, an observation of the presentation of Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem 40 days after Christmas.

The origin of our modern Groundhog Day goes back to the belief that if you had good weather today then winter was gathering strength for another push, but if you had foul weather it meant that winter was in decline. The whole groundhog-seeing-his-shadow thing had more to do with whether or not he had one than his courage. It was almost 70° here today with partly cloudy skies so I fully expect at least one storm to drop at least a foot of snow on us be the end of the month.

As for today's "toy", it is a Brigid's Cross. Various legends surround its origin, some confused because of the two different Brigids in the stories [the one who was the daughter of the Dagda and the later Catholic saint (who may have been the same person. Oh you precocious prehistory.)]. (That was a lot of punctuation right there, wasn't it?)

The Brigid's cross is supposed to bring you health and luck in the coming year, and so far it seems to be working. Not a single papercut during the whole project!

I worked on this project with my lovely daughter and we each made one. A good time was had by all, and isn't that what this whole thing is about?

Day 32 - Origami frog

2011-02-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

This little fella is the deadly poison dart frog from the jungles of the Amazon basin. The Embera Indians of western Columbia use its highly toxic skin secretions to poison the tips of their blowgun darts.

Okay, it's actually an origami frog from the wilds of my kitchen. His kind originally came from Japan, though, which has ninjas. I'm pretty sure ninjas could kill somebody with a paper frog.

You can make him hop a little by pushing down on his backside and letting your finger slip off quickly. But isn't that true for all of us?

Day 31 - Whirlybirds

2011-01-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

These hard-to-photograph little toys are folded paper whirlybirds. Cut them out, fold them up, and let them drop from a height (as high as you can reach is a good height) - they'll flutter for a bit and then spin gracefully to the ground. My son (aka the 5-year-old human wrecking ball) already came up with a game to play with them: put a plate on the ground and see if you can get the whirlybird to land on it. It's difficult and fun and somewhat addictive.

Here's a site with good instructions and great action photographs if you want to make some for yourself.

Bonus interactive content: This week will be a theme week - see if you can guess what it is. First correct guess wins a feeling of superiority!

Offer valid only for residents of the planet Earth, 21 minutes of age or older, who have not already been told what the theme is (that means you, BB).

Day 30 - Paddle Boat Win*

2011-01-30T20:48:00.000-05:00

Here is the modified paddle boat. It now has a proper axle, but I'm still not entirely confident in the rubber band propulsion system. If I can wrangle a kid into the bathtub tonight we'll test it.

If this one doesn't work I have an idea for a modification that I'll test out later.

* Pending testing

Day 30 - Paddle Boat Fail

2011-01-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry folks, no photo today. The plan was to make a small paddle boat, but the plans I was using had a rather fatal flaw. I figured from the start that the lack of an axle on the rubber-band-driven paddle wheel would be a problem, but I was willing to give the design a shot. I usually like being right, but this was a time I was hoping I'd be wrong. I wasn't.

Tomorrow, however, will be different. I'll be modifying the design to use an axle where any right-thinking engineer would have put one in the first place and I'll post a photo of the working toy then.

Day 29 - Ghost Finger Puppets

2011-01-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

Hey, look! More puppets!

I don't know if you folks knew this, but ghosts are kind of a big deal around our house. Now they're kind of a small deal, too. Get it? Small deal - they're finger puppets... give me a break, it's late

Day 28 - Sock Puppet

2011-01-27T21:48:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank my lovely daughter who donated almost all of the materials for this project.

I think it looks like a slightly imbalanced, color-shifted Andy Warhol. What do you folks think?

Day 27 - Top with Spinner

2011-01-26T20:44:00.000-05:00

We've discussed my love of tops before, right? This is the slightly more advanced version that uses a handle and string to get the top up to ridiculous speed (one step below ludicrous speed). I think I nearly drilled a hole in the floor using this spinner with the last top I made.

Day 26 - Cup and String "Telephone"

2011-01-25T20:39:00.001-05:00

These kids today with their cell phones and faceplaces and twitbooks. In my day all we had was cups and string, AND WE LIKED IT!

I feel a little bit like Alexander Graham Bell (coincidentally a Scot, appropriate with it being Burns Night). And now I want a snow cone, darn it.

Day 25 - Whimmydidle

2011-01-24T22:13:00.000-05:00

I'd only ever whittled whimmydiddles out of sticks before, so when I ran across the idea to make one out of wire I knew I had to try it. I think that this one is the best-working version I've ever made, at least partially because the site that gave me the idea explains some of the science behind it.

In case you aren't up to speed on all your old-timey toys, a whimmydiddle is usually whittled from a couple of sticks. One gets notches carved it it and has a rotor attached to one end while the other is rubbed down the length of the notches to create vibrations. This one operates on the same principle, it's just a bent wire instead of a stick with notches. It also features a rotor made from a piece of cereal box and a rather pointy stick that would probably have rather been used for a caramel apple. Here's a video of it in action so you can see what I'm talking about:

Day 24 - Vanagon

2011-01-23T20:14:00.003-05:00

I realized today that I've made toys for everybody in the family except Beth, so I decided to remedy that. What better to make than a toy version of her beloved VW van? We're currently on our second Vanagon, and we both love it (it loves her more than it does me, though). I think this year it's going to get a major overhaul so it can keep carrying us on grand adventures for years to come.

Day 23 - Wand No. 2

2011-01-22T14:03:00.000-05:00

I guess the last wand needs to be recalibrated. Its prediction that I would make another wand yesterday was off, but not by much. This is the wand for my daughter, and apparently there's at least one more that I have to make for Beth. Anybody else?

Day 22 - Corn Husk Doll

2011-01-21T22:56:00.001-05:00

Who knows what you might find in our cabinets at any given moment. Tonight I found a bag of corn husks, and since tamales weren't on the menu I figured that a corn husk doll would be.

Well, not literally on the menu, we're not cannibals. Often.

Day 21 - Magic Wand

2011-01-20T21:42:00.000-05:00

I know you all wanted a magic wand after you saw Harry Potter so there's no use denying it. I covet Lucius Malfoy's sweet wand cane myself.

We happened to come across a rack of wands in our travels this past weekend and my son decided he needed a "real magic wand". I guess the bamboo chopstick just isn't doing the job for him anymore. Sensing an opportunity for a lesson in frugality (as well as a toy I could make), I tried to convince him that a wand made by the old man would be even more magical than one he could buy at a store. He wasn't convinced at the time, but now I think he's pleased with the results. I just hope he doesn't curse me with it (or stab a hole in the couch).

I can tell it works because it has helped me see the future. I sense that I'll be making another one tomorrow for my daughter...

And in case somebody from Ollivander's is reading this, the wand is poplar with a core of, well, that'll have to be a mystery.

Day 20 - Juggling Bags

2011-01-19T21:28:00.000-05:00

Many years ago, during our whirlwind romance*, Beth would come pick me up to go out. I think it's because she didn't trust my car. Being rather nervous about the whole thing I needed something to take my mind off the waiting, so I taught myself to juggle (using the Klutz book, which I highly recommend). I guess it worked since we'll be celebrating our fifteen year anniversary this April. Note to all you single guys out there - women love a man with skills. Now all I need to do is get the hang of the unicycle in the garage and I can be Jonathan Austin's sidekick.

These bags are made from fabric from a sheet Beth pulled out of the closet and a half cup of lentils each. I'm inordinately proud of the fact that I stepped out of my comfort zone on this one and used a power tool with which I have very little experience - a sewing machine. My only previous sewing machine work was hemming a kilt (not something that is generally recommended, by the way).

* For those of you who don't know, Beth and I met in November and were married the following April. No shotguns were involved in the ceremony, and I'm happy to report that the whirlwind is still going strong.

Day 19 - Spool Tractor

2011-01-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

This here contraption is a spool tractor. Its component parts are: a spool, a rubber band, a dowel, a washer, a small stick, and physics. To use it you hold the spoool and turn the dowel to twist up the rubber band, then you put it down on the floor and let it go. As the rubber band untwists it spins the spool against the dowel (which should be holding steady against the floor) which causes the spool to roll. It's a bit tricky to find a sweet spot in the twisting where you can get a good roll going without having the thing spin wildly out of control (like Lindsey Lohan driving in Beverly Hills).

Here's a diagram in case you can't figure out the construction from my staggeringly accurate description (courtesy of the May, 1979 issue of Popular Mechanics):