Introduction: How to Make a Wooden Toy Turtle by Tyler.

hello, as a project in my woods class for high school , I have made this project and I wanted to shared how i learned to do it

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

These are the tools and materials that we use to create our toy:

Tools

1. Band saw, for cutting out template and toy.

2. Drill press for drilling axle holes.

3. Drill bits, you will size it in a future step.

4. 1" belt sander for sanding the toy.

5. Router table with 1/4" round over bit.

6. SAFETY GOGGLES!!

Supplies

1. Axles and wheels. I used 1.25" wheels and axles from the hobby store, Wood Glue.

2. Paint. Depends on your animal...

3. 2"x6" stock (or scrap). To cut your animal out of.

4. 1/8" ply or MDF for cutting template. You could even use card stock or cardboard.

Step 2: Find a Photo

Use the internet to find an image of the turtle, I

used the image above for mine

It doesn’t have to be this image, don’t be afraid to make yours the way you like it

*a little advice to help, is to find a turtle picture that’s viewed from the side of the turtle because it makes it so much easier to use as a template and to get the basic turtle shape later on in the build*

Step 3: Template

So you are going to take that picture you chose from step 2 and print it out, After you have it printed out you should cut it out and grab your wood for your Wooden template, trace the outline onto the template.

Step 4: Transfer Onto Stock

You are going to want to put your template on a piece of stock, the one we used to make this project was 2 by 6 wood. The wood type can be any of your choice. But after you trace the template onto your piece of stock you’re going to want to cut it out on a band saw. I highly recommend learning how to properly use this machine before using it to cut out your piece.

Step 5: Cutting It Out on the Bandsaw

!!! When you cut this piece out of your stock wood,

please make sure to look up how to properly use the band saw so you can be safe!!!

Make sure not to bend the blade with super steep and dramatic curves along your toy. It’s best if you go in on many different angles so you can get the cleanest cuts while not destroying your machinery.

The blade I used for this project was the quarter inch blade.

*make sure to keep your fingers away from the blade at all times*

Step 6: Sanding

When sanding your toy make sure to get all the marks that the band saw has made. I used this sanding machine for the majority of my sanding, all you have to do is make the marks go away and make it smooth. If you can run your finger across any part of the toy and there’s no bumps that’s a good sign to see that you’re on the right path.

Step 7: Mark the Wheels

You are going to want to put your template over your now sanded animal stock. Take the closest writing utensil and mark from the template where the center of your feet on your toy are. This way your wheels won’t touch and so you can actually move them around.

Step 8: Drilling

*please make a note to watch a safety video if you

have no experience with the drill press before starting on this portion of the project*

A good way to know what size bit you’ll need is to gather your wheels from the materials you should have gathered in step 1 and run a bit through the holes and make sure it’s not too small or too big before proceeding to drill the marked spot of your toy.

Step 9: Painting

Your painting is all dependent on what you want your toy to look like, I like the look of wood on my toy, because it really shows off your hard work making a wooden toy out of scratch. So I recommend not painting the whole piece a solid color.

I used sharpie to outline my design and a guidance for my painting piece as you can see on the shell. I also like it because it transitions from the wood to the paint well in my opinion

Step 10: Glueing

Make sure that you use the proper glue when putting together your wheels into the holes you’ve made with the drill press.