Plywood Reindeer

by shinkdifferent

87K376122

Intro: Plywood Reindeer

Intro

How about a big reindeer decoration for Christmas ?

It is 1.8m length and 1.7m heght in 100% scale.

8 feet x 7feet in 126% scale.

You can use both indoor or outdoors.

If you fold it in the barn during the off season, you can use it next year.

Materials


  • Plywood or OSB (Print "patterns" in following scales) ... 2 boards @$10-20

[100%] t12mm x 900 x 1800 mm

[100%] t15/32 (≈ 11.91mm ) or 1/2 inch(≈ 12.7mm) x 3 x 6 feet

[126%] t19/32 inch x 4 x 8 feet (19/32 inch ≈ 15.08mm)

12mm x 126% = 15.12mm

[ 67%] t1/2inch x 2 x 4 feet (slit must be adjusted)

The original pattern size is for t12 × 900 x 1800 mm (About 3 x 6 feet)

Chose water resistant board for outdoor use and pain properly.

  • Carbon Transfer Paper ... 2 sheets or more @$1 or less
  • Paint (necessary for outdoor use) $10-20/deer
  • Copy Paper (as large as you can print on your printer)

Total: $30-60 / deer

Working hours

Design: 2 weeks (You don't need this if you use patterns below)

Copy : 1 hour

Trace : 2~3 hours

Cut :2~3 hours

Paint :1 hour

Total: 6 - 8 hours (exclude design and shopping)

One day is enough to make. but might be exhausted nice.

Design is already done for you . Just make it ^_^

Buy me a coffee

If you could... supporting me , buy me a cup of coffee from following address. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shink


Buy complete model (Japan only)

If you are in Japan,can buy completed products from here.

https://ouut.base.shop/

STEP 1: Print Patterns

1. Print PDF Pattern files for outline

  • Use Acrobat reader for printout
  • Use " Poster" in print menu. That will automatically print it on multiple pages
  • set scale 100% for 900 x 1800mm board,126% for 4 x 8 feet. 67% for 2 x 4 feet.

2. Number it for layout.

3. Draw a 100mm grid ( same size of grid on printed paper) on plywood by pencil softer than B. You can clean it with eraser after cut.

4. Pin the pattern paper with carbon paper on the grid.

5. Trace with ballpoint pen .

Update (Dec/12/2019)

DXF file added for NC cutting.

I am happy if you make a lot and give it "free" to your company employee or neighborhood .

Please pay attention to CC license , especially "Non Commercial" terms.

STEP 2: Cut

Cut using a jigsaw.

It doesn't matter if the outer lines are cut slightly out of line. It is a wild animal.

The most important part is the slit to be combined with other boards.

Please cut carefully so that the width of 12㎜ slit comes out exactly.

I think that it is also good to make a jig from the unused part of the board ,and redraw the slit line according to the board width. Especially when using a board other than 12mm.

Please check clearance when you cut first slit, and adjust. Cut other slits as same as first one.

Sand the cutting edge # 180-240 with paper before assemble, if you prefer to do.

Do NOT round cut surface of slit , that make wobble structure. Sand there flat.

Safety precautions

The most important thing is not to cut any part of your body.

There is only one point. Do not take your finger, hand or others in the direction of the blade.

And watch your children keep safe.

Be sure to wear goggles. Sometimes jigsaw blades break and fly.

So you need some spare blade. I used 3 blades for one set.

And wear mask.


Tips

When cutting small parts, it is easier to cut them into rough parts first.

If the board hangs down and pinches the blade, or if the material is going to break under its own weight, escape from the cutting line and cut off the material.

STEP 3: Assembly and Setting

Just assemble like puzzle. Pay attention to the orientation of Antlers.

There is no need to glue.

If it is too tight, adjust it with a file or sandpaper #80-160.

File flat as possible for avoid wobble.

If you set a reindeer on outdoors, take measures to prevent it from falling.

Use four camping pegs on the ground and tie the legs down them.

Please paint it with your favorite color. Clear is nice too.

And add a Outdoor christmas lights (Amazon)(Aliexpress)

STEP 4: Postscript

[3D print version]

You can get small 3d print version from here
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3213535

This is made for verifying design by myself before wood working.

[3D print sleigh]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3926757

[Plywood sleigh]

This is just a drawings. I don't have made yet and will not make this year 2019.

Please try it before me , if you want.

Two kids or slim adult can ride it ,but can not slide on snow ^_^.

It was designed seriously, but please try with your own responsibility for strength or other problems. Please check for safety very careful and add metal fittings if needed.

It is difficult to use trace technic , because slit pitch must be precise than reindeer. For precision cut, you had better to re-measure and redraw the lines with straight ruler after trace.

Board size is t18 x 1230 x 2440 mm , almost same as 23/32inch ( ≈ 18.26mm) x 4 x 8 feet.

3 boards ( A layout x1 , B layout x 2)

52 Comments

TrevorAH 3 months ago

When I download the DXF cutting plan the two bottom leg patterns are mostly missing as well as other parts of the plans completely useless in this state.

Astrajosh63 1 year ago

Hi shink,

Great reindeer hats off to you.

I had the reindeer made on a cnc router a few years ago and display it outside my house and people love it. I was wondering if you had the dxf file for the sleigh?

For people not able to see the pdf files it because your most likely viewing this in mobile mode switch to desktop mode and you'll see the pdf's or dxf files.

Slaven 1 year ago

Hello, where can I get PDF for this perfect decoration? Best regards from Croatia

shinkdifferent 1 year ago

Hi. You can find it in my instruction step1 and step 4. ^_^

Nath 2 years ago

Bonjour,
je n'arrive pas à imprimer toutes les pages des planches mais seulement 1 ... Pourquoi et comment puis-je faire svp

Autumn1969 2 years ago

Hi... l don't have a cnc machine. I dont know how they even work. I am looking for a file that l can print a whole bunch of papers that will make the required patterns. Then l wanted to trace them on the wood.

Is there any chance of that happening? I was hoping to make this for the kids in the apartment building to enjoy. I wanted to add it to the decorations that l am putting out on December 1st.

Can anyone help me figure out this?

shinkdifferent 2 years ago

Hi. This is the instructables for who don't have cnc. And I made this without it , but with jigsaw.
All you want is here. You can download PDF free too.
Please read again all instruction, and "made it" comment.

Autumn1969 2 years ago

Thank you for your response l realy appreciated it.

perfo 4 years ago

Great project.
May I make a suggestion?
Instead of transferring the pattern on to the wood, simple stick the paper to the wood with water soluble glue. Cut the shapes out then using water and a stiff brush wash off the paper. If you are going to paint it anyway then maybe you don't even need to remove the paper ?

shinkdifferent 4 years ago

Thank you. It is nice idea " stick and wash " .
If it is a plywood for outdoor use, it will be no problem if it is quickly wiped and dry after washing (May be ).

perfo 4 years ago

Another type of glue I've just remembered is mounting glue
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SprayMount-YP208060506-Adhesive-Spray-Transparent/dp/B000J68HBO/ref=asc_df_B000J68HBO/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=262024380476&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7814422438779741391&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=20343&hvtargid=pla-436109169041&psc=1

The above is an amazon link to it. Basically you can get glue that would hold your pattern to the ply nice and firmly but the patter can be pealed off afterwards. I've got some so I'll give it a bash when my ply turns up..

Verga 3 years ago

I am a high school shop teacher and a trick that I use is to glue the patterns to inexpensive underlayment and then cut those out. This creates a template that you can use over and over. I figured out pretty quickly that if I make one of something sometime down the road someone is going to want me to make one for them or a student wants to make one. Rather than go to the expense of making another paper copy or spending time drawing it out, I just grab the template and go.

shinkdifferent 3 years ago

It is a nice idea for mass production :-)
Please make your town a raindeer town!
I think it's very valuable to show the students that the teacher moves his hands and makes something for himself.
People who can make something will change the world better, right?

gwilki 3 years ago

I downloaded your .dxf file, and used it to make a small reindeer from 1/4" MDF. I cut it out on my CNC. I am a hobbyist and any that I make will not be for sale.
After resizing your components so that I could cut it all out of a 24" x 24" panel, I resized all the slots to match the thickness of my material.
It worked great! Thank you very much for posting this. I will,of course, credit you with the design when I post my reindeer on the CNC forum.

shinkdifferent 3 years ago

Thank you for informing me and I am glad to hear it.
And wow, you have your own cnc that can cut 24inch.

Mallaround 3 years ago

This is great!!!!! I have wanted to do this as I have seen some in yards. I am 68 years old and have never used a jig saw before. I want to make two. I want one male and one female. I will just leave off the antlers and not put the ruffle down by her throat. I can't wait to do the sled as well. Thank you so much for all the information and the instructions and photos!!!!!!!

shinkdifferent 3 years ago

Thank you for warm comment. I made first long round cut for this too. Don't afraid but don't forget to wear protective equipment especially goggles.
I really looking forward to see the photos of that you made one.
And I googled now and see that, female reindeer has antlers too . and male antlers drops in winter season. wow : )

Skkear 4 years ago

Love this reindeer and would like to try it. I am having trouble printing the tile or poster format on apple products (Abobe Acrobat doesn’t give the tile size options for iPhone/iPad). Does anyone have any suggestions?
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