Toys for Fun

Last week I blogged about making little toy wooden boats as presents.    At that time I showed three that I had given as gifts and since then I made another one that was given out as a gift.   Tonight I am blogging about the final four.    That makes a total of eight boats.   Most likely these will be given away before Jan. is over.   All except one which is designated for Pam.   (She likes em.  Besides there have been rumblings about how things look a little dusty around the house lately, so I could use a few points here at home.)

   Last week I spent a lot of time describing the types of wood that I used for this project.    This week I took a few more pictures of the process of how they were made.   They each have their own little personal flaw.   Something that I could show you if you were here.   (Being of the male species one accepts the practice of having your flaws pointed out.)   Still once people get a wooden  toy, they seem to be looking forward to seeing what next year will bring.  (And they are easy to make - unlike a patio chair.)

-   I don't think I have written about this before, but on the majority of the projects that I have made I try to brand and date each one.     Most of the time I try to place the brand on some inconspicuous spot like the bottom or inside.    My branding iron is quite basic.   I know there are electric ones out there and I have looked them over thinking that maybe some day I would upgrade.   Still it is kind of fun to pull out the old torch and heat up that small piece of iron and apply it to the wood.

   There they are.   The final four.  (Sounds like a basketball tournament.)    Two of them are already promised out.  Two of them are spares.

   (My goal is to some day have the twelve days of Christmas song sung using my projects.   You know - like 5 patio chairs - eight sailing boats.  and a coat rack hanging on the wall.)

    This is what has been done so far.   The truck was made for Christmas of 2012.   The Helicopter was made for Christmas of 2013.   And of course this year it was the boat.  Already have 2015's picked out.

    It is interesting that when the grand kids are around they always seem to play with these homemade rigs.  

    I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to the January Thaw.