Dump Trucks

    I have mentioned before that I belong to a wood workers club that is called "Chips off the old Block".   Every year at Christmas time as a project, the club usually builds a group of toys that we donate to the local care team.   Along with that, a couple of the club members mass produce a bundle of toy blocks to also give away. Last year the club built a semi truck and it was loaded with Lincoln logs.   This year the goal was to build a toy dump truck.

     What usually happens is there are three or four wood workers who end up building all the trucks.     The positive side of just having a small group doing that is that the trucks stay somewhat uniform when they are completed.    This year there was some discussion as to what the club could do the involve  a few more members in the construction of the trucks and still keep everything somewhat uniform in appearance.   Well, the same three or four wood workers decided that they would cut out all the parts and put those parts in a bag with a list of instructions.

  The goal was to build a total of 28 trucks.    So there were 28 complete kits and members were encouraged to take two kits each home with them.    That explains how I came home with two bags of parts.    There was nothing to saw.  There was just a little bit to sand.  (Loved that part.)   When completed each truck would need to be finished.    What needed to be done was for everyone to read the included instructions and glue up all the parts piece by piece.      I loved this project.   Somebody made 56 bumpers and 56 fenders and 28 truck bases and so on.   Someone else built 28 truck boxes and cabs.

 
That does sound a little difficult, but there are some that enjoyed doing just that.   They would rather saw and sand then assemble and glue.

While assembly does sound like it should be simple enough to do, it did take a little time.    One needed to glue on a bumper, wait a few hours for it to dry and then glue on the motor housing and wait again for a few hours for that piece to dry.   One step or piece at a time.

  The wheels, axles, and gas tanks were purchased online.   I had never done this before, but a metal washer was used as a spacer between the truck base and the wheels.   It's a good idea as it kept the extra glue from getting on the wheels and kept each wheel set turning freely.
   Another lesson for me - it was suggested that we finish each of the trucks using boiled linseed oil.    In the past I had been using mineral oil.    I think either works well.    It was just a preference of the club that everyone use linseed oil.

  The picture to the left shows my two trucks after being completely finished.    One of the club members is making 1 1/2 inch  wooden cube blocks to go with each truck.   Each truck box will hold a total of 36 blocks.   That will be a total of 1008 blocks that this fellow will be making.     I think I was told that 25 of the 28 trucks will be donated to the local care team.    Hopefully there will be 25 little boys who will enjoy their new trucks and blocks this Christmas.    The other 3 trucks will be placed on the club's silent auction to help raise some cash funds for future causes.
    I enjoy working in the shop by myself  (Just me and the cat- yeah right), but I also had fun doing this group project.   Beside it being fun I did learn a few new techniques.   Later I will try to post a few pictures of the whole truck lot plus the blocks.  

     Next project will be my homemade kitchen.        Enjoy your fall days.