Wood Toys Books

Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets: Design and Build the Ultimate Car

DK Publishing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The best of them all! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Pinewood Derby has been an American tradition for Cub Scouts since it was originated in 1953, a fun event for Scouts and their fathers. There are many books out there that tell you how to make Pinewood Derby cars, giving you helpful hints and serious suggestions on how to increase the speed of your car. Well, of all of the books that I have seen, I must say that I do think that this is the best of them all!

This excellent book covers all of the suggestions that I have seen in all of those other books, ALL of them. But, what really sets this book apart is that it is filled with many colorful pictures that show you exactly how to do each step in making the best Pinewood Derby car that you can. Yeah, this is a great book.

So, if you have an up-coming Pinewood Derby coming up, do yourself a favor, and buy this book. I give it my absolutely highest recommendations!

Editorial Review:

For new competitors or seasoned racers, this informative, step-by-step guide reveals all the secrets to building a championship car. This officially licensed product of Boy Scouts of America, and written by a research scientist and father of two undefeated Derby Champs, this valuable and education manual features full-color, easy-to-follow instructions and is perfect for parents and kids alike. "I've seen a lot of first-time participants since founding the Pinewood Derby in 1953. If you want to compete successfully your first time out, or improve on last year's finish, this book is for you." -Don Murphy, founder of the Pinewood Derby and author of Pinewood, The Story of the Pinewood Derby

Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles: 18 Three-dimensional Games for the Hands and Mind

Charlie Self, Tom Lensch

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 9 to 12 days By: Creative Publishing international Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $12.43

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

I have made 5 of the 18 puzzles 2 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I have made 5 of the 18 puzzles out of this book, but have found 3 mistakes in the book. So you need to be smarter then the author of the book to figure out the mistakes. I enjoyed the book and like the puzzles. The book just needs to be updated and mistakes fixed.

Great New Puzzle Book 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This is a really great book. It has plans for a couple of sleds for the table saw and 18 puzzles. It has materials lists, easy to use instructions with solutions to all puzzles and lots of helpful tips. Highly Recommended.

Editorial Review:

For centuries, logic puzzles have entertained, inspired and educated kids of all ages. Studies show these engaging "brain teasers" provide unsurpassed benefits to the body and mind, increasing manual dexterity, mathematical abilities and overall intellectual agility.

Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles provides plans and instructions for crafting 18 of the most popular manual puzzles. Projects range from traditional "put together/take apart" games like pentominoes and soma cubes to more sophisticated "unlocking" head-scratchers, such as the Burr and Heart Box puzzles. Readers will also learn specialized cutting, drilling, sanding, gluing and finishing techniques that make crafting wooden puzzles possible.

Making Heirloom Toys

Jim Makowicki

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Taunton Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $7.25

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Classy designs; safety first. 5 out of 5 stars.
34 of 34 people found this review helpful.

I used this book to make a little dump truck, a jet plane, and a tugboat, soon to be given to my grandson. I did not find the fact that not all plans were full-sized a problem This is common and the %enlargement (if needed) is given The instructions were clear. (However, if you are making the little truck, check the width of 2" hinges available before gluing down the hinge block!) The designs are classic, and range from simple (the ones I made) to complex (the truck on the cover is said to take 40 hours.) There are a couple of educational toys included.

Many of the toys' parts are made out of fine woods, but you can substitute available wood in most cases. Makowicki is concerned with toy safety, e.g., the crane uses a magnet to lift barrels, not a hook, and he specifies child-safe finishes - references in appendix. He also gives many ideas for jigs for cutting angles on the table saw. (If you aren't going to produce for sale, in many cases you can use a band saw with a narrow blade or a scroll saw and sand smooth, instead of making the jig.)

I made the toys while taking a shop course, so I learned the safe way to operate power tools at the same time.

I also purchased Tarjany's "30 Toy Vehicles Made from Wood". It has cruder designs, but look there for semis, flatbeds, bulldozers, etc. (I made the long-hood semi with a gravel trailer.) His airplanes suffer by comparison with Makowicki's.

I am going to purchase Makowicki's "Marvelous Transforming Toys" next.

Tops: Making the Universal Toy

Michael Cullen

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Editorial Review:

From selecting materials and tools to applying finishes and shellacs, this handy guidebook provides complete instructions for creating 16 unique toy tops. Economical and simple to produce, each project includes step-by-step photographs and many can be made without a lathe. Designs include a top that flips over, the classic dreidel, and the amazing Benham’s top that produces colors when spun, despite being painted black and white. Quick and fun, these projects appeal to woodworkers and toymakers alike.

Tremendous Toy Trucks: With Step-by-Step Instructions and Plans for Building 12 Trucks

Les Neufeld

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

HOURS OF FUN 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I'VE BUILT 7 OF THE 12 TRUCKS AND THEY ARE FANTASTIC. I PLAN ON DOING 11. PLANS ARE VERY DETAILED AND EASY TO FOLLOW. THERE IS SUPRISINGLY FEW ERRORS FOR THIS TYPE OF BOOK CONSIDERING THE NUMEROUS MEASUREMENTS ETC..IT DOES TAKE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME FOR EACH BUT THE RESULTS ARE VERY SATISFYING. YOU WILL NEED AT MINIMUM A BAND SAW, DRILL PRESS AND COMBINATION BELT/DISC SANDER WHICH CAN BE OBTAINED FOR UNDER A HUNDRED DOLLARS. I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GIVING THIS 5 STARS!!!!!

Editorial Review:

Simple, functional...and just plain fun: that describes the 12 projects in this collection of classic wood toys. The projects featured here include dump trucks, a tow truck, a flatbed, a semi, a cement truck, logging trucks...you name it. There's a project for every woodworker -- and hours of imaginative play for the lucky kids who will get the trucks once they're made.
-- Designs are varied and durable enough for kids who play hard.
-- Includes more than 300 photos and illustrations.
-- Projects have working parts -- from winches to rolling wheels.

Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood

Rodney Frost

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Mad toys and mechanical marvels. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

First of all if you already have Rodney Frost's book, "Whirligigs and Whatchamacallets" don't bother buying this book. This is just the revision title. I ordered it, because I lost my last copy. No matter what title it's called, this is a great beginner-friendly automata project book. Each project is well explained and you get traceable template patterns for each project. I've made 3 of them and it was fun. If you're looking for an artistic way to impress your friends or wanting to enter the world of Automata and don't want technical terms no avergae joe can understand, this is the book for you.

Editorial Review:

Rodney Frost’s collection of playful mechanical contraptions will captivate anyone who operates them—and they’ll entice the creative woodworker too, because these whirligigs are as much fun to make as to maneuver. The secret to these movable marvels: propellers and other action-filled parts made from wood or metal. Full-size schematics and drawings, plus detailed written instructions, will guide woodwokers smoothly through building, carving, and assembling such enchanting projects as Grandad’s Night Out, a wild and wonderful gadget with a handsomely dressed figure that dances on a box; the Politically Incorrect Weather House (it contains a hygrometer to measure humidity); and Mr. Muscles & Little Ms. Threemore, two exercise buffs who work out!

Animal Puzzles for the Scroll Saw: 30 Projects in Wood

Judy Peterson, Dave Peterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The book is excellent , a good price and delivered in a timely manner.

Editorial Review:

Unlike conventional flat puzzles, this guide presents 30 interlocking patterns that stand erect and can be displayed vertically. Designed for scroll sawyers of all skill levels, this easy-to-follow guide includes patterns for numerous mammals, reptiles, birds, and household pets. Instructions on getting started and selecting the proper tools, woods, and blades accompany detailed information on how to design an animal puzzle from a photograph.

Pinewood Derby Designs and Patterns

Troy Thorne

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Designs & Patterns...not so many 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

About a week ago I attended my son's first cub scout meeting. The pack leader handed me a plastic "lunch box" that contained all of the parts I would need to build a pinewood derby racer!

I was suddenly transported back in time and I had wonderful visions of my first (and only) pinewood derby car. I remember racing and winning, over and over again! What I didn't remember was the finer points of designing and building the car. Maybe because my dad never had me participate in that part of it!?

I'm not much of a woodworker, in fact I am not very good at any type of measuring, cutting, shaping or construction tasks. I can measure something five times and still manage to cut it incorrectly. I knew immediately that I was going to need some serious help to get this car put together. I've got plenty of friends who are engineers/fabricators would be willing to help out. I've got access to computer controlled lathes, mills and exotic materials like titanium and aluminum. Heck, I'm sure I could track down a physicist around here who could come up with a nice design for this car to win some races...

Then I thought that it would have really been nice if my dad would have included me in on building my car when I was younger. I knew that I needed to build as much of this car as I can, without help and to include my son as much as possible.

I did a little research on the internet and came across this book. My wife ended up finding it (along with others) at the local library. I started reading. I really like how the author has taken the time to provide the reader with templates, pictures, diagrams, tool lists etc. He even has a few sections on tips & tricks and reminds the reader at every opportunity that this is the cub scout's car and he should be included.

In the book, there are three major designs where the author gives detailed instructions on how to build the car from start to finish. In the rear of the book he has a few templates and design ideas that aren't useful to a casual builder. The tool lists are somewhat inaccurate but they are a good starting point. I recommend you review the build process along with the tool list to ensure you have everything you need.

I was a little disappointed by the author's lack of information on the speed of the car designs. I would have expected he posted which car designs were the fastest...he did not.

At this point, I'm nowhere near finished with the car that my son chose for us to build. We're building a stock car because it looks cool (the design is AWESOME). I had to bring the main block into work to get it drilled on the drill press...tonight we'll glue it all together and tomorrow I will cut it out here on the band saw....yep, you're going to need some of the more exotic tools if you want to build a cool car. A dremel is a MUST for any of the designs in this book. I could not imagine cutting some of these templates out using a handsaw.

All in all, it's a really decent book for someone like me. I just wish he had more designs in the book or more complete templates because some of his ideas are very, very cool. Wish me luck, I'm heading home to do some work on the car!

Editorial Review:

The Ultimate Guide to Creating the Coolest Car!



Ready to take the design of your Pinewood Derby car to the next level? For
anyone who wants to wow the crowds with sleek lines and eye-catching extras,
Pinewood Derby Designs & Patterns is the only guide you need.

Traditional Wooden Toys: Their History and How to Make Them

Cyril Hobbins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

These are toys that have provided entertainment for countless generations of children. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

In "Traditional Wooden Toys: Their History And How To Make Them", woodworking expert Cyril Hobbins provides aspiring woodworkers with colorfully illustrated, step-by-step, do-it-yourself instructions for a broad range of traditional wooden toys, dolls and games from cultures and countries around the world. These are toys that have provided entertainment for countless generations of children. Informed and informative reading for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of toys and toymaking, "Traditional Wooden Toys" is especially recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library woodworking reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Editorial Review:

Including a wide range of toys, dolls, and games from around the world, this guide includes a general introduction to the history of toymaking and a substantial amount of historical information on a wide variety of toys, including spinning tops, poseable dolls, and 19th-century tumbler toys. Featured toys are richly illustrated with watercolor illustrations and supplemented with instructions on how to create them. This comprehensive resource for woodworkers and those interested in the history of toys includes information on the tools and materials necessary for the toy workshop and how to set-up and maintain a toymaking business venture.

Marvelous Transforming Toys: With complete instructions and plans

Jim Makowicki

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great book for mid-range woodworkers 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.

The author has come up with a great set of toy sets: boats, trucks, planes, and houses. Each set has interchangable parts which kids can put together to create their own masterpieces.

Author assumes ownership of basic tools, drillpress, table saw, bandsaw, and in some cases a lathe comes in handy. I have all but the lathe and am having a lot of fun (and challenges) working my way through the sets. Note that not all of the above tools are required, but since he helps you create jigs to recreate your work, the advantage is to people who have them.

Some complex angles, tapers and cuts, but with patience all can be made either by hand or with standard hand tools (tough), or with stationary tools. Probably the drill press (or a good way to bore exact repeatable holes) is the most critical in getting great results.

Editorial Review:

With this book, woodworkers can build any number of unique toys in six different categories: boats, trucks, houses, planes, vehicles, or ships. Each system uses easily made interchangeable components.

An initial chapter discusses materials, tools, jigs for cutting small parts, and safety issues. The rest of the book contains scale drawings (with dimensions) and step-by-step instructions.