Toy-Making in School and Home

M and L are 4¼" × ¼" × ¼". These supports are ¼ inch shorter, as they stand on the axle of the side wheels. The roof is of cardboard coloured green. Q is a cardboard wheel glued to L, and joined to the dome by a strip of cardboard, T, bent as in Fig. 223. a is inserted into a slit in the cork, and b is gummed to the wheel. The steps, R, are made of stiff paper. The funnel and the dome are made of corks.

CHAPTER XVII
GIPSY CARAVAN AND BATHING MACHINE

The foundation of the Caravan is a piece of wood or cardboard, 6¾ inches by 4 inches. The sides are made of stiff paper or cardboard. For each of the long sides draw a rectangle, 6 inches by 4½ inches, and to each side add ½-inch flanges. Make the two ends as follows:

Draw E F (Fig. 225) 4 inches, mark off E K and F L ½ inch each; erect perpendiculars K O and L P; with E as centre and radius, 4½ inches (i.e. height of side A in Fig. 224) cut K O at G, find point H in the same way, join G E and H F. Find M, the centre of E F; with M as centre and radius M G describe an arc from G to H. Mark flanges along the top, G H, to which the roof can be gummed, and a flange at the bottom. In front and at the sides draw and colour the windows, which may be made to open. At the back cut out a door (Fig. 226). Colour the sides a light brown.

Fasten up the caravan by the flanges; the base projects ¾ inch at the front.

The roof is made of brown paper and should be cut to project about ¼ inch over the sides and end of the caravan. It is then gummed to the flanges. The chimney is a roll of brown paper.

The wheels should be at least 2 inches in diameter. Steps can be made of cardboard and paper, as in Fig. 227.

A Bathing Machine (Fig. 228). This is similar to the Noah's Ark. The measurements are as follows: Base, 4 inches by 3 inches; sides, 4 inches by 4½ inches. Measurements for the ends are given in Fig. 229. The roof should be cut to project about ¼ inch over the sides and end of the machine. Cut a door in one end. Paint the machine in red and white stripes, mark the windows on each side and a number in front.

The wheels should be about 1½ inches in diameter. Steps may be added.

CHAPTER XVIII
A TRAIN AND RAILWAY STATION (Plate VIII)

A Train. (1) The Engine (Fig. 230). The body of the engine, A, is a long mantle-box or a piece of old curtain pole, about 4½ inches long. The wooden bottom, B C, is 6½ inches by 2¼ inches. A is glued to B C and kept in position by wooden blocks, E and F. The funnel and the dome are made from corks or pieces of round wood; their ends must be slightly concave, so that they may fit securely to A. A ring of cardboard is gummed to the top of the funnel, which may have a hole in it to take a piece of cotton-wool for smoke. The rim of the funnel and the dome are coloured yellow. The boiler can be covered with dark green or dark red paper. The buffers are pieces of round rod, to which cardboard discs are gummed.

The cab is made of cardboard, as shown in Fig. 231, and is coloured to match the engine. G K L M is gummed to the back of A (Fig. 230), and its sides are fastened to the footplate by the flanges.

Fig. 232 shows the roof of the cab; the length, N O, is equal to the arc, G H K.

The wheels should be about 1½ inches in diameter and are fastened underneath B C, as described in Chapter XIII. Strips of cardboard, coloured black (D in Fig. 230), are glued to the wooden blocks behind the wheels.

(2) The Tender (Fig. 233) can be made in various ways. The bottom is best made of wood, 4 inches by 2¼ inches. The sides may be made of wood, 4 inches by 1½ inches; the back must be cut to fit exactly between the sides. When the back and the sides are glued in position two wedge-shaped blocks may be glued into the corners for strength. The buffers and the wheels as in the engine.

The sides of the tender may also be cut out of one piece of cardboard and fastened to the bottom by flanges. It should be coloured to match the engine. Pieces of cork dipped in ink make realistic coal.

(3) A Cattle Truck (Fig. 234). The foundation is a piece of wood, 4 inches by 2¼ inches. The sides may be cut from one piece of cardboard (Fig. 235) and coloured to represent bars, as in Fig. 234. It may also be made of wood as follows: Cut eight thin strips of wood, 4½ inches by ¼ inch, A B C D, etc., and eight pieces 1¾ inches by ¼, J K L M in Fig. 234. The pieces are glued together to form the sides, as in Fig. 236. The length of the cross-bar, X, can be obtained by measuring the distance between Y and Z. Glue the sides to the bottom and to each other. Wedges may be glued in the corners for strength.

(4) A Carriage (Fig. 237). The bottom is of wood, 4½ inches by 2¼ inches. The carriage is made of cardboard, on the same principle as the cattle truck, according to the measurements given in Fig. 237. The upper part of the door may be cut out and the lower part be made to open. The windows may be cut out or coloured with light blue pencil. The interior should be coloured or covered with paper to represent upholstering, etc. Before fastening the cardboard to the bottom, glue to the corners of the bottom small blocks of wood, 1 inch high, as supports for the cardboard seats, which should be gummed across them and be suitably coloured. Cut the cardboard for the top and leave flanges for fastening it to the ends of the carriage. The top and the ends are coloured black or dark brown. A little piece of round wood or cork, coloured black, is gummed to the top for a lamp. The step is made of stiff brown paper. Small screw eyes are screwed in the ends of the various parts of the train, which can be linked together by wire loops.

A Railway Station. This station is a suitable size for the train already described.

A (Fig. 238) is a piece of wood or cardboard, about 2 feet by 8 inches, standing on supports made of two match-boxes gummed together. B and C are pieces of cardboard fastened by flanges to A. D is a piece of cardboard gummed to supports E and F to cover the hollow in front; this and the platform may be suitably coloured. The railings are of cardboard and are fastened to a piece similar to D. Advertisements may be cut from papers and fastened to the posts behind the railings; also the name of the station in the same way (see Plate VIII).

The Ticket-Office and Waiting-Room is shown in Fig. 239. This may be made from a cardboard box of suitable size, or from cardboard (according to the measurements given). The bar before the ticket-office is made of match sticks. Tram tickets form good advertisements for the walls.

Additions to station:

(1) Porter's truck. See Chapter V.

(2) Milk-cans. Corks covered with silver paper. See Chapter V.

(3) Flower-pots. A cork filed the right shape and painted is used. The shrubs are cut out of cardboard, coloured and fastened into a slit in the cork (Fig. 240).

(4) Lamp-posts (Fig. 241). A piece of round rod is placed in a reel or a cork to make it stand. The lamp is cut out of stiff paper, coloured as in the diagram, and is inserted in a slit at the top of the rod. A small piece of cane is passed through a hole near the top for the cross bar.

(5) Benches and seats of various kinds may be made from cardboard.

(6) Figures of men, women, etc., may be cut from illustrated papers and a strip of cardboard gummed behind them to make them stand upright.

(7) Small boxes of various kinds may be placed on the platform for luggage.

In country districts, where the station buildings are of a simple design, the children may be encouraged to make sketches of these, and to bring to the models described above such modifications as are to be found in their own locality. In Part II (Chapter XII) models of working signals and a signal-box are described.

CHAPTER XIX
RED CROSS MOTOR AND TAXI-CAB (Plate VIII)

Red Cross Motor. Begin with a piece of wood 6½" × 4" × 1/8". Glue and nail to this two pieces of stripwood, ½" × ¼" × 4¼", A B and C D in Fig. 242.

Next cut out a piece of wood 4 inches by 2 inches (a piece of cigar-box will do for this, or a piece of stout cardboard)—E in Figs. 242 and 243.

Saw out the corners F and G, so that the piece of wood E will fit between the strips C D and A B. Saw slits at H and K to hold the cardboard hood. Glue E in position as in Fig. 242. A seat must be placed in front of E; it should measure about 2¼ inches by 5/8 inch, and may be glued to a piece of stripwood, ½" × ¼" × 1½", which is glued to E as in Fig. 243.

The bonnet is made of two pieces of stripwood, M and N, ½" × ½" × 2½"; these are glued together and glued on as in Fig. 242. A piece of wood, P, well smoothed and with edges rounded, is glued over M and N. R is a piece of wood 4 inches by 1 inch, with the corners cut off or rounded. The hood is made of a piece of thin cardboard, 5 inches by 9¼ inches, cut as in Fig. 244.

This hood may be painted grey or khaki-colour, and a cross painted in red on the sides, or cut out of red paper and gummed on.

The hood is glued inside the strips of wood A B and C D in Fig. 242, and fits into the slits H and K in E.

For axles and wheels see Chapter XIII.

Figs. 245 and 246 show another kind of van, made of cane and brown linen.

A Taxi-cab. Begin with a piece of wood, 6 inches by 3 inches. Cut out two pieces of cardboard (medium thickness), 2½ inches by 2½ inches. Draw doors on them and cut out as in Fig. 247. These pieces are painted the colour desired for the taxicab.

Cut out a piece of wood, 2½ inches by 3 inches, for the back, A B. Cut two blocks of stripwood, ½" × ½" × 1" (C in Fig. 248), to be glued on to the bottom to support the seat and back, A B. When glueing these blocks in position see that they are about 1/8 inch from the end, and not quite close to the edges. If additional strength is required these blocks may be nailed as well as glued; the back, A B, is nailed and glued to these blocks.

Now cut two pieces of stripwood, ¼" × ¼" × 2½". Glue these posts 2½ inches from the back, A B (D E in Fig. 248).

Now glue on the sides. Side F is glued to post D E, to block C and to back A B; the other side is glued in the same way. A cardboard seat may be glued across the blocks and painted the colour desired for the interior.

Now to make the front of the cab. Cut a piece of cardboard of medium thickness, 2½ inches by 3 inches, G in Fig. 250. Draw and cut out the windows (the shaded portion of Fig. 250). To the bottom of G glue a piece of stripwood, H, ½ inch by ½ inch, leaving a strip of cardboard 1/8 inch wide on each side. H is for the driver's seat. Now glue the front, G, to the posts E D (Fig. 248), and the block H to the bottom.

Two cardboard seats, cut as in Fig. 251, should next be fastened by paper hinges to the inside of G.

To make the top of the cab cut a piece of cardboard, 4½ inches by 3 inches (Fig. 252). Make a half cut along A B and bend. Glue portion K to the back of the car A B, and L to the tops of the posts E D and to the sides F. If necessary a paper hinge can be used to fasten the top L to the front G.

A cardboard seat about 1 inch wide is glued to the block H for the driver. The sides of this seat (M in Fig. 248) are made of pieces of wood, 1½" × 1" × 1/8", one corner being rounded as in the figure, and they are glued to each side of the block H. Two pieces of cane should be glued on each side and to the roof.

To make the bonnet, first cut the piece of wood P, 3 inches by 1-1/8 inches (Fig. 253). Two round cardboard discs, R and S, with centres painted red are glued at each corner. Next two pieces of wood the shape of Q in Figs. 249 and 253 are cut out. One piece, R, is glued to P, and P is glued to the bottom 1½ inches from the front (see Fig. 248). The other piece, Q, is glued in front. A piece of cardboard, 1½ inches by 3½ inches, is cut as in Fig. 254; half cuts are made along the dotted lines. It is painted as in the diagram. This piece of cardboard is bent along the dotted lines and glued round Q and R to form the bonnet.

Two pieces of wood, ¼" × ¼" × ¾" (S and T in Fig. 253) are glued in front on each side of the bonnet; these have round pieces of cardboard gummed to them to represent lanterns.

A number should be glued behind and in front of the car and a steering wheel added.

The wheels may be made of wood or cardboard; diameter about 2 inches (see Chapter XIII).

CHAPTER XX
SWINGING AND JOINTED ANIMALS (Plate IX)

The peacock, monkey, and other animals with long tails can be cut from cardboard, and by means of lead buttons attached to their tails be made to swing realistically on a perch.

It is difficult in some animals to get the balance correct and the position natural. If the drawings in this book are carefully enlarged and the lead buttons placed on the spot (A) indicated, they will be found to produce satisfactory animals. They look most effective and move more readily when made from three-ply wood with the fret-saw (see Part II), but this work is beyond the ten-year-old child. Children of ten and younger can, however, make them quite well of cardboard (the thicker the cardboard, providing the children can cut it with scissors, the better).

A set made of wood by the teacher will form a delightful plaything for very little ones, and even material for nature lessons.

The Mouse (Fig. 259) should be drawn on cardboard, cut out, and both sides coloured. If grey cardboard is used, eyes, whiskers, etc., can be drawn in sepia. Two lead buttons (about the size of halfpennies) are glued one on each side of the tail (at A); pieces of paper should then be glued over the buttons and painted to match the tail.

Children will find it easier to draw these animals if a piece of cardboard is given them on which the animal to be drawn will just fit. The colouring should be as simple as possible to be effective. The stand is similar to that for the swinging boats, but with a rounded bar, on which the part of the animal marked B will rest.

The Cat (Fig. 256), enlarged, made more fierce-looking and with stripes painted on it makes a very terrifying tiger, ready to spring.

The Monkey (Fig. 265) may have another monkey swinging from his tail, and so on.

Animals with movable limbs can also be cut from three-ply wood (see Part II) or cardboard. If cut from cardboard the various joints are fastened by small paper-fasteners.

To make the Elephant cut out two pieces the shape of A for the body (Fig. 279), and make four holes in each piece as in the diagram. Next, cut out four legs, and fasten two to each portion of the body by little paper-fasteners, then cut out the tail and fasten it between the two pieces that form the body; cut out two ears and the head; one fastener will hold the ears, the sides and the head together; the head is inside the two bodies, the ears outside.

The Giraffe (Fig. 255) can be made in a similar way.

The Butterfly and the Dragon-fly (Figs. 274 and 275) have their wings and feelers cut out of cartridge paper and gummed on to cardboard bodies, so that when the animals swing their wings wave in a realistic manner.

Fig. 277 shows how cardboard Crabs and Lobsters can be mounted amid under-sea surroundings.

PART II

CHAPTER I
ADDITIONAL TOOLS

Besides the tools mentioned in Part I, viz., bench-hook, hammer, saw, file, bradawl, pincers, the following additional tools will be found of service, though some of these are luxuries, and generally it is best to use as few as possible:

1. A larger saw, for sawing rougher and larger wood than stripwood, e.g. a Tenon Saw, length 8 to 16 inches; 10 to 16 points to an inch, price about one and ninepence.

2. An Archimedean Drill. This is useful for making small holes when there is danger of the wood splitting, however when once this drill is used, the worker never again feels inclined to use a bradawl or any other kind of boring tool. A quite useful and efficient drill can be bought for sixpence. Care must be taken that the drill bits or drill points do not break, for being quite slender and made of tempered steel they are rather fragile. A set of twelve drill points in assorted sizes in a metal case may be bought for sixpence. (For hints on the use of drill, see under fret-saw.)

3. The Cramp or clamp is a contrivance used for holding boards together. An adjustable G cramp is a handy article for small work. There are several models of G cramps; that shown in the plate costs twopence.

4. A Rasp or rough file for removing from boxes either paper or the names that are sometimes stamped on them.

5. Brace and Bit. The smallest-sized brace, which has a sweep of 5 inches, is the most convenient for children. Bits are of many patterns. The most common form is the Centre-bit which will cut holes from 3/8 inch to 1½ inches in diameter.

The Pin-bit or shell-bit of the smallest bore is used to make small-sized holes for screws, etc., but more especially when making preparation for using the centre-bit.

A Centre-bit 1¾ inches in diameter costs ninepence; a brace and bit (¾ inch diameter) together costs one and threepence; this latter bit is useful for boring holes in wheels for axles, etc.

However the brace and bit is somewhat of a luxury and can be done without, for holes made with the Archimedean drill can always be enlarged to the required size, by means of round files and patience.

6. The Mitre-block is a piece of beech-wood carefully squared and rebated so as to present throughout its length a rectangular step-like recess in which the wood to be mitred is placed in order to be cut at the necessary angle.

In the raised part are three saw kerfs, two at an angle of 45° with the sides of the mitre-block and one half-way between these at right angles to the sides. The inclination of the saw-cuts at an angle of 45° is to the right and left respectively, so that when these angles are brought together in the mitred joint they may form a perfect right angle (90°). The mitre-block is a luxury, but it is useful in squaring off the ends of the wood, making picture frames, making the crane (Chapter V), etc., price sixpence.

A Compass, Protractor, Ruler, Try-square and well-sharpened Pencil will be found useful in making nearly every toy.

A Plane is not necessary for any of the toys described in the following chapters, but is mentioned here in case anyone should require one for reducing the thickness of wood or straightening a surface. The most economical one is a Jack-plane fitted with a smoothing-plane iron. The Jack-plane thus equipped may be used for reducing thicknesses of material (this is the real function of the Jack-plane) as well as for planing up surfaces true and smooth (the purpose of the smoothing-plane).

The Jack-plane iron has its cutting edge slightly rounded in order to gouge out the wood and thus reduce thickness quickly, the smoothing-plane iron is ground to a straight edge.

If both these irons are bought, the plane becomes both a Jack-and a smoothing-plane.

The Stanley Bailey adjustable iron plane is a good one. No. 5 size, 14 inches long, is recommended.

However, as we have said before, it can be done without. The first four tools are the really necessary ones.

The Preservation of Tools. Keep tools in a dry atmosphere in a wooden box. Have them instantly dried after grinding and whenever they have been in contact with wet. Iron or steel parts should be frequently rubbed over with a piece of oily rag (if grease is used it must be free from salt). A speck of rust must be removed at once with fine emery-paper and oil.

A generous coating of oil or vaseline should be given when tools are laid aside for some time.

The Sharpening of Tools. Chisels, planes and knives are sharpened on oilstones. The Lily-white and the Rosy-red Washita oilstones are perhaps the best natural stones on the market. With regard to the oil used, machine, engine, neat's foot and sweet oils are all suitable. Clean the stone after use.

Knives are sharpened at an angle on both sides, and will therefore have one side rubbed on the stone a few times and will then be turned over to rub the other side.

Pen-knives can be sharpened on the ordinary kitchen knifeboard.

CHAPTER II
CAPSTAN, DREADNOUGHT, LINER

Saw a square piece of wood, side 4-1/3 inches, A B C D (Fig. 280). Cut two others, sides 2½ inches. Saw the corners of these and make them octagons.[1] Drill a hole through the centre of E (Fig. 281). Into this hole glue a wooden meat skewer or round rod that will pass through the hole of a large reel. Glue and nail E to A B C D. Round the sides of F (Fig. 280) drill eight holes about ¼ inch deep. Make levers of wood to fit these holes as in Fig. 280. Match sticks could be used. Now glue F to the top of the reel, G, taking care that the centre of F is over the centre of the reel. Place the reel over the axle, round which it can be turned. The capstan can be used for dragging along a toy boat by means of a string tied to the boat and wound round the reel.

A Dreadnought. The bottom of the boat is made from a piece of wood 9¾ inches by 2½ inches. Shape the bow as in Fig. 283. To this glue another piece of wood, A B C, shaped to fit over the first, and about 6 inches in length. The two pieces can also be nailed together.

Cut a piece of wood, D, 2¾ inches by 1½ inches, and glue and nail it to A B C. When these pieces are secure drill a hole through them at E for the mast. To carry the guns at the stern, shape two pieces of wood, G and F, in the form of circles or octagons, and glue and nail them in their place. The mast has holes drilled through it to hold pieces of cane.

Nail ¼ inch nails round one end of D and tie black thread round them.

The guns are made of small rolls of brown paper, narrower at one end and painted black or grey. They are glued in position. The guns H and K, are fastened to a small piece of wood, L, to raise them above the level of the deck.

The funnels are made of pieces of round wood or rolls of paper. The whole boat is painted grey, and rigged with black thread.

A Liner (Fig. 284). The foundation of the boat is a piece of wood 10½ inches by 1½ inches, and about ¼ inch in thickness, or thicker if possible. Shape the bow as in the figure. Round the stern.