I have always looked at sets of hardwood blocks as a wonderful gift for any child. I played with blocks. You played with blocks. Payton needs to play with blocks, too.
I bought the book Making Toys That Teach, and it’s a good thought starter. I decided to make the blocks as the first project … and it’s definitely over the top. The plans call for 264 blocks. The blocks are based on 1-1/2″ as the base increment, so I needed a lot of 8/4 hardwood stock (which is 1-1/2″ thick when it is sanded), as well as some 4/4 stock (which is 3/4″ thick when sanded) … some of which got planed down to 3/8″.
The book suggested I use hardwood odds & ends that were in the shop … but I don’t use enough 8/4 stock to have odds and ends! I did have red oak (which is what I make just about everything from), along with some hard maple left over from when I made the workbench top. I bought a couple of walnut and purpleheart boards for color.
Time to get started!
Ripping stock to width on the table saw.
Removing ripped stock, and the cut-off strips.
The blocks begin to pile up.
And pile up.
And pile up.
Blocks, too!
The little triangles were annoying to make, and have already been tagged as “too small for baby,” no matter what the instructions say!
Blocks need edge sanding.
The router table is made to do round overs on these pieces that are big enough..
Long blocks with rounded edges. Ends are still to do.
This is a Jessem brand router table top, and the 90* miter guage mounted on the fence is perfect for rounding the edges of the blocks.
Some arches are made by clamping 2 blocks together, and drilling half a circle on each.
The random orbital sander is the only sane way to smooth the flat surfaces of the blocks.
Arcs, Arches and pointy things called houses and crowns.
Turning the drill press into a drum sander is the only way to do inside curves.
The benchtop sander is the way to knock off the edges of every piece.
All 264 pieces!
I’ve made a lot of sawdust … now it’s time for finishing all of these pieces!
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