Making Construction Vehicles for Kids
Complete Plans and Assembly Drawing for Eight Toys that Really Move
Children love toys that move and promise action. Woodworkers who enjoy giving gifts that will be played with over and over again by their favorite kids will head to the workshop to begin work after seeing St-Amour’s new title.
Complete directions are included for eight moveable toys—loader, dozer, dozer loader, excavator, grader, skidder, grapple skidder, and backhoe. A list of power tools is given, including scroll saw, drill press, band saw, and thickness planner, along with an additional list of accessories such as drill bits and other items that are standard in the workshop. Five helpful hints, such as how to make the track assembly on the dozer, an easy way to make a shovel, and how to make a special drilling rig will be useful for the woodworker.
For each toy, St-Amour gives general directions and a list of materials. All parts are numbered, and the author includes suggestions for the types of woods to be used, the quantity of wood needed, and rough and finished sizes, along with the thickness, width, and length of each part. Full-sized patterns and assembly drawings with step-by-step directions follow. For the loader, there are thirty-three parts and twenty-seven steps from start to finish.
The toys in this title are not recommended for children under the age of five, since there are small parts that could be swallowed. St-Amour has written several other books for woodworkers, including Amazing Vehicles You Can Make, Realistic Construction Models You Can Make and Antiques Cars & Trucks You Can Make, and the projects might be more suited for older children and collectors.
Although this book was written for the home woodworker, shop teachers might find the projects to be of interest to students, too. Basic woodworking skills are needed to successfully complete the projects, and the author stresses safety.
Reviewed by
Tracy Fitzwater
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
