Shopsmith Forums

Anybody know of a source for plans for a set of wooden building blocks that I could make for my grandson?

I remember seeing sets that are sized to work together well... and all stack in a wooden box. I have had no luck searching the internets. Maybe nobody makes wooden blocks for kids anymore? Maybe I should build him a wooden laptop... haha

In 1956, when I was 10 years old, I 'helped' my Dad make a set of blocks for my 1-yr-old brother... using my Dad's new Shopsmith.

That SS has been mine for 25 years, and I thought it might be cool to make the grandson some blocks... like a tradition or something!

For Christmas, I made him this wooden milk truck (the 'milk cans' fit in holes behind a slide-up door in the back of the delivery truck. He thinks they are people, as he has no idea what 'milk cans' are) out of Alligator Juniper from the firewood pile...

If you want just blocks, just mill up firewood to a slightly oversize 2" by 2" stick and cut the blocks. I would be inclined to sand and roundover the long sticks before cutting the individual blocks.
If you want fancy, like with letters engraved, I would lay out the patterns on the 2 x 2 sticks clamped together to give a good base for the router. Sounds like a job for a pin router setup.
Then there's this idea.

Search for a book titled: "The New Yankee Workshop Kids' Stuff"
There is a block set in it that includes a box/tray for storage.

jimthej wrote:If you want just blocks, just mill up firewood to a slightly oversize 2" by 2" stick and cut the blocks. I would be inclined to sand and roundover the long sticks before cutting the individual blocks.

I was thinking of something more like this...



various sizes and shapes, but with similar dimensions, so they work together. I saw this on WOOD Magazine's site...

Doug,
Please check your PMs.

Doug,
That is a beautiful truck you made, excellent job,

Great looking truck. Your grandson will cherish it and I am sure that someday it will be passed on to his future children.

There is a set of plans on the internet,
that is free for Lincoln Logs. Neat Logs, altho they are square, with
notches. Also, if you google [Burr Puzzles], you will find a book that
has wooden puzzle plans that you can install in a box, just like the photos on the preceding response. Good Luck....

Here is a link for the "Interlocking Logs" - http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/archive ... nglogs.htm

And here is a link for the Shopsmith "Hands On" articles - http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/issue_archives.htm