1 comments about Animal Puzzles for the Scroll Saw: 30 Projects in Wood.

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

No comments about Action Whirligigs: 25 Easy-to-Do Projects (Woodworking Whirligigs).

3 comments about Making Heirloom Toys.

1. The book provides scale drawings of several projects. But in order to use them you first have to photocopy the plans at the appropriate (and provided) zoom level. This was difficult, especially since the paper size needed to be larger than standard copier sizes. In order to save pages, it seemed as if many steps were eliminated from the cutting and assembly instructions.

   I made the dump truck and airplane for my 2yr old nephew. They're his favorite toys and he plays with them all the time.




2. 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.




3. This book has very creative and quality toys to build. It has excellent plans, instructions, drawings and full color pictures. I recommend it highly. I have built the truck fleet and they are the talk of our family and friends.

3 comments about Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles: 18 Three-dimensional Games for the Hands and Mind.

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. This book has proved to provide both interesting and in some cases challenging wood working exercises.
   
   The resulting puzzles are a big hit with friends and family - the hints for presents are mounting.
   
   Its also a great way to use up all those scraps of wood I've been hording but haven't been able to use.

5 comments about Great All-American Wooden Toybook (Reader's Digest Woodworking).

1. I bought this book a few years ago when I started making wooden toys.
   I loved the designs in this book. They ranged from simple to more complext to suit differing levels of skill. Of course as your own level of skill increases, you can confidently tackle some of the tougher projects, although even the toughest of them was not overly difficult.
   I began selling the toys I was making from these plans at craft shows. They went like hot cakes! I could not make enough of them. Seems I wasn't the only one who thought these toys were neat.
   But for the Toymaker, whether you are a hobbyist, or looking to make a living with them, these toys are easy to make, great looking, and popular!



2. Since I purchased this book I have madea Model T Ford and am now making a Stearman biplane.
   The instructions are generally clear with good illustrations. Most of the projects are not for beginners and most require a table or radial arm saw, a band saw and a power drum/belt sander. The author's suggestion to use knotty pine is economical but most of this wood in my local home improvement stores is warped, bowed and generally a pain to work with. Spend a little more and use clear pine or better yet, poplar which in my area is available in many different sizes and thicknesses. Also, the author may love resawing wood to get the sizes that he recommends but it would be a lot easier to scale the projects so that they require standard thicknesses.



3. This book is great for making fun, easy projects that make great gifts. I have made a total of four trucks from this book. This book is a great way to introduce woodworking to kids. I would reccomend this book to anyone.



4. I echo what the other reviewers have already said. Excellent intro to wood toy making provided you have or can get access to tools. Good step by step instructions. This book is a good way to develop your woodworking skills without being overwhelmed.



5. I've been using this book to make toys for children for 15 years and find the drawings and instructions clear and easy to follow. I like how all the projects are designed around stock lumber. One reviewer mentioned that the drawings are on grids for easy scaling. I should note that only items that are odd shaped and can't be drawn full scale in the book are on grids, but that is all that is needed. The only toy that I would have liked to have been included is a dump truck, but I designed my own once I got the hang of how his trucks are designed.

2 comments about Traditional Wooden Toys: Their History and How to Make Them.

1. 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.



2. Possibly best toymaking book in my collection of sixty+. ( I teach toymaking at retired teacher's ctr in nyc.) Excellent in historical
   background & wide rangeing international coverage. Clear explanations
   of operation and broad coverage all aspects toymaking. Admirable organization with excellent index. And entertaining illustrations and text to boot. Highest recommendation!

1 comments about New Wood Puzzle Designs: A Guide to the Construction of Both New and Historic Puzzles.

1. New Wood Puzzle Designs: A Guide To The Construction Of Both New And Historic Puzzles is a detailed, involved and definitive woodworker's guide to creating timeless classic wooden puzzles as well as new and innovative wood puzzle types. Superbly illustrated throughout with full-color photographs and unambiguous sketches, New Wood Puzzle Designs is clearly and cleanly written in language the lay reader and novice woodworker can understand as readily as the long-devoted hobbyist. New Wood Puzzle Designs in a truly excellent and highly recommended book for woodcrafters of all ages and skill levels.

5 comments about Making Animated Whirligigs (Woodworking Whirligigs).

1. This is the best of Lunde's series. He is the man who resurrected the whirligig from the ashheap of historical American culture. In the 1970's, Lunde first investigated old whirligigs in New England, researched in the Library of Congress, and just plain hit the woodworking bench to figure out what makes a good whirligig work. Others have tried to copy him, but his whirligigs spin and turn and twist with a freedom and naturalness few can match. His political whirligig creations are snapped up immediately these days, because at 86 years old, there is no telling when he will stop. Simple, straightforward, and detailed, these designs and instructions will put you in the drivers seat for making any design you desire. He is a specialist in devising creative designs, not of the art crowd kind that look great but don't work, but the kind that really move in ways pleasing to all. He is the master of this genre.



2. its a good book on the subject will help start my ideas on the subject



3. I haven't actually made a whirligig yet, but I plan on it. Since I read this book I really believe I can. What I wanted to know, it told me, mainly things you can use to make the mechanical components of a whirligig. I've done woodworking and that part I knew I could do but putting it all together was another matter. This book definitely helped me see how it can be done.



4. I have seen whirlygigs in movies, and occasionally the simple birds with spinning wings. I wanted to know what sort of materials were needed to make the more involved mechanical devices - such as the man sawing wood. This book did not disappoint. The author provides information on materials to use for reliable service in a device exposed to the elements. This is an excellent place to start.



5. I've had this book for several months now, and I have had a chance to look it over carefully.
   I'm a teacher by training, and I have to say that Mr Lunde could use a lesson or two about organization, the use of an outline, as well as good pictures.
   This book is very poorly organized - the author skips around as if he never had an outline or plan.
   The result is half-written instructions that rarely contain all the necessary info you'll need to create one of his projects.
   Mr. Lunde tends to waste your time with personal stories that aren't relevant to YOUR project at hand.
   His instructions are often confusing and contradictory - he refers to different projects often while confusing you as to the project at hand.
   His pictures are very poor as well - the hand drawn pictures often have absolutely no information about them - the actual photographs very rarely show you all of the piece - instead showing sections of the project you may or may not need to actually see.
   Photographs are expensive to add to books and it is clear that Lunde and his publisher cheaped out -
   and left you - the buyer - hanging in mid air with next to no visual reference.
   I'm sure Mr. Lunde is a great fellow -
   but this is what happens when you let a craftsman - who may or may not be able to write clearly -
   write a book.
   Wouldn't recommend this book if you need adequate info on making any kind of whirligig.

5 comments about Making Doll Furniture in Wood: 24 Projects and Plans Perfectly Sized for American Girl and Other 18" Dolls.

1. I really loved this book. My girls wanted furniture for their dolls, but Pleasant Company Products were out of my budget. Using this book, my daughters and I were able to create the simple pieces.
   
   My older daughter designed a bedroom suite. We painted it blue with a cascade of morning glories. Flower painting is not one of my talents, so we used rub ons from the craft store. The bed was easy to build, the armoire was challenging. We turned the chest over to Grandpa to finish. I was beyond my skills.
   
   My younger daughter wanted a dining room suite for her tea parties. The table and chairs were fine, but once again we requested Grandpa's assistance to turn an armoire into a china hutch. We painted the furniture a lovely yellow with sunflower transfers. Both of my girls love it.
   
   In closing, the beds, tables, and chairs were fine for a beginner. If you are attempting any of the case-goods, you might need a grandpa too.
   
   I don't have a lot of tools. My local store (the orange one) cut the wood to size for me, so we just needed to assemble it, sand it, etc. The first cut was free, and there was a nominal charge for the other cuts. The sweet gentleman who helped us liked the book. He is a grandpa, and is going to buy the book too.
   
   I wish the case-good projects were a little easier. I also wish there were simple patterns for bed coverings and chair pillows. I am an experienced seamstress, but others may benefit from this in the next edition.



2. How disappointing! I bought this book for my daughter's 9th Birthday. Her dad is going to make her American Girl dolls some furniture & I thought this would be the perfect guide. WRONG! The armoire is only 6" deep. The American Girl clothes hangers are 6 1/4" wide. Tell me, how is that going to work? The doors won't even be able to close! Thankfully my hubby is a skilled woodworker & can expand the dimensions, but if he is going to have to come up with his own pattern this book would have best been left on the shelf. We are very disappointed. My brother-in-law is making the picnic table & my niece told me that they were surprised & how small it is looking. Seems like more than one project is not quite up to the 18" par. Think twice before buying this one or at least find one to look at in person before hand.



3. An excellent book with good projects. So far I've only built the armoire, but have others in mind. I did discover minor discrepancies in the directions. Cuts did not agree with what pictures showed in the construction. Trying to find all the different thicknesses of woods specified was difficult if you do not have access to a thickness planer or sander. There is no problem that can't be overcome with a little ingenuity.



4. Great book! I bought it for my son-in-law--he loved it.



5. My husband and I had a ball with this book. Although we didn't have all the tools needed to complete some of the projects, we were still able to use the book to get some good plans out of. We can't wait to see our granddaughters' eyes on Christmas morning when they see their doll beds and bunks!

5 comments about Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood.

1. As others have said, this book is identical to his 2002, "Whacky Toys, Whirligigs, and Whatchamacallits", word for word. Either book is terrific, you just don't need to buy both.



2. 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.



3. Great book but as noted below, exactly the same as the other book still being sold here. 5 stars if you don't have the other book, one star if you do.



4. Although this book has lots of intersting ideas it is difficult to follow the plans to complese these projects. Other than that is is a good resource.



5. This is an excelent book for advanced toymakers.
   I have made several of the mechanisms.
   
   For old timers be aware trhis is just a reprint of his pevious book
   "Whacky Toys,.Whirligigs & Whatchamacallits."with a new cover.