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How to Build a Wooden Model Car

According to Newsweek.com, creativity in children and adolescents is decreasing at an unprecedented rate. Today's hyper-realistic toys make it difficult for children to engage in inventive play. Movie stars, cartoons characters and superheroes emblazon every available inch of kids' playthings, leaving no room for little ones to make believe. Give children homemade toys that require imagination, like a classic wooden model car, to combat this creativity crisis.

Things You'll Need

11-inch piece of 2- by 4-inch hardwood stock
3- by 9-inch piece of 1/4-inch thick plywood
2 dowels, 6 inch long, 1/4 inch thick
Carbon paper
Band saw
Fine to medium grit sanding sponge
Drill press
2-inch hole saw with a 1/4-inch pilot bit
1/2-inch wood drill bit
4 No. 6 SAE flat washers
4 No. 31 rubber bands
Wood glue
Paint
Paintbrushes

Instructions

- 1
  Use carbon paper to transfer a car body pattern on to an 11-inch piece of 2- by 4-inch hardwood stock.
- 2
  Form the body of the car by cutting around the outside edges of the transferred car pattern using a band saw.
- 3
  Bore two 1/4-inch axle holes through the body of your car with the drill press where indicated by the transferred pattern.
- 4
  
  Create your car's wheels with a 2-inch hole.
  
  Replace your drill press' bit with a 2-inch hole saw that has a 1/4-inch pilot bit. Use this hole saw set up to cut four wheels from a 3- by 9-inch piece of 1/4-inch plywood.
- 5
  Sand the car body and wheels with a fine to medium grit sanding sponge to remove rough edges.
- 6
  Begin assembling the front axle by applying glue to the inside hole of one of the wheels. Insert one end of a 6-inch long 1/4-inch dowel into the hole. Wipe away the excess glue. Repeat this process for the other axle.
- 7
  Slip a No. 6 SAE flat washer onto one of the dowel and wheel assemblies. Insert the dowel through the front axle hole in the car body. Place another washer on the protruding piece of dowel. Coat the inside hole of one of the remaining wheels with wood glue and press it onto the end of the dowel. Wipe away the excess glues. Repeat the process for the rear axle. Allow the glue to cure overnight.
- 8
  Place a No. 31 rubber band around the circumference of each wheel to give your car traction.
- 9
  Paint your wooden model car according to personal preference.

Wooden Toys