05 14 15 Wood Toy News PART2

We invite you to share in a recent fun toy build Imants Udris “Udie” had posted on Udie’s Toymaking Forum using the Small World Peterbilt Truck Stop plan set. In this special Wood Toy News edition Udie will walk you through his personal trailers build including a few cool customizations he made that we think you’ll enjoy. Let’s get started!

Thursday May 14, 2015 www.toymakingplans.com © 2015

toymakingplans.com Thursday May 14, 2015

PART 2 of 3: SPECIAL DETAILED TOY BUILDING EDITIONSMALL WORLD PETERBILT TRUCK STOP: PART 2 BUILDING THE TRAILERS

WOOD TOY NEWS

IMANTS UDRIS BUILDS THESMALL WORLD PETERBILT TRUCK STOP

Photos by Imants Udris

If you haven’t dropped by Udie’s Toymaker Forum you can check it out by visitingwww.forums.toymakingplans.com. It’s a great place to make some new friends and find answers to all your toymaking questions.

Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS

Wood Toy News Thursday, May 14 2015 Page 1 of 25

Small World Peterbilt Truck Stop Project: PART 2 BUILDING THE TRAILERS Plan set available at www.toymakingplans.com

Introduction

This article is a continuation of building the many projects detailed in the Peterbilt Truck Stop plan set. I will be focused on the build of the trailer section of the plan set. I will be demonstrating a couple build/assembly modifications, a jig used and discuss the use of labels for signage as well as applying accent pin stripes. As a bonus, I have included my versions of simple build trailer types using the base components of the plan set.

Quick Snap Shot of the Completed Trailer from the Plan Set

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Bonus Trailer Concepts

Trailer Build as per the Plan Set – Base Components

All the components have been cut to size and bagged and tagged as I do with most of my project builds. You will notice that I have increased the quantity of parts in order to compete three (3) builds or at least some spares for an “oops” during the assembly. Some of the components have been modified which I will address as we read thru this build.



The top and bottom trailer panels were taped together in order to drill the rear pivot holes for the doors. This ensures that the hole will align up with each other during assembly. The panels were separated and then the pivot pin hole was drilled into the bottom panel only.

The inside surfaces of the panels were painted white using a wide brush. This is where I could have used Frankg’s Forum Post* about using a foam brush to paint large areas. You may have noticed that the length of the top and bottom panels are not to the specified length as per the plan set. They are shorter by more than the 1/8” specified by the plan set. There is a reason for that which will be explained shortly. Also, did you notice anything wrong with these panels I painted?

These are the left and right side panels of the trailer. I did remember not to apply paint to the area where the front end panel of the trailer will be glued to … but … I forgot to mask the area where the top and bottom panels will be glued to the side panels. Not a problem and it was a quick fix. Using an X-ACTO knife I scraped the paint off to expose the bare wood so that I would yield a better surface to surface adhesion. * Visit Frankg's Forum Post at http://ow.ly/MTZM2



My preference is to round over axle blocks when they are an add-on component to a chassis assembly. By rounding over the front and rear corners they act as a skid plate when they hit something or run over something. A lot better than experiencing a big bump. Only takes a few minutes to do using the flat disk sanding station or by hand sanding.

To drill the holes in the axle blocks I used my universal drilling jig. This is the same jig I used and demonstrated when drilling the holes in the dowels for the exhaust stacks when making the truck components in my previous article, Part 1 - Building the Peterbilt Truck. This time I used the outside surfaces of the jig to align my location for repeatable holes.

Using the same jig above, I clamped an undrilled door to the jig's inside surface. I positioned the door panel into the corner so that one edge would be against an inside wall which I know is parallel to the drill bit. Aligned the door and jig with the appropriate drill bit in the drill chuck and then clamped the drilling jig in place.

Again, this will yield repeatable hole locations in the doors for the top and bottom pivot pins. Notice that I also rounded the inside corner of the door just a little so the doors can swing freely. This rounded corner is not visible when the doors are closed. At this stage of the assembly I have completed all the holes required as per the plan set components. I have modified some with rounded corners. Better to do it now, rather than attempt to do it when the components has been glued in place. Now it is time to assembly the box.



Peterbilt Trailer Assembly I decided to beef up the cab side end wall thickness to 1/4". I just thought that a thicker piece here might help me in the overall trailer construction. There is no need for you to do this. The plan set recommended materials and thicknesses will work just the same.

Earlier I mentioned that the top and bottom panels length require to be shortened. Here is the reason why. Because I increased the thickness of the back panel by an additional 1/8”, the top and bottom components of the trailer also required a dimensional change. That also meant that the location of the pivot pin hole had to be moved back. But … be cautious where you drill it. I will explain the concerns later with another photograph.

The above photo shows you that I used a piece of right angle aluminum stock to assist me in gluing the bottom to the end panel. I have made a dozen of these aluminum right angle brackets from one long piece of extruded stock. They are so handy to have in the shop and are an excellent third (3rd) hand for gluing components in this manner. I'll explain the photo below on the next page:



Here you can see that I have glued one side panel to the bottom panel which previously had the cab side end wall glued in place. You will also notice that I added something extra to the side panel’s upper edge (roof side). I have added depth stop blocks. The roof panel as per the printed plans is glued to the inside edge of the two (2) side panels. I felt I needed something to help prevent me from pushing the roof panel too low when it came time to glue on the roof panel. I wanted the surface of the roof panel to be flush with the tops of the side panels, just like the printed plans specify. This will also reduce the amount of sanding required to the top part of the trailer prior to painting. The inside of the box is too small for me to put my hand in and raise the panel if I pushed it down too far. By incorporating these depth stop blocks to the trailer design the problem is solved. To position the depth stop blocks at the correct distance from the top edge of the side panels I came up another little quick jig to assist me with this positioning task.

The jig was quick and simple to make – a no brainer. All I did was take two (2) pieces of scrap materials the same thickness as the top panel. I temporarily clamped those together using spring clamps offsetting them to the same thickness of the roof panel. This give me the exact depth I needed. I applied glue to the depth stop block, pushed it into position, removed the jig and moved it to the next location. These depth stop blocks were added to both side panels. Now when I glue on the top panel, all I have to do is apply the glue and push down the top panel to the depth stops and then clamp the side panels together for a perfect fit and let the glue cure.

These depth stops can be eliminated if you wish by making some temporary spacer blocks to the proper height and placing them inside the box when attaching the roof panel. Then remove them after the roof panel is attached and the glue has cured. Now let me explain what the concern was about the location of the pivot pin for the trailer.




Increasing the thickness of the rear panel affected two (2) areas of this assembly: 1. The length of the bottom and top panels had to be shortened in length. 2. The drill location for the pivot pin had to also be altered. If you drilled the pivot pin hole as per the plan set drawings, there is a good chance that when the trailer is attached to the cab, the corners of the trailer will rub against the back wall of the cab when you make a tight turn. So, the pivot pin hole was moved forward just a little bit to eliminate this condition from happening.

Time to look at the box trailer, with all the sides glued on, top and bottom panels glued on as well.

Using a right angle square, you can see that the box is relatively square with the side panels 90° to the top and bottom panels. You can see a little gap between the top and bottom of the square of and the side panel. This gap is because the piece of plywood I used had a little crowning across its width. Is that a big deal – not really, it may not be perfect but is certainly more than acceptable. It will not affect the size of the rear doors when added or require any adjustments to these mating components.

OK – the box is done – let’s get some doors on it, get the axle blocks mounted and get this trailer rolling. We will also add a little extra functioning feature, which will add to the play value of the trailer.




Mounting the axle blocks was done following the instructions defined by the plan set. When you were making the axle blocks, did you notice that the hole locations were not symmetrical to the front and rear edges of the block? There is a reason for this. One hole is a little farther in from the edge. This hole must be facing the back edge of the trailer, so that when the wheels are attached, there will be no interference with their rotating against the back bumper.

Before I added the rear doors, I thought it would be a good idea to add another stop block to this assembly. This time to the top of the roof panel. The purpose and function of this stop block is quite simple. It will prevent me from pushing the rear doors in too far. I envisioned that it would be quite difficult to open the doors if they were pushed back too far.

Once the glue for the stop block cured it was time to touch up the inside of the trailer by removing some of the glue squeeze out and then repaint the interior white. When I did the dry fit with the rear doors the age old problem with dowels resurfaced again.

We have all experienced this problem and discussed it numerous times on the Forum. For some reason dowel diameters, frequently, when measured are not to the diameters they are identified as. The purchased 1/8” dowels were not 1/8” in diameter. This time I did not bring my calipers with me when I purchased these dowels – lesson learned. These dowels were wider by about 1/32”.



There is no way I was going to try and force these dowels into the MDF door panel holes for fear of splitting the MDF. So, rather than stopping the assembly and running out to purchase another stock of dowels or spend time sanding them down, I substituted them with the same material used for the stop blocks. This substitution worked just fine, provided a nice snug fit and allowed the doors to swing freely in and out.

I really liked the 2-tone paint photos show in the plan set and elected to copy the same theme. Red top and bottom to match the cab and silver for the sides to simulate aluminum. Notice that I did do a little masking to protect the white paint inside the trailer.

Because I wanted the side panels to be silver, I also wanted the top edges, front and rear edges to be silver. I really liked the look. The top of the trailer has already been painted red. In order to achieve a sharp edge with the silver some masking was required. This time I used Green FROG TAPE as opposed to the Yellow FROG TAPE. I demonstrated using FROG TAPE when painting the landing strip on the Top Gun Aircraft Carrier Flight Deck in an earlier Wood Toy News article with excellent results. The purpose for using the FROG TAPE is that it eliminates any paint bleed under the tape. Paint bleed is a common result when you use conventional painters tape.

At this point the Peterbilt trailer assembly and painting is complete. During my play time in the workshop with the truck and trailer I noticed that the trailer needed something extra to increase its playtime value.



The front of the trailer needed some way to be kept horizontal when you unhooked it and drove the truck away – it needed a Landing Gear assembly – a dynamic and not a static Landing Gear assembly.

My custom Landing Gear design/build was kept quite basic. Nothing more than gluing on a piece of thin plywood to a 1/8” diameter dowel. To make this landing gear dynamic, it must be able to be raised and lowered. Making a couple of pivot blocks for the ends of the dowel solves that problem. Cutting some narrow pieces from a 1/4" diameter

dowel produces the wheels. No internet search was required for design ideas, it is just a pivoting wedge for the undercarriage of the trailer. Where to mount the Landing Gear was the next order of business. That was done by trial and error. With the trailer attached to the truck I positioned the Landing Gear under the trailer and moved it towards the front of the trailer until the hook up pivot pin of the trailer cleared the hole the hook up pin was in and the surface of the rear of the truck. This established the clearance that was required. Made a little pencil mark indicating this position and proceeded with preparation necessary to glue the Landing Gear onto the trailer.

I traced the Landing Gear pivot block location on to the green painters tape. Then removed the varnish and paint by scraping it with the X-Acto blade.

Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS While doing so, I created some grooves in the wood for the glue to grab onto when curing and mounted the Landing Gear as seen in the previous photo with the Landing Gear in the up position. Here is it – a fully functioning Landing Gear. This little addition to the trailer build, I feel will greatly increase the play value and sales value.

The clearance seen for the hook up pivot pin and rear top surface of the truck chassis does look a little close. But I assure you that it works. What I could do and maybe what I should do is sand the bottom of the pivot pin, increasing the clearance distance and then paint/varnish again. Here are a couple trailer rear views.

The Canadian flag is a peel-n-stick purchased sticker which I applied to the doors when closed. Then I used the X-Acto blade and cut the sticker in half down the seam where the doors meet. The rear door pull handles have been reduced in size from the recommended size specified in the plan set.


Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS Once again, I did required a simple jig to assist me in mounting the depth stop blocks and added a new component, the Landing Gear and also added some signage. Signage will be discussed in the next section.

Signage Simple signage can really add to the overall look of your handcrafted toys. It can make your toy stand out above the other toymakers' projects. Signage is really simple to do at home using your computer, printer and peel-n-stick paper labels. You can even create a file and bring it to your local office supply store and have them print out your signage on peel-n-stick labels. Let me show off my completed Peterbilt Trailer in a group of photos briefly demonstrating signage.

Continue reading to learn more about how I created custom signage for my Peterbilt trailer ...





Almost all the transport trailers I have seen have some kind of signage on them. Why should my trailer be anything different?

To make the signage shown was rather simple. Using a label making program I created the signage to be printed on common 2” x 4” shipping labels and printed them using a laser printer. Applied them to the trailer and then brushed on a coat of craft varnish. The varnish protects the surface of the label from being worn off and seals the edges around the label making it very difficult to accidently peel back.

At the end of this article I will discuss in more depth, signage, automotive self-adhesive pin stripes, fingernail self-adhesive pin stripes, stickers and personalizing labels.



Udie’s Peterbilt Trailer Mod – Flavour #1 – Tanker Trailer If we are going to have a gas station (Truck Stop), then we are going to need gas delivered to it to support its business. So I built a Gas Tanker Trailer to support this requirement.

This was a very simple build. When I built the Peterbilt Trailer as per the plan set, remember I mentioned that I also cut and bagged extra assembly parts as spares or for when I got in the mood to make additional trailers of different flavors.

Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS This is a perfect example of having pre-made components at hand. I purchased a short length of common stairs handrail, and repurposed it to make the tanker trailer body. Its profile I felt, was perfect for making this component. I also attached a modified Landing Gear assembly to this trailer. Modified in that I reduced the time and effort in making it. I used rectangular pieces of wood to make the pivot blocks and did not spend the time to round over the bottom edges.


The next series of photos will show the Landing Gear in Action:

• Attached to the cab. • Raised from the cab showing clearance • In the ‘Up’ position. • In the ‘Down’ position.




In the tanker with truck photographs you can see a few different methods were used to add embellishments to the project. Printed labels and automotive self-adhesive pin stripes were used in addition to some craft store Glitter Stickers. Red peel-n-stick automotive pin stripes were adhered to the side edges and the rear edge of the flat bed chassis. These stripes were then coated with a layer of craft varnish sealing the edges. By sealing the edges, the varnish reduces the possibility of the pin stripes to accidently peeled off during play.

Simple signage was made as was done for the box trailer. I downloaded a group of photos/clip-art of the signage I wished to use and printed them on peel-n-stick labels. Cut them out, attached them to the tanker trailer and once again covered them with a top coat of craft varnish. Now the labels have a protective coating and the edges have been sealed preventing them from being easily peeled off.

Now, let's look at the red taillights and review the pro’s and con’s about using these as accent pieces.

These are peel-n-stick Glitter Stickers available from the dollar store/craft store. They are available in various color combinations. This package of red and clear are excellent for headlights and taillight details. On this tanker trailer build I stuck them on to the back of the trailer just for show. This trailer will not be leaving the workshop with these accent pieces attached in this manner as shown in the photograph. Obviously this trailer is not acceptable to be played with by a child under the age of 3 because of these small breakaway pieces and other small components on this assembly – choking hazard.

All my toy projects are made using 100% wood and secured in place to the best of my ability using glue and hidden dowels as additional anchors.

Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS Even when metal was used, such as with the Play Pal's Trailer Hitch, I buried the metal in wooden dowels making them invisible. I have used these stickers on other projects that will be used by an older child. But – I have attached them in a more secure manner. I drill a shallow hole to the same diameter and epoxy the component into the recessed hole and then apply a small bead of craft varnish sealing the edges. This makes it more difficult to accidently pop them off. When I feel like being creative, I have used the Glittering Stickers for my personal enjoyment as seen in the prototype builds below.

I would not use these Glittering Stickers for any toy which would be offered at craft shows or any internet sales. Traditionally, these details would be made from wood – primarily dowels as seen in the next few prototype builds below.




As experienced toy makers, you know that these accent details take little time to make and greatly add to the appearance of the project you are making.

Udie’s Peterbilt Trailer Mod – Flavour #2 – Log Hauling Trailer ToymakingPlans.com goes thru a lot of wood and is in need of a constant supply of wood. So, I built a Log Hauling Trailer to deliver wood to their local saw mill, which in turn, will be planked into boards to satisfy their constant demands. This load (photo on the next page) just happens to be some Canadian Birch, which more than likely will be milled and used as a veneer on plywood to provide quality stock for furniture/cabinet making. Once the Birch logs are delivered the truck and log hauling trailer will return to pick-up some fine Canadian Maple. This build was made from the extra components from my original build which I bagged and tagged as extra parts and for additional builds. And don't forget to visit me at Udie's Toymaker Forum: http://forums.toymakingplans.com. We always

welcome toymakers of all skill levels! It's a great place to learn and share your tips & tricks!



The modifications were quite basic. From the plan set I made another flatbed trailer and added the dowels along the sides. In addition, I added a red pin stripe on the truck from the radiator to the rear of the sleeper. The photo does not do its detail justice, but does look great when you are holding it in your hands. The pin stripe is peel-n-stick automotive pin stripping and after adhering it in place, the edges and the pin stripe were top coated with craft varnish. This seals the pin stripe in place and reduces the possibility of the pin stripe being removed during play. Once again, this build included the functioning Landing Gear for use when parking the empty or loaded trailer when not in use. The Landing Gear pivot blocks were modified to only rectangular blocks.


Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS The next series of photos will show the Landing Gear in Action:

• Attached to the cab. • Raised from the cab showing clearance • In the ‘Up’ position. • In the ‘Down’ position.

Once again, I added the Glittering Stickers as taillights just for show. The pro’s and con’s of using these Glittering Stickers was explained earlier, so I will not repeat the text here.

Signage – Customizing Labels – Pin Stripes It is not uncommon for me to use printed labels, purchased labels/stickers, printed photos and various types of pin stripes on my projects. Just to beef up the appearance of the project. I feel they add value and make my project a little special with just a little extra effort. I use Avery Labels and print them using a label making program and use many of their on-line services on the internet for free.


Building the Peterbilt Truck Stop Part 2 of 3 by Imants Udris "Udie" for ToymakingPlans.com PART 2: BUILDING THE TRAILERS Avery, for example, has a wonderful program for your use. All you have to do is sign up, not a bit over that, and use it. Avery labels are available in numerous sizes and shapes, shipping labels, address labels, file folder labels just to name a few. All the labels are adhered to a standard size paper 8-1/2" x 11" and can be printed using a laser printer or inkjet printer. These packages of labels are commonly available at office supply stores and big box stores where printers are sold, so availability should not be a problem. Full sheet labels are also available. But … the concern using full size sheets (one large label) is that it's usually a onetime use. You really cannot feed or re-feed the full size sheet label back into the printer without fear that it will jam in the printer after cutting some of the pictures out. The sheets that have many labels on them can be fed back into the printer with any problems. The label making program also allows you to identify which label positions have been. You can then start your printing on the next available label on the sheet. Clip-art for your labels are really simply to acquire. Type in your subject matter you want in your internet search engine and then filter for images. You will find hundreds of clip-art, sketches, cartoon images. If you can name it, it can be found. But ….. Before you even dream of attaching any printed labels to your projects you have to do a test first. Stick a label on a piece of wood, and then apply the top coat of your choice. Some craft varnishes, varathanes, polyurethanes, etc. can have a negative reaction with the label. It could attack the labels adhesive or make the print/ink on the label bleed, which is most common with printed inkjet labels. So, do a test first and see if you label survives. If it does, then label your top coat container with a little note saying it is OK/Safe for your labels. As you may have seen on many of my projects, labels really make the project stand out. Personalize you labels. Take a look at what I did on the Toddlers Townhouse play set on the next page. Here is an example of customizing a toy for the end user with personal labeling. I customized the gas station signage, labeled the gas pumps and gave these simple cars a dashboard as shown in the photos on the next page.




See how easy it was to personalize the gas station's signage and spruce up the gas pumps for the appropriate age of the child at that time and give a little detail to the car.

Automotive self-adhesive peel-n-stick pin stripes are just the ticket for adding another level of detail to you projects. A lot easier to do as opposed to masking the area and carefully painting the exact same effect you with to achieve.

That's how I did some of the flight deck details on the Top Gun Aircraft Carrier project (photo next page).




Another form of self-adhesive peel-n-stick pin stripes, which I just discovered, are the metallic pin stripes used on decorating women’s fingernails. I purchased these on line (eBay) at a very low cost. Less the $3.00 for all ten (10) roles and shipping was free.

I used them to spruce up my Play Pals VW Bug (photo next page) and more recently used them on the gas tanks for the Peterbilt Truck.


So, you see, there are many ways to spruce up your projects, and I am sure there are dozens of other products I have not discovered as of yet which could be repurposed for our toy making land. Using labels and customizing labels is just the start in making your project stand out above the crowd. When making the Peterbilt Truck Stop (Gas Station) I used yet another product to make some signage. I guess you will have to read Part 3 to learn what I did.

Closing Photo of the Peterbilt Trailer Fleet Hope you enjoyed reading how I made the Peterbilt Trailer Fleet and that it has inspired you to make your own fleet. Check out my final photo of the three trailers on the next page. I would love to see your project photographs with your countries flag as the background. You can post your photos in Udie's Toymaker Forum at http://forums.toymakingplans.com. Maybe we could start a trend of showing our projects from around the world in this manner.



Happy Toy Making Peterbilt Trailers Imants Udris (Udie)

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05 14 15 Wood Toy News PART2

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