Lincoln Log (toy for kids)

[clueluss husbund]

(Pasture Timmy) Does anybody know of any detaled instructons "online" of how to make Lincoln Logs.???

A-Man.=86=86=86

[Lew Hodgett]

Does anybody know of any detaled instructons "online" of how to make Lincoln Logs.???

Haven't played with my Lincoln Log set in more years than I care to remember, but it copies the interlocking joint used to build a log cabin using hand tools such as an axe and adds.

Should be rather easy to build a jig for either a router or even a dado to cut the ends, just have to make sure you can get a repeatable

180 degree index..

You're on your own as far as log length and number of cuts in each log type.

You mean kids still play with Lincoln Logs?

Amazing.

My guess is by the time you buy enough materials, design and build the tooling, buy whatever tools you may need, pay yourself $0.0/hour, it will still be less expensive to buy than build.

Have fun

Lew

[J. Clarke]

The original set is 100 bucks. There are smaller sets for less. One can get an awful big set of Lincoln Logs out of 100 bucks worth of 4/4 poplar, and it doesn't seem to me that there are any special tools needed if one already has a decently equipped shop. The only thing I'd need to go out and buy to make them is the green and red dyes (and maybe the brown if it's gone bad--I haven't used it in a while).

On the indexing, start with a board, cut it to length plus an inch or so, make all the cutouts, round them while still in the board using a bullnose bit (here's how

then cut them free, sand, stain, and you're done.

[Robatoy]

I bought a few boxes of Meccano for my 5-year old nephew at a flea- market in The Netherlands. It had the extra gears package with it as well.

Now he's a service advisor at a Toyota dealership in Kansas. He says it is my fault.

I don't see that stuff around anymore. Brilliant stimulation for a kid's mind.

r

[Limp Arbor]

Instructions:

maybe this

[John]

As a matter of fact - yes. We gave our granddaughters (ages 6 and 4) a set for Christmas last year - they love them. And all done in child safe finishes from

John

[Lew Hodgett]

Ah yes, good old Lehmans Hardware.

A neat place, smack dab in the middle of Amish country.

Usually stop in and look around when I go back to Ohio.

Lew

[Kate]

I just bought my grandson two sets about a month ago, he loves them. He builds garages and houses for his cars out of them.

K.

"Lew Hodgett" wrote You mean kids still play with Lincoln Logs?

Amazing.

My guess is by the time you buy enough materials, design and build the tooling, buy whatever tools you may need, pay yourself $0.0/hour, it will still be less expensive to buy than build.

Have fun

Lew

[Fred the Red Shirt]

For the longer logs it may be faster (and neater) to use wide stock, dado them first, then rip them.

[tom_murphy]

I'm not a father yet, (although I'm already older than most people just getting started), but I'd guess you have to get the kids interested in Lincoln Logs, Lego, Meccano, Erector Sets etc. while they're quite young, before they get exposed to video games. Once they're old enough to appreciate video games (and they ARE fun, dang- it), I think it will be tough to hold their attention long enough to appreciate the creativity of the "building" toys.

That's my plan anyway. We hope to start a family soon and I long to see my little ones enjoying the creative toys as much as I did. You can bet I'll be right there on the floor with them, old knees and God willing. I don't care if they become engineers like me, just that they learn to be free with their imagination and creativity. Great stuff!!

Tom

[Fred the Red Shirt]

That's why he was asking in rec.woodworking, not biz.woodworking. Home woodworkers build for their personal satisfaction.

Of course, as others have noted, if he has a table saw, a router table and scrapwood, he doesn't have to buy any tooling. If he does, it's not like he has to throw them away after use. (Hey, he can take them back to Home Depot for a refund...)

Once he is set up to make them, he can bang out a buttload of them and is not limited to the quantities in the standard set.

[clueluss husbund]

On Apr 30, 11:03=A0pm, [e-mail] (clueluss husbund) wrote: (Pasture Timmy) Does anybody know of any detaled instructons "online" of how to make Lincoln Logs.???

Instructions:

Timmy) Yes thanks those look like som good instructons to get me started.!!!

I have access to a old "Shop-Smith" saw... an it has a adjustable dado blade wit it i plan to use... an i plan to make "square" logs not round ones... an use "tea" or food color to stane the logs an give 'em to young kids for Chrismus... an if i figer out ways (Jigs?) to easly duplicate the necesary cuts i coud easily make a lot of Lincon Log "sets".!!!

I supose poplar woud be a good choise of wood... cheeper than oak but not gummy like pine (i supose)... any how... i have only cut a few bords an drilled som holes wit this old "Shop-Smith" but it seems to work good.!!!

When i was about 8 i got to play wit a little Lincon Log set that belonged to somone else an it was a grate toy... an i woud try to make diferent style houses but always ran out the logs needed... so i woud like to make sets wit enuff peaces that the kids coud better use ther emaginaton an not jus keep buildin the sam Log-House ever time.!!!

Thanks for everbodys help... i will prolly be bak for mor:-)

A-Man.=86=86=86

[dpb]

Fred the Red Shirt wrote: ...

Great minds... :)

For any length I think it would pay dividends to do them in that order...

They were kewl...now I'm wondering what happened to the old set???

[J. Clarke]

Not a bad idea, just remember that if you're using a water-based dye you're going to have to sand afterward.

[Scott Lurndal]

Lee Valley offered a Meccano kit at xmas. Sold out quickly.

scott

[J. Clarke]

If you like Meccano and have some money to spend, take a look at Vex

makes it worth the money is the R/C and servos--make the motors that come with Meccano look like the toys they are. The programmability is lagniappe--you don't need it to make a lot of fun projects but it's there if you want it. The components will interconnect with Meccano but they're a bit heavier gage.

[Fred the Red Shirt]

You'd have to sand fine furniture after using a water-based dye or stain. Log houses were made from rough cut lumber so it really depends on how fuzzy wood gets.

Using a non-toxic dye or stain is a VERY good idea as I distinctly remember chewing on mine. Lord knows you wouldn't want your kid to turn out like me....

[dpb]

:)

I remember the stain on the old set we had apparently was a water-soluble as it would stain if wet. I recall one time trying to build replica of the cattle lots, etc. The water tank idea w/ Al foil didn't work very well... :(

W/ this as the "wayback machine" prompter, I've been trying to recall the name of the wooden dowel w/ the round connector blocks, etc., building sets of the same vintage? I still remember Dad somehow built a passable working (platform reel driven from wheels via rubber band rotated) model combine for us out of it...

There was also the Al hollow square-tube "erector set" w/ the "rivets" and their matching rubber rings, gears, electric drive motor, etc., ...

They don't make 'em like that any more... :)

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[Kerry Montgomery]

dpb, The wooden dowel sets were probably Tinker Toys. Don't remember Al hollow square-tube sets, those sound interesting. Kerry

[dpb]

Kerry Montgomery wrote: ...

That's them!!! :) Couldn't think of it...they still exist?

The "erector set", whatever it was branded, was pretty kewl indeed. The Al was a soft alloy and the thin, folded tubes were easily bent, however.

Thanks, Kerry

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