Basic Materials. The basic materials of construction for the projects in this book include ½-inch white pine, ¾-inch white pine, and ¼- or 1/8-inch plywood. In some cases crate wood may be substituted for the ¼-inch plywood, but its use is limited to parts of projects which are not likely to be subjected to great stress. Occasional uses will be found for heavier grades of plywood 3/8, ½, or ¾ inch in thickness. There is no need to purchase large amounts of high-grade lumber because most of the pieces required for these projects can be cut from "odds and ends" which are usually discarded. A timely visit to the scrap pile at a local lumber yard will yield sufficient wood for most of these articles free of charge. A number of the projects in this book will require lengths of dowel ranging in size from 1/8 to 1 inch in diameter. Three-foot pieces of dowel may be purchased inexpensively at lumber yards or hardware stores.

In addition to the basic building materials, certain accessory supplies are required for assembling and finishing these projects. A good-quality wood glue is useful whenever a strong bond between wood surfaces is desired. This, plus an assortment of wire nails and brads ½ to l¼ inches in length, should be adequate for most of the projects which follow. Small carpet tacks and fast drying household cement are recommended for projects involving the use of leather and other materials which are applied to a wood surface.

A natural finish of shellac or clear varnish will be adequate for most of the projects. If solid color is desired, wood stains or rubber base paints may be used. Enamels are usually less satisfactory because they are difficult for children to work with and require considerable time to dry.

Innumerable household items, such as spools, bottle caps, coat hangers, clothespins, and corks, can be put to good use in simple wood shop projects and will help to minimize the cost. Discarded leather goods will provide the leather strips called for in several of these projects. When one is planning a series of such projects to be administered to a group, it might be advisable to give each child a list of the household items required so that he can begin collecting them in advance.

Material                              Uses                                Sources
White pine in                      Basic building                  Scrap wood from
½ - & ¾ -inch stock           materials                          lumber yards
Plywood
Dowel                                "                                      Hardware stores or
lumber yard
Crate wood                        "                                      Orange crates &
apple boxes
Molding strip                      "                                      Lumber yard
Bamboo pole                      Whistles                          Hardware stores,
rug & linoleum stores
Spools                                Wheels                            Household item,
tailor shop
Popsicle sticks                    Magic spinner                  May be purchased
Helicopter                          at hobby shops
Applicator sticks                 Indian tepee                     Drugstore
Masts for ships
Clothespins                         Letter holder                    Hardware or variety
Recipe holder                     store
Broomstick                         Handles                           Household item
Wheels Smokestacks
Corks                                 Compass                         Household item,
variety stores
Leather scraps                    Hinges, ears, tails,            Scraps from leather
Spine of alligator,                shops or discarded
Puppet, etc.                        leather goods
Bottle caps                         Fish sealer                       Soft-drink vending
machines
Coat hangers                      Record stand                   Household item
Covered wagon, etc.
Aluminum foil                      Decorative panels            Hobby shops or
various food containers

Equipment for the instructor. Although hand tools are adequate for building most of the projects described in this manual, the instructor who wishes to prepare in advance materials for a large group will find certain power tools very helpful. A standard table saw equipped with a rip fence will enable the operator to cut large pieces of wood into small blocks of the proper size for a given project. This practice makes it possible to provide each child with a set of blocks bearing an outline of the various parts of his project without the necessity of spending shop time in preliminary cutting.

A disk-type power sander will prove extremely useful for removing stains and labels from scrap wood which might otherwise be unsuitable. With the aid of a power sander, the instructor can easily "touch up" the rough edges or smooth out uneven surfaces so that the child who has had difficulty in cutting out the pieces for his project may achieve satisfactory results without the tedious task of sanding the article by hand.

Some type of drill will be required for many of the projects which follow. Children seem to find it difficult to use the hand drill efficiently, particularly when using small bits which are easily bent or broken. It is therefore recommended that all drilling be done by or under the direct supervision of the instructor. When one is preparing such a project for a large group, it is often best to drill the holes in the blocks before they are distributed. A power drill mounted on a drill press will make it possible for the operator to process the blocks with speed and accuracy which cannot be achieved with a hand tool.

Equipment for the Child. To construct any of the projects described on the following pages, the child needs but two basic tools: a claw hammer and a saw. For younger children, a junior size light-weight hammer is recommended. Although the jigsaw is preferred for cutting out the component pieces of some projects, a coping saw will be satisfactory if the piece of wood is properly supported. A simple vise for this purpose may be improvised by securing the block to a sturdy table top with a "C" clamp. If power tools are not available, final shaping of the cut-out pieces may be simplified through the use of a wood rasp followed by medium-grade wood files or sandpaper.

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