Monday, April 22, 2019

Making a simple Easter bunny mechanical toy, out of plywood!












Tools and materials I propose:


Happy Easter everybody! This is a simple woodworking project out of 9mm birch plywood. I hope you'll enjoy it!

I begun by making a rough prototype out of OSB. I then created vector templates for the project. 

Mechanical toys require accuracy in order to work. So I also created a 3D model as a simulation. Everything seemed to work.

Next I layed out my templates on the plywood, based on the orientation of the grain. 

I coated the plywood with a layer of packaging tape. I attached the templates on the plywood using spray adhesive. Finally I added a coat of tape over the templates. This technique helps keep the templates in place while cutting. Also the templates can be removed really easily without leaving glue on the wood. To me this is the best method for attaching templates onto the wood.

At this point  I center punched all the holes.

Next I cut everything on the bandsaw. To cut the smaller parts safely, I added an improvised zero clearence insert on the bandsaw. 

I then sanded everything close to the template lines, using my belt sander. I used a chisel to reach some difficult spots. 

I drilled all the holes on my drill press. I then glued and nailed a few parts in place.

I connected the parts of the egg cell with two screws and sanded them flush on the belt sander. 

The bunny should fit loosely, so I sanded it a little bit.

As a shaft, I used an 8mm dowel. 

I stained the egg with water based dye. This has a vivid color but also leaves the grain pattern of the wood visible.

I then finished everything with water based clear varnish. 

I also lubricated the inside of the egg with my homemade beeswax and mineral oil finish.

Finally I glued the crank’s pieces in place. The leaver was secured in place with a screw, so I can remove it if I have to. 

And that was it. My little Easter bunny toy was ready.

I hope you enjoyed this video. Happy Easter everybody, see you soon with a new project video!



Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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