The wood I use.

Cherry and maple have long been favorites of mine. Cherry has a very distinctive grain pattern and natural redness. It is possible to put on a very nice finish with cherry, it does not have a tendency to splinter, which is an asset when making toys.for small children to play with.

I use cherry to make the bodies of my trains as well as the block wagon.

Maple is another nice wood to use for toys. Hard maple, also known as rock maple and sugar maple is very dense. I use it exclusively for my blocks which gives the blocks a nice heft. Hard maple is called hard for a reason. Its resistance to denting is another qualtiy which makes it appropriate for blocks. Blocks can be palyed with very hard and the durabilty of the maple will keep them looking nice even after a lot of abuse.

Construction techniques.

My toys are made of only wood and glue. There are no metal fasteners. Certain joints are conencted with dowels when extra strength is required such as connecting the locomotive boiler to the chassis.

All of the toys are sanded by hand. Corners and edges are rounded off by sanding to make them smoothe and splinter free.

Finishing.

The only finish that I use is mineral oil. It provides protection from moisture and stains as well as highlighting the grain patterns of the wood. The main reason that I have chosen mineral as a finish is that it is non-toxic. When toys end up in someones mouth it is comforting to know that the finish is safe. Other uses of mineral oil include finish for salad bowls, and butcher blocks. It is also used to help releive constipation.

The mineral oil soaks deeply into the woood, so refinishing is not very often necessary. If a toy does need to be refinished, just apply a littler mineral oil with a rag and wipe it off. Mineral oil can be purchased at your local pharmacy.

The Environment.

I try to minimize the impact on the environment of making my toys. I use 100% renewable energy from Pacific Power's Blue Sky program. All the power used at WoodToyShop is from Wind, Solar or Biomass. Roughly 80% of the wood I use is scrap. This reduces the amount of wood that goes in the trash and reduces the demand on the forest. Waste sawdust is composted for garden use.

Most of the packing material is recycled from local businesses. I also reuse as many boxes as possible. So don't worry if the box says Amazon, or Made In China.

Wood Toy Shop is a proud winner of the RecycleWorks Award from the City of Portland.