Roy Toy Wood-Links

Back during the depression, Roy Toy was one of many toy makers that sprung up, mostly to keep a business alive and employees employed.

Many of these toys have seen a rebirth in later times, out of nostalgia for classic toys and classic qualities. Some have come and gone again. Roy Toy is one of those that has stayed around and can still be purchased.

I've posted here about Roy Toys before, but it's been awhile, and I haven't posted the uncolored version.

In the meantime, Roy Toy has expanded their uncolored offerings significantly, and moved them from being a you-paint deal, to being "Earth Friendly," without the little plastic containers of paint.

I liked the unpainted ones more for their natural wood charm than for the opportunity to paint, so I never intended to paint mine. Besides being a pleasing natural color, the uncolored pieces lack the little dashed indents that were maybe intended to let the color penetrate more evenly, or maybe to sort of simulate a raw-wood appearance. The colored pieces look like they've been run through an industrial grade hyphenator.

One of my old complaints about Roy Toy was that each set seemed to have its own dimensions between notches, so you couldn't mix and match the pieces very well. In the two structures shown here, the #1 and #3 pieces are interchangeable, but the fort has a #2 that is half the length of a #3, while the cabin has a longer #2 that is sized so its notches align with the end and halfway notch of the #3.

But I apparently exaggerated the problem, and I now making measurements of the more accessible of my sets to see how much compatibility there is. So far, it looks like there is a quite useful amount of compatibility.

Roy Toy now offers some combo sets. I'd like to see what else can be built with those - and I bet the Roy Toy folks would be interested in seeing user designs as well.

My paint-set pieces were raw cut, neither sanded or smoothed, though it looks like maybe the new Earth-Friendly line is. Either way, it seems to me that these present much more opportunity for extending the set with your own pieces, since you wouldn't have to match the colors. Most anyone with a table saw could rip 7/16" thick log strips out of 3/4" boards, so an uncle could do it, and the notches could be done with hand tools - suitable for many children. Making your own round logs for other sets would require a much more sophisticated woodworker. Even with Roy Toy uncolored, I don't think anyone would want to make any quantity, the sets are too inexpensive for it to be worth the time & effort. But a few supplemental pieces might be fun.

Webster doesn't seem as impressed with Roy Toy as I am.

But I had good Block Play.

Edited 18:18 Nov 5, 2009, to correct some misperceptions. Additional corrections pending.

Linking Logs

Ja, they look a lot like old-fashioned Lincoln Logs, but they are made by Maxim, not by K'nex (it's true - K'nex now owns the Lincoln Logs product line).

These are Tumble Tree Timbers, and I am kind of fond of them. This structure is one of four that can be built at the same time with the 300 piece set, which has reasonably decent plans for three of them, including this one. So I have no excuse for forgetting the chimney.

Admittedly, they don't have the quality of Lincoln Logs, old or new, but the quality isn't bad, as are some of the other makers. The part mix in my sets are very good - simple, versatile, and all-wood.

Though I admit to having had to add a little metal, in the form of a penny or two to keep two flat roof boards from falling into notches. Those are Lincoln pennies, by the way, and if you zoom in (most all my blog images can be expanded by clicking), you'll see Abe sitting on a log.

I find a certain charm in building with linking logs in their natural form, and you have to give credit to the Lincoln Logs folks for providing a few sets that are all wood. If somebody would like to send me a set, I'd be happy to review them. For the time being, I am happy with the mix of old & new Lincoln Log sets and similar items I have, without buying more.

I even have fun with the modern Lincoln Log sets with plastic pieces, such as the Frontier Farm below. I especially like the cow.

Modern Lincoln Logs have a flat top & bottom, which can help beginners, and are very nicely designed & made, if you accept the plastic components. And much of the time, I do. I have several of the little totes, each of which has well-done instructions for one building and pictures of variations. You can mix the sets up for more interest, of course. Fortunately, I am pretty firm about sorting the pieces back in the original totes, so I can play when I need something easy.

Square or round, linking logs is Good Block Play.

This is my 200th Block Play post since starting on June 5, 2005. There are a few posts dated before that start up date, but they are mostly older photographs to which I gave the date of the photograph. The intention throughout has been to post my Block Play of that day, or sometimes the previous day, and perhaps ramble on a bit. There are also a few more posts partially written or almost finished but needing pictures. Maybe the reason they sit unfinished is because they don't follow that theme.

Between now and Christmas my intent is to emphasize things that are currently available, to help folks trying to chose gifts - I get a lot of queries & feedback on that. After the new year I hope to explore older items more.

Disclosure: I get a commission on Block Play Store sales in the form of an Amazon gift certificate, delayed two months, whenever the commission balance exceeds $10. I got one in September, but won't see another until next year. The average recently has been about $3 per month, with $1 in October. Obviously, I do it for fun, not for the big bucks. Amazon tells me what folks buy, but not who. It might be more fun if I "knew" my customers, but Amazon is WAY better at customer service than I am.

There are other sources listed in the "Links" sidebar, and occasionally in posts. Please mention this blog if you order from them. They don't pay me anything, but sometimes I get an extra booklet or a sample to try out.

Halloween

Happy Halloween! ... with more Ghost Wedgits from my Wedgits-10 project.

I know this is repetitive, but how could I resist on Halloween itself?

We'll be back to blocks & stones & such very soon, but with a lingering gratitude to Wedgits for their help in getting me through my cataract surgeries (with a root canal thrown in).

I am looking forward to interesting times ahead, re-exploring some semi-forgotten favorites and some never-forgotten and never-to-be-forgotten.

Good Block Play.

Toadstools

We have a nice crop of toadstools coming along for Halloween.

There seems to be a Ghost Wedgits construction lurking in there as well - part of my 10-piece project.

Ankerstein Bridge

How better to celebrate my second cataract surgery yesterday (and patch off today) than with a nice Anker Bridge?

I know I've built this before, and thought I had blogged it before, but a quick search doesn't show an earlier incarnation. Either way, this is what I am posting today, so enjoy.

This is from the manual that comes with the current Anker Set 6, and is built with the stones from that set.

I like bridges.

Good block play.