Balance Board With Maze

I made a balance board with a maze in the middle of the board as a toy for a child over 6 years of age. Children have too many electronic toys and need toys that will engage their mind and body in a healthy way. The balance board with maze allows children to develop their balance and physical strength as well as concentration when trying to complete the maze. The Balance Board develops skills while providing enjoyment for children.

Form Ply

Hardwood

Filament

3D printer

Planning paper

Rubber

Ruler

Square

Pencils

Handsaw

Bandsaw

Glue

Drill

Domino

Disc sander

Hand held router

Table router

Laser cutter

Screws

Drop saw

Table saw

Vice

Vacuum cleaner

Double sided tape

Stanley knife

Clamps

Grip tape

Chalk

MDF

Thicknesser

Black paint

Draw on paper measurements required for project including length, width and thickness of board required for a stable and solid balance board keeping in mind the target age when deciding dimensions. Using OnShape, draw the template for the maze.

Select form ply and use chalk to draw a 500m x 35mm square. This needs to be done twice as the form ply is 15mm thick and the board needs to be 30mm thick. Use the table saw to cut both pieces. Use thicknesser to remove black outlay on one side of each board. Collect the domino and connect the vacuum cleaner. Make 14 domino incisions on each board - 4 on the bottom, 4 on the top and 2 on each side of each board. Match domino pieces to fit holes and use the vice and hand saw to cut each of the dominos down to size (25mm). Pack away domino and vacuum cleaner. Collect glue and clamps and 6 pieces of spare flat wood. Lather glue on non-black side, pour glue into each domino hole and hammer each domino fitting into each hole with glue and connect the two boards together. Place 3 pieces of spare wood on top of the board and 3 pieces of spare wood on the bottom underneath clamps. These spare pieces of wood act as an anti-bowing agent. The two 15mm boards are glued together to make the required 30mm thick balance board.

Send the models of the maze from Onshape to the 3D printer and proceed to print. See step 1 for maze measurements.

Collect balance board and remove clamps and place spare wood back into the spare wood box. Use table saw to trim uneven edges to make the board square. Take the balance board to the router table and choose correct curvature tool and connect it to the router. Rout each side of the board, top and bottom for a smooth finish. Take an item with a circle (Glen 20 can) and trace the circle outline near all four corners of the balance board and then use the disc sander to shape each rounded corner. Return to router table and re-rout rough edges.

Using the template shown below, use the laser cutter to cut an MDF board template to be traced to construct the base of the balance board.

Select a large piece of hardwood. Use the thicknesser to reduce thickness of hardwood to 20mm.

Take the MDF template and using chalk, draw the outline for the base of the balance board.on the hardwood.

Using the band saw, cut out the 8 pieces of hardwood.

Take the MDF template and use double sided tape to stick the template onto the hardwood. Take the hardwood pieces to the router table and use the straight cutter to trim each of the 8 pieces of hardwood to the exact same size, width and height.

Cut the tallest end of the pieces of hardwood at 45-degree angle so that all 8 pieces connect nicely together.

Use the templates shown below to cut out a template for the router to follow to make a 5mm deep trench for the maze to lay in. Take 12 black screws and screw each maze piece to the board, ensuring a gap of 20mm between each piece of maze.

Take skateboard grip tape and use laser cutter to follow the template shown below to create feet for placing on the balance board. Place shaped grip tape on each side of the maze on the balance board making sure to space it evenly.

Take the eight pieces of hardwood and pre-screw two holes in each of the pieces. Place two screws into each piece of wood and screw the pieces connecting the hardwood pieces to the base of the balance board.