Jurassic Wooden Pull Toy

Thump...thump...THUMP! No it's not the Indominus Rex chasing after you from Jurassic World! I will teach you how to make a classic wooden pull toy that has a modern Jurassic twist! The video shows you how to make each vehicle one by one. In this instructables I will be showing you everything by step just like the way I built it. Projects that require drying time are good to work on with a staggered approach.

You will need the following to make this awesome fun toy!

• I have included FREE* templates
• 3/4" plywood (try to reuse found wood or scraps)
• Thinner wood around 3/16" thick
• Wood glue
• At least one clamp
• Spray adhesive, glue stick, or rubber cement
• Various grits of sandpaper (depends on your wood and cut)
• Hobby wooden wheels
• Wooden dowels that match the hole size
• Drill bits that are the same size as your dowel and one that is a size bigger
• Heavy stuff to weigh down pieces whilst they dry
• Small screws to help reinforce the weak legs
• Rope, twine, or even old shoe laces
• Small eye hooks for rope
• Writing utensil
• Square/ruler/measuring tape
• Brass picture hanger
• Wood sealer/stain

Tools/Equipment Needed

• Scroll saw (jig saw works too, but detail will be lost)
• Drill press ( a hand drill will work, but it will be a hassle)
• Electric Sander (optional - I did mine without using one)
• Rotary Tool ( this can be done by hand - and I used a rotary tool and a hand rasp )
• Router with round over bits

*Disclaimer - this is one of those rare times in life that free actually means free!! *

Please print the provided templates. Please make sure you have the box that says "Do Not Scale" for the letter sized sheets. For the large sheet that doesn't fit letter sized with the Dino and its base, you will need to click "Tile" so that this prints on to 4 sheets. Adhere using spray glue to the wood indicated on the print outs. Cut the wood out on the saw of your choosing. The only critical parts are the circle and the the feet of the Dinosaur. The rest don't have to follow the lines, but do your best.

I used a 1/2 radius round over bit on the circle and base. Since I made this circle an inch thick, routing both sides makes it appear to be a torus from the top.

Prep your pieces by sanding/filing the edges. It is by far easier to do this prior to assembly. If you do plan on making this for a child, then having soft edges is crucial. If this is intended for a small child, take the extra time to round over every spot that could potentially hurt the little one.

I had a difficult time getting my drill press to drill straight. It isn't level and the plate isn't at zero. I made it work but it was a pain. Try and make a jig and do your best. Drill the holes in the raptors the size of your dowel(I just eyeballed it, no need for precision). Drill a hole in the motorcycle and wheel blocks the size of the larger drill bit so the dowel can spin freely with the wheels. Drill a 1/4" hole about 2/3 of the way up on the motorcycle body to hold the dowel that holds the raptors. Again placement is totally up to you. Finally drill a hole large enough in the handle for your rope .

For Dino
Use the provided template to help eyeball the parts for the dinosaur. I used clamps but I found that just putting weight was much easier to hold the parts until the glue set. Only do one side at a time. It's too much to mess up trying to glue five four pieces to the body at once. When glueing the second side, make sure the large legs are inline with each other. If they aren't then you will lose a lot of support where it attaches to the base. After that dries then glue the Dino's feet to the base. Since this is already very weak as it is.

For Gyrosphere
Insert the dowel rods into the wood blocks to keep them mostly parallel. We aren't building rockets here, plus it's a kids toy so don't worry if things aren't exactly lined up. I didn't! Mark the half torus after mocking up the wooden parts so you know where to glue. Apply a thin amount of glue to the underside of torus and place on the bricks with the dowels. Push down and let the wood squish around until is settles, then place weight on top. Let it dry.

Motorcycle and Raptors.
I applied a very small amount it glue for these parts. A lot of them were so tight already that they didn't need glue.


Wheels for all
This is easy. I dabbed a bit of glue on the ends after and before putting on the wheel.

I found it easier to cut the dowels to length AFTER I assembled the vehicle.

After everything has had a chance to dry then you can start using the walnut oil to coat and seal the wood. This gives it an old look and really brings out some interesting color. This really helps to unify all of the different kinds of wood used in the project. Hit every nook and cranny since this is also going to seal the wood. Let this cure for at least a day.

I chose this lovely red rope just because I already had it in my shop. Layout your vehicles and just eyeball the lengths. It is a toy, so there isn't wrong or right. I used a stapler to staple the rope at least twice to the underside of the two larger vehicles. For the motorcycle, I modified a brass plated picture hanger to give me something to tie the rope to. Be sure to use a lighter to melt then ends of the rope to prevent it from fraying. I had a crescent shape piece of wood that kinda reminded me of a raptor claw. I drilled a hole earlier and knotted the rope around it.

I hope you have enjoyed this instructable. I really enjoyed writing it. I encourage you to make one yourself. If you do, I would love to see it in the comments. If you want to see more of what I do then please subscribe to me at http://youtube.com/ProperGents . Until next time, Cheers!