TRUCKS !

One of the things that Rick enjoys the most is making wooden trucks for children. As with most of his woodworking, Rick uses select quality Eastern White Pine for the truck bodies. And for most of his trucks, he also uses the pine for the wheels. Some of the wheels are cross-hatched with 'treads.' All of the trucks are sanded and rubbed to a smooth finish that allows the natural beauty of the pine to show through.

These trucks don't stay in stock for long. Most visitors who have little ones at home are drawn right away to the wooden hutch that holds the trucks. One visitor picked up the monster truck, and carried it throughout her tour of the shop, saying "I don't know who I'll give this to ... maybe, I'll keep it at my house for whoever comes to visit me."  That was such a wonderful idea!

The five piece puzzle truck is one of the first trucks that we had in the shop. Currently, it is out of stock, but Rick plans to have more made by the end of September. The overall length of the tractor and car carrier trailer is about 20 inches.It is made with purchased maple wheels, of a size that might be a swallowing hazard for toddlers under the age of three.  When fit all together properly, the height is about 7 inches, and the width 1 3/4 inches. The three cars that fit together form the body of the trailer and comprise the puzzle: they will only fit together one way. This invites little ones to use trial and error to put the cars back onto the flatbed. That's the kind of play that we know is so important for eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skill development.

What child doesn't like to have a dump truck to play with in the yard or on the beach? This truck measures 7 inches in length by 6 inches in height and 4 inches in width. To avoid pinched fingers, the dumper does not lift and dump. The cab of the truck has two wheels, and the dumper has eight wheels (two sets of doubles on each side.) These wheels are made by Rick of Eastern White Pine, and are shaped carefully to allow smooth rolling on a rug or in grass.

This flat bed trailer will carry either the dump truck (above) or the bulldozer (as shown here and below.) The trailer, tractor and wheels are all made of Eastern White Pine. The tractor has ten wheels of its own: two single tires at the front and four double sets support the goose-neck connection to the trailer.  The trailer has four double sets at the rear: eighteen wheels in all for this piece. The tractor and ten wheels measures  7  inches in length,  4.5  inches in height and  4  inches in width. The trailer, with it's goose-neck attachment and eight wheels measures 14.5  inches in length, 4  inches wide. When linked together by a wooden peg assembly, the overall length is 20.5 inches.

The bulldozer has four single, wider wheels. It's length is 6 inches, height is 3 inches (plus 3/4 inch dowel for exhaust) and 5.75 inches wide. The blade is 1/2 thick, 6 inches wide and 2.25 inches tall, and lifts up and down via a wooden peg system.

The VW dune buggy will be a favorite at the beach or in the sandbox. The vehicle and its wheels are made of Eastern White Pine. Extra-wide wheels with no tread support the bug's body, which features a cut-through window shape. This makes it easy for little hands to carry and move through the sand or the foliage. Here it is shown sitting in a bed of English Ivy (unfortunately not included :)

The Monster Truck has Very large wheels cross-hatched for tread. The wheels themselves are 2.75 inches in diameter and 3 inches thick, making the overall width of the truck and tires 8 inches. It stands about 7 inches high and about 7 inches in length. Made of Eastern White Pine, this truck delights both toddlers and older children alike.


Stop into our shop to see our trucks ... you never know when you might need one on hand for a special gift.  Or visit our webstore at www.woodentoyandgift.net and purchase via PayPal.