Table of Contents: - Introduction - Character Ideation: Children’s Story - Research - Concept Models and Sketches - Permutation and Iteration - Final Design Model and Renderings

Introduction

Assignment: I was assigned a project to develop a new line of toys for a client operating a toy company. The client’s goal was to produce a simply constructed childrens toy intended for ages ranging two to five. The client also has a passion to break sterotypical toy traits such as being cheap, plasticky, and disposable. To acheive the client’s desired end result I will concept a children’s story centered around a main character’s inherent traits. The client has also limited the selection of the main character to “things that move under their own power”, such as vehicles and animals. This character will then be the concept for the toy, which will be executed in a taseful combination of wood and plastic to help break the the sterotypical plasticky toy mold.

Contraints

- Materials limited to a ratio of 70% wood to %30 plastic

- Designed for ages 2 - 5 years old

- Maximum 786 cubic inches (approximately 8”x8”x12”)

- Limited to traditional analog machining and lamination bending

- Must be based on something that moves under its own power, no games, playsets, or ride-on toys

Ideation began by story boarding a children’s book, focusing on the defining traits of the main character. While under the constraint of things that move under their own power, I considered entities such as a pick up truck, Tyrannosaurus Rex, giraffe, beaver, and a turtle. I focused mainly on the most easily exagerated features, like the small arms of T-Rex or the tall neck of the giraffe. These exagerated features were used to drive the conflict and resolution of the story.

Character Ideation: Children’s Story

Jerry Giraffe

Tommy Turtle

Tony Truck

Tucker T-RexFundamental Flaw: Tommy’s legs are too short for his larger shell and he is unable to make it to the ocean and escape the attacking sea gulls. Conflict: Sea gulls are swarming closer and closer as tommy and the other newly hatched turtles try to make it to the ocean. Resolution: When the other turtles notice that tommy is unable to move himself to the ocean and escape the sea gulls they all turn around and help tommy to the water where he was able swim perfectly.

Fundamental Flaw: Because he works in a contruction site, Tony is beat up with dings and dents as well as dirt. Conflict: Because Tony is beat up looking he is made fun of by the other cars. Resolution: Tony helps tow one of the antagonist cars to the mechanic after getting a flat tire. The antagonists realize that Tony is great even though he doesnt look nice

Fundamental Flaw: Jerry’s neck is shorter than most other giraffes and he is often left out and neglected for beign different.Conflict: The group of giraffes need to talk to a group of lions one day, but they cannot communicate because they are too tall. Resolution: Jerry, being the perfect height between the lions and the taller giraffes, helps the two groups communicate. Jerry is celebrated and becomes the “translator” for the group of giraffes.

Fundamental Flaw: He cannot move things with his short arms, but no one will help him because he has a short temper, is rude, and demanding. Conflict: Tucker cannot move anything and cannot understand why no one will help him. Resolution: once tukcer is rejected by all of the other dinosaurs, he realizes that he is being rude; or tucker is told by the last dinosaur that he cannot be rude and expect help. When tucker uses his manners the other dinosaurs gladly help him.

Bradley BeaverBradley the Buck-Tooth Beaver is a beaver in a beaver colony. He has the biggest buck teath out of all the beavers and can chop down a tree aster than all the other beavers. Attributes: big buck teeth, big tail that gets excited (moves up and down) while he chops down a tree. He is the fastest tree chopper in the forest. Conflict: Bradley needs to chop down trees very fast in order to save the dam from a leak but his tail wont get excited and he needs the help of his friends to get it going. Resolution: After his friends help him get his tail going Bradley is able to chop down many trees and save the dam.

ResearchI began research on beavers by investigating three key perspectives of the animal: how children percieve them, how childrens books illistrate them, and taxonmay of the animal. To do this I refferenced childrens book cover illistrations, having the taget age range draw the animal themselves, and analyze the physical form of the animal through photographs and video documentation. I found that the key features that children define a beaver by are their large teeth and large tail.

Concept Models and Sketches

ConceptAfter permutating mechanical features for children to interact with, I chose a lever system that allowed the child to move the teeth (chew) by operating the tail lever as well as a curved bottom edge that will allow the toy to rock, thus engaging the child even when not being physically interacted with.

Permutative Models

IterationWhile the concept for the mechanical interation of my toy was definite, I began to struggle with permutation while creat-ing forms. While permutating I was trying to find the balance between a pleasing form and the machinability that the “client” wanted in the final model. I employed the use of easily machinable planer pieces to iterate three diamensional forms while maintaining complete control of the highly defined side profile. After heavily revising my toy, primarily the side profile, I found an ex-pressive form.

Final Model

I began the final model by laser printing profile templates, from the CAD model, out of masonite. These templates will be used to rough cut and route the profile into the planer pieces.

After rough cutting the profiles on the band saw, the masonite templates are screwed onto the work pieces once again. A flush trim router bit is then used to exact the work piece to the template profile.

After routing the two main body pieces, the process of rough cutting and routing on a template was repeated for leg pieces as well as mid body pieces.

After all the pieces were routed I used a 3/16 inch round over bit on the router table to quickly and precisely redius each of the edges. The proccess was complicated by the need for the radius to symetrically stop on both body pieces to allow tangency between the pieces along the bottom edge.

To symetrically stop the radius along the bottom of the body and mid pieces I created a jig template that compensated for the width of the bit as well as the bearing. The jig over hangs the work piece and stops the router bearing in the exact place on both pieces.

As a specification of the “client”, the model needs to come apart along the center parting line. To accomplish this I created another set of templates with identical 1/2 inch holes. I then used the templates to drill holes into the work pieces that will have dowls to create registration.

After creating registration between the two halves of the body, the tail and mouth slots needed to be machined on a vertical mill. The workpiece was mounted vertically in the vice, clamped together, and machined.

With the body pieces fully machined, the tail, teeth, and eyes needed to be machined. The tail will be made from 1/2 inch dowl and RenShape. First the Renshape needs to be machined parrallel faces, a 1/2 inch whole milled for the dowl, then the same template and router process will be used to shape and radius the piece.

To machine the teeth I start-ed with a block of Renshape, traced orthographic profiles, and cut on the band saw. After rough cutting on the band saw I hand formed the teeth with sandpaper and swiss files.

After the teeth and tail are sanded to 400 grit/inch I primed them with duplicolor scratch filling primer to crate a smooth surface over the low density RenShape. I also as-sembled the body pieces with at this stage, completing the two halves of the body.

To form the eyes I created a rough cylinder of RenShape on the band saw and disk sander. I then mounted the Renshape on the metal lathe and sanded a domed top with sandpaper. This Renshape was then used to vacuum for styrene duplicates to be cut, sanded, and primed.

After completing the eyes, teeth, tail, and assembling the body halves the final model is ready to be assembled and glued together.

Final Model

1/3 Scale

Bradley The Beaver