Finshed!

This first one is as done as it is going to get.

Among the lessons leaned:

• The way the grain goes is more important than maximizing the wood. The camel’s leg broke but glued together well, would not have broke had I cut it right.
• Axel holes in the center of the legs don’t leave enough room for hooks and eyes.
• Use smaller hooks and eyes. Too bad I bought so many today.

Other animal trains will be painted or have tribal designs on them, maybe different stains for wheels and bodies as well as plain.

Now back to the other train I started.

Next Steps

Finally got out there and did some more work on the circus train:



Pretty happy with it as a learning process. I need to get better at sanding or get a better tool for it. I may resort to buying wheels rather than making them given the time it took versus what I could pay for them.



Still need to add eyes and hook so they can all link up. Ears, horns, tails and maybe some paint as well.

Insight

Finally got in some practice time with the lathe tonight after I bought the right size roughing gouge at a flea market (used, but sharp and a great price). The set of tools I bought when I got the lathe are for miniature work. Oops, but I'll probably use them. I took a square 2x2 and roughed it into a round 2x2-ish piece. Neat!

Now if anyone says I could have saved $200.00 by buying a round piece of wood in the first place, they get punched.