Starting in September 2014, the brothers created 50 wooden toys which they donated to Homefront, an organization in the New Jersey area working to end homelessness, during its Christmas in July event. Now, they’ve set a bigger goal: involving other students for a donation of 5,000 toys in July 2016.

The toys come from two designs created by the brothers: a toy dachshund dog and a toy car. “We wanted the designs to be something fun and playful that children would enjoy,” Sam said, while Logan added that the design incorporates wheels on each design so that children can move the toys. “The cars can have races or they can walk the dog, fun activities like that.”

Each of those wheels so far has been cut out individually on a wheel press. “We made 50 toys over the past year, so that’s over 300 wheels,” Sam said.

The brothers are using resources both at the woodworking shop of their  school, Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey,  and at home, where their grandfather’s recent move to a smaller apartment brought tools like his table saw, band saw, spindle sander and more into the boys’ garage. It was at the grandfather’s workshop where Logan and Sam first got into woodworking, making “little projects like spears, swords, shields; fun stuff like that,” Logan said. “When we were younger, my brother and I were always interested in Greek and Roman mythology,” Sam said.

They’ve also started a club at their school, Toys for Smiles, to involve other students in building the toys for next year’s projected larger donation. “It’s got 40 or 50 members, and every week, we’ll meet, go into the school’s woodshop and create these toys,” Logan said.

Logan has taken a previous class in woodworking, where he made a breadboard and a mirror frame, and is signed up for a class this year which will include building tables and an Adirondack chair. Sam hasn’t yet taken the intro to woodworking class; when he tried to sign up, it was full.

And, the brothers say, they are getting a good response from other schools they’ve contacted. “We’re finding plenty of schools in the area still have woodshops,” Logan said, while Sam added, in regard to the 5,000 toys goal, “I think we can reach it based on the response we’re getting.”

If another school or organization wants to get involved, the brothers supply the designs and an instructional manual. “The most challenging part of building it I would say is sanding,” Sam said. “We have to make them splinter-free, so after every single step, it’s 500-grit sandpaper. We’re constantly making sure there’s no splinters, no rough edges.”

Part of the instructions to others, Logan said, include that each piece needs to be “checked by three classmates and a teacher to ensure there’s no splinters and it’s safe.”

After the main shape of the design is cut out, Sam said, the next step is to cut a hole in the bottom of each toy to put dowels through for the wheels. The wheels are fastened onto the dowels with wood glue.

Pine is the wood of choice for the toys, Logan said, because it’s an acceptable color, doesn’t burn, and is usually inexpensive.

Both brothers, Logan said, have been involved in community service projects both through school and otherwise for a long time, including serving at a soup kitchen, assisting with the Special Olympics, and more. “Both my mom and my grandmother are big contributors to Homefront, so it has been in my family going to Homefront and giving back,” he said.

“When we got to high school,” he said, “we wanted to see where we could take this passion of ours, and how we could use woodworking to help our community.” Making toys for homeless children, Sam said, “is a great way to use one of our hobbies we like to do to help people.”

For more information, or to become involved in the project, visit www.loganandsam.org or email info@loganandsam.org.

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-Tony McQuay
Little Rock, Arkansas

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-Robert S. Hall
Scarborough, Maine

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It includes four continuous diamond-surface sharpening products in Fine grit (600 mesh, 25 micron). You get a large, half-round honing cone that’s 8-in. long, with a diameter that ranges from 3/4-in. to 1-1/4-in. There’s also a medium honing cone, measuring 6-in. long with a taper of 3/8-in. at one end and 3/4-in. on the other end. A small honing cone should help hone your tightest-curve tools. It measures 4-in. long with a 1/8- to 3/8-in.-dia. taper. A 2- x 3-1/4-in. credit card-sized flat sharpener is also included, packaged in a vinyl sleeve.

All four of these tools fit in a rugged storage pouch that can be hung or folded for storage.

Sharpening with diamond stones can be done dry or with water. There’s no need for messy oil. Durable construction should provide years of consistent and reliable performance.

Founded in 1976, DMT manufactures a full line of diamond sharpening tools for use in woodworking, outdoor sports, culinary arts, security and industry. Their sharpening products are made in the United States. You can read more about DMT’s history by clicking here.

The DMT Sharpener Kit for Turners & Carvers (item TCKIT-F) is available now for $117.87. Order it through DMT’s online store by clicking here.

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Tim Inman: The color that makes purpleheart purple is, as you know, very fugitive. It is not light-fast. If you like that color, your best bet is to obtain a light-fast dye stain and tint the wood with it. Even then, the dye will eventually fade. Box elder has a really nice red streak in it sometimes. Turners love to make things to show off this red. I remember so well making wooden treenware with it. By the time I got to a woodworking show/sale, the red had faded to a dull-looking bloodstain brown. Life with wood.

Chris Marshall: About four years ago, I made a collection of trivets for Woodworker’s Journal (“Trammel-jig Trivets,” December 2011 print issue). The one pictured here has a purpleheart framework around it. As Tim suggests, eventually the purple color of purpleheart typically turns to a brownish color, but not on this trivet. It’s still bright purple now. Probable reason? It spends most of its life in a dark drawer in our kitchen.

I used wood from the same board to make a small stand for a photo we display on a shelf (see below). It’s not exposed to direct sunlight, which might help explain why it, too, is still basically the purple color you see here. I made the stand in 2011. Even though the wood hasn’t changed much over four year’s time, my kids sure have. Wish I could slow that down, too… but, so it goes.

Maybe I just got lucky with a particularly color-stable board.

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On the inside, the door has room for polo’s and a bottom deep pocket. It also has two bridle rings and a space to receive a riding crop.

The main cabinet has two blanket bars, a saddle rack, a continuous hinge door space for the helmet, and a removable grooming tray. There are also two long (and deep) drawers with matching custom trim to match the exterior trim.

The complete work is stained with Golden Oak and has two layers of Helmsman poly to protect it from the elements.

-Anthony Gruttadauro
Brockport, NY

See the Slideshow Below:

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“Congrats! And I think you have a great sense of humor. Hope you and your new bride are enjoying your new life together, as well.” – Frank Bator

“Quirky humor?  Really?  I thought that was my domain.  No, you have been great and I hope it continues until I can no longer turn on my woodworking equipment. I wish you the same success and I hope I am around for the next 100 issues.” – Bob Hoyle

And, prior to that, Rob had mentioned that he would be doing demos at the Grand Opening of the new Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Store in Rocklin, California. Sounds like some of you made it to see him. – Editor

“It was great meeting you in Rocklin.  I was happy to see how consistent you are in person as compared to your magazine persona – and I mean in a good way. You were very informative and quite engaging with the woodworkers in attendance. You have a nice balance of humility and woodworking expertise/authority, which came across. I thought for sure you would mention the grand opening and share some pictures in the eZine. After all it is Rockler in Rocklin, which can’t be an accidental coincidence. Plus, it is such a beautiful, spacious new store.” – Patrick Ainsworth

As for photos? See above. – Editor

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