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Classic ProjectCat Push Toy

Copyright Woodworker’s Journal © 2010This pattern is copyrighted by Woodworker's Journal.Purchasers of this plan may make three copies for personal use in the shop. The pattern itself, however, isthe property of Woodworker's Journal and is not to bereproduced for distribution or resale. Doing so,including via any electronic methods, is a violation ofcopyright law.

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In this plan you’ll find:

Published in Woodworker’s Journal May/June 1990

© 2010 Woodworker’s Journal

SHOPGIFT

atpush toy

This cat is a pet that's sure toplease. No food, litter, hair,fleas, mess or meow.

We call the cat a toy, but it also makesa great mobile sculpture for your coffeetable. You'll have to build the cat to seefor yourself, but its motion is trulycaptivating. As the cat is pushed alongby its convenient tail/handle, the wheelscreate a surprisingly catlike leg action.Depending on how the wheels arearranged at assembly, the cat can haveeither a creeping or a pouncing motion.Our thanks to Schenectady, New Yorktoy builder Skip Arthur for the design.

The cat shown is built of birch andwalnut. The color contrast works welland adds to the lifelike look. You willneed 3/4 in. thick walnut for the bodycenter (A), 5/8 in. thick birch for the bodysides (B), 1/2 in. thick birch for the upperlegs (C, D) and wheels (G), and 1/2 in.thick walnut for the lower legs (E, F).54

We've provided full-size patterns for thelegs, and a grid pattern for the bodysections.

The body center and sides are cut outwith a band saw or jigsaw. Drill the eyeholes and axle holes in the locationsshown, but enlarge the axle holes a littleto allow the axles freedom to turn. Glueon the two sides, smooth the profilealong the back and bottom where thecenter and sides align, and then roundthe edges of both sides. A 1/4 in. radiusball-bearing guided roundover bit comesin handy for the edge-rounding on thesides. Use files and sandpaper to shapethe head and tail.

The leg sections employ a roundedhalf-lap joint at the knee. The joint isn'tdifficult to make, but it's important sinceit gives the legs their remarkably naturalmovement. You'll need either multispuror Forstner bits to cut the joints. A 11/2in. diameter bit is needed for the front

leg joint and a 2 in. diameter bit isneeded for the back leg joint. Multispurbits are the best choice because theyproduce the smoothest cut.

The best way to make the leg sectionsis to lay them out on 1/2 in. thick stock,cut the half-lap joints with the multispuror Forstner bits in the drill press, andthen cut out the leg section profiles withthe band saw or jigsaw. But don't maketwo identical upper and two identicallower leg sections for each pair of legs.The left and right side leg sections usethe same profile, but the half-lap cuts areon opposite sides. An easy way to geteverything right is to layout two of eachpart, but flip each duplicate pattern. Thatway you can make all your half-lap jointcuts on the same face of each board. Usethe depth stop on the drill press to limitthe depth of cut to 1/4 in.

Cut the leg sections out and round theedges as shown. A 3/16 in. radius

The Woodworker's Journal

© 2010 Woodworker’s Journal

GIFT SHOP

roundover bit in the router table willsimplify most of the roundover work onthe leg sections, but you can also roundthe edges with sandpaper. You'll need tohand sand the roundover on the insidecurve of the half-lap joints.

Now drill the assembly screw holes.The assembly screws are all I in. long byno. 8 brass roundhead screws, but thefour screws that secure the knee jointsare cut to a 1/2 in. length. Small parts canbe a choking hazard for young children,so we used epoxy to anchor all thescrews.May/June 1990

The wheels are just 1/2 in. thick by 2in. diameter disks with rounded edges.Layout the wheels with a compass, cutjust outside the line with the band saw orjigsaw, then use the disk sander to finalsand to the line. A jig made from a scrapof 3/4 in. thick plywood, with a dowelmounted in the plywood as a pivot point,is a handy way to sand the wheelsperfectly round.

There are several ways to arrange thelegs in relation to the wheels. Thecreeping motion is produced when theopposing wheels are positioned so the

screws are 180 degrees apart. This waythe lower leg sections--or paws-seemto advance one after the other, just aswith a cat stalking prey. If you align thewheels with the screws at the samepoint, the cat seems to pounce.

The best finish for wooden toys is toleave them natural. If you want a finishto accent the wood grain, try Preserve.It's a non-toxic nut oil that's safe, evenwhen wet.

~

55

© 2010 Woodworker’s Journal

GIFT SHOP

The Woodworker's Journal

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© 2010 Woodworker’s Journal