A LOADER FOR ALL SEASONS
(Australasian Toy-Maker ~ Issue Number 6 ~ Modified for the website)
Christmas 2003—and having obtained some old shelving scraps of 21 mm meranti—I decided to design and make two front-end loaders for my grandchildren. The front end-loaders combined an original design with elements of other loaders I had seen. These included the large stationary yellow scoops children sit on in the shopping-centre and the smaller machinery with articulated bodies that clutter the shelves in every toy shop. I also thought, having obtained the timber for free, it would be an inexpensive project, but the hardware required proved otherwise.
A Brief Description
The front-end loader is a ride-on toy for two to five-year-old children. The sturdy body is complemented with large wheels and a strong articulated centre. There are two large dowel handles for steering and two smaller dowels operating the ratchet winch which raises a small bucket. At the top of the bucket shaft there is a wide handle to tip the bucket. The tipped bucket returns to the shaft by means of a long spring attached to the top of the bucket. The ratchet is released by a small red lever placed between the front sides.
Although I used 21mm timber, the loader can be made from 19mm timber readily available from hardware stores. Building the body of the loader is straight forward and consists of nine main parts. The ratchet mechanism and tipping bucket are not as straight forward but with patience, combined with a touch of trial and error, should result in a rugged and interesting addition for the mini workforce.
Building the body.
I refer to the nine pieces of the body (Fig 1), as the Body End, the Body Front, the Seat, the Seat Braces, the Base Front, the Base and the Front Sides.
The vertical body parts are made from timber 38mm thick, obtained by gluing together two pieces 180x 500x19mm to form a laminated section. This is the articulated middle of the loader. It is important that these pieces fit together allowing room for two washers between each part. On the plan, available for download, the edges marked with a # will have to be rounded to allow the body to turn but this is better left until a later stage.
The remaining pieces are cut from 19mm stock. The internal curves are for added strength and can be made using a hole-saw before each piece is cut out. The external curves make these pieces safer for small hands and legs. The size of ALL these curves is arbitrary.
When these pieces are complete, fit the Body End and the Body Front together. Align these pieces carefully and drill a 10mm hole to fit the bolt for the articulated centre. This hole is longer than the standard drill bit so care is needed in drilling from the top and then from the bottom. These pieces can now be rounded (edges marked #), so they move freely. Using Fig 1 as a guide, the pieces are glued and screwed together ensuring the countersunk screw heads are well below the timber surface.
Building the bucket and shaft
The shaft consists of three pieces cut from 19mm stock to the widths shown on the plan. Holes are drilled at the points labeled 1, 2 & 3 to take the 8mm rod enabling the pieces to move freely. These numbers are also the key to how these pieces are linked. In the Handle Plan, the curved pieces are cut using a band saw or jig saw. The bucket is a simple box fitted with two long hinges cut from a length of piano hinge.
The photographs shows how these pieces fit together. There should be enough clearance to separate the pieces with engineer’s washers. 8mm clips have been hammered onto the ends of the 8mm rods. A 150mm (approx.) spring is attached to the bucket and the shaft. The spring needs to be strong enough to JUST return the bucket to its original position. The rubber stopper avoids little fingers from getting caught!
Building the winding ratchet.
The winding ratchet consists of an 8 toothed wheel and a ratchet which uses the spring from a wooden clothes peg. Two handles are used to wind the cord which raises the bucket.
The photograph shows how these pieces fit together. The winch handle arms are made from scrap. The stopped holes for the dowel handles are oversized allowing the dowels, secured by a screw, to move freely. The dowel passing through the digger body is chiselled flat on opposite sides for part of its length to accommodate the rectangular holes in the cog and the handle arms. The cord is attached to the dowel near the cog. The spacer block keeps the ratchet from moving sideways. The steering dowel is approximately 300mm long and fixed by placing a nail through the top of the front sides into the dowel.
Conclusion
Many larger hardware stores carry a range of large wheels. My wheels were 150 mm. The axle was attached with a right-angled bracket. My loaders were finished with clear matt polyurethane, rubbed back before applying a coating of polishing wax. The final touches, red and white reflectors, were attached late on Christmas-eve. These toys have passed the test for children—the test of time. They have provided hours of fun for four small children over the past three and a half years.