Hello there my good and faithful Minions. Tonight I shall finish telling you the story about how I make toys for all the good children of the world.
So, after a WHOLE lot of sanding, it’s time to drill the holes for the eyes and the axles.
Because of the different sizes needed and the fact that I do not yet own a lathe for turning my own wheels, I am forced to trade currency for them. These were purchased at Hobby Lobby. It’s okay though. They’re plenty fast enough.
This wood stock had a nice color in the grain where the shark’s colors meet. However, it was only on one side and with the paint you wouldn’t see it anyway. Now, the general rule is to put down your lighter colors first and go over them with the darker ones. I would have done that except that I didn’t have the proper color white. So I ran to the craft store while this coat dried.
Because I am both impatient and inventive, I didn’t want to wait for one side of the shark to dry before I could paint the other so I contrived a contraption out of some baling wire for to hang the shark while being painted and for drying. This is a good opportunity for me to tell anyone who might be interested in this as a hobby- never throw away any of your scrap wood. You will almost always find a use for even the most oddly shaped scraps. Yes, it’s true that over time you can amass a collection of scraps, but if you’re not working them through and finding new and wonderful purposes for them, you just aren’t working in your shop enough. 
So then, after your paint is all dry you will go ahead and buff with steel wool, then it’s time for the finish. Since this is a toy and we don’t want our children to be ingesting dangerous chemicals other than those approved by the fast food or pharmaceutical companies, I use a food-grade mineral oil for my finish. In fact, this particular oil is found in the kitchen section of Bed Bath and Beyond and is used for preserving cutting boards.
Now I know there’s probably a fringe of the hippy contingent that could tell me why mineral oil is the murder of society, but it’s about the safest thing I could find that doesn’t involve raising bees. No kidding.
After applying the mineral oil, it’s time to put him together.
And we’re finished. Beloved Minions, I am honored to introduce you to Quint the Shark.
I am working now to build a few kinds of wooden toys to feature in my new Etsy shop along with custom-made fairy doors and other fun things. Stay tuned for more!
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