Measure at
5.
Lay out for a 1⁄4-in.-dia. drilled hole in each cor-ner. Measure 5⁄32in. in from each line. This will locate the edge of the hole 1⁄32in. from the layout, leaving a little bit of room for fitting later. Mark the center of each hole with an awl or other sharp tool.6.
Drill the holes. Clamp the block onto a piece of scrap wood so that the drill bit does not splinter the wood as it breaks through. If you are using a vise for the small blocks, have the block pressed down on a scrap piece.7.
Using the holes as references, mark the layout lines on the back surface, exactly as they are in the front. This will help you keep the saw cut accurate and square.8.
Saw the blocks using a coping saw. Install the blade through a hole and reassemble the coping saw. Cut about 1⁄32in. from the line. Use gentle down pressure, checking front and back to keep the cut accurate on both sides. Accuracy will be easier to achieve if you rotate the block in the vise so that you are always cutting vertically.9.
Fit the blocks onto the pillar. File the centers at a slight angle to approximate the angle on the pillar.This makes fitting easier and reduces the chances of splintering on the back side, because the file does not make contact there. I use an 8-in. or 10-in.
double-cut bastard file to start, and then finish with my 6-in. double-cut smooth file.
Check the fit by sliding the pillar into the hole.
The block should slide just past the pencil line (drawn in step 8 of the pillar section on p. 66). It probably won’t fit at first try, so check where it is contacting and file the offending spot. You should also check the block’s squareness to the pillar, rotat-ing it 90 degrees to ensure that it fits the pillar from both directions.
St a ck i n g P y r a m i d 69 6
8
Continue to do this until the block slides just past the layout line on the pillar—between 1⁄16in.
and 1⁄8in. past the line is ideal. Reverse the block, and file this side until the block fits well from either side.
10.
File a small bevel onto all the edges of the hole, just to break the sharp corner.Assembly
To join the base and pillar, glue the two parts together and then install a dowel to strengthen the joint.
1.
Glue the pillar to the base. Put glue on the bot-tom of the pillar, locate it in place, and measure to check that it iscen-tered. Press the pillar down firmly, moving it about 1⁄16in. side to side to squeeze out any excess glue. Put a weight on top to hold it firmly. I put a couple of the small blocks in place to provide a platform, and then stick something heavy on top.
2.
After the glue is hard, mark center on the bottom of the base, for the location of the dowel.3.
Drill the hole for the dowel. I use a 3⁄4-in.Forstner-style bit, and I clamp the work to the drill-press table.
4.
Check that the dowel fits. Dowels are often slightly oversize,so sand the dowel a little if the fit is tight. When it fits, slide the dowel into place and mark the depth of the hole. Cut the dowel to length, allowing it to be 1⁄32in. to 1⁄16in. longer than the hole depth.
5.
Put some glue in the hole, but use it sparingly so that it does not collect and keep the dowel from bottoming out. Tap the dowel into place, leaving it protruding a little.6.
When the glue is hard, sand off the excess dowel.Finishing
Finish as desired. I find that a salad-bowl finish is best, because young children are likely to enjoy chewing on it a little. Whatever finish you decide to use, check that it is nontoxic. One note of caution: If you do a beautiful multicoat finish, you will likely find the thicker finish causes the blocks to fit differ-ently or to stick. Regardless of the type of finish, you may want to wax the pillar lightly to ensure the blocks slide easily. Again, check that the wax is nontoxic; natural beeswax is a good choice.
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St a ck i n g P y r a m i d 71
doors. Stack them from smallest to largest, making an inverted pyramid. The first time my son used this toy, he first put the smallest block on the pillar and built the pyramid inverted on the top. Many times the unex-pected provides a teachable moment.
Learning through Play
TH E STA C K I N G PY R A M I D is designed for young children, from about one to three years old. It develops fine-motor skills as the shaped blocks are fitted onto the pillar. Children also learn patterning basics as they see the alternating or repeating colors of the blocks. They also begin to differentiate between the sizes of the blocks and learn concepts such as “smaller,”
“larger,” “above,” and “below.”
As your toddler plays with the Stacking Pyramid, describe the difference in sizes, explaining that some blocks are larger than others and that the largest ones go on first and the smaller ones go on last. Point out the color pattern as well.
Let the child be free and creative, too. The blocks can be stacked without the stand. They can be placed on edge. The holes in the centers can be windows or
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