Play Planks

[eyekode]

A while ago I asked some questions about "giant licoln logs". That lead me to this article: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/08/23/plywood-play-planks/

This project takes a fair amount plywood and I couldn't decide how much I wanted to spend on it. Then I saw a craigslist add for Arauco plywood for 16$ a sheet in Durham.

In a funny twist of fate the guys in Durham selling the Arauco on craigslist make modern play planks with a shopbot: http://www.murrahwoodcraft.com/pages/thinker-linkers-main.php

They were having a quality problem with this ply and had switched to baltic birch. Understandable but I still drove up to durham and bought 5 sheets.

This was the fastest project I think I have ever finished . < 4 hours total and I now have a play set my kids love to build with:

I used a good blade and didn't even need to sand the edges. Not one splinter yet .

And these silly pieces of plywood have accomplished something I have been trying to do for years: my wife's car hasn't been in the garage in weeks! Muahahahaha!
Salem

 

[Sealeveler]

Congrats on 2 fronts,the kids are enjoying something that doesn't use power or batteries and the wife's car.
Tony

 

[bobby g]

Really neat Salem. How did you make the cuts for the notches?

bobby g

 

[eyekode]

I used a dado stack. Very few machine setups required: one for ripping. One to cut each size to length. And one for cutting the dados.

Very satisfying to start something in the morning and have the kids building houses with it in the afternoon .

Salem

 

[Bill Clemmons]

What a great project Salem. And thanks for posting the plans. I've saved them for future reference. :icon_thum

Bill

 

[eyekode]

No problem Bill. If you plan on making them there was only one thing that gave me pause: thy recommend the notches to be 1/8th wider then the stock. I thought this was too loose so I mad a trial joint at 3/32. This seemed too loose too but I went with it. In the end it was about right. The fit needs to be loose for small kids to line it up. Especially if your 4' boards end up warping at all.

Salem

 

[jhreed]

Great thread. Informative, concise, good links, and as a bonus, pictures of beautiful Ladies having fun.
James