Toy Cars for kids from Ken and Men’s Shed

THE LEONGATHA Men’s shed celebrated foundation member Ken Reid last week, who started the Toy Car for Samaritans Purse Project 10 years ago. 

Since joining the Men’s Shed at Leongatha (LMS) as an inaugural member in 2012, Ken has dedicated his time at home and at LMS producing thousands of toys for disadvantaged children. 

Ken was a former woodwork teacher at the Leongatha Secondary College, before his retirement in 2000 and he supervises a group of men to assist him in various stages to complete the toys.   

With help from the team at LMS Ken has made a total of 7,883 cars which go to children from Cambodia, Fiji, Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia and Africa.

“We were approached first by the Samaritans Purse here in Leongatha and they said they would like a small toy to put inside the Christmas boxes suitable for boys. So, we were asked to design this basic little car that could just be slipped into the box,” Ken said. 

The Samaritan’s Purse Project is a non-profit organisation providing relief from Australia and New Zealand to underprivileged countries world-wide. 

They distribute the Christmas Child ‘Shoe box’ packages which provide children with shoe boxes filled with hygiene items, gifts of school supplies, fun gifts, and of course the toy cars from the Leongatha Men’s Shed. 

The cars are packaged each year in October and November. 

“It’s worked out very well because it means that people that come here that can’t actively work in the workshop as much, not able to stand, or older, or in a wheelchair, they’ve got something they’ve been involved in. So, it’s very good for the men that are here, that group of men, and it’s very good for the Samaritans Purse that appreciate the toys. We can make them, and they are very pleased.”

The  car production begins by Ken sourcing timber pallets from local businesses throughout Leongatha to make the cars. 

The pallets are deconstructed, nails removed, and pieces are sorted and organised for the various workstations at the Mens Shed. 

Twenty-two members of the Men’s Shed learnt about the history of the toy making process last week and got to practically experience each stage of the toy car making process.

There are five stations where the cars are constructed.

At the first, the car wheels are formed and cut with a hole-saw cutter, scalded and deburred, and then sanded and smoothed on the lathe.

At the next the car bodies are shaped by the orbital sanding machine and following that the car roofs are secured to the body using trimmed nails and glue. 

Then the car bodies and cabins are sanded to ensure a smooth finish before being attached together.  

The cars are then painted blue or red and the team of painted using support jigs.

At this stage car wheels are also painted (with axles attached by glue at one end only) and the other set of wheels are glued at final assembly, when wheels and axles are fitted to cars. 

For the axle to be placed, the car body is drilled using a vertical drill and jig, with location marks made for the front and rear axles. 

In the final stage of assembly, the wheels and axles are fitted to the car body. The axle is then sanded flush with the wheel and touch up paint is put on where necessary. 

The toy cars are then ready to send. 

“It’s good for our men and it goes to a good cause,” Ken said. 

The men who attended on the day were treated with coffee and scones prepared by members who attended the May ‘Cook & Eat’ event, where they were introduced to scone making. 

All in all, another successful day at the Leongatha Men’s Shed.