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crawling bug
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free plans: how to make a
Crawling Bug
Basic Description

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This is a fun toy that displays a unique crawling action when rolled or pushed across a surface. There are lots of little parts to deal with, and therefore it is more challenging to make than it may look. In the end, however, its a great toy that is as fun to make as it is to play with. As we do with most of our plans, we leave plenty of room for customization so your bug can reflect your tastes.


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Design Considerations

Materials

We made the body out of poplar and the rest of the pieces out of plywood. In retrospect, hardwood would have been better for everything, but plywood was sufficient.

Size

The thickness of the wood used in the body is not too critical, but the width of the body gives the entire toy its lateral stability. It is critical that the remaining pieces be the same thickness or you will run into problems with alignment. If you opt to use store-bought wheels, make sure that you make all the leg parts out of wood with the same thickness as the wheels.

Other Ideas

You can convert this project into a pull toy simply by attaching an eyehook to the front and tying a sting to that. You can embellish the bug by painting or affixing eyes and you can experiment with antennae etc.
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the assembled crawling bug toy



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