About this Product
The story of Noah, the ark, and all the animals is an enduring one. Children love animals so this set gives an opportunity for you to tell the story if you wish, or is just provides a fun item for play. This ark has sliding doors on either side of the ark that provide access to the interior.The dimensions and materials are listed below.
• The ark itself was made from white oak and it measures 15 ½ inches long, 6 7/8 inches wide, and 11 ½ inches high
• The water is made from poplar and is 17 ¼ long, 7 ¼ wide, and ½ inch thick
• The 3 trees are made from poplar and measure 6 ¾ tall, 5 3/8 wide, and ¾ inch thick
• The ramp is made from white oak and is 7 ½ long, 1 ¾ wide, and 3/8 inch thick
• The whales are made from poplar and are 8 long, 3 ¼ high, 1 3/8 inches thick
• The sharks are poplar and are 5 ¼ long, 1 ¾ high, and ¾ inch thick
• The dolphins are poplar and are 2 5/8 long, 1 ¼ high, and ½ inch thick
• The camels are made from walnut and are 3 ¼ long. 3 ¼ high, and ¾ inch thick
• The apes are made from mahogany and are 3 1/4 long, 3 ½ high, and ¾ inch thick
• The polar bears are cut from maple and are 3 ½ long, 3 high, and ¾ inch thick
• The hippos are walnut and are 3 long, 3 high, and ¾ inch thick
• Noah and his wife are made from red oak and are 3 ¼ high, 1 ½ wide, and ¾ inch thick
• The giraffes are also red oak and are 3 ½ long, 3 ½ high, and ¾ inch thick
• The cats are cut from red oak and measure 4 long, 2 ½ high, and ¾ inch thick
• The elephants are made from red oak and are 3 ¼ long, 3 ½ high, and ¾ inch thick
• The horses are cut from sapele and are 3 ½ long, 3 ¼ high, and ¾ thick
The ark was finished with spray shellac and the animals were all completed with an oil finish. All the finishes are child safe when dry.
Bob's Home Woodshop
Meet the Maker
I am a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, and have an MBA with a marketing concentration. I worked in retail management, then outside sales in the HVAC and refrigeration industry. I drove a limo for a year, then went to work at a large for-profit university. I worked as an admissions officer, then moved into student finance. I was also an adjunct faculty member, teaching courses in marketing. I retired in January 2020 and now devote as many hours as I wish per week to my woodworking business.
My wife of 50 years and I live in a rural area about 50 miles southwest of Chicago. Our two grandchildren live in Georgia so we do not see them as often as we would like. Woodworking began as a hobby, then I started selling at local craft shows in this area area and later moved to online sales. I enjoy making wooden toys and home decor items and have shipped over 1,000 orders all over the U.S. and even as far away as Australia. All my products are made from sustainable hardwoods such as poplar, oak, maple, and walnut which I purchase locally.
How it’s Made
For large items like this ark which I will be making again I usually make a template, and I use the template to trace the pattern onto the wood I will be using. This ark calls for 3/8 inch thick material, and I have chosen white oak. After cutting the two sides, ends, and some interior pieces I start assembly. It can take a number of clamps for an item like this ark which is why most woodworkers say, "You can never have too many clamps."
Building the ark is fun, but not as much as cutting out the animals. I print the patterns using a laser printer, then attach them to the wood using a two-sided tape made for scroll sawing. The tape holds the pattern securely during cutting, but easily peels off when the animals are complete. For the different Noah's arks I make I use a variety of hardwoods for the animals, usually poplar, oak, cherry, walnut and sapele.
The ark and animals are sanded, then finished. I use polyurethane for the ark and a child safe oil finish for the animals.
Shop Policies
Most items are in stock and orders are shipped the next business day. If there will be any significant delay, I will notify the customer via e-mail. Small items are shipped via USPS First Class Mail or USPS Priority Mail., and larger or heavier items go via UPS. I do accept custom orders, and terms for those are agreed upon in advance between myself and the customer.
