How a wooden toy gets made here

01 — Timber

Species and thickness are chosen per product. Beech for parts that need a precise edge, pine for large painted items, birch plywood for thin stable panels. Moisture content is checked before cutting; wood that is too wet will move after assembly.

02 — Cutting and machining

Parts are cut, drilled, routed and shaped. Tolerances are set per product: a puzzle piece needs a tighter fit than a block. Off-cuts are sorted for reuse.

03 — Sanding

Every edge is sanded through three grits, and corners are rounded to a profile specified per age band. Sanding is checked by hand — a splinter found at this stage costs less than one found by a customer.

04 — Painting and printing

Water-based paints and inks only. Colour is matched to a reference, applied, and cured before the next stage. Printed artwork is proofed before the run and checked against the proof during it.

05 — Assembly

Hardware, axles, hinges and knobs are fitted and tested on the line. Items that a child will open, sit on or pull are cycled and load-tested.

06 — Quality control

In-process checks plus a pre-shipment inspection. We check dimensions, finish, hardware, small parts, warnings and carton marks. Photos are taken before the cartons are sealed.

07 — Packing and loading

Products are packed to the carton specification on the product page, labelled and loaded. A loading plan is agreed before production so the container is not a surprise at the end.