“Getting Ready for the Trip…” is a creation origninally created for a ‘2 X 4’ contest, featuring anything one can make out of a standard 2 X 4.   It is approximately 10″ x 12″ (plus/minus) with Santa Claus taking a bath in an old fashion tub.   I designed the creation after seeing a similar toy…it has Santa ‘scrubbing’ his shoulder with a bath brush….’soaping’ his beard …and as a note of humor there is yellow duck and a rubber ball that rotates on the surface of the water.   Santa uniform is resting on a small stool with boots (with a hole in the sole)  as well as bath cloths etc.    It is operated by a small electric motor with cams designed to move both Santa’s arms up and down though at different intervals.   The rubber duck and ball represent a change in direction from the ‘rotary power of the electric motor to a back and forward motion of the rubber toys which was accomplished with out the use the method of ‘push and pull’ as seen in the old fashion rail road engine.   It is made to operate smoothly for long hours—as much as eight hours without stopping.    It is made so that parts that might wear are easily removed and repaired.   All items are hand carved with Dremel tools and it has several coats of lacquer…