I decided to make some toy snakes for my kid’s birthday party. Gifts at kid’s parties are now required, but a lot of stuff is just plastic junk, so I wanted to create something that would be more worthwhile and not so ephemeral. I’m not sure how long these snakes will really last. I made two in redwood, and it just too soft a wood; the joints break fairly easily. The other ones are (mainly) cherry, which is much more dense and durable, but some of my strength testing still indicates that one could easily twist the wood apart. Even so, wood biodegrades, or you can toss it in the fireplace.

Check out the build video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gjCOKrucIA

I also made the files available as a free download with directions: CNC Wood Snake Project

More details can be found about my blog post on the project: https://www.corbinstreehouse.com/blog/2024/11/the-articulating-wood-snakes/