Bucket of Blocks

So my wife was at a baby shower a little while ago for a lady having twins.  I make tug boats for baby shower presents.  These were twins so she asked if I had any buckets of blocks ready.  I did, so we packed one in a container and gave it as a present. My wife came home and told me that "we" were in trouble.  She said the blocks were a hit and there was some interest.

A couple of years ago I would have a competition to win these buckets and the contestants slowly faded away because you really only need one bucket.  So I stopped doing it. So I will try this again. 

Here is the history of the blocks.  I found, like most wood workers, there was an accumulation of small off cuts of wood being collected in various parts of the shop.  I usually put it in a burn pile whenever I got the urge to clean out.  It does hurt to burn the wood.  For the most part the lumber is good quality and never had any finish.  I really did not have any use for these small pieces because I was making larger pieces.  I ended up sanding the edges and making the first set for my son and a few smaller sets to donate to LDS services.  Over time I collected more scrap and figured it was a good idea to give the blocks away.  Then I stopped for a while but still collecting the off fall (scrap). 

Here is what is included in this bucket of blocks:  It is a bunch of random widths and lengths of blocks.  They have different shapes and sizes.  If you receive a bucket please go through them and throw out any that you feel are choking hazards.  I am usually pretty good about getting them out but opinions may differ.  All blocks are sanded with edges broken and have a coat of mineral oil.  The woods will vary depending on what I have been making.  There may be pine, walnut, poplar, cherry, oak, maple, beech or others.  All blocks are made from virgin lumber without defects and knots.  Some of these blocks are made from extremely hard woods.  Blocks that are thrown have a potential of doing damage.  It is a 5 gallon bucket (about 100 pieces) if you are looking for a size reference.   I will need to keep the bucket I keep the blocks in.  The blocks will be delivered in a box.

Now for the competition.  I am going to do two with multiple opportunities to win and you can do both.

• First - How many buckets of blocks do I have currently completed? The person with the guess closest to the actual number with out going over will win the blocks.  Guesses should be in increments of a 1/4 of a bucket. One guess per person.
• Second - What is the next project I will be starting?  Only one guess per person.  I will be starting them on the holiday weekend and there is more than one correct answer.

The competition will conclude on the February 28th.  Please leave your answers in the comment section of this post.  If the blocks need to be shipped, the winner(s) will be responsible for shipping.

Here are some images of past block sets given away.

If you would like to cheat, I will be more than happy to give you a bucket of blocks if you purchase this plan for me.  You will incur the wrath of my wife who has stated that I cannot buy the pattern.

On a side note:  I have oak, maple and cherry smoking chips if you like to bar-b-que. Just another reason to know a wood worker.