Project Gutenberg's The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics

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Title: The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 700 Things For Boys To Do

Author: Popular Mechanics

Release Date: June 18, 2004 [EBook #12655]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY MECHANIC: VOLUME 1 ***

Produced by Don Kostuch

The Boy Mechanic Vol. 1 700 Things for Boys to Do 800 Illustrations Showing How

Jack Mansfield
+
Ed

Jan 28, 1938

August 1916

From Mother

THE BOY MECHANIC VOLUME I

Transcriber's Notes

This text accurately reproduces the original book except for adherence to Project Gutenburg guidelines. Each project title is followed by its original page number to allow use of the alphabetical contents (index) at the end of the book. The book used very complex typesetting to conserve space. This transcription uses simple one-column linear layout.

The text only version is of limited use because of the widespread occurrence of diagrams and illustrations. Use the pdf version for the complete text.

Many projects are of contemporary interest—magic, kites and boomerangs for example. Try a "Querl" for starters.

There are many projects of purely historical interest, such as chemical photography, phonographs, and devices for coal furnaces.

Another class of projects illustrate the caviler attitude toward environment and health in 1913. These projects involve items such as gunpowder, acetylene, hydrogen, lead, mercury, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, cadmium, potassium sulfate, potassium cyanide, potassium ferrocyanide, copper sulfate, and hydrochloric acid. Several involve the construction of hazardous electrical devices. Please view these as snapshots of culture and attitude, not as suggestions for contemporary activity.

Be careful and have fun or simply read and enjoy a trip into yesterday.

[Illustration: How to Make a Glider (See page 171)]

THE BOY MECHANIC

VOLUME I

700 THINGS FOR BOYS TO DO

HOW TO CONSTRUCT

WIRELESS OUTFITS, BOATS, CAMP EQUIPMENT, AERIAL GLIDERS, KITES, SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLES ENGINES, MOTORS, ELECTRICAL APPARATUS, CAMERAS AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER THINGS WHICH DELIGHT EVERY BOY

WITH 800 ILLUSTRATIONS

COPYRIGHTED, 1913, BY H. H. WINDSOR CHICAGO POPULAR MECHANICS CO. PUBLISHERS

** A Model Steam Engine [1]

The accompanying sketch illustrates a two-cylinder single-acting, poppet valve steam engine of home construction.

The entire engine, excepting the flywheel, shaft, valve cams, pistons and bracing rods connecting the upper and lower plates of the frame proper, is of brass, the other parts named being of cast iron and bar steel.

The cylinders, G, are of seamless brass tubing, 1-1/2 in. outside diameter; the pistons, H, are ordinary 1-1/2 in. pipe caps turned to a plug fit, and ground into the cylinders with oil and emery. This operation also finishes the inside of the cylinders.

The upright rods binding the top and bottom plates are of steel rod about 1/8-in. in diameter, threaded into the top plate and passing through holes in the bottom plate with hexagonal brass nuts beneath.

The valves, C, and their seats, B, bored with a countersink bit, are plainly shown. The valves were made by threading a copper washer, 3/8 in. in diameter, and screwing it on the end of the valve rod, then wiping on roughly a tapered mass of solder and grinding it into the seats B with emery and oil.

The valve rods operate in guides, D, made of 1/4-in. brass tubing, which passes through the top plate and into the heavy brass bar containing the valve seats and steam passages at the top, into which they are plug-fitted and soldered.

The location and arrangement of the valve seats and steam passages are shown in the sketch, the flat bar containing them being soldered to the top plate.

The steam chest, A, over the valve mechanism is constructed of

[Illustration: Engine Details]

1-in. square brass tubing, one side being sawed out and the open ends fitted with pieces of 1/16 in. sheet brass and soldered. in. The steam inlet is a gasoline pipe connection such as used on automobiles.

The valve-operating cams, F, are made of the metal ends of an old typewriter platen, one being finished to shape and then firmly fastened face to face to the other, and used as a pattern in filing the other to shape. Attachment to the shaft, N, is by means of setscrews which pass through the sleeves.

The main bearings, M, on the supports, O, and the crank-end bearings of the connecting rods, K, are split and held in position by machine screws with provision for taking them up when worn.

The exhausting of spent steam is accomplished by means of slots, I, sawed into the fronts of the cylinders at about 1/8 in. above the lowest position of the piston's top at the end of the stroke, at which position of the piston the valve rod drops into the cutout portion of the cam and allows the valve to seat.

All the work on this engine, save turning the pistons, which was done in a machine shop for a small sum, and making the flywheel, this being taken from an old dismantled model, was accomplished with a hacksaw, bench drill, carborundum wheel, files, taps and dies. The base, Q, is made of a heavy piece of brass.

The action is smooth and the speed high. Steam is supplied by a
sheet brass boiler of about 3 pt. capacity, heated with a Bunsen
burner.
—Contributed by Harry F. Lowe, Washington, D. C.

** Magic Spirit Hand [2]

The magic hand made of wax is given to the audience for examination, also a board which is suspended by four pieces of common picture-frame wire. The hand is placed upon the board and answers, by rapping, any question asked by members of the audience. The hand and the board may be examined at any time and yet the rapping can be continued, though surrounded by the audience.

The Magic Wand, London, gives the secret of this spirit hand as follows: The hand is prepared by concealing in the wrist a few soft iron plates, the wrist being afterwards bound with black velvet as shown in Fig. 1. The board is hollow, the top being made of thin veneer (Fig. 2). A small magnet, A, is connected to a small flat pocket lamp battery, B. The board is suspended by four lengths of picture-frame wire one of which, E, is

[Illustration: Wax Hand on Board and Electrical Connections]

connected to the battery and another, D, to the magnet. The other wires, F and G, are only holding wires. All the wires are fastened to a small ornamental switch, H, which is fitted with a connecting plug at the top. The plug can be taken out or put in as desired.

The top of the board must be made to open or slide off so that when the battery is