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GarethG
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« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2012, 03:25:32 pm » |
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First link won't work, here's the full link: http://rawfire.torche.com/~opcom/tbe/the_boy_electrician.pdfThe second book looks good, has information on making a glider!  and a steam engine, among many other things Thanks for sharing  Gareth |
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You, sir! Make an effort!
"a drifting spirit was in our hearts, and we ourselves could not understand it. We just sold our farms and set out north-westwards to find a new home."
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Boston Jones
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« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2012, 11:44:16 pm » |
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This is awesome
EDIT
How to make a Cannon? Seriously awesome.
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« Last Edit: June 22, 2012, 11:54:03 pm by Boston Jones »
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"Countries do not exist where I am from.
The discovery of the Higgs boson led to limitless power,
the elimination of poverty and Kit-Kats for everyone.
It is a communist chocolate hellhole and I'm here to stop it ever happening."
-Eloi Cole
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RJBowman
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« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2012, 07:30:15 am » |
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Thank you for the link.
When I was in the sixth grade, I discovered a very old electrical experimenter's manual at my local library. It was 1920's era, and gave instructions to salvage spark coils from junked Model-Ts, and to buy bottles of mercury from the local drug store. The book described Tesla coils, and photovoltaic cells made from electrodes in a jar of chemical solution. Geer-tooth generators, arc-lights; of amazing wonders that I didn't quite have the resources or skills to build. I had a Radio Shack electronic set which had all sorts of solid-state parts that could be wired to build radios and noise makers, but it lacked the mystique of the home-made apparatus described in the old manual.
I moved to another town, then moved back six years later to find that a new library had been built, and most of the really old books had been replaced. I can't remember the name of that electrical book, and have never again chanced across a copy. I've never stolen from a library, but I wish that I had stolen that book.
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jcbanner
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« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2012, 08:41:53 am » |
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wow, those books are some find! I've been skimming the mechanic book for well over an hour, and I'm not even a quarter through. there are so many projects in there, many of them cover topics I've seen across the tactile board here.
I'm definitely going to get some very good use out of these books, even if I do have to reverse engineer them for figure out modern equivalents. I'm guessing the same as a modern electronics project book assumes you know what the components are and how they work, these assume the same. many of the referenced parts are now called by different names, so beware.
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Captain
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« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2012, 05:49:29 pm » |
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Thank you for posting this!
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-Karl
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oldskoolpunk
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« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2012, 07:32:20 pm » |
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I'd read "The Boy Electrician" when I was a kid. I remembered much of that book. I was always fascinated by the making of a selenium photocell. The static electricity stuff, not so much.
All that precision construction work! The skill levels required are quite high. Tasks like drilling holes in glass are expected of kids.
"Igniting gunpowder" on p. 67: "It should not be necessary to to advise keeping the face and fingers away from the mortar to avoid the possibility of a burn."
p. 83: "It might be well at this time to caution the experimenter against the careless handling of sulphuric acid. It is not dangerous if handled properly, but if spilled or spattered it is capable of doing considerable damage to most things with which it comes in contact. Do not use sulphuric acid or sulphuric acid batteries except in a cellar workshop. Coming into contact with any organic matter such as woodwork, clothing, carpets, etc. it will not only discolor but eat such substances."
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jcbanner
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« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2013, 01:59:18 am » |
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I'm guessing that when the book was originally written it was generally assumed that people were responsible for their own assumption of risks.
I love how they both refer to various chemicals that today you'd all but need a license to purchase as if they are common house hold objects just casually laying around the house.
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fungus34
Officer
 United States
Jack of some trades, master of none
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« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2013, 09:48:38 am » |
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This is fascinating, thanks for the links!
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IGetPwnedOften
Officer
 United Kingdom
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer
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« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2013, 07:33:47 pm » |
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I had a book when I was a kid in the 70's called "Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries" and looking back on it there was some stuff that was a bit dodgy, but some of the things in those books are crazy for kids. I can't wait to try some of them with my boy...  |
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"Geoffrey, take their coats. No, not up the tree..."
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