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Title: Practical Projects for the Handy Man (Popular Mechanics (Chicago, Ill. : 1902).) by Denis Boyles, Editors of Popular Mechanics ISBN: 1-58574-276-7 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Not for Boys Anymore
Comment: "Practical Projects for the Handy Man" by Popular Mechanics Press (formally Projects for the Boy Mechanic, circa 1913.)
It contains Hundreds of projects from the turn of the century that you can build yourself. Along with other strange stuff like magic tricks etc. It shows the kind of stuff previous generations of boys were capable of. Before the age of class action suits, product liability suits, insurance settlements, government consumer agencies etc. The book is a collection of articles originally written for young boys as part of Popular Mechanics Magazine, on how to do all kinds of interesting and dangerous stuff!
Like early biplane hang gliders, making moulds for metal foundries, do it yourself glass blowing, miniature cannons, an automatic washer using water power, how to make dry cell batteries recharge by drilling and injecting chemicals, a mission-style concrete dog house, kiln, still, do it yourself plating, boats, make electric motors, a lathe from pipe fittings, how to "fume" oak with ammonia, how to make a peddle powered trolly line, improvised microscopes, windmills, "wondergraphs" (making curved lines like used on dollar bills), camera obscura, etc.
Am not sure these things are under copyright anymore, as the copyright changed from 75 years to 100 years or so after Disney lobbied to protect Steamboat Willie. If this was in the Public Domain, it would be interesting to update it and publish it on the web for people in less "developed" countries.
Interesting for historical interest if nothing else. One little article shows how to make a table fan that doesn't use electricity. Before the age of home power, you could use a little water wheel made of tin to run a fan off the home water faucet. In those days, they didn't have water meters. Of little practical use today, but it shows what people can do and how to do it. A little bit like an old boy scout manual, but more mechanical. The book is not organized at all, just a bunch of articles about projects, maybe in chronological order as published, but it has a good index. Some small one-paragraph items are repeated, probably to use up space at the bottom of the page in the original issues. I found myself writing my own list of dozens of interesting project and page numbers in pencil on the inside cover.
If you have an interest in making things and turn of the century history, it is a fun book, and a great value, In My Humble Opinion.
gw 9/03
Rating: 2
Summary: Content really disappointing
Comment: I felt this book had very limited content as to what it portrayed in its description. There were several projects that were repeated and many were not what I consider practical. I was hoping for a book that would have a wider variety of useful/ neat items. This book fell far short of this expectation.
The book's organization is confusing. There is no categorization of the projects.
I would not have bought this book if I knew it would be this disappointing. Sorry, but I am very dissatisfied with this book.
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