The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1

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Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics

Project Gutenberg's The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1, by Popular Mechanics This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 700 Things For Boys To Do
Author: Popular Mechanics
Release Date: June 18, 2004 [EBook #12655]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** 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