The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1

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
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