The Boy Mechanic: 200 Classic Things to Build

by Popular Mechanics Magazine

It’s vintage boyhood and a miscellany of marvelous ideas: from kites and toboggans to workbenches and birdhouses, this collection of projects from Popular Mechanics’ issues of long ago captures all the appeal of American ingenuity at the start of the last century. 

 

With the rawest of materials, a minimum of technology, and a maximum of ingenuity, men and boys in the early 1900s dedicated themselves to crafting wonderful items, both practical and fanciful. It was a highly valued skill that revealed the measure of a man, and Popular Mechanics honored it and led the way in instructing these handy creators. Take a look back at those simpler, good old days—and at what we may have lost in our high-tech era—through these engaging projects, all published in the magazine during the first two decades of the 20th century. The range is simply amazing, and bound to appeal to woodworkers who love classic ideas. They include tools, like T-squares and sawhorses; an animal-proof gate latch and a birdhouse made from an old straw hat; household gadgets and handcrafted furniture; camping gear (including a screen door for a tent); and toys and games. And many of these appealing trellises, decoys, puzzles, and tents are quite doable today. Inveterate do-it-yourselfers will be astonished at the resourcefulness required to build a stove for a canoe and even a houseboat.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Childrens, Self Help

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 1959

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read although I will admit that its audience is pretty limited. It basically is a series of reproductions from the pages of Popular mechanics magazines published in the first two decades of the 20th century.

Yes I did say pretty limited - however for those of use who recognise the style and artwork its a fascinating nostalgia trip. Okay I want to say at this point I am not that old - however as I started to get in to reading I was desperate for material and my fathers technical library yielded many a mechanical manual or magazine either from this publisher or its like - and I could not get enough of them.

The lure of being able to make practical and technical things for around the house and home was amazing. I cannot begin to tell you of the dreams I had of making these incredible and often very complicated pieces.

One of the things I do like about the book is it treats each article with the reverence and respect the original had regardless of how frivolous or impossible or even ridiculous it was. More often than not too many of the nostalgia books try and garner cheap laughs at the expense of our elders, yes they are dated now but back then they were the inspiration for many an engineer and designer - they were not laughed at then. And what is more if we did laugh at them now - what does it say about your children - how would we feel if they laugh and ridicule our technical achievements. No this book is great for for al the right reasons.

[Ryan Ouradnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun read with great illustration

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weird and random collection of articles from Popular Mechanics, all originally published between 1900 and 1920. You'd perhaps think that if it's for "boys", it might contain a graduated series of projects that would develop woodworking or other craft skills. But no, it's arranged thematically, and absolutely not a teaching book. If you don't know how to cut and assemble a mortise and tenon, well, you'll have to learn that on your own before you can do some of the woodworking projects. The language is also unchanged from the original publication of the articles, and that is either vaguely amusing or highly distracting.

Still, there's a large, potentially interesting section on camping and the outdoors, which includes instructions on how to set up various types of tent, build a cot from twigs, and so on. There's a great (I think; I haven't made any of them yet) section on various types of kite, and an odd collection of amusements including some card tricks, paper airplanes, and weird little toys, which I'd say stretch the subtitle's claim of "classic" rather far. And finally, there are a few cool or amazing things scattered throughout: steamer trunks; a lovely-looking Mission-style table; a folding wooden boat (!); a hand-made electric model train set (!!).

Overall, this was a disappointment, and I don't think many readers will do much besides read this collection, despite the cover's "So Many Projects. Not enough time!".

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have kids, get them this book. You will need to be somewhat mechanically inclined, as the instructions assume a fair level of 'making' knowledge. Even if you never build any of the projects detailed in the little treasure, it is packed with enough clever little rticks to make it worth the time.

[GW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Make your own telegraphs, thermometers, and rheostats. Chock full of tips like: baby brother shoved a button up his nose? Use snuff to make him sneeze it out! Combine lye, soap and kerosene to make a wood cleaner!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

GET THIS BOOK!!! You need it, even if you don't, you do. It's so fun!