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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,sci.chem
Subject: Re: _The Boy Electrician_ (was Homemade Valves...)
Summary: Classic hobbyist and experimenter books!
Message-ID: <3910@kitty.UUCP>
Date: 2 Aug 90 03:45:08 GMT
References: <52920@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 115

In article <52920@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, commgrp@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (BACS Data Communications Group) writes:
> |> I seem to recall reading "The Boy Electrician" by the same author many
> |> years ago.  It had lots of plans for spark coils and tesla coils, told
> |> how to use X-ray tubes :-O, etc.

	I have a 1929 edition and the x-ray tube experiments are a classic!
As if one could today go into Radio Shack and buy an x-ray tube. :-)  The
x-ray tube was powered by a spark coil.  Needless to say, the, uh, "radiation
safety" practices in this book leave a bit to be desired.

	Another classic in the book is how to build a wireless telegraphy
installation using a spark gap transmitter.

> >This was one of the all time great books in my opinion. What a 
> >book!... 

	This is also one of my favorite antique books!

> This is indeed a classic!  It was among the precious few technical 
> books in my highschool library, and was instrumental (no pun intended) 
> in making my career.
> 
>      _The Boy Electrician_ by Alfred P. Morgan.  Lothrop, Lee & 
>      Shepherd Co.  Copyright 1913, 1929, 1940, 1948. 7th printing 
>      1957.
> 
> Does anyone know its history after 1957?  Is this delightful book 
> still available?  Was the titled changed to appease feminists? :-)

	I checked "Books in Print" and it is not there.  However, there
is an entry for Alfred Morgan:

	"Adventures in Electrochemistry" 1977 ed
	"The First Book of Radio & Electronics for Boys and Girls" 1977 ed
	"The Boy's Second Book of Radio & Electronics" 1977 ed
	"First Chemistry Book for Boys and Girls" 1977 ed
	"Pet Book for Boys and Girls" 1949 ed
	"How to Use Tools" 1955 ed

	I suspect the 1977 books must have been revised by someone else
since Mr. Morgan would have been pretty old by then!

> There was a companion volume, _The Boy Mechanic_, which I have never 
> seen.

	That book is also fascinating!  I have a 1952 edition that I got
as a kid (yes, I know that I have just dated myself :-) )  According
to the copyright page, it had editions in 1913, 1915, 1919, 1925, 1940,
1945 and 1952.  I wish I had an older edition, since I suspect that it
would be even more interesting.

	Here are a few topics covered in the "Boy Mechanic":

* 	"Build Your Own RELAYS"
	Describes how to build thermal relays using resistance wire which
	pulls a spring contact and allows it to close when the wire gets
	hot and elongates.  There is a complete table of resistance wire
	lengths and gauges to provide relays of varying "sensitivity".  I
	use this term rather loosely because even the most sensitive model
	consumed 25 watts!

*	"Mousetrap Supplies `Firepower' for Simple Toy Cannon"
	[quoted] "In assembling this toy cannon, which uses shells cut
	from wooden dowels, you won't have to worry about fitting a
	trigger and spring mechanism, as firepower is provided by an
	ordinary mousetrap."

*	"Colorful Cigarette Tray of Metal and Plastic"
*	"Wheelbarrow Ash Tray is Novel Addition to the Den"
	The projects are obviously before the Surgeon General established
	findings on smoking and health. :-)

*	"Keyboard Art"
	A description of what would later be known as "line printer art"
	performed by hand on an old typewriter.

*	"Quonset Hut for Your Dog"
	Lots of dog house and dog bed projects, but no mention of cats;
	so you *know* the book is old. :-)
	
	There is a section called "The Boy Scientist" which has various
projects and "home laboratory" suggestions like:

*	"To prevent test tubes or any other glassware from shattering
	during an experiment, coat outside of the glass with a thick
	layer of modeling clay or putty."

*	"To ignite chemicals from a safe distance, use a steel-wool
	filament wound across bared wires of a lamp cord.  Hold wires
	apart with putty."
	You won't see *that* one in a contemporary book! :-)

*	"Sure Sounds Like Bill"
	Complete plans for a manual telephone system, including how to
	*wind* the induction coil!

*	"Fun with Dry Ice"
	Some of these experiments are not exactly safe.  Like generating
	and forming solid sulfur dioxide.  Or placing dry ice and water
	in bottle to generate CO2 underf pressure.

*	"Fun with Common Gases"
	How about "flaming soap bubbles" and creating a "sun" by burning
	*phosphorous* in oxygen?

*	"It's Fun to MOUNT BIRDS"
*	"Mounting the Fish You Catch"
	Do-it-yourself after-dinner kitchen-table taxidermy.

	The "Boy Mechanic" was published by Popular Mechanics magazine,
and has no individual author or editor. 

Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp.  "Have you hugged your cat today?"
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