Meccano

[Wowbagger]

I bought Martha some Meccano and apparently it was a fantastic hit.

[Cudzoziemiec]

A Meccano hammer? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/3SML90iQyp0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/3SML90iQyp0&rel=1</a>

[Wowbagger]

It was this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0014C9ZUY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Von Broad]

Wise choice.
Nice colours too.

We all have certain words that are capable of evoking whole chunks of childhood memory.

Mine would include:

Marmite
Dave Clark Five
Watch with Mother

and most definitely....Meccano....[the full nuclear radio-active metal stuff]

[Edit - sorry I couldn't resist......oh boy!....what on earth did we ever do with this stuff!]

[Oscar's dad]

I graduated from Lego to Meccano.  I loved both.  Good choice Wow!

[Jurek]

......oh boy!....what on earth did we ever do with this stuff!]

Cut our tiny fingers on it and HTFU 

[PaulR]

Son #2 was delighted a few years ago when I popped round the south circular and came back with a box of 1960s meccano, previously owned by a cycling architect.  Great stuff - I have to confess that I "borrowed" a few parts for various DIY bodge jobs.  I wonder if a future owner of our house will be able to identify the meccano elements holding up our utility room ceiling...

[tom_e]

Brilliant stuff, I had loads of Marklin Metal and loved it as a kid.  They don't seem to make it any more. 

We have some of this new plastic option.  It's definitely less vicious to the little fingers but not sure it's really any easier to use.  I see Meccano still seems to be making metal stuff also though.  Hmmm, wonder what I the family need for christmas.

[orienteer]

One of my biggest childhood ambitions was to own a No. 10 Meccano set (the biggest).

By the time I could afford one they'd stopped making it 

But I did drive a trolleybus the other day 

[Vince]

I don't want to make you jealous Orienteer...

Tenth anniversary present from Mrs Wunja was a number 10 set. Second hand (from 1962 by the colour scheme) but all there.

[graculus]

Our ancestral set possibly a '4' was bought for my father and his brother sometime during WW2. As steel was in short supply some of the panels were printed card rather than metal. When my uncle emigrated to South Africa my Dad took custody of it until such time as I was old enough to loose bits play with it and add to it, although it never got as much use as the lego.
In due course my children got their grubby little mitts on it and again various parts were added. My eldest son in particular was very dexterous and liked it a lot, the crowning glory being building a piece of apparatus for his A level physics practical that helped him to measure the value of 'g' to within a percent of the accepted value.
It sits in the loft awaiting the next generation, either of mine or my siblings.

[RW]

You can build an automatic gearbox with it.

http://youtu.be/r3t3iohwYxc

I had a 1930s No 3 set in red and green, to which I added IIRC a 3a conversion kit, but by then it was yellow and silver.  I can't remember if it's in the attic or whether I gave it away.  I hope I didn't.  The virtue and downfall of Meccano is that it requires tremendous patience.

I built this two speed gear box and was most surprised to find it worked.

[Von Broad]

One of my biggest childhood ambitions was to own a No. 10 Meccano set (the biggest).

What an extraordinary package it was too. 

[orienteer]

Old lusts are being stirred...

[Oscar's dad]

I remember one Christmas, I must have been 11 or 12, I asked for a Meccano lorry kit.  The parts included a lorry cab and chunky truck wheels.  I couldn't wait for Christmas Day as I was convinced once I got my hands on the new Meccano kit I'd never be bored again. 

Christmas Day arrived and the lorry kit was everything I'd hoped for.  But, as you'd expect, it didn't permanently stave off boredom and a salutary lesson was learnt - that being make sure your expectations are realistic.
 

[orienteer]

The beauty of a general Meccano outfit was that you could use your imagination to build your own unique models, rather than a pre-designed one.

Although I only had a No 3 outfit, I added various components such as motors to expand the scope.

[Vince]

^^^^
This.

I looked at the then current crop of Meccano, 10 years ago when introducing Boy Wunja to the craft. Most contained so many special parts that deviating from the instructions was near impossible. eBay came to the rescue. Here is a picture of a Meccano dinosaur he made when about 5.



He has since had all my proper Meccano that isn't in the oak case!

[numbnuts]

I had a Meccano set when I was about 5 or 6 (1956-57) red and green, a few years later I was given a large wooden box about 3 foot by 2 foot and about 9 inches deep full up with Meccano pieces still had it when I was 18, in then went to the dump 

[tom_e]

... a few years later I was given a large wooden box about 3 foot by 2 foot and about 9 inches deep full up with Meccano pieces still had it when I was 18, in then went to the dump 

NooooooooooooooOOOOOOo. 

[hellymedic]

I never had Meccano as the Small Parts were deemed Too Dangerous for the Numerous Younger Siblings.

[Cudzoziemiec]

^^^^
This.

I looked at the then current crop of Meccano, 10 years ago when introducing Boy Wunja to the craft. Most contained so many special parts that deviating from the instructions was near impossible. eBay came to the rescue. Here is a picture of a Meccano dinosaur he made when about 5.



He has since had all my proper Meccano that isn't in the oak case!

That's exactly the type of Meccano I had as a child, but unfortunately I never had enough of it to make a dinosaur. I preferred Lego anyway.