Any Erector Set folks out there?

My parents got separated for the 1959 year when I was 6-7 and my new "uncle" Ken (Dad's boss, no less) bought me off with a shiny new top-of-the-line Erector Set with electric motor. I had an absolute BLAST with that thing. It far outlasted uncle Ken.

Mom showed all her friends the moving robot nightstand I built.

Very fond memories. Thanks for sharing, Pete.

Oh, and of course I had an Erector set growing up. I preferred Lionel trains to American Flyer though. At one point I have a huge collection of Lionel trains and while under legal working age I worked for Harry Gordon who made reproduction Lionel and American Flyer train parts. I also helped to run Harry Gordon's huge train setup during the holidays. It needed 4 people to run it, it was so big. Brings back memories of shit I haven't thought of in years. Thanks!

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Oh, and of course I had an Erector set growing up. I preferred Lionel trains to American Flyer though. At one point I have a huge collection of Lionel trains and while under legal working age I worked for Harry Gordon who made reproduction Lionel and American Flyer train parts. I also helped to run Harry Gordon's huge train setup during the holidays. It needed 4 people to run it, it was so big. Brings back memories of shit I haven't thought of in years. Thanks!

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This is Z scale..

I have one that is about 1/2 finished

I still have my rocket launcher set. Another favorite toy was the Kenner bridge and turnpike set

you too, Larry.

Or like the rocket launcher in October Sky?

I had a few sets. The big set in the wooden case with the reversing AC motor was neat. They were "cleaned out" while I was away from home for a while.

Also had a real SkilCraft chemistry set. Had something like 50 chemicals in plastic bottles, scales, test tubes, alcohol burner and lots more.

An erector set was a big part of my 'formative' years as well. I messed with mime almost exclusively for years on end... with that era overlapping the later model airplane phase by a good bit.

Never had one of the bigger sets, but acquired many smaller sets as presents/gifts, and traded/bartered numerous components with neighbor kids through the years.

Also check this:

I remember all our carpets being contaminated with little machine screws/nuts; walking barefoot was never comfortable!

There were some other minor players through that period as well... like Lincoln Logs, and the Mattel 'Vac-U-Form'... and occasionally components of, or formed by all three intermixed. But the Erector set was the undisputed 'standard'.

Thanks for the memories Pete! Just decided I'm going start searching eBay tomorrow, and treat myself to a set! (Bet they're pricy by now!)

Erik

Ooooh, can't allow small parts that they might eat!

Very nice Pete!

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

If you want to have some (somewhat pricey) fun get yourself a VEX Robotics starter kit. The metal parts are interchangeable with Meccano (not quite the same ae Erector but close) and it adds the big thing that was always missing from Erector/Meccano--decent motors. Also servos, radio control, and programmability.

Rat shack carried it for a while--apparently it didn't sell well enough for them to keep it.

What was the earlier Erector like in terms of quality? I had Mecanno from the UK as a child, I'm British, and remember the Erector from the

1970s as being a poor copy with very thin plates with slightly folded edges for extra strength which were buggered if they got bent.

How comprehensive was the Erector? A mate that is very knowledgeable about Mecanno has mentioned that there is a lot of subtle design and choice of gear teeth numbers as would suit horological applications. Maybe Hornby or one of the designers liked clocks.

I had a number of Erector sets and of course the Lincoln logs and Vac kits.

I guess that makes me normal. Least with the folks here.

and Lionel trains. (no slot cars though..never did care for them)

And bows and guns and knives Oh My!!

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

I wore out a Vac-u-form quickly and lost interest after restocking the first time(cha CHING!), and Lincoln logs were passe in no time. But the Erector set kept my interest for years. I think I donated it to a younger down-the-street neighbor kid who showed interest in it after I had outgrown it. GOOD STUFF gets passed on, not trashed.

I adored slot cars. Much faster than those slow, lumbering old train things. ;)

But of course!

I think you're grinning for the items which interested you but you're NOT saying here, huh?

Well ... I had a kit as a kid, and built a lot of things using it.

The parts were pretty good in general (view in memory), though the girders had to be build up of four pieces which looked like this (end on). __ / \ | || | < || > v-------v +----+ +----+ How comprehensive was the Erector? A mate that is very knowledgeable

Most of the gears were stamped flat metal -- not good for long term wear. Some of the smaller ones were brass pinions and bevel gears. I don't remember intersting ratios -- but I did not know enough at that age to recognize them. And they were lost a *long* time ago. My kit was probably around 1946 or so. I kept making big things to take to kindergarten, and the screws would vibrate loose in transit. (The tools were rather minimal, too. A stamped open-end wrench and a screwdriver made of round stock bent into a loop as a handle -- soft enough to the blade would not keep a sharp shape if seriously used. :-)

I also got plastic model planes, but no glue to assemble them.

Enjoy, DoN.

I still have the remains of a set from the forties in a box made by my grandfather, also one of the red motors meant to run from a 6V. battery. Haven't had the box open in over 20 years. When I was ten or twelve years old, I made my own protective cup from bits and pieces bolted together to wear while playing hockey. Eventually the coach hinted to my Dad that I should have the real equipment so my invention was parted out and returned to the box.

Yep - grew up on them then went into my dads real shop with more capability.

I liked the metal 120 volt metal gear box unit - high speed take off in the rear, and several slower ones in the front. Flip lever to change speeds and such.

Mine was all metal - brass nuts, steel screws, pressed metal. Plastic was exotic stuff - and Al was so special and expensive. Naturally this was in 51 and 52 when I used them most. Passed them down to my two younger brothers - 4 and 12 years younger.

Mart> Seems that fewer and fewer kids are learning about building things with

The erector set was fun, but what I really wanted was to be allowed to use the table saw. It was really difficult to make a planked model boat hull without a saw to rip the planks. My homemade toys either flew or floated, for which wood is better than steel. I pestered the folks until Dad checked me out on the saw and Mom on the sewing machine, to make sails.

The copper foil to plate the hulls was rejected coax wrapping from the

1955 transatlantic telephone cable, made where Dad worked. For years bad lots of the insulated center wire, copper wrapping and steel armor wire could be found all around the NH seacoast area. They assembled trial sections and measured the electrical impedance, and scrapped whatever didn't give the correct value. We kids had more of it than we could ever use. jsw

LEGOs here, combined with bits scavenged from broken RC cars I got from Radio Shack for $1.