Making Tin Can Toys

There are many shapes and sizes of tin cans and boxes as every one knows; round, square, elliptical, tall, short, or flat. A surprising number of attractive shapes and sizes may...

In this chapter the names and approximate costs of the tools and appliances are given and also suggestions as to fitting up the shop for working with the cans. Various methods a...

A biscuit cutter is about the simplest thing that may be made from a tin can. It is an excellent thing to begin with as it is so simple and involves three very essential operati...

=Sheet Tin.=—Sheet tin, so-called, really consists of a thin sheet of iron coated on both sides with tin. This coating of tin serves several purposes. It enables the solder to a...

=Cleaning and Scraping.=—If the copper is thoroughly tinned and the heater and materials are ready for use as described in Chapter IV, then several practice pieces should be sol...

When scraping the tin bright, do not scrape it so hard that all the tin will be scraped away from the inner sheet of iron, as solder will stick to tin much better than to iron....

Cooky cutters of any simple design may easily be made from strips and pieces of tin cut from cans. They may be made to stamp out any simple design from the cake dough, such as f...

=Bending to Shape Over Design.=—When the strip is cut, bring the ends of the strip together and press the bend in to form an angle. This angle will not only form the top of the...

Various round trays may be made from tin cans. These are very simple to make and are very attractive and convenient for ash trays, bottle casters and the like. A match box holde...

After the ash tray and match box holder is successfully completed the next problem that should be taken up is the tray candlestick, a photograph of which is shown on the opposit...

MAKING A PAIL FROM A TIN CAN—CUTTING AWAY THE SURPLUS TIN AT THE RIM—FORMING THE LUGS FOR THE HANDLE—RIVETING THE LUGS IN POSITION—FORMING A WIRE HANDLE

THE WHEELS—FOUR WAYS OF MAKING WHEELS OF TIN CANS—MAKING A WHEEL FROM A CAN WITH SOLDERED ENDS—MAKING WHEELS FROM ROLLED-RIM CANS—TWO TYPES OF WHEELS MADE FROM CAN LIDS

=Forming the Chassis.=—The chassis or frame of the truck may be made from a single piece of tin cut from a gallon fruit can. All four edges are turned down so as to form a shall...

The hood and radiator may be made from a cocoa tin, a small olive oil or cooking oil can, provided that the can is shaped as shown in Fig. 58, which shows the bottom and sides o...

=The Dash-Board.=—The dash-board is the next thing to be made, and then the seat. The hood, dash-board and seat are then soldered to the frame. Four imitation springs are then m...

TRUCK BODIES—DIFFERENT TYPES OF BODIES TO BE FITTED TO THE SAME CHASSIS—THE TANK TRUCK—THE STREET SPRINKLER—THE COAL OR SAND TRUCK—THE ARMY TRUCK—THE AMBULANCE—THE FIRE ENGINE

=The Starting Crank.=—A starting crank may be made of a piece of galvanized wire bent into a crank shape and placed in position through holes punched for it in front of the fram...

The elliptically shaped tin cans, used for fish of different kinds, may be made up into boats that will float. A deck is soldered tightly to the can where the lid has been remov...

A SIMPLE TOY LOCOMOTIVE—THE FRAME—BOILER—CAB—WHEELS—CYLINDERS AND CONNECTING RODS—THE SMOKESTACK, STEAM DOME AND WHISTLE, SAND BOX AND HEADLIGHT—CARS—A PASSENGER CAR AND SOME OT...

Water wheels and sandmills may be made from bottle caps and can lids. Two push-in or friction-top can lids are soldered together to form a flanged wheel and bottle caps are sold...

The base of the tall candlestick shown in Fig. 94 is made of various sized cans cut down to tray-like forms and soldered together. As may be seen by studying them, the shafts ar...

An excellent coffee pot may be made from a gallon can or from a smaller one. This tin must be of the rolled rim or locked seam type so that it will not melt apart or leak if it...

The spout is made of a separate piece of tin of a triangular shape. This piece of tin is formed into shape and is then riveted to the coffee pot over the strainer holes. After i...

It frequently happens that more solder is applied to the joints than is needed to cement the work together or that the solder is left in a rather rough or lumpy state due to the...

The tin toys should be painted with a good grade of enamel paint. Enamel paints have varnish mixed with them and dry hard and glossy and form a very durable and attractive finis...