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Page:Home-Made Toys for Boys and Girls (Hall).djvu/114

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CHAPTER X
HOME-MADE CLOCKWORK TOYS

The toys shown opposite page go are a few of the many mechanical toys which can be operated by clockwork, and they are easy to make, too, requiring no more mechanical ability than is possessed by the average boy old enough to handle the simplest of tools.

Generally it is easy to find an old clock somewhere about the house, and a clock which has been discarded simply because it has become worthless as a timekeeper is perfectly good for operating these toys, provided the mainspring is in working order. It is not necessary to have a set of works for each toy, for they are so quickly fastened in place that but a minute is required to transfer the works from one toy to another.

Before commencing work upon the toys, get together

The Other Necessary Materials. These will consist of cigar boxes, cardboard, cotton or silk spools, glue, brads, and a few pieces from the woodpile, with one or two additional articles which are mentioned later on. Brads ⅝ inch and 1 inch in length should be purchased for fastening the framework of the toys together, and the cigar boxes should be about 8 inches by 4 inches by 2 inches

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