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 OTHERS
WATER WHEELS AND SANDMILLS—A SIMPLE STEAM TURBINE AND BOILER—A WINDMILL AND TOWER—AEROPLANE WEATHERVANE
A COFFEE POT—BOILING PAILS—FRYING PAN—TOASTER—A CAMP SHOWER BATH—CANTEEN OR HOT WATER BOTTLE—A MATCH BOX
REMOVING SURPLUS SOLDER WITH SCRAPERS—MAKING A HOE SCRAPER—PLUMBERS’ AND ROOFERS’ SCRAPERS—SCRAPING AND FILING—BOILING THE TOYS IN A LYE BATH—VENT HOLES
Army Truck Constructed Entirely from Used Tin Cans _Frontispiece_
II. Army Truck and Tin Cans Used to Make It 22
III. The Raw Material from Which Many of the Toys Shown in This Book Were Made 23
IV. Scribing a Line Around a Can with the Dividers. Cutting Along the Joint to Open a Can. Cutting from Right to Left with the Straight Shears. Cutting to the Line, Right to Left 22
VI. The Tools Needed for Tin Can Toy Making 32
VIII. Cooky Cutter, Tray Candlestick and Ash Trays Made by the Author 84
X. Dumping Truck and Chassis of Toy Auto Truck. 120
XI. Chassis of Toy Auto Truck and Dumping Truck. 121
XVI. A Simple Toy Locomotive, a Sand or Water Mill and the First Tin Can Toy 174
XXI. A Doll’s Bathroom and a Tin Can Laundry 197
VARIOUS KINDS OF CANS AND BOXES—PREPARING CANS FOR THE WORK—CUTTING IN AND OPENING OUT CANS AND BOXES
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 be collected in a short time in any community. Housewives are only too glad to find some one to use them.
Cans that are well rinsed with hot water as soon as the contents are removed are not at all objectionable to work with; but cans that have not been rinsed out, or that have been thrown out and exposed to the weather are very unpleasant objects, and besides, a rusty can is very difficult to solder. It is a simple matter to rinse or scald out a can as soon as the contents are removed.
Tomato, corn, pea and condensed milk cans are the most plentiful. Coffee, tea, cocoa, jam, mackerel and sardine cans, olive and cooking oil cans, baking powder and spice cans are all useful for making the things described in this book and for many more besides. Biscuit boxes, tobacco boxes, cold cream, ointment, and the small adhesive tape boxes all contain possibilities. The screw tops of olive oil and cooking oil cans, and bottle caps should be collected for this work. Jelly glass lids, in fact, all shallow tin lids are useful. Syrup and molasses cans with separate lids, that push into place are worth saving, especially the lids. Certain containers of dry material are now largely made of pasteboard with tin tops, lids and bottoms. The tin parts of these containers are often of an attractive shape. The large round gallon cans used by hotels and restaurants are particularly useful, and a sizable piece of tin may be obtained from the sides of the can and the bottoms may be used for large candlestick saucers and many other things. Large square tin boxes used to contain 100 pounds of cocoa may be obtained from some restaurants. These are made of heavy tin and five large sheets may be cut from the bottom and sides. Considerably over $1 would have to be paid for the same amount of tin.