Meccano from my youth! ...

Janx101 · June 12, 2013, 05:15:32 AM

Who remembers these kits? ... I think you can still get them some places?? ...

http://www.nzmeccano.com/image-36433

... But some people don't know when to stop .. And end up doing this!!

http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/10/giant-meccano-bridge-opens-over-canal-after-a-year-being-put-together-3590730/

.... And some people just should ...

Lego is cool and all .. But not quite as gratifying to a young chaps mind!!

noworries · June 12, 2013, 08:32:51 AM

Yup, he's made 25 posts today, to this time.

RossLH · June 12, 2013, 08:54:12 AM

Quote from: noworries on June 12, 2013, 08:32:51 AM

Yup, he's made 25 posts today, to this time.

Get a hobby. At least he's contributing.

jdoorn14 · June 12, 2013, 08:58:58 AM

Good thing this was correctly posted in the Odds n Ends area. Otherwise, we could have a beef with Janx. Since it was correctly posted, I see no issues here.

Besides, no one said posts/threads had to be relevant to all users.

I don't recall these being a "thing" when I was younger. There were Erector sets (takes on a slightly different slant at this point in life), but not Meccano that I'm aware of. Maybe an Aussie thing?

The Buddha · June 12, 2013, 09:51:08 AM

I used to have one of those, loved it ... made me the wreck I am today ... there aint a bike, audio or anything that needs to not be taken apart ... and some of em even go hback together ...

Yea I never got the lego fad ... yea yea you can put it and press ... BFD. Yea yea yea they make all sorts of cool sheiete.

Cool.
Buddha.

yamahonkawazuki · June 12, 2013, 10:57:14 AM

Quote from: jdoorn14 on June 12, 2013, 08:58:58 AM
Good thing this was correctly posted in the Odds n Ends area. Otherwise, we could have a beef with Janx. Since it was correctly posted, I see no issues here. Besides, no one said posts/threads had to be relevant to all users.

I don't recall these being a "thing" when I was younger. There were Erector sets (takes on a slightly different slant at this point in life), but not Meccano that I'm aware of. Maybe an Aussie thing?

Aye i had erector sets. looking VERY much like these

Kiwingenuity · June 12, 2013, 11:48:40 AM

Still have one of the huge Meccano sets as well as a Technics / mindstorms kit. Great for making some pretty random stuff..

At the moment they are advertising Meccano quite a bit here - some pretty fancy stuff you can do with some of it (computerised / radio control kits).

Will be busting out the Mindstorms for a future in tech display at one of the local colleges here in a few weeks - along with an Arduino project we have been working on.

Janx101 · June 12, 2013, 06:02:59 PM

eh Kiwi!!.. thats good info! .. and heres me heading to Unzud at chrissy on the boat too!!... missus will want to do shopping .... i might just tag along.. and disappear into the toyshops!

oh and overall .. i WAS a child of the Lego age! .. i used to have quite a collection of basic blocks etc when i was under 10 ... but the highlight of every year was visiting my Grandparents around Xmas.. and being allowed to construct stuff with Granpop's meccano from when HE was a kid/teen ... bugger all electric motors in his set .. there were clockwork ones though!! .... one of my cousins got the Meccano set in Pops Will when he passed a decade ago.. which is cool... he sends me photos occasionally of his son's latest creation

I have 3 girls... who just wouldnt love meccano .. so its in a good place!!

... edit... thinking too... some of my 'mates' ... could get hold of some meccano... build a bridge .. and get over it...

Cal Price · June 13, 2013, 01:47:42 AM

Ah Meccano, Frank Hornby's brainchild - when i was a kid in the 50s the sets with a clockwork motor were the ultimate thing to have. _ The "parent" company, "Hornby" who are still big in model railway and model racing cars (scalectrix) are based about 25 miles from where I live and have just announced that they are bringing back a lot of production from China to U.K. due to "quality issues" It's a pity a 1001 other companies don't do the same.

Janx101 · June 13, 2013, 03:46:15 AM

... British made gear!!

... Now that's proper!! .. I'm well chuffed!

ShanghaiPete · June 14, 2013, 06:29:20 PM

This is all very interesting for me. When I was a child my father gave me a 6 mecano set. My father played with it when he was child too. I forget a lot but we made a big tractor once. It was red and green colour. It had black windup motor. Do you have a mecanno set? I think we made some bridges. Is there a mecano shop in Sydney?

ShanghaiPete · June 14, 2013, 07:36:35 PM

NowI remember that the clockwork motor was crinkly black. You have brought childhood memories back to me. Thank you.

Janx101 · June 14, 2013, 07:45:23 PM

No problemo for the memories Pete

Don't have Meccano at the moment ..but thinking about it to get some ..as every bloke should have some 'remember the past' time I think..

ShanghaiPete · June 14, 2013, 11:07:23 PM

There is much Mecano on erbay. Maybe you can buy a small Mecano kit box to start? It will be good fun to make Mecano model of gs500. I remember in my Mecano book a plan for a motorcycle. But I never made that one because I did not have proper wheels for model in my 6 box.

ShanghaiPete · June 14, 2013, 11:09:22 PM

So when you buy the Mecano kit you will tell us about it. Maybe a forum member has a kit to sell? Now I am interested. I like electromechanical and maybe I can build a little robot with computer control.

ShanghaiPete · June 15, 2013, 06:39:31 PM

Janx101 last night you had time to go on ebay and look for people selling old style mecano sets? I can help you look for a set if you want. Because I speak Bahasa I can look on Asian ebay for you and see if we can get good price for you on old mecano set. There are many size mecano sets. Please give me notice of how big set you need. OK? We can do this together like the team prpject I do at uni. I think that it will be great fun for us to do this together.

Janx101 · June 15, 2013, 09:02:34 PM

We shall see Shangai ... Gotta have the $$ available ... Good idea though! ... Given some time to obtain spare cash it could work out well

ShanghaiPete · June 15, 2013, 09:26:47 PM

This is great janx101. Now we have adverisement here already for our mecano joint project. I will "scout out" ebay today and Monday to see what big mecano kit we can find for us. Will call you here when I get more information about price and about delivery. Will we go half and half on the price or do you want me to pay first. dad says to budget up to A$100 is OK for him to transfer money. Talk soon.

Janx101 · June 15, 2013, 09:41:50 PM

Lol .... Woah! ... 'Ease up on the gas pedal turbo!' ...

When I say I need to get cash together.... I mean over several weeks.... My business is right in tax time at moment and $$ for extra things are scarce ....

In a month or 2 it will be better for my business bill payments and also for cash spent on recreational things.... If you can hang on for a bit it will be No Worries ... But right now is not the best timing

ShanghaiPete · June 16, 2013, 04:25:58 AM

janx101 that is sad. We could have had much fun playing together and errecting things with our mecano set there. Maybe it is not to be. But I will keep an "eye out on the mecano set scene" for us hoping that we can get this project on the main road one day in the future. Is that OK for you now? Please let me know and I hope that your money problem gets itself fixed. Talk soon yes?

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Meccano from my youth! ...