Practical Mechanics for Boys

by James Slough Zerbe

Practical Mechanics for Boys, published in 1914, is one of a series of instructional books that James Slough Zerbe wrote for young readers who wanted to make things. It begins with how to set up a workshop and choose and care for tools, then moves through measuring, sawing, planing, joining, turning, soldering, working metal and wood, and simple machines, with diagrams throughout and the reasons behind each method explained rather than merely stated. The approach is patient and assumes nothing. A century on, some of the materials and methods are dated, but the fundamentals of handwork have not changed, and the book is still a readable guide to using one's hands well. It is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, with the first chapter free.