Mega Bloks: Zombies

In 2013, the popular "Call of Duty" Mega Bloks series,  Mega Brand's Lego Compatible bricks, just took a side step with it's direction.

They joined the Zombie craze!

They have several sets, from the small 1 figure / accessory set to the large playset sized kit.

Prices range from $5.99 to $34.99

Most of the sets are mid sized with around 200 parts and can be put together in about an hour

I have fallen victim and have all of the sets, but the office set.

I will highlight some of these sets as we get closer to Halloween, as it just seems fitting to discuss zombies at this time of the year.

Here are zombies in the Nuketown series

Zombie - Nuketown

Hazmat Zombies

Tranzit Farm

These zombies, I would class as "general life" or . . . death, as it were.  LOL

Zombie Horde I

Zombie Horde II

Office Horde

Zombie Diner

Here is the the Space Race in action

Moon Zombies

And finally, what happens in prison, stays in prison.  Even during the Zombie Apocalypse.

Prison Guard - Brutus

Prison

Antique Store find - American Bricks

We went "antiquing" yesterday in Holly, Mi.  A little town in eastern Michgan, known for it's annual Renaissance Festival.

We went to the Renaissance Festival in the morning and finished up early, so we decided to look for antique stores.

I found this little gem at the first store we stopped at.

The box art is really good, but the screw on lid is missing.  It's from a smaller set, and these cans were very typical of building toys in the 50's and early 60's, so I might have an extra lid available.  If not, they're quite easy to find.

The bricks in the container make up a really nice little set, but somewhat incomplete.  I got it for an exceptionally good price, one that rivals that of some of the best prices found on eBay.

As well as being incomplete,  some of it's pieces are broken, but it's not crippled by that. The parts that are missing are minimal and in, at least the case of the roofing, somewhat understandable.  The roofing was card stock and tended to become bent and "ugly" after several uses.

I believe that I can probably make a good piece of replacement roofing from some green poster board.

Since this set is around 60 years old, I'd say that it stood up to time pretty well.

Here's another view of one of the models that I was able to put together rather quickly

Tumble Tree Timbers - MINI Lincoln Logs

Maxim enterprises roduces a product called Tumble Tree Timbers

In 2002, I found this set at Kay-Bee toys. 

It's a pretty good representation of Lincoln Logs, but about 25% of the size of the original.



They were packaged in a jar

 

 Here's the completed model

Notice the single cut log piece from a standard Lincoln log set compared to this Mini set

Here's the same model made with both Standard Lincoln Logs and the Mini Tumble Tree Timbers set

Instructables

Instructables.com is a really comprehensive, creative resource for makers of all kinds

There area a lot of outside-the-box ideas for construction toys as well as just about anything else you can think of

Since we're focusing on the construction toys, here are some ideas for Lego, Lego here as well, Meccano, Erector Sets, K-Nex, More K-Nex, and because I like them, Armymen

Lincoln Logs Plans: Frontier Logs

Manufacturer's Document
───────────────────────
Plan Title:         Frontier Logs - 160 Pieces
Product:            Frontier Logs (Lincoln Logs clone)
Manufacturer: Ideal
Set:                     Unknown
Year:                  Unknown

Project: Recreate Erector Instruction book - Robot cover - Part 1

I will be recreating this photo

First, I'll need to get a good image of the robot "instructions"

From that, I need to put together a working parts list to actually build the robot

NEXT, I need to build the robot.  😃

I'll post progress of the actual build, along with measurements and parts that I'm using.  I'll provide modified parts list as I move forward

After the robot has been built, I'll need to coerce one of my adult children to let me "borrow" one of my grand children for the photo shoot.

I'm going for ME with the screwdriver, the robot, a grandchild holding the girder piece and looking excitedly at the robot.

More to come . . .

Lincoln Logs Plans: Frontierland Log Cabin

Manufacturer's Document
───────────────────────
Plan Title:         Frontierland Log Cabin
Product:            Lincoln Logs
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Set:                     Unknown
Year:                  2001

Common goal - Creativity

Construction Sets

The common theme that I'm trying to get across on the articles that seem to move from building set system to building set system is creativity and imagination.

Something that children of all ages (from 1 to 101+) can benefit from is removing the limitations that may be on your mind and set it free.

Building toys of any type will help while away the time in a constructive (again, pun intended) fashion.  Get away from the world of video games, televisions, smart phones and into the world of imagination.

There are no rules.  Rules don't apply here.  Build whatever comes to mind.

The word "impossible" should be viewed as a challenge, not a limitation.

Incredible "A.C. Gilbert" Erector Display

I found this incredible Erector Set display on YouTube

Just received an auction that I won

WOO HOO!!!

I love bargains and this was one of the better bargains I've had. 

This particular auction was for 20 pounds of miscellaneous Erector set parts.  They are dirty, rusty and a huge mix of parts from different sets. 

I like to look at the "per pound" price.  I paid $29 dollars for 20 pounds of parts (Erector tool box included).  That equates to $1.45 per pound.  By far the best bulk buy that I've ever done.

There are gears from clocks, watches and several different sizes from metal construction sets (not all Erector), wheels, shocks of string, a ladder chain and many parts that I have no clue what they are or what sets they're from.

There are a few miscellaneous tools

There is also a working motor from an older set.  Very nice.

There are two distinct "wins" for this particular auction, though

1) Modern Morecraft construction set pieces
Included were many pieces from a construction set from the 30's called "Modern Morecraft".  These are metal slotted pieces that slide together.  Very nice.

2) Several girders, angel pieces and wheels from an 1920's, Mysto Erector set.  These parts typically sell at auction for much higher prices than sets from the 40s to the present.  I'm really excited about this one.

I won't be completely sure of everything that I received until I can give them a good sorting and a good cleaning.  Not only is this one of the best deals that I've ever had, it's one of the purchases that I have the most fun browsing through.

These parts need some serious cleaning, but part of the fun is seeing exactly what you get when you win the auction and a it's beautiful addition to my already large and still growing collection of Erector Set parts.

Ephemera: Meccano ink block

Since my re-introduction to Erector Sets amost 30 years ag, I have had an interest in "all things Erector."  Hence this blog.

As I stated in my opening comment, I was originally planning on a blog titled "How to use Erector Sets," that morphed into "Just Construction Sets," dealing with all things relating to all kinds of construction toys.

This brings me to the topic of this post. 

The photo at the top of my blog.  Rather, Construction Toy ephemera. 

The photo at the top of my page is a printers ink block that I found on eBay. 

I'd been watching it for quite some time (a couple of years), thinking "WOW, That's REALLY COOL!"  I didn't really realize what it was, other than something that looked like an Erector Set crane.

I found this little tin box in an auction just a few months ago.

This tin box is the just a little bit larger than the printers block.  It's about 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. 

It was at this point, that I realized what the printers block was all this time, as the crane on the box is a perfect fit for the printers block.

This printers block was used in the production of small tin cannisters for use with Meccano toy sets.  Not an advertisement, not something to print up cards for some collector or child's toy printing press, but an actual piece of Meccano history. 

The size difference between the printers block and the actual tin box is quite understandable, as the little boy would have been added either in the next step, or as another block mounted right next to the crane.

This block, or one just like it, would have been one of the actual blocks that printed the crane on the label on this box.

Universal Construction Kit

Who has ever built a Lincoln Log model and thought that it would be nice to add parts from LEGO or pieces of Tinker Toy ?  I've been in that fix in the past.  What did I do ?  Nothing.  There really wasn't much to do at that time.  I suppose I could have drilled holes, used some super glue and generally destroyed a piece or two to connect them, but I'm a bit of a purist and that just doesn't seem palatable to me.

In 2012, the folks at F.A.T. Lab and Sy-Lab in partnership with Adapterz LLC, came up with a solution.  The Free Universal Construction Kit.

Their website with everything about the Free Universal Construction Kit is:
http://fffff.at/free-universal-construction-kit/

They have a nice PDF Poster showing the different configurations that are available.

These are free to download to your computer and if you have access to a 3-D printer, free to print

These can also be found at Thingiverse, a 3-D printing pattern repository

LEGO toys in the Arnold Household

LEGO bricks were a staple in the Arnold household after I'd gotten married and had children

Every birthday and most major holiday every one of our children received a set of LEGOs as a gift

Most of the sets were some of the smaller, basic sets, but as they got older the sets became more elaborate

We started with things like the basic set that you can build whatever you want.  The instructions included really basic things like a car, a chair, a house, etc. . . , then moved into the theme sets.

Before long, we had space ships, pirate ships, pirates and then Star Wars and Harry Potter.

LEGO had a pretty solid hold on the imaginations of the children (and adults) in my household.

Erector Set Plans: Crane

Manufacturer's Document
────────────────
Plan Title:        Crane
Product:           Erector Set
Manufacturer: A.C. Gilbert
Set:                  No. 7
Year:               1926

My plan for plans

Moving forward with my blog, I will be posting plans, instructions, layouts, inventory lists, etc . . .

These are purely for your enjoyment and reference.

I will give credit where credit is due when posting these.  I will only claim credit for these if I was the designer.

If not a document that I produced, I'll try to include the web link to the source

If they're a document from the manufacturer, where possible, I'll try to  include the set and year they were produced

Christmas 1962

I was young. . . 3 years old

I have a few memories of this age, one of which was Christmas morning.

Santa had come, I just knew it.

I didn't know what Christmas was all about, but I knew to expect toys, candies, surpises and the family gathering.

I had one of the largest gifts under the tree.  It was a large box, almost as big as I was.

I needed help from my father opening the box

It was trucks. . . Construction trucks . . . TONKA construction trucks 

It was set No. 2190 in this image

The set contained a dump truck, a cement truck, a bulldozer, a front end loader and a "trailer thingy" that I found later to be a road packer.  I didn't find this out until just a few years ago . . . Well into my 50's.  LOL, that didn't matter, though.  It was a "construction trailer thingy" and was played with because it was with the construction set!

I played with the trucks from this construction set for years.  I created roads, foundations, just plain construction sites where I was moving loads (sand) from one location to the next, smoothing out the road with the bulldozer, pulling the "trailer thingy", pouring cement, etc…

The "cement" was sand with water poured into the hopper.  When you pushed the Cement truck, the hopper turned, thereby, mixing the "cement"

I was extremely rough on my toys . . . I played with them.  Probably as intended.

Very few of my toys survived my childhood into my adulthood.

Meccano Design Software

Design your Meccano models

I've tinkered a bit with this software.  It seems to be really quite versatile, but my experience level with this software is limited, so I'm not getting the full benefit.  The best part?  It's free. 

Based on what I have seen on the users plans area of this website, you can design virtually (pun intended) anything your heart desires.

The parts libraries seem pretty complete

With a little imagination, many of the plans that are found at this page look like they can be easily converted for use with Erector Sets.

It can be downloaded for free here:
http://www.virtualmec.com/

Disclaimer: No guarantees it will work on your system.  No guarantees it will not harm your system.  No guarantees it will fulfill your deepest Meccano and Erector set software dreams.  No guarantees that it won't.  Simply put . . . No guarantees and at your own (probably non-existent) risk  :)

Where to buy your construction toys

Where to buy your construction toys

WOW!  That's really a loaded question.

There's a lot that goes into deciding what you are trying to accomplish with your purchase.
    Are you buying a new set as a gift or to play with ?
    Are you buying a vintage set to add to your collection?
    Are you collecting inexpensive components to build or tinker?
    Are you looking for missing pieces to complete a set that you are trying to restore?

Determine what your goal is and shop accordingly.

If the product is still in production, then brand new sets can be purchased via several resources online with eBay and Amazon being two of the most well known resources.  Many department stores, hobby stores or toy stores will carry these toy sets.

If you're looking for vintage, older, or simply used sets or pieces, then look to garage sales, flea markets, antique stores, junk shops, swap meets, etc. . .  Garage sales can be especially gratifying, as the people holding these sales are typically trying to clean out items they've already classed as "clutter".

Again, eBay is a good resource for used "loose" piece lots.

I have a couple of goals in mind when I'm looking for purchase.  I look for components for tinkering and to fill gaps in sets that I'm trying to complete.

I look for the best "bang for my buck" and in doing so, try to get the best "per pound" purchase that I can find.

Using the above resources, I have purchased many parts to fill out my various construction toy sets at extremely reasonable prices.

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BUYING.  One statement that I've always kept in mind while shopping for parts is "Buyer Beware", especially when perusing for used parts or sets.  Many sellers don't know what they're selling or may be intentionally "less than above board" and may apply misleading labeling such as "vintage" (when really modern manufacture), "rare" (when plentiful), providing a specific brand name (when actually manufactured by different company), etc . . .   Again, the best advice that I can provide here is to know what it is that you're buying and be aware of the true worth.  Pay no more than what you feel is a good value and you won't be disappointed.

My exposure to Erector Sets

As a child my exposure to Erector Sets was very limited.

My parents thought they were too expensive, so I never got one.

My cousin had an Erector Set and I played with it a bit with him.

We built things according the the directions that came with the sets and quickly got bored.

A few years later, a friend who lived down the street built a working model of a guillotine using parts he'd inherited from his older brother, a razor blade and some melted lead for weight.

With that, he destroyed a few plastic army men and cut a few twigs, but most importantly, I realized at that point that there was MUCH more that could be accomplished with Erector sets than simply following the directions.

I never got an erector set until I was around 30 years old.  My lovely wife knew that I had and infatuation with them and put one on layaway at a local toy store until my birthday.

I still never progressed much beyond the instructions, but always knew there was more to be done.

Hello Boys! Advertising for Erector Sets

Early advertisement for the Mysto Erector set

Very straight forward.  Early concepts appeased to traditional construction.

Gilbert Erector set from 1928

A little more complex.  Boys (yes boys) were encouraged to build actual working models.

Gilbert Erector set from the 50s

Encouraging boys into building the future of science.

an advertisement for Gabriel Erector set from 1968

. . . just a bit more . . . abstract !

Be anything you want!

These were one of my earliest building toys

Lincoln Logs were released to the general public around 1916.  

They were created by John Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Logs

Playskool purchased the J.L. Wright Manufacturing Company in 1943.   By this time, Lincoln Logs were known as "America's National Toy"

Playskool was the company that I recall producing them when I was young and playing with them. 

I used them in a huge portion of my childhood play, from just building new structures to building forts for my armymen to terrain, albeit oversized, for the roadways that my Matchbox cars would drive on.

I spent many childhood hours building with these virtually indestructable wooden toys.

Charles Addams Cartoon

One of my favorite Chas. Addams cartoons

Hello, here's my blog and its direction

Originally, I wanted to limit this to Erector Sets, Meccano and similar metal toy construction systems, but after chatting with my lovely wife, I decided to expand my vision and include discussions on all construction toys.

I have three grandchildren with hopes of more to come and I believe that play with these types of toys will greatly promote creativity, dexterity, concepts of construction, etc..., all while having fun.  I know that I'm having fun planning this for them.

Right now, they're all just a bit young for the lego and erector sets, but construction toys are more than just that.

I've re-discovered toys like Melissa and Doug carpenter sets.  These sets are modernized versions of the playskool carpenter set that I had as a child 50 years ago.  They've been modernized, updated, and expanded.  Where I had simply a tiny "bench" with a couple of wooden nuts, bolts and nails, the modern toys are complete  carpentry sets.  There are wooden nut and bolt systems similar to erector sets that their tiny hands can manipulate quite easily.

Instead of lego, we have found duplo blocks work in the same fashion.  Small hands, big blocks.  These are all a nice starting point for my grandchildren . . . ANY children, to get a fun start into educational playtime.