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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:07:28 PM EDT
[#1]
Best toy ever.
Dad dug his 1950s set out of his parent’s attic to expand my 1980s set. Mine had motors with wired controllers for reversing. You could make skid-steer vehicles and such. His had geared AC motors with open 3 speed transmission. First thing I did as a 5yr old was stick a finger into that open transmission [img]/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif[/img. Lesson learned. Poor kids these days with their legos and Minecraft don’t stand a chance. We had permanent scars by 1st grade and wisdom to go with them. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:12:01 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Best toy ever. Dad dug his 1950s set out of his parent’s attic to expand my 1980s set. Mine had motors with wired controllers for reversing. You could make skid-steer vehicles and such. His had geared AC motors with open 3 speed transmission. First thing I did as a 5yr old was stick a finger into that open transmission [url]/images/smilies/icon_smile_big.gif[/img. Lesson learned. Poor kids these days with their legos and Minecraft don’t stand a chance. We had permanent scars by 1st grade and wisdom to go with them. Me 8 years old. Motors are cool! If I take this lamp cord, cut it and plug into outlet that’s more powers than these weak batteries! Only did that once. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:22:43 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Me 8 years old. Motors are cool! If I take this lamp cord, cut it and plug into outlet that’s more powers than these weak batteries! Only did that once. LOL I did that too! |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:24:25 PM EDT
[#4]
Never had one of those either... no good could have come of that...
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:25:19 PM EDT
[#5]
'What's wrong with an Etch-a-Sketch, boy? Why not start her off with a nice ragged line? You don't need to go leaping for a slide rule like a bull at a gate!"
John Cleese, kind of. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:25:31 PM EDT
[#6]
T'was great fun, but I started losing nuts and bolts...
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:28:13 PM EDT
[#7]
I really enjoyed Girder & Panel as well.
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:29:36 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I really enjoyed Girder & Panel as well. I wore that thing out when I was a kid . |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:34:56 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I wore that thing out when I was a kid . I actually inherited (from a friend of my father) a TON of really cool vintage toys when I was a kid in the early 90s. I got about a dozen Erector sets, Girder and Panel sets, and about 2 dozen space sets from Lego back in their original space run, which I think was mid to late 70s? All my friends thought it was old garbage but I loved it. I regret giving it all away when I got a little older. Especially the Legos. Those were some really cool sets, back when bricks were still fairly rudimentary and designers had to get creative vs just molding a new custom piece like they do today. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:38:37 PM EDT
[#10]
I had the '90s iteration as well as the similar-in-idea Lego Technics. The Lego Technic helicopter was my favorite.
 Added a battery-powered motor(from another Technic set) and, of course, I turned it into a gunship with gear-driven rotary cannons. 
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Posted: 6/10/2023 9:49:10 PM EDT
[#11]
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:14:44 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryI should make an erector set app for the smart phone. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:28:35 PM EDT
[#13]
I had legos and erector sets.
I built what was basically a M11 from legos, rubber band powered mag and rubber band closed bolt. It did not shoot anything but I even went as far as trying to use rocket nozzles and slopped blocks to be an extractor groove and extractor. It did not work very well. Now with my erector set I did make a rubber band powered cross bow that had a crank to cock it. That worked ok until I did too many rubber bands, bent it in half. I also made a trebuchet with a weight, it did not work very well but did work. Then I tried using rubber bands, again that worked ok until I used too many rubber bands. Also bent that in half. I also built a rubber band shooter using gears from something and the erector set. Load rubber bands on to the gear and restrict the gear from turning with another gear and crank. Could let them go one or two at once or go full auto by letting the crank go. And my parents are not surprised I am in to guns, I wonder why. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:29:29 PM EDT
[#14]
I never could build a functional roller coaster. That was my last attempt with Erector.
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:31:54 PM EDT
[#15]
In the early 70s I had an erector set and built a robot. Little motor , and gears came in my set.
Was pretty cool. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:34:22 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: T'was great fun, but I started losing nuts and bolts... Yep right down in the green shag carpet. Like BBs. Don't worry, mom will find them when she vacuums. Hahaha lol. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:34:39 PM EDT
[#17]
I learned a couple months back you can still buy erector set parts at lowes. On the nut and bolt row, in the pull out drawers, they have a bunch of the stuff that came in erector set kits.
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:39:01 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I had legos and erector sets. I built what was basically a M11 from legos, rubber band powered mag and rubber band closed bolt. It did not shoot anything but I even went as far as trying to use rocket nozzles and slopped blocks to be an extractor groove and extractor. It did not work very well. Now with my erector set I did make a rubber band powered cross bow that had a crank to cock it. That worked ok until I did too many rubber bands, bent it in half. I also made a trebuchet with a weight, it did not work very well but did work. Then I tried using rubber bands, again that worked ok until I used too many rubber bands. Also bent that in half. I also built a rubber band shooter using gears from something and the erector set. Load rubber bands on to the gear and restrict the gear from turning with another gear and crank. Could let them go one or two at once or go full auto by letting the crank go. And my parents are not surprised I am in to guns, I wonder why. I did the same with k'nex, the little pieces, hooked to the right rubber band, would cause damage. Pretty accurate too. Also did the stripped wire to add extra power to some motors and burnt a hole through the carpet
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:50:16 PM EDT
[#19]
We had a giant erector set growing up, not sure what it was called...you could make a small car you could sit in.
I also had Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, small Erector sets and other mechanical stuff. I was taking door locks apart and fixing them when I was four years old, so my dad says. My career: Mechanical Engineer  , now retired
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:53:29 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I had legos and erector sets. I built what was basically a M11 from legos, rubber band powered mag and rubber band closed bolt. It did not shoot anything but I even went as far as trying to use rocket nozzles and slopped blocks to be an extractor groove and extractor. It did not work very well. Now with my erector set I did make a rubber band powered cross bow that had a crank to cock it. That worked ok until I did too many rubber bands, bent it in half. I also made a trebuchet with a weight, it did not work very well but did work. Then I tried using rubber bands, again that worked ok until I used too many rubber bands. Also bent that in half. I also built a rubber band shooter using gears from something and the erector set. Load rubber bands on to the gear and restrict the gear from turning with another gear and crank. Could let them go one or two at once or go full auto by letting the crank go. And my parents are not surprised I am in to guns, I wonder why. A little bit of pvc, an erector set, some model rocket engine igniters and one could make a hand held bottle rocket launcher. If one were 12 years old and if one were so inclined. So I’ve heard. From a friend. In Minecraft. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:53:48 PM EDT
[#21]
Oh, the cuts I got from my Erector Set. My father finally got sick of it and smoothed the metal edges out on the worst offenders.
That, and those horrible square nuts. |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:55:41 PM EDT
[#22]
I raise you Robotix. Pretty sure I had 3 different sets.
 Robotix All Toy Commercials Got this one almost new in the box at a yard sale as a kid.  |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:57:08 PM EDT
[#23]
I still have most of my Erector set. Still one of my favorite toys along with the Radio Shack 100-in-1 electronic kits.
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Posted: 6/10/2023 10:59:35 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A little bit of pvc, an erector set, some model rocket engine igniters and one could make a hand held bottle rocket launcher. If one were 12 years old and if one were so inclined. So I’ve heard. From a friend. In Minecraft. Umm, a small copper pipe with caps, a bunch of match heads, a 22 ramset shot with a nail firing pin and an estes rocket. Lets just say the county had to fill some holes in the parks baseball field grass. Later found out co2 cartridges in the rear of an estes rocket with a large enough nail in a drop tube was pretty close to a mortar. In mine craft |
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Posted: 6/10/2023 11:01:00 PM EDT
[#25]
Also thought Capsela was cool.
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Posted: 6/10/2023 11:04:46 PM EDT
[#26]
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Posted: 6/11/2023 9:12:39 AM EDT
[#27]
I'll bomb the shit out of your erector set with my Vertibird
 Vertibird Commercial - 1973 - USA Air Police play set version |
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Posted: 6/11/2023 9:29:54 AM EDT
[#28]
This is the one I remember as a kid
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Posted: 6/11/2023 9:33:09 AM EDT
[#29]
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Posted: 6/11/2023 9:48:15 AM EDT
[#30]
In for pics of erections!
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Posted: 6/11/2023 10:36:36 AM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: Motors, girders, nuts, bolts, levers, pullies Your Lincoln logs are no match. You can build everything using legos. |
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Posted: 6/11/2023 10:40:08 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryHad one of those. I built watercraft with them.
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Posted: 6/11/2023 10:41:50 AM EDT
[#33]
Only erector set I ever got, I was born'd with.
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Posted: 6/11/2023 10:43:43 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This is the one I remember as a kid https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/KyFzYnGm4CJSgf8yIw2MQw.jpg That's the exact set I had! Loved it. And I also loved the "Visible V8" 
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Posted: 6/11/2023 10:23:40 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I'll bomb the shit out of your erector set with my Vertibird  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSQQo5S5yd0 |
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Posted: 6/11/2023 10:26:40 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Awesome had that also and the Visible V-8 and the Visible Rotary engine kit's. Kids today truly are missing the value of hands on learning/play. See how many can't change a tire or change their own cars oil and filter. |
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Posted: 6/11/2023 11:33:24 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yes the latest generation might know how to finger fuck their cell phone but are mostly clueless about anything mechanical. See how many can't change a tire or change their own cars oil and filter. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Awesome had that also and the Visible V-8 and the Visible Rotary engine kit's. Kids today truly are missing the value of hands on learning/play. See how many can't change a tire or change their own cars oil and filter. Derailing my own thread. There are dexterity tests to work on an assembly line. Good money. The kids coming in don’t have the dexterity to screw a nut on a bolt. Not kidding. It’s a real problem. |
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Posted: 6/11/2023 11:47:57 PM EDT
[#38]
Spirograph, Etch a Sketch, Speak n Spell, Light Bright, Erector Set, Lincoln Logs, Legos. My favorite was Construx though.
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Posted: 6/11/2023 11:58:47 PM EDT
[#39]
I'm not smart enough to play with those but I'll take a Whee-Lo all day long
  Whee-Lo by Tarco - "The ORIGINAL Fidget Spinner!" (Commercial, 1978) |
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Posted: 6/12/2023 12:00:41 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Awesome had that also and the Visible V-8 and the Visible Rotary engine kit's. Kids today truly are missing the value of hands on learning/play. I had that rotary wankel And that radio shack 100 in 1 electronic set. Damn, the memories. I'll post a pic of something that actually survived tomorrow |
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