"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...

Well ... I had a kit as a kid, and built a lot of things using
it.

The erector set was fun, but what I really wanted was to be allowed to
use the table saw. It was really difficult to make a planked model
boat hull without a saw to rip the planks. My homemade toys either
flew or floated, for which wood is better than steel. I pestered the
folks until Dad checked me out on the saw and Mom on the sewing
machine, to make sails.

The copper foil to plate the hulls was rejected coax wrapping from the
1955 transatlantic telephone cable, made where Dad worked. For years
bad lots of the insulated center wire, copper wrapping and steel armor
wire could be found all around the NH seacoast area. They assembled
trial sections and measured the electrical impedance, and scrapped
whatever didn't give the correct value. We kids had more of it than we
could ever use.
jsw