Sunday, September 27, 2015

1916 - The Deering Hydroplane

Jack spotted this and sent it to me, saying it was important as it was made for a detachable motor.
So here it is 

The Deering Boat Company of Madison, Wisconsin was reported in March, 1914 in The Iron Age as having opened their factory at 323 S. Wilson Street.  

Saturday, September 26, 2015

1920s - "Outboard Motor" Pleases Youngsters

This is too "kid cool" not to revive!  I have a pail of old egg beater drills that I drag out and let my students drill holes in wood once in awhile as part of some project...they are fascinated by them.

Did you ever notice that kids a couple generations ago got to do stuff that was possibly dangerous? Chemistry sets used to have some interesting components, kids made rafts, and climbed trees.  Jack, for instance, cut down a goodly selection of a neighbor's pine woods to make a log cabin and  bought black powder through the mail and blew up the aforementioned structure with his friends with great success!

Having mom drive you to soccer practice just doesn't cut the mustard.










Friday, September 25, 2015

A Lesson Learned...and Shared

1929 was when Popular Mechanics shared Dick Cole's letter.  Then later in the same magazine another letter with another good idea caught my eye and it was from Mr. Cole as well!  

I think he would have been the sort of grandfather to leave a workshop stuffed with lots of useful bits and pieces for a curious kid to wonder about. The Depression honed many a person's inventiveness to a useful sharpness!