How I make motorcycles. Children's iron constructor How to make an engine from an iron constructor

Hello friends. I haven't done a craft review for a long time. creative personalities. I still couldn’t find time for this, conducting my master classes, traveling to IT exhibitions () and starting my mini-journey and changes, which I wrote about in my blog.

I will send descriptions of the pictures and the works themselves, and the author will announce himself in the comments if he wants.

The first sets began to be made in 1901 in England.

Initially, the idea was to create working models to demonstrate projects, such as bridges.
But the material from which the models were assembled must be universal. This is how the idea of using perforated strips was born. Therefore, their models are unique in terms of the complexity of their mechanical solutions and design beauty.
Motor:

Lift (stacker) control unit:

It's like a Tiger tank.

AN-2. It seems similar.

Mini model. The idea was taken from foreigners, but all the details are ours.

Cubism. Corner sides of large and small cubes. The large one was assembled from the standard corners of the designer, and in the small cube he placed his own parts to connect the sides. The gap turned out to be minimal.

I took a retro car from Meccano (red) and assembled it from our parts except for the wheels, headlights and hood cover.

I made templates for making cover sheets from different companies. For now, only from the Yunost 4 set converted to the millimeter standard. And sheets from the GDR Construction 100 set. There are some duplicate drawings, this is to fill out the sheet. Some parts resemble those from a Mercur kit.
Drew in Word program. It seems that it turned out not bad, but it is better to make templates on graph paper. This will be more accurate.
I will take the material from the covers of accounting folders. There are folders with normal thickness. I would like to have more, but we will use what we have..
I punch holes with a set of punches for pressing holes in the rubber. It is not expensive, costs about 300 rubles

This is how the retro truck turned out from memory. Eat homemade parts, these are door hinges, wheels and many other converted parts from our kits. Trial version make improvised headlights from ketchup caps. In principle, LEDs can be installed in these caps and power the headlights. It is possible to add this model with hinges on the body and a lifting mechanism for the body. Although lifting mechanism this is for a different type of truck. Or put a roof on the body or put an awning on it. I think from Legos, add colored ones parking lights. You can paint the wheels black, this will highlight the outer shoes, as if the model had rubber wheels.
What do people think can be recommended to manufacturers for creating such a set?

How I make loops.
Yes, the task is long, tedious and thankless. I got a little distracted and that’s it... the ejection loop.
And so, we take a 5x5 or 5x10 panel; 5x10 is better; the thinner metal is easier to bend. We unfold the turns on the panel on the anvil and outline future blanks for the loops. Everything is visible in the photo.
Well, then it’s a matter of technique... mode, bend, saw, nails mode, and drive the loops towards each other.

Trying to make gear sets.

It turned out to be such an impromptu... no famous model aircraft... Objections and comments are accepted. 🙂

I decided to continue the collection of old tanks from the war. This time it is the English tank Cromvell Mk 4 (A27M). This is the first version of the model so far. I will refine some small details, maybe add some small details on the tower. I won’t install caterpillars yet. Perhaps I’ll put them on after disassembling the KV-1. We need to space the wheels out a little more. The tank's gun was made from a telescopic antenna.
Where two tanks are together you can clearly see how the iron coating oxidizes in air. It becomes pale, matte, then begins to darken. The iron on the second tank had been in the packaging all this time. Design kits were purchased almost simultaneously. Conclusion: our coatings are poor quality, although not all construction kit manufacturers have them. Still a shame!

Trying to make big wheels Option 3 and 4

Part of my instrument.

Here is the continuation of the retro series. This is a Parisian taxi from the beginning of the last century. This is not a complete analogue of any model. In those days there were a lot of models of this type, and the series of cars were very small.

Mecano has decent models for re-building; our material and technical base is very small and depends on the amateur’s wallet. Not everyone wants to spend several thousand rubles on 3-4 dozen parts.
In short, the model is not yet the final version. We need to make a front bumper and a rear one too. Maybe it's worth hanging a spare tire in the back. Make fences for suitcases on the roof.
In short, accept for criticism another model for assembly from domestic parts. I tried to paint wheels from regular aerosol can With alkyd enamel for internal and external works, it turned out not bad, in my opinion.

This is how I remember my childhood. It’s easy, also because of the abundance of interesting technology and hardware around. My parents, especially my dad, surrounded me very much from the time I was little. interesting things- then the engine is from a Cossack kitchen table, either a color tube TV disassembled for repair, or a portable Mriya radio, which could play gramophone records while suspended. But most importantly, my parents sometimes bought me various interesting construction sets. And the most memorable thing for me was the “Electrical engineering in 200 experiments” set.

Photo from the Virtual Museum and Directory - Domestic Radio Engineering of the 20th Century

Now, unfortunately, they don’t make such things, including abroad. I constantly look at the shelves of stores with toys both in our country and when I travel around Europe. There is nothing like it. What was good about this construction set was that it combined a lot of different parts and components from which one could assemble both toys and conduct entertaining physical and electrical experiments. For example, it was possible to assemble a telegraph.

Photo from the Made in Leningrad community

Or an electric motor-fan, or a homemade galvanic battery, in general, the designer lived up to the name - two hundred could be assembled unique crafts, not counting your own invented ones.

And now, when my son is growing up, I also want to surround him with interesting technical things. And one of them is such a constructor. I don’t want to buy incomplete used ones from 30 years ago, because incompleteness is a tragedy :) And it’s almost impossible to find it at flea markets. But it is quite possible to assemble something similar from available parts, and without much effort.

First, the base, ordinary inexpensive metal construction sets that can still be bought in toy stores.

And secondly, what will bring this constructor to life will add movement. These are motors, wires and batteries. Where can I get them? Ha, I'm sure if you have children, you know what Chinese toys are. They are certainly bought as gifts for children by both parents and grandmothers, acquaintances, and guests of parents. All these flying dogs, jumping cars, barking airplanes - all this breaks down in an hour (day, week) and goes into the trash. But for me they go into the trash only after the main treasure has been extracted from them :)

Engines direct current. Considering that I have four children, I have accumulated a lot of this wealth. How can these motors help? Here's what. One day a couple of years ago, my son and I were tinkering with my tools and I suddenly suggested to him, let’s build a car out of a stick. Who wouldn't agree to this? We took a piece of some kind of block, a motor, nails, an AAA battery and put it together in 30 minutes.

From nails and sticks, literally, it turned out to be an unsightly self-propelled toy. The child did not let go of it all evening, and then showed it to all the guests - “Look what a limousine dad and I made!” That's when I decided it was time to do these things on a more serious level. First we assembled a windmill, a memorable object from our last trip to Europe.

It turned out so cool that there was only one thing left to do, stock up on parts for such crafts in sufficient industrial quantities :) I bought all sorts of switches, battery holders, and rubber bands at the market. Grandmothers and friends were told that now our best gift- metal constructor. And after a while, my son and I became the owners of the coolest set possible. It was possible to start creating.

Our next craft is an airplane. Twin-engine fighter.

Where there is a plane, there is a helicopter. The son added two additional floors to the main rotor, which seemed better to him.

The child played with this helicopter toy for the longest time, because the main rotor was easily used as a circular saw of an angle grinder - the helicopter sawed a lot of things in the house - to the delight of his mother :)

Now she walks reluctantly, the mechanism needs to be adjusted.

But immediately after production, the walking machine, as its son nicknamed it, made everyone very happy with its vigorous gait :)

And the very last of our crafts. To make it, I bought on Aliexpress a radio control kit, a remote control with a receiver, a motor with a gearbox and wheels, a steering servo and a motor control board. All these things are available on Ali in abundance different sizes, capacities, opportunities. We made a radio-controlled tricycle with full control - gas, brakes, steering.

There is so much dope in this crazy tricycle that it’s difficult to get going without slipping. But it’s easy to make a police U-turn.

Below is a video of the unequal battle between a mad car and a caterpillar. My son and I collected the caterpillar for an exhibition in kindergarten, they needed a craft made from natural material, so we built a real oooooooooooooo slow caterpillar from coconuts, chestnuts and construction elements. Due to the slowness of the caterpillar, the video is a little long :)

These wonderful things can be made from an ordinary metal construction set, scraps of old toys and a certain amount of purchased parts. The only necessary skill for parents is to be able to solder a little, without this it will be difficult with all these wires, switches and batteries. And, of course, imagination, but usually children have even more of it than adults, so involve your child, he will tell you what to do.

There is, of course, another way. For example, ready-made Lego sets. Lego has a windmill.

There are all sorts of racing cars and trucks.

In general, Lego has everything, including robots and kits for customizing and programming them.

But personally, I don’t have a passion for Lego. And my son has problems with Lego, once he dropped the toy, and it was shattered into small cubes, it’s very disappointing to put everything back together. And Lego costs immeasurably, especially interactive robotic kits with motors or limited editions of all sorts of starships from star wars. Our metal will be more affordable, even taking into account the purchase of remote controls on Ali.

There is also an original metal construction set, Meccano. But again, it is very expensive and it is not easy to get it in our area. Therefore, here is the final photo of our wealth.

Designing motorcycles is no less exciting than creating any other vehicles. In addition, a motorcycle, which is essentially a naked concept of a self-propelled mechanism, requires greater design sophistication, inventive talent and the instincts of a good mechanic. I present my design ideas to the readers. homemade motorcycles. I can say that I have some experience in this kind of work: at the “Motosam-90” show-competition, my home-made motorcycle, the eighth in a row, was presented, a photo of which the magazine’s readers could see in the report from the show in No. 2 for 1991 . The photographs presented on these pages show three more motorcycles of my design. I want to tell readers about one of them - the last and most successful.

Over the course of thirteen years, I designed and built twelve two-wheeled vehicles. They were all significantly different from each other. Moreover, two motorcycles were designed using a partial monocoque design, and three were completely frameless, with a monocoque monocoque body. It is precisely this design solution that I prefer today: it seems to me the most reliable and advantageous in terms of strength, weight and ergonomics.

I hope that my design experience can be useful for those who are planning to make a motorcycle.

So what is a regular motorcycle? frame structure? To simplify the answer, we can say that this is a frame, a fuel tank, tool boxes, an air filter housing with an intake noise muffler, an exhaust muffler, a rear fender with a tail light bracket and numbers, a saddle base, a trunk, as well as a kilogram of all kinds of bolts, nuts, bushings , pins, washers and rubber bands, with the help of which all of the above are connected into a single structure.

If you sum up the masses of these components and assemblies, you get a very impressive value. In addition, when all this is put together, it forms a far from aesthetically pleasing “skeleton”, which has many secret places where absolutely irremovable dirt will inevitably accumulate - you can only get rid of it by completely disassembling the motorcycle.

A year or two passes - and the tool boxes begin to rattle, cracks creep along the rear fender, the number plate along with the bracket falls off... And if the motorcyclist, God forbid, gets into at least a minor accident or even simply falls? In these cases, the frame bends and dents appear on the tank and tool boxes. More more trouble are delivered by huge lower mufflers, which cling to corners even on smooth asphalt and significantly reduce cross-country ability on bad roads.

The two-wheeled vehicle, designed according to the “monocoque” design scheme, is free of all these shortcomings. Such a motorcycle is a monoblock welded box-shaped structure that performs the functions of all the parts and assemblies listed above. Interestingly, the spatial box structure is significantly more rigid and durable than the classic frame structure (including duplex frames). The use of a “monocoque” design in a motorcycle design not only reduces the weight of a two-wheeled vehicle, but also brings the motorcycle’s center of gravity closer to the ground. This happens due to the fact that in such a design tool box and the battery compartment are located in the lower part of the body, and a lightweight air filter with an intake noise silencer is located in the upper part, where the fuel tank cap is located on classic motorcycles. The air intake is made above the steering column - in this area the cleanest, dust-free air is. An exhaust noise muffler may also be located inside the monocoque, but reliable thermal insulation from the fuel and seat cushion must be ensured.

1 - rearview mirror, 2 - secret fuel tank plug, 3 - shock absorber compensation chamber, 4 - shock absorber with a stroke of 120 mm, 5 - swing lever, 6 - push lever, 7 - brake rod, 8 - rear part of the body with exhaust muffler (left) and oil tank (right), 9 - rear turn signal, 10 - parking light and brake light (dual), 11 - exhaust pipe (left), 12 - brake disk with a diameter of 300 mm, 13 - chain catcher, 14 - rear wheel sprocket (z=37), 15 - rear wheel suspension pendulum, 16 - drive sprocket (z=15), 17 - foot brake pedal, 18 - drive box lever gears, 19 - winch drum, 20 - muffler - resonator, 21 - winch cable guide bracket, 22 - front brake disc with a diameter of 300 mm.

Rice. 2. Monocoque body layout. The cell size of the scale grid is 100×100 mm.

Pictures 1 and 2 show my enduro motorcycle and its monocoque body with rear suspension and engine protective frame. The weight of the monocoque is only 23 kilograms, and the useful volume of such a body is about 56 liters, of which 41 liters are for fuel tanks (more than that of the Zhiguli!), and the remaining volume of the body is fully used. At the same time, the motorcycle does not look bulky. On the contrary, it has relatively small dimensions - in particular, the base of the machine is only 1350 mm (smaller than that of any Izhevsk motorcycle).

It must be said that making a monocoque body is no more difficult than welding a good frame and equipping it with all the attached parts. You just need to strictly adhere to the pre-developed technology so that all the parts fit together well and are convenient to weld.

When drawing the design of the body, take care to ensure a comfortable position for the driver - this is especially important for enduro-type motorcycles - as well as the safety of the motorcyclist’s movements, ease of movement in a sitting position, in a rack and in the drawbar.

After choosing the optimal, in the designer’s opinion, layout solution, you should draw the entire motorcycle in full size - depict a side view, top view, front and rear, and also draw the most characteristic sections. The more detailed the drawing documentation, the easier further work on the manufacture of a two-wheeled vehicle will be.

It is most rational to place the engine directly on the axis of the pendulum. In this case, the reaction from the tension of the drive chain is connected directly to the pendulum. And it is far from small - sometimes it reaches the breaking strength of the chain, that is, almost two tons! It is necessary to mount the powerful and not very well balanced Izh-Planet engine (as well as all cross-country motors) using silent blocks or rubber cushions. You just need to take into account that the chain not only pulls the engine back, but also turns it in a horizontal plane due to the asymmetrical arrangement of the chain.

When creating a monocoque body, it is very convenient to use the volumetric prototyping method. In this case, the body layout is assembled from cardboard blanks, which are connected using strips of paper and glue. In the process of making a model, as a rule, changes occur in the design of the body, since not everything can be provided for in flat drawing projections. Simultaneously with prototyping the body, it is advisable to work out a technological map of its assembly - this will ensure the convenience of welding work. It is necessary to take into account possible warping metal blanks when welding the body with uneven heating. Keep in mind that the parts that hold the swingarm and steering column are welded last. If necessary, they should be adjusted to the body so that on the finished motorcycle the planes of the wheels coincide with the plane of symmetry of the monocoque body.

The finished three-dimensional layout is cut at the gluing points, and the cardboard patterns of the monocoque elements are numbered: it is from these patterns that the blanks will be cut out steel sheet corresponding thickness - from 1.2 to 1.5 mm. The easiest way to do this is with a chisel on a massive anvil.

Welding must be carried out in strict accordance with technological map. To make the seams look neat and strong, the edges of the parts being welded should be slightly bent, as shown in Figure 3.

To ensure sufficient strength of the monocoque body, it is advisable to introduce additional reinforcements, flanges, and stiffeners into its design. For example, the steering column on my motorcycle and the transverse stiffening beam, to which the bracket for the only shock absorber of the rear suspension is welded, are additionally connected steel pipe rectangular section 25x40 mm. In addition, it is convenient to place electrical wiring and motorcycle control cables inside this pipe.

The design of the intake silencer significantly affects the engine power and its torque characteristics. The larger its volume, the easier the engine “breathes,” and the less air pulsation in the filter, which means less noise. Experts recommend setting the muffler volume to at least 20 engine displacements. The path from the air filter to the carburetor must be smooth, eliminating turbulence in the air flow, which significantly reduces engine power.

After welding, the monocoque body is checked for leaks - first with water and then with clean gasoline. If there are no leaks, the welding seams are coated from the inside with liquid epoxy glue - it will fill small pores, bind pieces of slag and drops of metal - this is especially important for the intake noise muffler.

The rear suspension is pendulum type, with cantilever wheel mounting. Wheel travel is about 260 mm. The pendulum hinge is on ball bearings and sealed with oil seals. Chain tension is done using an eccentric. The disc brake is mechanically driven.

The front suspension is based on the fork from the CZ-516 cross-country motorcycle. The wheel is for 21-inch tires, the disc brake pad drive is hydraulic.

The soft saddle pad is glued directly to the monocoque body, and the faux leather cover is attached to it with flush screws.

I would like to warn readers who do not have sufficient experience in designing motor vehicles that creating homemade two-wheeled vehicles is a very difficult matter. In this material I tried to talk about my work and those ideas that I consider promising for amateur motorcycle building. However, I would categorically not advise novice motorcycle builders to start creating a powerful machine based on this material. It might be better to start with simpler motorcycles. After all, I was moving towards a monocoque, having created more than a dozen intermediate structures...

Alexey GARAGASHIAN, St. Petersburg

The metal construction set is considered a complex toy and embodies the dream of any boy to “work” with tools similar to adults.

Cold metal fascinates, allows you to create the most complex models using a screwdriver, keys, bolts and screws. The activity of assembling a model will seem interesting not only to children, but also to adults. Metal intellectual toys are a real excursion into the world of children's thinking and imagination.

The main idea of the toy

The complete set of each product consists of components similar to those that dad keeps in his tool box: nuts, brackets, screws, and other fasteners. All this appears to the child as real, only performed in miniature.

Metal objects are fastened together by screwing in bolts of suitable diameter. The plates can be straight, curved, narrow or wide, each element of the plate is perforated with holes.

This makes the designer universal and makes it possible to create models guided only by imagination. Sets with a variety of elements allow you to assemble structures of all possible sizes and varying degrees of complexity.

Samples of finished products are shown on the packaging, accompanied by an assembly diagram and instructions for use. A boy can successfully create unique mechanisms and structures, assemble crafts for school and preschool classes, and play games with assembled models.

Self-made toys are a source of pride for a boy, so children’s interests should not be ignored; it is important to introduce a child to construction from an early age.

A smart toy will allow parents to captivate their child for a long time and go about their business.

Before starting the game, it is important to explain to the child that the initial design may not work out, but correcting errors will allow the desired results to be achieved in the future. Solving set and non-standard problems is the main purpose of the team game.

Differences from other species

It is difficult to call a metal construction set a toy; rather, it refers to serious intellectual work associated with creativity. Assembling the constituent elements, the child constantly refers to the instructions, develops ingenuity, patience and receives the result of his hard work in the form of a finished car or construction crane.

The game has many small elements that need to be carefully connected to each other not with grooves, which is typical for other types of assembly toys, but with bolts, washers and nuts using special tools. During design, parts must be constantly recalculated so as not to make mistakes when installing the necessary elements.

The assembly structure has moving components that can be loosened or tightened depending on the nature of the finished product. You can create others from the metal elements of one model, and you don’t always need to act according to the instructions. This will allow the child to develop and improve the logical line of imagination.

By establishing the interaction of objects according to the type of connection, the baby builds his own approach to the process, forms personal preferences, and raises self-esteem. By correctly constructing complex parts into a finished structure, the boys feel indescribable pride in their invention.

Advantages of the game build:

Versatility and the ability to deviate from instructions;
Parts of different modifications and special tools complement each other;
Suitable for classes for children of different sexes;
Divided by age and intellectual development.

For preschoolers, such a construction set is suitable as preparation for school and labor lessons. Interest in assembling metal products changes the behavior of many children, developing in them perseverance, concentration, and contact with adults at the level of discussing the action associated with assembling the necessary product.

It has been proven that assembling a construction set develops a boy’s clear and beautiful handwriting, which is important when depicting clear lines and letter symbols.

The benefits of a smart toy

Metal plates with perforations for construction became known in the last century. Manufacturers of construction sets in those years were hardly guided by serious pedagogical motives, because the world of bright plastic had not yet been conquered, and wood and metal were basic materials for making children's toys.

The popularity of logic toys made of metal has not slowed down, but on the contrary, interest in it is increasing every year.

The gaming assembly toy is designed to collect not only the parts from the instructions, but also others that can only come to mind. This allows you to develop imagination and logic.

Metal assembly toys are designed for children aged 5-6 years. In some cases, they are used in labor lessons in kindergarten and school, and for making crafts.

In the process of diligent study, the boy:

receives the basics of technical thinking and logic;
develops fine motor skills of the hands;
develops concentration;
development of creative potential and systematic thinking;
increases alertness and coordination of movements.

On the mental side, a feeling of self-satisfaction and adequate self-esteem develops after collecting the model.

Assembly and design have always been considered in a good way relieve tension and stress, develop a personal opinion about yourself, learn to set achievable goals and overcome difficult tasks.

These abilities will help boys in the future, since many technical specialties in higher education are widely available to them. educational institutions. Proper systems thinking can improve school performance.

Types of metal constructors

Nowadays, metal construction sets have many modifications, and the most unusual models can be assembled. Classic cars, cranes, steam locomotives - today have been greatly modernized beyond recognition.

The kid can assemble a real plane, a tower, or a truck with a large body. The sizes of the construction set vary from medium to large, and the number of parts in the kit always differs from each other.

Many modern views designers are equipped with electronics. This is very exciting, as it creates the illusion of a real game: with tanks, cars, signal flares and so on. Once assembled, technical devices can produce characteristic sounds, light up, and some moving parts can be controlled remotely.

If the designer is classic, without additional accessories, then the baby controls the finished product himself.

A logic game made of metal can be produced for small children from three years old and for older children. They differ in some complexity of assembly and the level of intellectual perception in children.

Mini-constructors are suitable for beginners. They are characterized by a small number of parts, simplest assembly and instruction diagram.

Set of metal construction sets

Items undergo strict quality control from manufacturing to packaging. Depending on the type and type of assembly, fragments of the construction set may include cords, plastic or rubber parts. The kit comes with a set of assembly tools and instructions.

If necessary, special notes and a diagram of a non-standard combination of fragments, the use of elements with electronics, and safety rules during the game are indicated.

How to choose a metal construction set

The purchase of a logic toy made of metal should be considered, since the type of activity is serious. It is worth considering some nuances that will not discourage the child from further design and self-development.

Markings on packaging about mandatory quality certification;
Age limit indication on packaging;
When inspected, metal plates must be smooth, without sharp points or rough protrusions;
The fasteners must have clear cuts and threads without visible defects;
Toy parts for children under 5 years old should not be less than 50 mm;
The product should not emit the smell of paint or rust;
All constituent fragments must comply with safety requirements.

Thematic areas

When purchasing a play assembly toy, parents are often guided by the child's preferences. It is impossible to attract his attention with uninteresting activities, so manufacturers are developing models metal construction sets taking into account the interests of young inventors. Accepted trends include designers in a technical and futuristic style.

Technical style

Aimed at creating classic models of combat and specialized vehicles: armored vehicles, tanks, military aircraft, guns, fire engines and signal vehicles with beacons, police crews and motorized vehicles, tower and cranes.

This type of assembly game is suitable for older children, so that they can later use the finished product as an addition to their own collection of toys.

Futuristic style

The direction is characteristic of creation famous heroes from cartoons. These assembly games include: additional details made of high-quality bright plastic, cords, elastic bands.

This game is suitable for younger age groups; it has large, bright pieces. color solutions. Children associate cartoon characters with positivity. Finished products can be used as a toy or room decoration.

Every year the toy industry develops, offering consumers new products to replace old ones. The metal construction set, which was the secret dream of every Soviet boy, seemed to have lost its position to the more colorful plastic Lego sets. However, you should not think that the old Soviet invention has sunk into oblivion; it is still in demand and continues to be produced.

Today's manufacturers have begun to produce it in a wider range, and now it looks like a much more competitive product than before.

Advantages

The popularity of plastic construction sets seems obvious: this material is brighter, more convenient, lighter, and non-toxic, and it is much more difficult to cause injury with it than with a metal part. However, it is the metal set that develops the child much better, and in many ways.

Plastic parts of construction sets are usually very attractive to children, since they imitate what they should imitate in a particular assembly, but because of this they cannot be used in any other option.
Iron sets are made from universal parts, allowing children's imagination to run wild and create something original, including through the compilation of parts from two different sets. At the same time, instructions that allow you to quickly assemble something specific are also present.

The parts of the iron constructor do not have grooves that are simply inserted into each other, so each part has to be screwed to another using screws, nuts and wrench– everything you need, of course, is included in the kit. It turns out that the assembly process becomes much more complex, and therefore the developing effect is more expressive.
The iron construction set is not created for boys alone; girls can also use it. Perhaps it will be a little more difficult for a girl to come up with unusual idea for an interesting build, but still possible.
Today, companies produce a wide range of iron construction sets, so choosing something appropriate for a child of any age (from preschoolers to teenagers) will not be difficult.

Flaws

Unfortunately, there are no products that do not have any shortcomings at all, and everyone’s favorite metal construction sets, naturally, also have certain features that may raise doubts about whether it is worth choosing such a gift at all. Children's iron construction sets have a number of disadvantages that you need to know about before purchasing.

Gifts of this kind are only suitable for older preschoolers, because For children under 6 years of age, purchasing this toy is actually contraindicated. Even if the construction parts are made in fairly large sizes, the set still contains nuts and screws with washers, which are very easy to swallow. Consequently, such a set is often perceived as a school set, while the very relationship with school and responsibilities can reduce the child’s interest in design.

An iron construction set allows you to make the most unexpected crafts yourself, but this statement is more true for adults, while for kids the task can be quite boring. A child aged 10 years and older will be able to understand complex instructions., and even then only if you have your own formed interest, let alone independent design new toy in early age there is no question. Consequently, children perceive working with such a construction set at school more as a duty than as interesting and exciting game, due to which the main value of the set is lost.

The insane popularity of plastic construction sets for children is largely due to their brightness; in terms of this indicator, they are significantly ahead of any competitors. Today, manufacturers are trying to paint even metal sets, however It is impossible for them to compete with the brightness of plastic competitors. As a result, the child perceives school construction as a not very successful imitation of a game, instead of learning at ease.
Due to its strength, metal parts have an increased degree of injury. It is clear that a high-quality set should not have sharp points or poorly processed surfaces, but at least one child can throw a large part at another, and the impact can be quite strong. Children, alas, do not understand the danger of such games and fights, and therefore, without hesitation, they can injure a peer with the help of game parts.

Kinds

There are quite a few varieties of metal construction sets - they can be small or large, intended for children of different ages, universal or narrowly focused, and facilitate the assembly of models from a particular industry. If the purchase is made not for a class or circle, but for one child, all these details must be taken into account.

It should be understood that the age recommendations are indicated on the box for a reason. Although a child may be ahead of his peers in development or a little behind them, in general such instructions are very valuable, allowing you to understand whether the baby will be interested and whether he will be able to cope with the task.

At the same time, the task must still be quite complex if parents want to get a clear developmental effect mental abilities child.

And so that he doesn’t get bored, you will have to choose a set with a certain plot that is close to the child. It should be admitted that such products are largely aimed at boys, no matter how hard manufacturers try to expand the range, the kits still concern mainly the assembly of equipment. But here, too, not everything is so simple, so it’s worth once again taking an interest in the sets offered in our time.

The theme of the future has always been popular among children, so a set that makes a wonderful transforming robot will become a great gift for baby. As a rule, such kits do not require a large number of assembled models. However, the very fact of a transformer presupposes the presence of at least two variations of the finished model, different from each other.

Children are also very interested in the topic of flight, and although the times of Gagarin’s widespread popularity are long gone, an airplane or helicopter of your own design will still be considered a very smart toy. Many boys dream of taking to the air, and having the right to say that you yourself assembled an aircraft, even a toy one, is a very powerful argument for respect among friends.

Typical male interests appear in boys even in childhood, therefore The young mechanic will certainly enjoy the opportunity to assemble various wheeled vehicles. A good universal kit provides excellent opportunities for this: you can assemble a tractor or a tank, a truck or even a simple motorcycle.

You can even play with such a 3D model if you wish, although to a greater extent it is still a sign of the boy’s engineering genius and a reason for his immeasurable pride.

One should not ignore the fact that now manufacturers have moved away from the canon, according to which a metal construction set should be a banal set of nuts and washers. Nowadays, even a metal set often includes parts made from other materials, most often meaning, of course, plastic that can imitate vehicle tires, transparent glass, and much more.

Another popular material for the manufacture of individual parts is rubber, which also makes it possible to achieve greater believability of the assembled models than the classic versions of iron construction sets usually do. However, a revolutionary development is the classic screw construction set with an electric motor.

On the one hand, there is nothing incredible in such a solution, on the other hand, for some reason the Soviet developers did not think of providing for such an option. By adding a simple mechanical motor, similar to what is used in plastic toy cars, assembled models can move independently!

Naturally, the parts are processed in such a way as to match the motor mounts as much as possible, but the young engineer’s self-esteem after working with such a gift simply goes through the roof: he literally assembled a self-propelled mechanism! After such a childhood, the choice in favor of any technical or design profession should no longer surprise anyone, but such a path in our country is still considered honorable and profitable.

Features of choice

The wide variety of models on the market can confuse an inexperienced buyer, because worth paying attention to important details, contributing to the correct choice:

quality certification is the first sign that the product is worthy of purchase, especially since you can see it without even unpacking the product;
The age limit on the packaging is indicated for a reason: you should not buy a 4-year-old child a construction set intended for 9-year-olds, and vice versa;
poorly processed metal parts can cause injury, so they should be inspected for sharp edges or nicks;
great attention should be paid to the quality of the fasteners, which should not have problems with cuts and threads, otherwise the entire set will be useless;

when purchasing a construction set for children under 5 years old, there is still actual problem ingestion of small parts, therefore the set should not contain fragments smaller than 50 mm in size;
although in general metal is much safer than plastic in terms of environmental friendliness, the danger can be caused by the resulting rust or the low-quality dye used, so if there is a strange smell, it is better not to buy the product;

A good construction kit involves assembling numerous different models from the same set, but in their focus they should at least partially affect the sphere of interests of a particular child.

Manufacturers

In certain situations, you should simply trust a manufacturer that has proven itself thanks to its quality products. The majority of consumers choose this or that brand for a reason: in the age information technologies any serious flaw would quickly become public knowledge, so famous manufacturers They simply don’t allow themselves to do their job poorly.

Among Russian brands It is worth highlighting “The Tenth Kingdom”, which focuses primarily on products designed for school labor lessons. One cannot help but pay attention to the products of the Samodelkin brand, which took its name in honor of a Soviet cartoon character assembled from parts of a similar construction set. Russian designers are distinguished by good quality and quite affordable prices.

Imported sets also deserve respect. Although Western toys are traditionally perceived as something bright and beautiful, and, let’s be honest, superior to their domestic counterparts, even Americans have variations on the theme of our iron set. Another thing is that such products look much more beautiful; for example, the perforations made for screwing in the bolts may not be visible from the outside.

On the other hand, such a construction set is usually less versatile, since it is a kind of Lego, only made of metal. A good example of such a product are the sets produced by the American company Meccano. Such a toy would take its rightful place in a child's room. However, it would be a fair assumption that imported products will cost parents much more than Russian ones.

But with Chinese products, the quality is often as low as the price. It is not worth saying that absolutely all Chinese metal construction kits are harmful, fragile or poorly processed, but such complaints are not such a rare occurrence. Decent samples come across, but big problem is that the average Russian consumer does not remember Chinese brand names, which is why a product from China is always an abstraction for him.

Such metal constructors last years are becoming increasingly popular in Russia, including thanks to various services for delivering purchases directly from China at literally bargain prices.

It should be remembered that such a purchase always involves the risk of spending money, even small ones, on a product that did not deserve consumer attention at all.