_My Life With Erector Sets-- The Death of the Gilbert Company_

My Experience with Erector Sets

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The End of the Gilbert Company Things Changed in American Society in the 1960s

Join Us on Facebook This page presents products sold by the Gilbert Company as it headed toward Oblivion in the 1960s. Click on a Box to Go There Some of you (i.e. folks coming in from Search Engines) have a very focused need for information. We have specially prepared the following list just for you. The End of the Gilbert Company [THIS Page] The Last Days of the Gilbert Company The Gilbert Chemistry of Plating and Paints Set The Gilbert Pottery Set The Gilbert Slot Car Set Moon McDare Action Figure James Bond Action Figure Honey West Action Figure U.N.C.L.E. Action Figures Martian Magic Set Model Airplanes Gilbert Watches Contact me about something All About A.C. Gilbert [Separate Page] Who was A.C. Gilbert? How did A.C. Gilbert sell things to Boys? What was Gilbert's Competition like? How can I learn more about A.C. Gilbert? Rationale for the Erector Set in the 21st Century Mr. Gilbert Patents the Vibrator Contact me about something Erector Sets [Separate Page] What is this 1/2 Business? A Slide Show From the "How-to-Make-em books" Pictures of MY Erector Sets The 4 1/2 Set The 6 1/2 Set The 7 1/2 Set The 8 1/2 Set The 9 1/2 Set The 10 1/2 Set The 12 1/2 Set The Constructioneer #12 Set My Experience in Restoring Erector Sets Erector Patents Free Download Stuff Contact me about something Science Kits [Separate Page] Brief look at Chemistry, Microscope and other Science Kits The Gilbert Chemistry Set The Gilbert Atomic Energy Set The Gilbert Microscope Set The Gilbert Electric Eye Set The Gilbert Metal Casting Set The Gilbert Air-Kraft Set The Gilbert Glass Blowing Set The Gilbert Hydraulics Set The Gilbert Signalling Set The Gilbert Magnetism Set The Gilbert Machine Gun The Gilbert Optics Set The Gilbert Soldering Set The Gilbert Erector Brik Sets The Gilbert Big Boy Tool Sets The Gilbert Elementary Electricity Set The Gilbert Lighting Set 66 Stunts With an Electric Motor Mysto Magic Sets Dexterity Puzzles Contact me about something Those with a general interest should just keep scrolling down The Decline and Fall of the Gilbert Company When A.C. Gilbert died, his son (A.C. Gilbert, Jr.) tried to pick up the reins. Unfortunately, the insidious influence of Television was beginning to make its presence known. The Boy who read science books did magic tricks was all of a sudden a real nerd. The Gilbert company tried to adapt, but it was too little, too late. The company went down in flames offering (of all things) dolls for Boys. (O.K. they were called "action figures" but a doll is a doll...) The Chemistry of Plating and Paints Set This is a relatively new set from the 1960s period when the Gilbert Company finally recognized the existence of Girls. The Chemistry of Plating and Paints Set Girls are pictured -- and they are actually participating! Click to Enlarge This is an unusual kit -- I am not really sure that there are enough materials to actually plate a baby shoe -- the tank does not look big enough. Gilbert often went overboard with advertising, as we have seen with some of the early ads (above). Details of the Plating and Paint Set The Mysterious X-B-L Ray Gun has us stumped... Click to Enlarge We had the following letter from a reader: "... The information is stamped on both sides of the white handle of the X-B-L Ray Gun is as follows: X-B-L RAY GUN A.C.Gilbert Co New Haven, Conn USA CAT.NO.BLI 120 VOLTS .25 WATTS USE CAT.NO.AR3 LAMP ONLY What type of bulb is this? ..." Our reader eventually solved the problem for himself and found that GE actually makes an "AR3" bulb. Now, our question is: "What kind of mysterious rays are emitted by a quarter watt bulb! The Pottery Set By the 1970s, Gilbert had been bitten by the "safety" bug and offered this fairly innocuous "pottery set" in 1972. It did not involve firing of the clay, so it really is a challenge to kids to make mud pies. It did not sell well. The Safe and Boring Pottery Set Click to Enlarge The Slot Car Set The Slot Car Set Click to Enlarge Toward the end of the Gilbert Company's life, a slot car racing set was offered. The system was derived from experience with American Flyer trains. Here are some representative models. The Slot Car Components Outer Cardboard Shipping Box (left) Transformer (middle) Track (right) Car and controller Click to Enlarge Here are some closeups of the cars. Representative Gilbert Slot Cars Click to Enlarge Gilbert sold a variety of after-market accessories. This is a paper cutout kit that made a grandstand for the raceway. The box was part of the construction. The Grandstand Kit Lap Counter and Lap Timer The Slot Car Set Click to Enlarge The next two accessories show that the Gilbert Company had not completely lost its respect for the Boy's intelligence. The word chicane is an obscure part of road racing jargon -- it refers to any "diversion" that is used to control the flow of traffic so that the race includes handling as well as pure speed. A series of "S-Curves" might be used. Here are more examples. The word simply means "diversion" in French and has the same root as "chicanery" that refers to a diversion of attention as part of an illusion. Certainly, Mattel's competing Hot Wheels never thought that the Boy could understand or appreciate such language in advertising. The Chicanes Click to Enlarge Sadly, the slot car set suffered from quality control problems and many were returned, hastening the demise of the Gilbert Company. Moon McDare Action Figure Set Moon McDare Action Figure Dolls for Boys!!! Click to Enlarge In 1966, the rapidly failing Gilbert Company tried to get into the Action Figure basis -- ending the business on the ironic note of making dolls for Boys to dress (see jumpsuit below) and play with. Moon McDare was an all-American astronaut, 11.5" tall and fully jointed for every natural body motion. The original McDare doll came in a jump suit and boots, but a wide variety of accessories were available, everything needed for space walking and moon exploring: complete, authentic space suit and helmet, oxygen tanks, communications set and many other accessories that really work! His faithful dog, The Space Mutt, came with his own space suit and equipment. The Jumpsuit and Moon McDare Accessory Sets (left) #16286 (middle) #16283 (right) # 16285 Click to Enlarge Here is Moon McDare's intrepid companion, the Space Mutt, who came complete with his own Space Suit Helmet and Oxygen Tanks. He was jointed and sits and stands like a real dog. The Space Mutt His Bubble Helmet is VERY hard to find... Click to Enlarge Here are close-ups of some of the individual accessories. Closeup of Accessories (l. to r.) Power pack, Geiger Counter, Communicator, Spacemutt's Oxygen Click to Enlarge As shown above, accessory Sets were packaged in shrink-wrap containers and included the following: #16281 Moon McDare Space Suit Outfit Complete Suit Helmet (3 piece) Boots (pair) Gloves (pair) Suit Air Conditioner Action Space Gun that shoots harmless space projectiles #16282 Moon McDare's Space Mutt Set #16283 Moon McDare Moon Explorer Set Oxygen Tanks/Power Pack (requires 2 "AA" pen cell type batteries, not included) Operating Blinker Light Attachment that Plugs into Power Pack Space Ray Gun which also plugs in Retractable Umbilical Cord and Pack Communications Set with Working Compass Geiger counter that ticks realistically Movie Camera #16284 Moon McDare Action Communication Set Oxygen Tanks/Power Pack Operating Blinker Light Space Camera #16285 Moon McDare Space Gun Set Spring Action Space Gun with spears and Ticking Geiger Counter #16286 Moon McDare Space Accessory Pack Working Binoculars Retractable Umbilical Cord and Pack Communication Set with Real Compass Moon McDare was marketed by all the major toy stores and also in department store catalogs like Sears, JCPenney, Montgomery Wards, and Spiegel in their Christmas Catalogs. Usually McDare accompanied other figures produced by Gilbert, including James Bond figures, Honey West and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. characters Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo. The weapons and accessories offered for Moon McDare were similar to G.I. Joe accessories but of slightly lesser quality. James Bond Action Figure James Bond Action Figure Represents Sean Connery in Thunderball Click to Enlarge The James bond fad of the 1960s produced a wide variety of toys and action figures related to the genre. This one has an "action arm" that raises to discharge a "real cap-firing pistol." The Boy could also dress the doll in a scuba set, somewhat apropos since about half of Thunderball was filmed underwater. There isn't a whole lot of imagination here. The Oddjob Action Figure Posable Action Figure and Hand Puppet Click to Enlarge Perhaps the most memorable villain (of many) in the Bond films was Goldfinger's driver/henchman "Oddjob" -- a Korean martial arts expert with a bizarre steel-rimmed hat that could be thrown like a frisbee with lethal results. (He decapitates a statue in one scene...) Director Guy Hamilton cast Harold Sakata, an Olympic silver medalist weight lifter, as Oddjob after seeing him on a wrestling program. Hamilton called Sakata an "absolutely charming man", and found that "he had a very unique way of moving, soin creating Oddjob I used all of Harold's own characteristics". Sakata was badly burned when filming his death scene at the end of the film. The "Spy Camera The Aston-Martin DB-5 with an ejectable passenger... Click to Enlarge The Gilbert company was able to supply all sort of accessories (Made-in-Japan) for the James Bond doll. Here is the kind of 1960s-Tech wristwatch that might have been supplied by Q-Branch and the famous Aston-Martin DB-5 from Goldfinger. Re-Enact the DB-7 Chase - Without the Tire Cutters "M", "Domino",Goldfinger's Laser Table and Bond's disguise kit as separates You could also buy little tableaux right: "I don't expect you to talk, Mr. Bond - *I expect you to die" More Bond Equipment The "Cap Firing Tommy Gun" and a couple of Grenades Props from Thunderball and Goldfinger The figurines are O Scale Accessories for the slot car set Click to Enlarge Speaking of that Aston-Martin, the Gilbert folks adapted their slot car set (above) to represent the famous chase scene from Goldfinger. Unfortunately the tire cutters that extended from the hubcaps proved to be a major flaw. The note above tells the poor kid that they have been removed. (No Bond Slot Car Set is complete without this note...) "O" Scale Figurines Store Display Collect all three sets... Click to Enlarge In addition to the cars, a variety of O-scale figurines were available (sold in bubble packages from racks like those above) representing the various characters in the film. Also, accessories including Bond's famous attache case, Goldfinger's "transformer" pool table and "M"'s armored desk top along with many others were also sold. Honey West Action Figure* Honey West Action Figure Note the high heels... Click to Enlarge Honey West, a slinky, glamorous female private eye, was something new to television. In an era when actresses were confined to sedate housewife and girlfriend roles, this series marked a unique and original departure. This was the first dramatic TV series in the U.S. with a female star in an action-adventure role traditionally played by a male actor. In addition to being television's first modern, independent, self-sufficient woman, Honey frequently engaged in energetic fight scenes and shootouts. It was unprecedented to see a beautiful, curvacious woman in a catsuit beating up male attackers with a high-kick, judo-flip, or well-placed karate chop. In keeping with the secret agent trend of the '60s, Honey was outfitted with a number of James Bond-type gimmicks: an exploding compact, a garter-belt gas mask, and tear-gas earrings. Her partner and man-Friday "Sam" (John Ericson) usually stayed in the background or sat in their high-tech surveillance van talking to Honey via a radio hidden in her lipstick case. Their relationship was kept platonic, and Honey usually had to rescue him instead of the other way around. U.N.C.L.E. Action Figures The Man From U.N.C.L.E Action Figure Ilya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo David McCallum a little older on NCIS Click to Enlarge The series centered on a two-man troubleshooting team working for a world-wide confederation of spy organizations called "U.N.C.L.E", The United Network Command for Law Enforcement. American Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn), and Russian Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum). Leo G. Carroll played Alexander Waverly, the British head of the organization (Number One of Section One). The series, though fictional, achieved such notability as to have artifacts (props, costumes and documents, and a video clip) from the show included in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's exhibit on spies and counterspies. Similar exhibits can be found in the museums of the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies and organizations involved with intelligence gathering. U.N.C.L.E.'s archenemy was a vast organization known as THRUSH (originally named WASP in the series pilot movie). The original series never explained what the acronym THRUSH stood for, THRUSH's aim was to conquer the world. Napoleon Solo said, "THRUSH believes in the two-party system: the masters and the slaves." So dangerous was the threat from THRUSH that governments, even those most ideologically opposed such as the United States and the USSR, cooperated in the formation and operation of U.N.C.L.E. Rifles, The Cap-Firing Gun, Miscellaneous Spy Equipment Click to Enlarge No wonder the Gilbert company folded... Martian Magic Set The Martian Magic Set Ray Walson as "Uncle Martin" Click to Enlarge The Gilbert Company never stopped producing magic sets. This set repackaged the old Mysto illusions for the Space Age, building on the popularity of the TV show My Favorite Martian. starring Ray Walston and Bill Bixby. Model Airplanes The very last gasp of the Gilbert Company was in the area of gasoline powered Model Airplanes, possibly because some bright young man at an advertising agency thought of a tie-in to the company's American Flyer trains. In fact, the 1962 catalogue begins with Airplanes, relgating Erector sets and Trains to dead last. A.C. Gilbert Model Airplanes They even made the Plane-Away Catapult Effinger Catapult Patent No. 2,860,620 Click to Enlarge There was some reasonable hope that this strategy would succed, since the company had retained William L Effinger Jr., founder and President of the legendary Berkeley Models. Like A.C. Gilbert, Effinger turned his lifelong passion into a successful business. He was born May 29, 1917, in the Bronx. As a boy, he frequented the Curtiss factory in Garden City and the Army Air Corps training fields (Roosevelt, Curtiss and Mitchell.) As such, he became intimately familiar with the details of airplane construction and became well-known as a model-builder. He founded Berkeley Models (located on Berkeley Place in Brooklyn) in the middle of the Depression. William Effinger, Jr and his alter ego Bill Berkeley Click to Enlarge The first Berkeley kit (The Buhl "Pup") was produced in 1934 and was an instant hit. In the 1950s, Berkely became famous for the "Zilch" a landmark control-line stunt/combat model. The Buhl "Pup" and "Zilch" Effinger patent for the Zilch, No 2,523,902 Click to Enlarge During WWII, Bill served in the South Pacific and even created a radio-controlled SBD for "hazardous missions" After World War II Berkeley produced new scale and Control Line kits. In the 1930s and 1940s Berkeley cement (lightweight high strength glue) was a popular item. Silkspan, the covering paper that is still widely used today, was introduced by Berkeley in the late 1930s. Experiments with Jet Power Effinger Jet-rocket patent No.2,771,212 Click to Enlarge In the late 1940s and mid 1950s, jet power was all the rage in the model world. A small British company produced the Jetex reusable "jet engine" -- it was really a small low-power solid-fuel rocket. Many modelers wanted to step up into the world of jet power and for a time, Jetex was the standard, although there were problems with reliability and standardization. It appears that Mr. Effinger both designed models to use Jetex and also invented an improvement on that system. In the mid-1950s Bill sold the assets of Berkeley. In 1959, he returned to New York and became a project engineer for A.C. Gilbert Company. He developed the "American Flyer" line of ready-to-fly plastic models. The Gilbert "Thunderhead" Model Airplane Engine Click to Enlarge The AC Gilbert American Flyer .11 "Thunderhead" model airplane engine was was the work of famed model designers Bob Holland and Hi Johnson. It was manufactured in the early 60's for the AC Gilbert company, This is a very good model airplane engine and is fairly easy to find as a large number of engines were left unsold in the Gilbert warehouse and passed around the chain of businesses who speculate in these items. As you can see below, Mr. Effinger held some of the key patents for the "Thunderhead." Effinger Patent for the "Thunderhead" Engine No. 3,064,309 Click to Enlarge The only trouble is that if they sit long, the lubricant used in their manufacture will get hard. A considerable amount of time and energy are required to recondition a "Thunderhead". If you are buying one, make sure that the seller shows you that it is not just an inert piece of sculpture. The photo shows the original unsealed Gilbert hanging card with instructions on back, the .11 engine itself, an original Gilbert fuel tank and hose, extra glowhead, universal glowhead wrench, mufflers and screws (one short and one long as originally supplied by Gilbert to allow engine offset for control line operation), a spool of original control line thread, mounting screws, and one of the original Gilbert 7-3 pitch propellors. These propellors may have degenerated to the point that it is not a good idea to use one at 4,500 rpm, as it is likely to throw off "shrapnel". The "Wing Thing" and Breakthrough Flexible Wing Patents George Wanner flexible wing kite patent No 2,537,560 Francis Rogallo felexible kite patent No. 2,546,078 Effinger Flexible Wing Model Patent No.3,153,877 Click to Enlarge While at Gilbert, Effinger collaborated with Henry Struck joined to develop the first ready-to-fly gas powered Flex-Wing airplane model. The patent rights for the Wanner Wing (also known as the NASA Rogallo Wing) were purchased by Gilbert and 200,000 Wing-Thing kits were produced using this concept. All modern parachutes and hang gliders stem from these patents. Bill Effinger shared a lot of joy and drive with A. C. Gilbert and created very high quality airplanes that are still desirable today. Unfortunately, the rest of the Gilbert company was rapidly being devoured by coroprate shenannigans. The Model Airplanes were the last high quality innovative product to emerge from the Gilbert company but it was too little too late. Gilbert Watches Gilbert also made a number of theme inspired watches. First, we'll look at the "Bronco" watch in its original packaging. The Gilbert Bronco Watch Click to Enlarge Next is the James Bond Spy Watch, the perfect complement to the James Bond Action Figures shown above. The watch was made in the 1960s as a toy, although it, like the "Bronco" is a relatively high quality timepiece. In some sources, you will read that this has a "Swiss Movement" (back in the 1960s that meant something). A close inspection of the watch reveals that only the "case" was made in Switzerland. The Gilbert James Bond Spy Watch Not exactly a concealed weapon... Click to Enlarge The watch (alone) is 60mm in diameter, and it is in a rectangular case that is approximately 125 mm by 75 mm, something that would be hard to conceal; if you are reading this in 2050, the thing was about the size of the old "iPhone", but was strapped to a kid's wrist. It had two "sighting lenses" that can be pulled out of the the large plate-case (they don't appear to have any use beyond that...) It has a very unusual display. There is no hour hand -- according to the literature, there is and "easy to read jump hour" (i.e. "digital") display for hours, but analogue hands for seconds and minutes. There is an adjustable bezel that can be used to show the time in other spy-related cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, Rekyavik, the Azores, Tokyo and Bermuda. It should have the original red, white and blue striped nylon strap, supposedly the official colors of NATO. (often you see these with plain black straps.) These are offered in the online auctions with some regularity and generally sell for around $600 in 2010 dollars; perfect new-old-stock versions with box, guarantee, etc, etc, can sell for $900 or more. Here is another theme watch made by the Gilbert Company, this time building upon the popularity of the Batman television show featuring Adam West (before he became the Mayor of Quahog, R.I.) The Gilbert Batman Watch Just tells the time... Click to Enlarge This watch does not appear to have any secret features. The hour and minute hands are bat-wings. The watch is antimagnetic, just in case you get caught in one of the Joker's force fields. Since Batman only stays in Gotham City, there is no international time functionality. Here is another watch based on the popular G.I. Joe action figures. Like the Bond watch, it is just a little big to bring into combat. But, the large Eagle would definitely appeal to patriotic boys. The Gilbert G.I. Joe Watch Everything the hero needs in battle... Click to Enlarge FREE DOWNLOADS INSTRUCTIONS Click on a hyperlink from the list below. The items are XLS, PDF or JPG files; some are quite large, so please consider file size before downloading. Occasionally, files held on the server may be corrupted-- if you find that this is the case with your download, please contact me and I'll send you the correct file. Gilbert Toy Catalogues The 1958 Catalogue The 1948 Catalogue featuring Superman! Science leads the Way Advertising Comic Book Science Leads the Way, Part One Science Leads the Way, Part Two Adventures in Science Advertising Comic Book (Whole File), Easy-to-download parts below Adventures in Science Advertising Comic Book Part One Adventures in Science Advertising Comic Book Part Two Adventures in Science Advertising Comic Book Part Three Erector Set Downloads Template for the 4 1/2 Set (193 KB) Template for the 6 1/2 Set (187 KB) Template for the 12 1/2 Lower Box (Left Half) (289 KB) Template for the 12 1/2 Lower Box (Right Half) (354 KB) Template for the 12 1/2 Top Shelf (Left Half) (122 KB) Template for the 12 1/2 Top Shelf (Right Half) (97 KB) Template for the Tread Box and MX Box (128 KB) Part OF - Two Carousel Horses (896 KB) Part NU - Front and Back for 4 Parajumpers(667 KB) Eight Parts Can Labels (619 KB) Covering for the Constructioneer Parts Box (277 KB) Part AJ - The Erector Flag (64 KB) Kneeling Boy Outer Box Label (249 KB) Handy Tags for Your Sets (249 KB) The No. 7 1/2 "White Truck" Manual Part One (2.4 MB) Part Two (3.0 MB) Part Three (3.1 MB) (Includes Price List for 1928) The No. 8 1/2 Hudson Locomotive and Tender Manual Hudson Manual Part One Hudson Manual Part Two The Skyscraper Panels Part NA (Front) Part NA (Back ) Part NB (Front) Part NB (Back ) Part NC (Front) Part NC (Back ) Part ND (Front) Part ND (Back ) Part NE (Front) Part NF (Back ) Part NG (Roof) Download the Manual for the Skyscraper Panels Chemistry Set Items Box Label for the Chemistry Set (204 KB) Test Tube Labels for Chemistry Set (272 KB) Blank Chemistry Set Test Tube Label (15 KB) Blank Chemistry Set Envelope Label (71 KB) Gilbert Chemistry Manual for Kit No. 1 (1,440 KB) Complete Chemistry Manual (199 pp) Click here to download the Cover and Title Page Click here to download the Table of Contents (16 pages!) Click here to download Pages 24-41 Click here to download Pages 42 - 61 Click here to download Pages 62 -79 Click here to download Pages 80-97 Click here to download Pages 98-117 Click here to download Pages 118-135 Click here to download Pages 136-153 Click here to download Pages 154-171 Click here to download Pages 172-190 Click here to download Pages 191-199 Gilbert Chemical magic Click here to download Part One Click here to download Part Two Click here to download Part Three Click here to download Part Four Legacy Chemicals Brochure: a list of the 56 original (1936) Gilbert chemicals and their contemporary (2010) equivalent names. Chemcraft (not Gilbert) Manuals Porter ChemCraft Manual (c. 1955) Ideal-ViewMaster ChemCraft 400 Manual (c. 1987) Microscope Set Items Box label for Microscope Set (1684 KB) Test Tube Labels for Microscope Set (434 KB) Blank Microscope Set Test Tube Label (25 KB) Gilbert Microscope Manual Manual for the Microscope Set (pp 1-19) (2,670 KB) Manual for the Microscope Set (pp 20-37) (2,870 KB) Manual for the Microscope Set (pp 38-57) (3,803 KB) Manual for the Microscope Set (pp 58-77) (3,820 KB) Manual for the Microscope Set (pp 78-97) (3,112 KB) Manual for the Microscope Set (pp 98- 109) (1,570 KB) Dagwood Splits the Atom Click here to download pages 1-11 of this comic book (3.2MB) Click here to download pages 12-23 of this comic book (2.2 MB) Click here to download pages 24-36 of this comic book (2.5 MB) Manual for the Atomic Energy Set Atomic Energy Manual Part One Atomic Energy Manual Part Two Atomic Energy Manual Part Three Click Here to download the Manual for Making Molecule Models Click Here to download a compendium of Science and Construction kit ads from the 1930s December 1936 Issue of Gilbert Thrills Part One (1.8 MB) Part Two (1.2 MB) Part Three (1.4 MB) Part One (1.1 MB) Part Five (1.8 MB) Gilbert Boy Engineering (128 pp) Part One pp 1-13 (1.9 MB) Part Two pp 14 - 33 (1.2 MB) Part Three pp 34 - 49 (1.0 MB) Part Four pp 50 - 65 (1.7 MB) Part Five pp 66 - 81 (2.1 MB) Part Six pp 82 - 97 (1.9 MB) Part Seven pp 98 - 113 (1.8 MB) Part eight pp 114 - 128 (2.2 MB) Gilbert Sound Experiments Click here to download Part 1 Click here to download Part 2 Click here to download Part 3 Click here to download Part 4 Click here to download Part 5 Click here to download Part 6 The Gilbert Weather Bureau (Boy Engineering Series) Part One (2.6 MB) Part Two (3.2 MB) Part Three (1.7 MB) Part Four (2.1 MB) Part Five (2.0 MB) Electric Eye Set Box Label for the Electric Eye Set (204 KB) Instruction Manual for the Electric Eye Set (3,104 KB) Gilbert Mineralogy Handbook Click here to download Part One of the Mineralogy Book Click here to download Part Two of the Mineralogy Book Fun With Electricity Fun With Electricity (pp 1-19) (3,002 KB) Fun With Electricity (pp 20- 33) (2028 KB) The Glass Blowing Manual Glass Blowing Manual Pages 1-10 Glass Blowing Manual Pages 11-20 Glass Blowing Manual Pages 21-30 Glass Blowing Manual Pages 31-40 Glass Blowing Manual Pages 41-50 Glass Blowing Manual Pages 51-60 Glass Blowing Manual Pages 61-64 Gilbert Hydraulics Volume from the "Boy Engineering" Series Gilbert Hydraulics Book Part 1 Gilbert Hydraulics Book Part 2 Gilbert Hydraulics Book Part 3 Gilbert Hydraulics Book Part 4 Gilbert Hydraulics Book Part 5 Gilbert Signal Engineering NOTE: This is 144 pages long DO NOT "OPEN" THE FILE -- Save it to your hard drive and read it without eating up bandwidth! Gilbert "Magnetic Fun and Facts" Click Here for Part One (pp 1- 13) Click Here for Part Two (pp 14- 29) Click Here for Part Three (pp 30- 45) Click Here for Part Four (pp 46- 61) Click Here for Part Five (pp 62 - 77) Click Here for Part Six (pp 78-94) Click Here for Part Seven (pp 94- 106) Gilbert "Boy Carpentry" Part One: Introduction, Types of Wood (pp 1-13) Part Two:Finishes, Chisels, Saws, Planes (pp 14-27) Part Three: Drills, Hammers, Fasteners, Joinery (pp 28-41) Part Four: Plans: Doll Bed, Bird House, Trellis, Automobile Cart, Checker Table, Foot Bench (pp 42-55) Part Five:Plans: Camp Stool, Magazine Rack, scooter, wheelbarrow (pp 56-69) Part Six:Marking Gauge, Armchair, Animal Trap, Workbench (pp 70-83) Part Seven:End Notes and Ads (pp 84-End) Mysto Magic Instruction Book Party Puzzles Instruction Book (1MB) The Handkerchief Tricks book Handkerchief Book Section One Handkerchief Book Section Two Handkerchief Book Section Three Handkerchief Book Section Four The Knots and Splices book Knots and Splices Book Section One Knots and Splices Book Section Two Knots and Splices Book Section Three Knots and Splices Book Section Four The Coin Tricks book Coin Tricks Book Section One Coin Tricks Book Section Two Coin Tricks Book Section Three Coin Tricks Book Section Four Tin Can Toys - by Edward Thatcher This book is also available from Google Books and we are providing it free of charge Click here to download the whole 7.1 MB file PLEASE -- save it on your computer and don't try to open it from the website (conserve bandwidth!) Nov 18, 1946 LIFE Magazine Article about A.C. Gilbert (pp 20- 33) (893 KB) Nov 14, 2002 Washington Post review of a Gilbert Biography (207 KB) Click on a Box to Go There Join Us on Facebook Counter for JUST THIS PAGE website counter Counter for the Entire Site (not just this page..) website counter

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