This book describes the many varied materials used by model engineers in their workshops such as iron and steel, non-ferrous metals including aluminium, brass and copper, hard and soft woods and a number of engineering and other plastics. It also contains details about abrasives, adhesives, bearing materials, ceramics and refractory materials, coatings, electroplating solutions, fuels, gases, lubricants, pickles, polishing materials, sealants and solders. It provides an easy reference for those seeking the right material for the task or an item specified on plan. Packed full of useful information, the book is aimed at those who build model locomotives, traction, boat and stationary steam engines, oil, diesel, glow and petrol engines, gas turbines, artillery pieces, farming appliances, carriages and other road vehicles as well as those who make clocks and workshop tools. It is also directed at those working with full-size machinery, such as vintage cars, motor and pedal cycles, traction engines and railway locomotives.

A concise and informative introduction to airbrushing methods for modellers, which contains a number of useful, graded projects which enable the beginner to develop airbrushing skills. There are chapters that cover techniques for use with both scale and non-scale models and even full size custom cars. The book contains a great deal of information on types of airbrushes, sprayguns and their maintenance, plus useful discussions dealing with the different types of compressors used in airbrushing, how to choose or build a compressor and their safe use. Safety is always paramount with the author, with a chapter dedicated to health and safety considerations covering the use of a compressor, types of paint and dope, masks and respirators. He also explains the different materials that can be used in airbrushes and their application. This is a useful resource for a beginner to the art and techniques of airbrushing, providing a complete overview of the subject.

The major difference between free-flight and radio-controlled scale models is that all the adjustments to the flight path of the former must be made before release. Free flight models must be capable of stable flight, whether under power or on the glide, without the need or the opportunity to carry out in-flight alterations. This is a challenge most surely met by lightly loaded, slow-flying models based on full size machines having those characteristics, best typified by early bi-planes.

In this revised edition of the Period Ship Handbook, the best of the original has been retained: a well-illustrated guide to the construction of static model sailing ships and the offer to the beginner of all the information needed to get started in this fascinating hobby. It also continues to introduce the more experienced model-maker to alternative techniques, well tried over many years of model shipbuilding. Significant additions have been made to the original text as a result of a further twelve years of model-making experience and developments within the kit producing trade and the availability of new subjects. Following chapters on kit selection, tools and material, the emphasis of the book moves to the practical application of the model-making procedures involved in producing high quality models. The new models selected to demonstrate these techniques range form the relatively simple to the very complex but all are constructed from kits currently available, without the facility of a sophisticated workshop. Whether you are a beginner or an old hand, whether you fancy the graceful lines of a 'J' Class yacht or the intricate detail and historical accuracy of HMS Victory, there is something here for you.

In this step-by-step guide, you ll learn how to build 40 miniature models of race cars, airplanes, ships, trains, and more. These fun, compact designs will inspire you to get creative with as few as nine LEGO (R) pieces. Imagine what you can build with just a handful of LEGO bricks almost anything! In Tiny LEGO Wonders, you'll create miniscale models of real vehicles ?like: A ?space shuttle ?Jets, planes?, and helicopters Flatbed trucks and cement mixers France s high-speed TGV train F1 racecars Muscle cars Cargo, cruise, wooden ships, and more!? Let your creativity run wild!

The perfect stocking filler for jam-makers this Christmas. Why settle for the same old jams when you could try something deliciously different? Jams With a Twist will take your jam making to a whole new level. Liven things up with alcohol, essences, cordials, syrups, teas, spices, nuts, nibs and kernels. Go foraging for exciting new ingredients. Create double- and triple-layered jams. Float fruit, flowers and herbs in your jellies. Or treat yourself to classic jammy desserts made in jars! Whether you are new to jam making or an old hand, these delicious recipes will inspire you to mix things up and try something new.

The techniques of depositing a thin metallic layer on an object for decoration, corrosion protection, electrical conductivity, wear resistance and so on have been known for many years but have been developed and improved to a remarkable extent in the second half of this century. This book sets out to discuss the principles and practice of those forms of plating most suited to the amateur and small workshop, using relatively simple and inexpensive equipment to produce results virtually undetectable from work carried out by major plating concerns. Jack Poyner, a professional involved in all forms of plating for many years, is also a keen model engineer able to recognise the dividing line between what his average fellow enthusiast would consider practical and worthwhile and what is really better left to experts in the field. The result is a really useful and practical book, which will be of value to both amateur and light industrial users in many diverse fields.

Prepare to shop for gemstones and jewellery on your next holiday Going on holiday and fancy buying a piece of jewellery? Are you planning on making a romantic gesture, but your lack of knowledge makes you uneasy about parting with your hard-earned cash? What should you look out for? How do you know it's real? How do you bring it home safely? This handy little guide answers these questions and many more. It's an easy read without any gem jargon, and is packed with useful tips and priceless information that could save you a fortune! Whether you are shopping for an engagement ring or special anniversary gift, or perhaps for a souvenir of your trip, Buying Gemstones and Jewellery Worldwide will guide you through the experience. An integral part of the `Gemstone Detective' series, this unique book provides the essential knowledge you need to buy with confidence. Written by Kim Rix, a gemmologist (GIA) and professional photographer who has travelled to over fifty countries in her lifetime.

In this follow-up to the successful Complete Car Modeller 1, Gerald Wingrove takes the aspiring modeller to the next level by describing in detail the process and skills involved in the construction of his world-famous 1/15 scale models. His example subject throughout the book is the fabulous Weinberger Bugatti Royale. The author describes the ideal workshop, the tools for the job and gives an explanation of the best method of acquiring the necessary information on the chosen subject. Materials and skills are detailed, and descriptions of the chief processes by which he interprets 'in the metal' each component of the car and how he painstakingly assembles a true representation of each main sub-assembly. Thus the re-creation of the Royale, including all engine and chassis detail, is revealed step-by-step. Includes full plans for the Bugatti Royale not previously published.

The mBot robotics platform is a hugely popular kit because of the quality of components and price. With hundreds of thousands of these kits out there in homes, schools and makerspaces, there is much untapped potential. Getting Started with mBots is for non-technical parents, kids and teachers who want to start with a robust robotics platform and then take it to the next level. The heart of the mBot, the mCore is a powerful Arduino based microcontroller that can do many things without soldering or breadboarding.

Begin your lifelong love affair with the mindful art of bonsai. Do you know your shari from your nebari? Can you tell literati styling from informal upright? Want to know how to create that gnarled and twisted look? Let Happy Bonsai guide you along the path to enlightenment, with care and display profiles for 40 top trees and fully illustrated step-by-steps of more than 20 bonsai techniques and styles. Find your perfect tree and discover how to prune, shape, and tend to its needs to create a beautiful living sculpture. Fall in love with this most meditative of garden crafts.

A gorgeous new book of whimsical creatures to color First she changed the way we looked at fairies, then mermaids, and now illustrator Denyse Klette turns her talented eye (and pen) to gnomes with a brand-new book of 62 gloriously detailed illustrations to color. Gnomes in the garden, celebrating the changing seasons, and exploring their whimsical world light up the pages of this spectacular coloring book.

An accessible, inclusive guide aimed at helping young fans get in touch with their geeky side by offering advice and creative ways to get involved, celebrate, and interact with their favorite fandoms! Being a fan is a big deal. Whether it's comics, video games, podcasts, cosplay, books, films, or something else, there are so many ways to share and celebrate with the things that you love. So, as the pop culture audience and all the geeky spaces grow to include more families and younger fans, it's high time for a guide to help young fans navigate the world of fandom and its many flourishing communities. With practical information and insight from a diverse and inclusive group of creators from across pop culture and specializing in a wide variety of mediums, Kid's Guide to Fandom is the perfect geeky primer for young fans. Organized by type of fandom medium, each chapter offers a brief introduction about each medium as well as plenty of easy to digest information on how to: * Creating Fan Fic & Art * Creating a Cosplay * Starting a Podcast * Designing and Creating Games (video games, tabletop, and other role playing games) * Find and Create supportive Communities * Learn about different types and popular conventions to attend With eye-catching two-color illustrations throughout, playful sidebars, inspiring advice, fandom glossary, and interactive elements like quizzes and character sheets, Kid's Guide to Fandom is the perfect guide to help young fans navigate and contribute to the amazing space that is fandom.

In recent years, cultural commentators have sounded the alarm about the dire state of reading in America. Americans are not reading enough, they say, or reading the right books, in the right way.
In this book, Alan Jacobs argues that, contrary to the doomsayers, reading is alive and well in America. There are millions of devoted readers supporting hundreds of enormous bookstores and online booksellers. Oprah's Book Club is hugely influential, and a recent NEA survey reveals an actual uptick in the reading of literary fiction. Jacobs's interactions with his students and the readers of his own books, however, suggest that many readers lack confidence; they wonder whether they are reading well, with proper focus and attentiveness, with due discretion and discernment. Many have absorbed the puritanical message that reading is, first and foremost, good for you--the intellectual equivalent of eating your Brussels sprouts. For such people, indeed for all readers, Jacobs offers some simple, powerful, and much needed advice: read at whim, read what gives you delight, and do so without shame, whether it be Stephen King or the King James Version of the Bible. In contrast to the more methodical approach of Mortimer Adler's classic How to Read a Book (1940), Jacobs offers an insightful, accessible, and playfully irreverent guide for aspiring readers. Each chapter focuses on one aspect of approaching literary fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, and the book explores everything from the invention of silent reading, reading responsively, rereading, and reading on electronic devices.
Invitingly written, with equal measures of wit and erudition, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction will appeal to all readers, whether they be novices looking for direction or old hands seeking to recapture the pleasures of reading they first experienced as children.

Paul Farrell's stackable cards are fun for all the family Build a skyscraper using the beautifully-designed cards, with only your imagination to limit you. Each pack contains 64 cards (105 x 69 mm) in a variety of graphic designs. Clever paper engineering allows you to slot the cards together, building up and out in whichever way you like! Also included is a short booklet, with descriptions of the key elements of a skyscraper and suggestions of how to build your masterpiece. You can go traditional or get abstract and construct your own crazy high-rise! Renowned illustrator Paul Farrell has designed these cards in a cool, graphic style - turning the image of a skyscraper into a work of art. Fun, educational, creative and mindful. The sky's the limit!

This is a practical guide to getting the best from the many resin and etch detailing kits available to enhance scale model aircraft, and is intended to help beginners and experienced model makers alike. Richly illustrated, it uses six model-building examples, from the very basic application of etch to the major conversions. It includes an overview of the tools required; guidance on building the basic model kit; an explanation of different types of multimedia; the methods for producing etched brass; how to undertake 3D design and 3D printing and, finally, gives the steps for successful resin casting.

Create a dynamic space for designing and building DIY electronic hardware, programming, and manufacturing projects. With this illustrated guide, you'll learn the benefits of having a Makerspace--a shared space with a set of shared tools--that attracts fellow makers and gives you more resources to work with. You'll find clear explanations of the tools, software, materials, and layout you need to get started--everything from basic electronics to rapid prototyping technology and inexpensive 3D printers.

A Makerspace is the perfect solution for many makers today. While you can get a lot done in a fully-decked out shop, you'll always have trouble making space for the next great tool you need. And the one thing you really miss out on in a personal shop is the collaboration with other makers. A Makerspace provides you with the best of both worlds.

Perfect for any maker, educator, or community, this book shows you how to organize your environment to provide a safe and fun workflow, and demonstrates how you can use that space to educate others.

How-tos by the master of realistic fanciful polymer figures!

* More than 400 step-by-step full-color photos and 200 drawings

* Innovative techniques, taught by a master

* Inspiring ideas, practical information

Anyone who has ever marveled over Katherine Dewey's amazing creations has wondered, "How did she "do" that?" In "Creating Lifelike Figures in Polymer Clay," the renowned artist reveals exactly how she makes her incredible human figures and fantasy characters--and how polymer-clay crafters everywhere can do the same. With more than 400 step-by-step photographs in full color plus 200 detailed drawings, Dewey teaches how to sculpt realistic figures in any scale using her simple applique approach. She covers the entire process: selecting clay, making modeling tools, proportioning figures, posing, ethnic and gender subtleties, facial expressions, costumes in clay, and finishing touches. For anyone who loves fantasy, romance, nature--or sophisticated crafting--this book is a must-have.

Sharpening workshop tools is probably the most diverse of all workshop activities and the one that is least understood by the majority of workshop owners. This is not unreasonable in view of the wide range of equipment suggested for the task, ranging from the complex, typically an industrial tool and cutter grinder, through to the humble off hand grinder. This book illustrates how most sharpening tasks can be carried out using an off hand grinder and a few simply made accessories, whilst doing this to a standard comparable to that achieved using much more sophisticated equipment. A lack of understanding of the processes almost certainly results in the workshop owner attempting tasks with far from perfect cutting tools that can diminish the satisfaction of a job well done. With the information in this book this situation can be avoided and working with blunt tooling should be a thing of the past.

Filled with dirigibles and floating cities, penny-farthings and pirate ships, curiosities and robots galore, Steampunk LEGO is an illustrated collection of Victorian-era sci-fi treasures, all built from LEGO. Curated by award-winning LEGO builder and special effects master Guy Himber, this full-color coffee table book showcases an eclectic variety of models designed by dozens of the world s best LEGO artists. Grab your brass goggles and join fictional explorer Sir Herbert Jobson as he travels the world cataloguing its technological wonders for Queen Victoria. His entertaining descriptions of an imaginative alternate history bring these delightful LEGO models to swashbuckling life.

The 'ShipCraft' series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references - books, monographs, large-scale plans and relevant websites. The subject of this volume is the Second World War German Navy's motor torpedo boats called Schnellboote, known to the Allies as E-Boats. One of the most effective coastal attack craft of the time, the type was built in large numbers and constantly improved as the war progressed, giving many variants to interest modellers. With its unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - it is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous boats.

Following the publication of his first book (in 1981) dealing with these fascinating small-scale standing steam engines, the author Tubal Cain has designed and built several more - both as presents for the younger generation of his family and also entirely for his own satisfaction. These are now described in this second volume: Kitten - a small overtype engine. Otto - a simple steam turbine. Henry - a powerful 19th century oscillating steam plant. Wencelas - a steam engine of the most superior design. The scale model working steam engines range from a delightful little turbine - simplicity itself in design, but very interesting to build - to a larger engine in the style of the magnificent 'Steam Engines of the Highest Class' which were offered by the better class of toymakers before the First World War. As in the first book, the methods of construction are fully and clearly detailed, all being written with the beginner in mind. These steam engines have an enduring fascination for all marine and model engineers, as proved by the Model Engineer Exhibition which still attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.