in your opinon, what is the youngest age for someone to use a mamod or similar steam toy?

[HenryBanjo]

Hello,
I am thinking of building a toy steam traction engine, similar to a mamod for my nephew for one of his birthdays. I'm wondering what you think is the age where a kid could use one of them without (much) risking hurting themselves or damaging the toy.

 

[Mike1]

I had a Mamond stationary engine steam plant, I would be around 8years old at that time, but my dad taught me how to safely use it and look after it.
So I would say if your nephew is keen to own such a model show him how to use it and appreciated it .
Mike.

 

[SmithDoor]

Hello,
I am thinking of building a toy steam traction engine, similar to a mamod for my nephew for one of his birthdays. I'm wondering what you think is the age where a kid could use one of them without (much) risking hurting themselves or damaging the toy.

I think was about 6 or 7 when first started with live toy steam engine .
I had two older brothers and it was toy box

Dave

 

[Richard Carlstedt]

About 9 years old when I got a Weeden Steam engine , and I was thrilled.
My dad knew steam and taught me to respect it.

Rich

 

[HMEL]

Hello,
I am thinking of building a toy steam traction engine, similar to a mamod for my nephew for one of his birthdays. I'm wondering what you think is the age where a kid could use one of them without (much) risking hurting themselves or damaging the toy.

Its my opinion that you can not go by age. You have to know the child make an assessment of
his maturity and intelligence. That does not mean that the child will not mature it just means some learn faster and can take responsibility earlier. So you are the only judge. And you also have to consider if he has a brother cause the model will be shared or will expect one of his own. It is one of those Solomon wise man questions.

 

[Charles Lamont]

The parents may object to oil spots etc. OTOH good uncles and grandparents should be subversive.

 

[BIGTREV]

I can't remember exactly, when I first had my Mamond steam roller, but it was before I was 11, and still in primary school, I still have it on display in the living room..

 

[Apprentice707]

I think I was 8 or 9 when my dad showed me how to fire up and use a Mamod steam engine. The advice given by HMEL seems to be more appropriate than specifying an age. You are a good Uncle HenryBanjo.

 

[ajoeiam]

Hello,
I am thinking of building a toy steam traction engine, similar to a mamod for my nephew for one of his birthdays. I'm wondering what you think is the age where a kid could use one of them without (much) risking hurting themselves or damaging the toy.

Hmmmmmm - - - if they are quite interested in the toy - - - and up to it as it were - - - - well then being totally subversive - - - introduce them to the joys of machining and fabricating.
IMO more children need to be introduced to the trades (and SKILLS) - - - even a (future) politician might find it useful to actually know how to really 'do' something!

 

[ShopShoe]

I think kids need to be more makers than followers. Skills with tools are important, but even more important is the ability to visualize things that can be created with whatever is around. The idea that one can solve one's own problems is there somewhere as well.

As was said above, there is no specific age for a given child to be able to work with a certain thing that others might call dangerous: It depends on the individual and it also depends on the adults and others to be involved and model safe and rational use of things.

As a side note, once the path of makerdom is started one can start giving presents of real tools for birthdays and holidays. (I got screwdrivers and pliers at 4, hacksaw and pocket knife at 5, soldering iron at 10, electric drill at 11, sabre saw at 12, and so on.)

ShopShoe

 

[jschoenly]

I was 6 or 7 when I was given my Jensen 75 and it was all down hill from there....

 

[Bentwings]

About 9 years old when I got a Weeden Steam engine , and I was thrilled.
My dad knew steam and taught me to respect it.I too wa about 9!when I it my fis steam nine. It came either from Montgomery Wards or Sears Roebuck Christmas cataloge. I loved that little engine. It drove my erector set constructions. A lift bridge draw bridge a mini machine shop as I recall it had a light pole like a street light so it ran a small generator too. It had spring belts. You could get kits of these very cheap athe Sears and wards stores. It hah a really shril whistle. I used to tease the baby sitters with it I built an engine house Fitbit out of Lincoln log and the for runner of leggings bricks. They were wood back but functioned the same. I had a Lionel gage locomotive that had a real smoking stack it used smoke pellets . On baby sister nights I woul load it and let it smoke filling the living room . They had no real Oder but hung around for a long time . My mom as not very crazy sbout the din in the living room the house was a big three story place I had the whole attic for my train layout. I had one of the first dual control train transformers . Got my start in drag racing up there I had lots of track sections so we set up parparallel tracks an we raced our engines. The neighbor kids sll came over for test runs. With there locos we had all kinds of contests loads pulling racing You could hear the rumbling on the wood floor all over the house. My mom would come and blink the lights when it was time for bed or just time to calm down.

Rich

 

[HenryBanjo]

Hmmmmmm - - - if they are quite interested in the toy - - - and up to it as it were - - - - well then being totally subversive - - - introduce them to the joys of machining and fabricating.
IMO more children need to be introduced to the trades (and SKILLS) - - - even a (future) politician might find it useful to actually know how to really 'do' something!

Definitely, when he's a bit older. I showed him around the workshop recently but he was too short to reach anything, let alone see what he is doing. He was just able to move the Z-axis on the lathe.

 

[HenryBanjo]

I think kids need to be more makers than followers. Skills with tools are important, but even more important is the ability to visualize things that can be created with whatever is around. The idea that one can solve one's own problems is there somewhere as well.

As was said above, there is no specific age for a given child to be able to work with a certain thing that others might call dangerous: It depends on the individual and it also depends on the adults and others to be involved and model safe and rational use of things.

As a side note, once the path of makerdom is started one can start giving presents of real tools for birthdays and holidays. (I got screwdrivers and pliers at 4, hacksaw and pocket knife at 5, soldering iron at 10, electric drill at 11, sabre saw at 12, and so on.)

ShopShoe

Maybe learn from his uncle and get a lathe for 15th birthday

 

[smiffy218]

I was around 8 or 9 when I had my first Mamod, and soon learnt what "hot" really meant, which did me no harm! In those days (1950's) I used to go down to the local grocery shop with an empty bottle and buy methylated spirit to run it - can you imagine that happening now? My 4 year old grandson now also knows what "hot" means as he accidentally touched one of the steam engines on my garden railway - it didn't do any serious damage, he didn't cry, but now knows to respect warnings which makes it a good learning experience. Let's face it - no-one would ever learn what was really dangerous if they were constantly protected experiencing risk of any sort.

 

[methuselah1]

As soon as the concept that steam and fire are hot has sunk in, it's safe to have an engine. It's not as if things will be unsupervised - Dad will always know to check the safety valve, and will probably be hanging around to watch the fun!

I don't remember my first engine experience, but I did get my first lathe (a Lorch, no less) before I was eleven. No training. No supervision. No accidents. I didn't even have an apprenticeship, yet ended up teaching under and post graduates at a university.

Skill is in everyone. It might be for cutting metal or arranging flowers. It just needs to be found and nurtured.

-Andrew UK

 

[Bentwings]

Definitely, when he's a bit older. I showed him around the workshop recently but he was too short to reach anything, let alone see what he is doing. He was just able to move the Z-axis on the lathe.

I guess I really didn’t answer th question.
When we were kids we all had and used very dangerous tools we got cuts and bruises but learned things . Looking at younger parts of the remains of my family Frankly I wouldn’t let them push broom in the kitchen without supervision. Most can’t do anything that doesn’t have a keyboard. Some have a hard time even eating a pizza without choking on it. I know I’m a bad grand parent I have too high expectations. But it would be nice for them to learn to live in this world.

 

[SmithDoor]

I agr

I guess I really didn’t answer th question.
When we were kids we all had and used very dangerous tools we got cuts and bruises but learned things . Looking at younger parts of the remains of my family Frankly I wouldn’t let them push broom in the kitchen without supervision. Most can’t do anything that doesn’t have a keyboard. Some have a hard time even eating a pizza without choking on it. I know I’m a bad grand parent I have too high expectations. But it would be nice for them to learn to live in this world.

I agree

Dave

 

[methuselah1]

When I was working at the University, I spent a fair amount of time in pharmacy. I saw some disturbing things. Students who couldn't read an analogue clock. Students trying to swipe the handset of an analogue 'phone. You just couldn't make this stuff up.

It's going to take the older generation to save us from inevitable doom. Mobile 'phones must be banned, below a specific age- like 25.

-Andrew

 

[KennyMcCormick315]

There's adults I wouldn't trust with one of these things. Age limits are stupid. Different people mature at different rates and you can't really do a catch-all thing like that.

When I was working at the University, I spent a fair amount of time in pharmacy. I saw some disturbing things. Students who couldn't read an analogue clock. Students trying to swipe the handset of an analogue 'phone. You just couldn't make this stuff up.

It's going to take the older generation to save us from inevitable doom. Mobile 'phones must be banned, below a specific age- like 25.

-Andrew

Nah. That won't accomplish anything. We tried that with cigs and booze only to find out that the people banned from getting it get it anyway and it makes them even more irresponsible than they otherwise would have been.