The 8 Most Wildly Irresponsible Vintage Toys

[Vapin' Joe]

Kids had more fun before all this namby pamby PC nonsense -

http://www.cracked.com/article_19481_the-8-most-wildly-irresponsible-vintage-toys.html

 

[Ian H]

I was told that early electric model railway sets had live rails at mains voltage. It may be urban myth.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I was told that early electric model railway sets had live rails at mains voltage. It may be urban myth.

It isn't a myth, that is actually how they worked.

 

[winjim]

If it's not poopy-time fun shapes, I'm not interested.

 

[guitarpete247]

Good God!!! That Gilbert chap was probably responsible for a lot of serious injuries or even deaths.
Wasn't Calcium Carbide used in old bike lamps (when my Grandad were a lad).
Giving kids are formula for Black Powder and saying they could only make it in the small amount. I'm sure they would do that .

 

[PeteXXX]

A TOY firm has axed a vibrating replica of Harry Potter's broomstick after mums complained their daughters spent too long riding it. Makers Mattel advertised the battery operated toy as having "a grooved stick and handle for easy riding"

Not vintage, but probably irresponsible!...

 

[tyred]

I've always fancied having a go at glass blowing

I must admit I did my own crude version of the molten lead thing by melting lead with a blow torch into shapes in wet sand - as shown to me by my granddad. I am still alive and it's great fun Also used power tools and drove tractors and farm machinery at an early age.

In secondary school, we used to play with mercury in Chemistry and pass handfuls of it around the class and I still haven't went mad

I would hate to be growing up nowadays. It would be safe but boring.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I was told that early electric model railway sets had live rails at mains voltage. It may be urban myth.

Not the volts per se that kills you but the amps.

IANAE.

 

[Spinney]

I'd have loved to have had some of that stuff - always fancied a go at glass blowing.
And my dad had a radioactive watch (as in radium paint to make the numbers glow), so the atomic kit probably wasn't as bad as they make it sound.

But they do also serve to remind us how toys were 'appropriate' to different genders - at least there, we've come a fair way (although not far enough yet).

 

[guitarpete247]

We have pewter casting in school now. It is of course lead free pewter so the little darlings don't have learning or behaviour disorders .

 

[Profpointy]

Not the volts per se that kills you but the amps.

IANAE.

of course that's one of the classic factoids we were told before we understood electricity. It's not so much wrong as meaningless give volts and amps are related

 

[GrumpyGregry]

of course that's one of the classic factoids we were told before we understood electricity. It's not so much wrong as meaningless give volts and amps are related

Do expand...

As a one time railway modeller... 12V @ 3 amps horrid jolt vs 240 volt at .25amp not even noticed...

 

[Dave7]

When I wer a lad...........1960 one of the "science" lessons was for the teacher to drop a penny (a real penny) in a large glass bowl full of water. Into this he put 2 electric wires connected to some sort of gizmo with a handle. We all had turns trying grab the penny while the teacher wound the handle up at increasing speeds to give us bigger & bigger shocks..........I wonder what the H&S would do if that happened now

 

[Profpointy]

Do expand...

As a one time railway modeller... 12V @ 3 amps horrid jolt vs 240 volt at .25amp not even noticed...

well, you'd not have had 3amps through your body - a few mA tops (even though the supply would give 3A into a short circuit or a motor), and 240v 100mA will quite likely kill you.

Remember V= IR (volts, current, reistance). Thus 240v will give 20x the current if the resistance is the same. 12v will never drive 3Amps through your body, whilsy 240v will give 20x the current. (subject to not exceeding the capacity of the power supply - in which case won't be full stated voltage)

 

[postman]

Death defying, riding down Crannie bank.sat on an old christmas annual and one roller skate.