On Apr 11, 9:24 am, " wrote:
I even wrote up an Instructor's Manual with a whole buncha photos
showing which parts of the box could be used to introduce hand-
squeezers, joggling, use of the brake, use of the lathe (for the
handles) and so forth. Zero interest.

When in Africa a few months ago I bought a copy of Mechanix
Illustrated, with content being somewhat different from that here in
North America, yet it addressed familiar problems. An article in that
magazine lamented the loss of handyman skills among the last couple of
generations, pointing out that kids have been getting electronic games
and other such mindless toys instead of the real-but-small tools like
I was given as a kid. So now there are guys who can't change a light
bulb, much less change the oil in the car or fix a leaking faucet. A
current bestselling book in South Africa is "The Dangerous Book For
Boys" that shows how to build such stuff as a slingshot, or how to set
up a tent and start a campfire. Men are buying that book. It's a sign,
an encouraging sign, that males feel the lack of manual skills, even
if they've never done them, and want to know how. The author of the
article pointed out that an old, no-longer-published magazine for boys
used to have projects and plans in every issue, up to and including
building a small, gasoline-powered car. For boys, this was, not men
with money. How things change.
I've had aircraft projects and restored an old truck and built
several boats. Seems normal to me, but so many fellows say they wish
they do do it, too. The nice tools in their workshops, tools they
don't know how to use, prove that the wish is really there.
So now it's understandable that how-to magazines don't buy
detailed project-building articles. People won't buy the magazine to
build anything, because they don't have the skills to even start
anything. Shoot, even the current kitplane is not much more than a
bolt-together affair.

Dan