"What a pretty copper box, John. Where did you get it?"
"I made it."
"You made it?"
"Yes, out of sheet copper in my room last night. That's the way I spend
my evenings. And such fun as it is! I enjoy every minute of the time.
Mother says I'd work all night if she didn't stop me.
"I'd like to do something like that. Do you think I could learn to do
it?"
"I'm sure you could. Do you know the blacksmith around the corner?
He taught me how to do this work, and ever so much more. He got me
the tools, too. He says every boy can learn to work with metals, so I
thought I'd try it. I'll take you around to see him sometime. Come up
to my room and I'll show my workshop and all the tools I use."
"It would be mighty nice to know how to do something else besides
running an elevator all day. I get so tired of that. How long would it
take me to make a box like this one?"
"Not very long if you begin in the right way. I've worked at it only
since I left school. The manual training I got there helped me to know
how to handle the tools. You had that training, too, and I know it will
help you. Here we are, this is my workshop and bedroom. Let's work here
together and I'll teach you all I know: how to use the tools and just
what to do."
So began two boys to do work that one had done--metal work which any
boy can do if he will but take the trouble to get the tools and have
the patience to learn the way step by step.
"You don't need a large room for your workshop, you see," said John.
"The table here is my work bench and all the tools can be put into a
box out of the way when you are not using them.
"Here are my sketches of the tools one needs to make almost anything
out of copper, brass, or silver. The blacksmith made the drawings for
me and taught me how to make some of the tools myself. He says every
boy should learn to make his own tools and I shan't be satisfied until
I can make them all. Then I can make them as I need them and only those
that fit the work best. But I had to buy most of them to start with.
Here they are."