The Tinkerer, a fictional character in Marvel Comics, is an engineering genius who uses spare parts from things like household appliances to invent sophisticated gadgets.

Adam Hocherman is also a tinkerer.

After graduating from Cornell University in 1997 with a degree in mechanical engineering, he had different jobs and did some consulting.

In 2003, he started his own company, American Innovative, manufacturing a combination night light and wake-up light for children. Hocherman sold the company in 2014.

“I was left asking myself what to do next,’’ he said.

Drawing on his engineering roots and experience in the toy industry, he founded Tinkineer, a company based in the Cummings Center in Beverly, which creates wooden-model kits aimed at getting kids excited about STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math.

The first product is a kit called Marbleocity, thin, laser-cut plywood pieces kids can use to make a Dragon Coaster, with marbles taking the ride. Other models are available now.

The kits come with a comic book instruction manual, featuring a group of characters called the Tinkineers.

We talked with Hocherman, 41, the father of two daughters, ages 2 and 4, of Manchester-by-the-Sea.

Q. Lessons?

A. The Dragon Coaster kit teaches the physics concepts behind conservation of energy. The secondary lesson is “This is complicated and I built it myself. “ It’s an ah-ha moment.

Q. Customers?

A. Ages 9 and up to adults. It appeals to boys and girls — it’s a very unisex product — and across all ages.

Q. Cost?

A. Beginner kits, $30; next step, $50.

Q. Other costs?

A. All they need is white Elmer’s glue.

Q. Sales?

Barnes & Noble, Marbles, and ThinkGeek.

Q. Employees?

A. Five, including myself. And we have [paid] high school kids who do test assembly and building. And everything is made in America, which is special.

Q. Your job?

A. It’s fun, but challenging. In order to do it properly, you have to spend a lot of time making sure the designs are right.

Q. Bottom line?

A. Getting kids interested in something they didn’t know they had an aptitude for makes it all worth it.

WENDY KILLEEN

Wendy Killeen can be reached at wdkilleen@gmail.com.