Electronics from scrap?

**hollyda31** · 10-14-2014, 08:37 PM

I found some button batteries & LEDs in my bucket from computer breakdowns, and my sons have entertained themselves all evening with making simple circuits (after a short instruction). Any other ideas for electronics projects that can be made from scrap?

**Mechanic688** · 10-14-2014, 10:33 PM

Google it, there's a ton of stuff out there. If you need resistors and such for a project, you can use a donor piece of equipment. Just need a resistor calculator. Hmmm where would we find one??

Resistor color code calculator - 3, 4 and 5 band resistors

LED calculator for single LEDs

**eesakiwi** · 10-15-2014, 02:19 AM

I have been using the battery clip from motherboards and the led from the front of the computers to flatten the batterys I get from the motherboards.
The blue ones work best.
I don't want any partly charged batterys sitting around. They can short out, heat up, explode. Had it happen to me.

Ok, ideas? Add a photoresistor so it only glows at night time..?
Make them flash with some sort of circuity.
Joule theif using parts from a CFL lightbulb.

**Otto** · 10-15-2014, 05:24 AM

Homemade electromagnets can be fun for kids. Wrap some wire around a small iron bar, then hook the wire up to a battery. (Use some common sense on the selection of the battery or batteries.)