Soldering workshop for kids and adults

Goal

Learn to solder your first electronic circuit with professionals.

We will solder the Weevil Eye that blink in the dark!

800px-Happy_kids_soldering_at_OHM2013.jpg

Kid soldering at MakerFaire Brussels event:

makerfaire-kids-soldering-01.jpg

The Weevil Eye soldering kit:

10723-05a.jpg

Hardware

DIY third hand

educode10.jpg

In action:

educode4.jpg

Ingredients:

DIY USB soldering gun holder

I could not find a decent USB soldering gun holder for those USB soldering guns, so I made one myself out of 2mm think copper wire from Brico.

educode7.jpg
educode8.jpg

I used some pine wood cut long enough to have stability.

Ingredients:

  • 2mm thick copper wire
  • wood (dimensions Xcm x Xcm)
  • bolt nut

What went wrong?

  • Some people soldered the LEDs in the wrong order, IMHO there should be some "+" and "-" labelling on the silkscreen of the PCB so that people at least ask themselves which leg of the LED is the "+" or the "-".
  • One lamp of the DIY third lamp did not work
  • We did not know how to debug the board if it does not work out of the box
  • Maybe have some floating battery to test the circuit before soldering the battery
  • There should be a switch (in the front) in order to avoid draining the battery during the night
  • There should be a magnet to put it on the fridge
  • Instructions should have been printed on paper, so that participants are autonomous
  • Instructions should be translated to french
  • 5 minutes briefing for everybody at the beginning with 3 bullet points

What's next?

  • Make another workshop, find more kids
  • Re-order the PCB at DirtyPCB or OSHPark
  • Fix the PCB with improvements
  • Order a Christmas tree, and add an esp8266?

First event

  • When: Friday 27 sep 2019, from 10H to 18H (duration 1H)
  • Where: Educode conference, Haute-École Bruxelles-Brabant, avenue Defré, Uccle, Belgium
  • Who: Kids from 6y old to Adults up to 99y old :-)
  • Fee: 5EUR
  • Registration: by email, and specify your name and your preferred time slot
  • Link: http://www.educode.be/ateliers/apprendre-a-souder/
  • Contact: Benjamin HENRION moc.liamg|babooz#moc.liamg|babooz +32-484566109

Second event

At MakerFaire Brussels

Links