Science / Engineering challenges for kids.

[Yokel]

On the subject of potato canons, this is the remains of one I built a few years ago.

I went a little overboard. It’s nearly 7ft long.

First time I used it, the BBQ lighter trigger exploded in my hand and it blew the screw cap clean off the end.

Some bad cuts and bruises to my hand and tinnitus for days. Very lucky not to have lost fingers.

Never found the potato. View attachment 526682View attachment 526683

Have you considered rebuilding it with less power, a shorter barrel, and aiming the spud at a metal grille target. FIre it using a lead. Wear ear defenders, safety eyewear, and ideally anti flash.

Collect the chips and fry them.

 

[Yokel]

As a kid I knew about transformers and turns ratios - so why not power something (lights?) via a transformer with low voltage AC at the input - you used to be able to buy unregulated and unrectified power supplies, but you can make one yourself (add RCD for extra safety). Get some sort of iron/steel core - any sort of small ring would do. Wind a few turns on the input side.

The secondary side - put turns on as required. More turns means more voltage for something like lights in series (if you have olde style incandescent bulbs), less turns means less voltage but more current - turn a motor on perhaps?

Caveat: I have not done this myself, so it might seem dull.

 

[Yokel]

At the risk of making myself look like an ar$e twice within a few minutes, and considering the other thread about the model Sopwith Camel, why not put a mini ski jump (a la front end of CVS/QEC flight deck) and launching wooden things with wheels from them, and seeing how far you can make them go?

I promise no more daft ideas today.

 

[Cloth bomber]

Christmas Eve afternoon I spent a fruitfull hour and a bit with eldest daughter, a small pile of 8mm steel offcuts a handful of 4mm rods, and a Bantam welder.
A natural it seems, ( a shame she has plans of a medical bent).
We will see how daughter two manages in the next day or two, then it’s tig Time!.

 

[theinventor]

On the subject of potato canons, this is the remains of one I built a few years ago.

I went a little overboard. It’s nearly 7ft long.

First time I used it, the BBQ lighter trigger exploded in my hand and it blew the screw cap clean off the end.

Some bad cuts and bruises to my hand and tinnitus for days. Very lucky not to have lost fingers.

Never found the potato. View attachment 526682View attachment 526683

Anyone into their home inventing needs to follow Colin Furze on YouTube. His semi-auto potato cannon needed redesigning when someone pointed out it was probably a S5 firearm (over 2" barrel, way too many foot-pounds and capable of continuous firing)

 

[Fang_Farrier]

Christmas Eve afternoon I spent a fruitfull hour and a bit with eldest daughter, a small pile of 8mm steel offcuts a handful of 4mm rods, and a Bantam welder.
A natural it seems, ( a shame she has plans of a medical bent).
We will see how daughter two manages in the next day or two, then it’s tig Time!.

Plenty metal work in some fields of medicine

 

[ThunderBox]

I taught my kid to bring beer from the fridge, he is 18 now, never been in trouble, never burned mice alive and starting a degree in nutrition.

Couldn’t get him in the services though, still trying to get my daughter in the RAN.

 

[Tedsson]

My eldest daughter has four boys aged under 10 (no, she isn't a Catlick and yes, she does have a TV) so I get the occasional "Daaaad . . . how do I entertain them (without taking them to yet another bloody army museum)".

I was scouting around for some free science project books online and found plenty.

Some here: science projects kids: free download. Ebooks library. On-line books store on Z-Library

And many more if you play around with the search criteria.