Some people prefer to learn about gadgets and new technology by reading about them. Others prefer having someone talk about it, or perhaps step them through a diagram. But one way that has been shown to make information stick particularly well is just by taking things apart! This is assuming that it’s safe to do so, and that you understand that sometimes warranties are voided, and sometimes you can break things for good. But, if that’s part of your basic personality, then read on to go over some of the processes you can use while dismembering some of your gizmos.
Timepieces
Timepieces can be a ton of fun to take apart to see what’s inside that makes them tick. Depending on the type of device, it’ll be either electrical or mechanical, or perhaps a combination of both. Once inside the casing, you can inspect the clock motor system. You can check out how the gears, hands, and pendulum parts work together. If it’s a digital clock of some sort, you can potentially look to see how it might be synced with a radio signal to give it the accurate time (think GPS or central clock communication). Working with timepieces is a great way to introduce yourself to the idea of taking things apart to learn how they work.
Broken Equipment
You can always find broken equipment for cheap at your local thrift stores. You have to be a little bit more careful with big stuff like television sets, but if you find small gadgets like VCR’s, radios, stereos, or even kitchen appliances that don’t work anymore, all you have to do is get a screwdriver set and start tearing them apart. You’ll get to see the different mechanical and component parts, and with access to fix-it tutorials, you can step through what everything does, and maybe even fix the things while you’re at it!
DIY Projects
Taking apart and putting together DIY projects are also great ways to learn about gadgets. You can either buy complete kits as a part of some commercial product, or you can search the Internet for DIY projects that people or companies have put together to share with you. There are some truly fascinating low-cost ways to learn about all kinds of tools, motors, equipment, electricity, circuit boards, soldering techniques – you name it, someone has found a creative way to make it, take it apart, reshape it, or turn it into something new or useful. All you really have to do is find out what fits with the amount of learning that you want to do, and from there it’s just a matter of finding the time and the space to set yourself up.