"Fred Nachbaur" wrote in message
.. .

.....
A few little
demonstrations wouldn't hurt; carefully set up some controlled
experiments, such as direct shorts across charged filter caps, low-value
small resistors connected across a B+ line (the old carbon comps are
best for that because they crackle and glow and smoke and stink),

Those finned chassis-mounted wire-wound jobs *explode*. Looks like a
wire-guided missile when one of the plastic but-plugs blows out of the
aluminum extrusion, trailing some wire behind it... Wait. Must not show
that - he'll think it's fun....

reversed polarized electrolytics (the cheap 1000 uF at 16v jobs from
wallwarts are cool because they blow the rubber plugs out the end and
fill the room with alkali-soaked paper shrapnel),

Hey, that happened to you too, huh? Funny, those things have kind-o a
trident stamped into the top of the can to intentionally weaken it, and
*that's supposed to blow open... Never does. Oh, on some axials (i think
older sprauges) had a scratch on the side to deal with that, though I've
only "blown up" puny cans, usually on real-densely populated boards.

IOW all those things
that impressed on YOU that electricity demands respect.


Umm... I don't think I want him to take my aproach, which is pretty much
borrowed from ridin' bikes. Most people try to never wipe out, but my take
on it was "learn to crash", and crash & crash I did (dirtbikes, pretty
safe), untill having to lay a bike down in the street was a mundane thing .
Same with electricity - i still do many things which are considered
"unsafe", and plan for the worst-case scenario, as in "i'm not goin' to hold
the chassis with my left hand & lean into it while puttin' on a 'gator clip"
and "make sure you don't take the whole workbench down if you get a slight
shock". I still do stuff like brush my finger aginst HT wires after
dischargin' the caps, 'cos I don't trust just using a meter... Anyhow, to
cut it short, it would be nice if he didn't have to go through the same
series of accidents & mistakes as I did (though that's the only way I ever
really learn anything...)
Thanks for the reply, though, there's stuff that even I have to take
seriously...
-dim

One of two things will happen: either he'll find it geeky and boring and
eventually move on, or else he'll find it geeky and exciting and be on
his way to an electronics hobby or career.

Cheers,
Fred
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