How Old Was You When You Became Interested In Electrics?

[OnlQQker]

I was 7. I painstakingly removed 2 screws from a power socket with a small pair of scissors and then tried to unscrew the live in the same fashion.
This is how I became painfully became interested in them, how about you?

 

[littlespark]

I guess I was about 8.
my gran had a collection of old C and D battery’s that she left in a toy box for me and my brother when we visited. (Why she thought they were suitable toys, I’ll never know)
One day I realised these were the battery’s from a torch, and went about making the circuit between battery, wires and the spare torch bulb.
Took every technical subject at school I could, and actually wanted to be a joiner/ cabinet maker but realised I couldn’t cut a straight line with a saw. (Left handed, could be the reason)
Still use my o grade woodwork coffee table after near 30 years.

I tried to fix electronics when I was a teenager...radios, cassette players, and toys.... even took apart things that weren’t technically broken to see how they worked.

Electrician apprenticeship at 16.

Always had an interest in that magical flow of unseen electrons.

 

[static zap]

I attempted to perform electrolysis..

Been there , rectified from a 10A 18V transformer ... Discovered what burnt me tasted of .. Holding a twisted joint!
..Carbon rods and washing soda ..not very effective ...
(Made a small quanity of the real stuff one day by other means - so violent , left ears ringing -fearful of cracking thick glass -meat spread pot) ... I later did chemistry - abysmally at school -Physics favourite .
..had telcom links from father .. took a telephone dial speed tester to school as a how many cycles can you clock challenge !

 

[edexlab]

For me it was a combination of watching my older brother wire up the bedroom door handle from a light switch with a old meccano screwdriver to stop our sister coming in, no one actually got shocked luckily

The 2nd thing was an unhealthy interest in fire and explosives started with weed killer and graduated to bell wire ,doorbell switch , 12v battery and Rocket ignitors stolen from the school science club we experimented with crushed Rocket motors and found a chemistry book with a good section on mixing your own blends etc had some fun making instant crop circles

But with 11 year olds appreciation of safety we used to test different circuit set ups with lamps first before doing the dangerous stuff

 

[static zap]

I still remember the bang and the blinding flash when I connected my multimeter across the mains with the leads in the current measuring position.

Memories like this have got me to buy my 1st mft , for when I get a bit older / more absent minded ,and still have the urge to dabble !

 

[Mark42]

... unhealthy interest in fire and explosives started with weed killer ...

Ha Ha! The days when a 12 y/o could walk into 'Boots the Chemist' or Woolworths, buy a 7lb tin of (unsuppressed) Sodium chlorate weedkiller, a pack of icing sugar, a box of 12 AG3B flash bulbs, a roll of bell wire, and a torch battery, all at the same time, from the same check-out, and no one said anything.
Happy days. Which, incidentally, informed my entire subsequent main career.

ps: And then film the whole ridiculous and dangerous process on my father's 8mm cine camera. Here's a still, which, until this thread got me reminiscing on a happy childhood, I forgot I had

Note the prepared device in the milk bottle. And who else remembers 'Savbit' solder?

And check out that massively cool LED watch

 

[Mike Johnson]

You forgot to say "And still have change from a shilling"

Good grief, you had a watch, you where lucky.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multicore-Size-Savbit-Alloy-Solder/dp/B0002JT3OS

 

[ruston]

Ha Ha! The days when a 12 y/o could walk into 'Boots the Chemist' or Woolworths, buy a 7lb tin of (unsuppressed) Sodium chlorate weedkiller, a pack of icing sugar, a box of 12 AG3B flash bulbs, a roll of bell wire, and a torch battery, all at the same time, from the same check-out, and no one said anything.
Happy days. Which, incidentally, informed my entire subsequent main career.

Do you work in a Quarry lol?

 

[littlespark]

Sounds like he works in H&S to me

 

[ruston]

I think he might be more of a hands on man with his enthusiasm

 

[Mark42]

Sounds like he works in H&S to me

Naa. I work in bomb disposal. Which is ironic really.
(With electrics on the side when I need some additional excitement.)

 

[ruston]

A bit of respect due there Mark.

 

[littlespark]

Naa. I work in bomb disposal. Which is ironic really.
(With electrics on the side when I need some additional excitement.)

Bloody hell. There’s a career I wouldn’t want to make a mistake in.

reminds me of the time I worked on an RAF base. Nothing special, still needed civvies to change a lightbulb.... but we were workingin the missile section. Every new building we worked in, we had to have an induction/ safety brief.
Fire safety in this place was: “If you discover a fire, first raise the alarm. Then see if you can run away as fast as I can!”

 

[Mark42]

... working in the missile section. ... Fire safety in this place was: "... see if you can run away as fast as I can!”

Yup. AKA 'If you see me running, do try to keep up.'

Although the one a US smallarms specialist once told me was I think even more fun:
'Navy seal sniper: Don't bother running, you'll only die tired.'

 

[Pete999]

I was 7. I painstakingly removed 2 screws from a power socket with a small pair of scissors and then tried to unscrew the live in the same fashion.
This is how I became painfully became interested in them, how about you?

Was never really interested in electrics, just wanted an Apprenticeship wood butchery did appeal initially, once I got into Sparkying I sort of gelled, morphed if you like, enjoyed it never looked back, never been out of work or without employment,

 

[Mark42]

Bloody hell. There’s a career I wouldn’t want to make a mistake in.

Not at all. It's not actually dangerous if you remain alert. And if you do make a mistake so what, because you'll never know about it.
Whereas with you electrickery guys, make a mistake through inattention and you might well kill someone else, which is far worse, and with all the tedious repercussions that would bring. I'm not joking.