WW1???? i knew you were old but......Reminds me of the two old army guys sitting in the retirement home, one says to the other .
Remember that stuff they used to put in our tea in WW1 to stop us feeling randy... well I think it is starting to work.
oops oops oops !!
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^ Well that didn't work! ^
Ever since I was very little I loved playing with wires and plugging things in. Likes taking things apart to see how they worked. I was 11 when I repaired my first TV and by the end of secondary school I had repaired a huge number of brown goods. I'm 31 now and almost obsessed with wiring and repairing and restoring things. I'd rather be doing something electrical or mechanical rather than doing anything else. Had a few shocks as a school boy, quickly learned that when you remove a bulb from a series string of xmas lights the voltage across the bulb holder is no longer 12V! 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.
I don't have any photos of me playing with electrical stuff from years ago, though I think my mother has one or two at home, so have a photo of my 2 master clocks.
[automerge]1578007522[/automerge]
^ Well that didn't work! ^
Ever since I was very little I loved playing with wires and plugging things in. Likes taking things apart to see how they worked. I was 11 when I repaired my first TV and by the end of secondary school I had repaired a huge number of brown goods. I'm 31 now and almost obsessed with wiring and repairing and restoring things. I'd rather be doing something electrical or mechanical rather than doing anything else. Had a few shocks as a school boy, quickly learned that when you remove a bulb from a series string of xmas lights the voltage across the bulb holder is no longer 12V! 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.
I've just started to get interested in clocks (master and slave clocks and their associated controls) fascinating stuff. Not that I need any more interests)
I remember using stripped insulation as sleeves to hold wires on to components before I got a soldering iron.
I also remember playing with stuff like that, got an old alarm PIR from an abandoned building. It was a Racal guardall IR77 mkii. How on earth I remember that...
I have always loved playing with electrical things, I have a collection of vintage electrical things that is probably larger than is healthy, some really odd stuff too. Plenty of light bulbs also. Discharge lighting is fantastic, and old theatre lighting is just something else! LED lights are so boring. Nothing like the 2000W metal halide fittings I'm currently refurbishing.
I don't have any photos of me playing with electrical stuff from years ago, though I think my mother has one or two at home, so have a photo of my 2 master clocks.
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I attempted to perform electrolysis at 15/16 with a friend as we wanted to make hydrogen gas and collect it to make explosive balloons. What actually happened was that we put the negative of a 240v 2 core down into a science flask full of water, then put the positive down into it and all the electric went off. 
My dad got me an electronics kit when I was about 7 or 8...a Phillips Electronic Engineer kit, to make Morse buzzer, radios etc. ...
Wow, how lovely to see that again. I was given mine in about 1967.
I can remember every detail of it now: germanium AC126 and AF116 transistors packed individually in their Mullard boxes, beautiful polyester caps, shiny blue Philips electrolytics, and those weird hairclip and spring terminals, which fitted into the hardboard base. I absolutely loved that kit and spent hours with it, making and remaking the circuits.
I'd been taking things to pieces ever since I could hold a screwdriver: my father was often infuriated but it rarely stopped me. Mains shocks were routine in those days, and nobody thought it a big deal then.
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.
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.
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 !
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
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
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 !
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
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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
Good grief, you had a watch, you where lucky.
View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multicore-Size-Savbit-Alloy-Solder/dp/B0002JT3OS
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Do you work in a Quarry lol?
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.)
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!”
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.'
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,
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.
One of our hydraulic machines caught fire .This was massive digger with hundreds of gallons of oil and diesel in it
The banksman abandoned the machine as quick as he could and made no attempt to tackle the fire . At the enquiry he was asked what steps he should take in the event of fire. He answered "Great big fkkkrs , two at a time".
I must say I'm glad I'm not any younger, everything fun is banned now.
I was 11 when my grandfather taught me how to operate a digger and dumper. I remember it was quite hard for little me to push the clutch pedal in on the dumper. Once taught I was left alone to dig out an earth bank, load it into the dumper, drive the dumper into the next field and dump the soil there. Can you imagine that happening these days?!
A year later he gave me a carrier bag full of parts that was once an 8mm projector. I worked out how all the parts worked and fit together and it still works to this day.
Anyone else play on building sites as a kid? Always liked to see the wiring in the houses being built. Certainly not now though. Loved heights (and still do) nearly fell off the roof of our 3 storey tree house once, and nearly through the rotten floor of an abandoned farm building, the drop was about 15' or so. Still hasn't put me off wondering through old buildings.
I was 11 when my grandfather taught me how to operate a digger and dumper. I remember it was quite hard for little me to push the clutch pedal in on the dumper. Once taught I was left alone to dig out an earth bank, load it into the dumper, drive the dumper into the next field and dump the soil there. Can you imagine that happening these days?!
A year later he gave me a carrier bag full of parts that was once an 8mm projector. I worked out how all the parts worked and fit together and it still works to this day.
Anyone else play on building sites as a kid? Always liked to see the wiring in the houses being built. Certainly not now though. Loved heights (and still do) nearly fell off the roof of our 3 storey tree house once, and nearly through the rotten floor of an abandoned farm building, the drop was about 15' or so. Still hasn't put me off wondering through old buildings.
Near to our house in Blackheath was the Kidbrooke de-commissioned RAF station, we used to play on the Asbestos roofs and get inside the buildings by climbing down the roof truss's and steel columns, that RAF station became the Kidbrooke Council Estate on the opposite side of the road to the Railway Station, I actually think this is now being pulled down to be re-developed, in Highbury where we lived prior to Blackheath we played on the bomb sites.
P
PEG
Loved MarkRibbands early explosives DIY 
I too,had the bug,and with a pal,we were knockin up some pretty hot compounds,plus his grandad was an ex sapper,and awful influence. Me pal then got an apprenticeship with Bayer,and we had access to all missing ingredients......scandalous,and 5 years chokey,now,but sooooo satisfying
My eldest has the same interest,but with a future career in the military,even reminiscing,has to be In Camera....
I too,had the bug,and with a pal,we were knockin up some pretty hot compounds,plus his grandad was an ex sapper,and awful influence. Me pal then got an apprenticeship with Bayer,and we had access to all missing ingredients......scandalous,and 5 years chokey,now,but sooooo satisfying
My eldest has the same interest,but with a future career in the military,even reminiscing,has to be In Camera....
even as a toddler I used to play with gpo's, so some say it's in my blood !
when I was about 10 I used to help my dad on foreigners used to pass him tools, when I was 17 I left school to be a electrical install apprentice, It was only then my dad told me he used to work for the EMEB.
I still help my dad on jobs and Im 40 years old and I love being a fully qualified electrician. I still get son 'you are doing that wrong'
I still help my dad on jobs and Im 40 years old and I love being a fully qualified electrician. I still get son 'you are doing that wrong'
I actually wanted to do bomb disposal that was until I went to the Army careers office
The NCO said it's an interesting job , Technical too! , come back next week and you can have a chat with my colleague who's spent 15 years doing it!
Went back the following week met the guy who'd got 4 fingers on one hand and two stumps on the other, and a few vicious facial scars from NI a few years before
Interesting bloke, especially his attitude
to what had happened to him, he said he'd
been involved in enough incidents that could have killed a lot of people so it was worth it!
Inspiring however it did make me think twice!
The NCO said it's an interesting job , Technical too! , come back next week and you can have a chat with my colleague who's spent 15 years doing it!
Went back the following week met the guy who'd got 4 fingers on one hand and two stumps on the other, and a few vicious facial scars from NI a few years before
Interesting bloke, especially his attitude
to what had happened to him, he said he'd
been involved in enough incidents that could have killed a lot of people so it was worth it!
Inspiring however it did make me think twice!
I think the question should be now, who would pick to do the same job again?
I used caster sugar myself, closer to the granule size of the sodium chlorate.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
View attachment 54991
EricMark
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I think it's hard to say exactly when, I had an electric train set, and I must have worked out dirt on the lines stop it working, and remember putting two 6 volt bulbs in series across the track and one failed, and dad explaining how the watts needed to match.
But at what age that happened?
But at what age that happened?
Loved working on building sites when I was a student. drots, D8s, motor scrapers, anything...foreman just said go for it, and off I went.
My favourite was a huge Volvo scraper with hydraulic rams, so when you got bogged down you just dropped the rams and swung the cab section to one side and dropped the wheels on dry land...happy days!
Out of interest, this was in 1973 to 1977, and my wage packet was usually about £135/week cash and no tax...a pint of Double Diamond in the student union bar was 14p...
7 pints for a £1 and 2p left over for a box of matches...
My favourite was a huge Volvo scraper with hydraulic rams, so when you got bogged down you just dropped the rams and swung the cab section to one side and dropped the wheels on dry land...happy days!
Out of interest, this was in 1973 to 1977, and my wage packet was usually about £135/week cash and no tax...a pint of Double Diamond in the student union bar was 14p...
7 pints for a £1 and 2p left over for a box of matches...
From about 9 when I started to take my toys apart, then about 14 I started stripping them for components and making new circuits then through my 20s going computer repair and actually looking to advance through college and beyond to become a spark.
The kicker of course being I'm disabled (had hydrocephalus and cerbal palsy since birth and non-specifical lower back pain since 2015 with no sign of abaiting) but if I want my kids to get a trade when they grow up,I must lead by example, sure I might not get anywhere with it (disability being the barrier to potential employment on the industry) but I'll have it under my belt.
The kicker of course being I'm disabled (had hydrocephalus and cerbal palsy since birth and non-specifical lower back pain since 2015 with no sign of abaiting) but if I want my kids to get a trade when they grow up,I must lead by example, sure I might not get anywhere with it (disability being the barrier to potential employment on the industry) but I'll have it under my belt.
I got a few books by Jim Al-Khalili. Who delves into the Quantum World. Fantastic bloke who loved giving seminars at the science museum. He’s an expert on Entropy and pretty good at explaining about quarks & Neutrinos in Layman’s terms.
Source URL: How Old Was You When You Became Interested In Electrics? - https://www.electriciansforums.net/threads/how-old-was-you-when-you-became-interested-in-electrics.181973/page-2#post-1599481
(When no one is looking ?)
It's a very jumbled up world , and despite nature (or-The Mrs) wants to be that way !
(When no one is looking ?)
Ah yes, I got two boxes of the old Philips electronics kit handed down to me by my brothers. Before that I had a kit where all the components were mounted on plastic carriers with studs sticking out - you put them through holes in a large (well it seemed large when I was "somewhat smaller" than I am today) PCB and bolted them down with little nuts. I remember they were still in the attic until about 3 years ago when mum downsized - I can't remember what I did with them now
I think I'd have kept them to hand down to the grand kids when they are old enough. The ancient VCR (so old it still had "piano key" that semi-mechanically operated the mechanism) definitely went !Hmm, that sounds familiar !
As to how old I was when I got started, no idea. One of those "as long as I can remember" things and definitely before I got to double digits. Dad was an electrician (working for a general sparky firm I think), by the time I came along he worked in R&D at Brush Electrical Machines which sounded interesting from some of the stories he'd tell. I think mum found it "difficult" with a husband and 3 boys all interested in anything electrical ?
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