OT: Engineer bent teen

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  • November 2, 2013 at 12:06 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    Ok ladies, my eldest is looking into engineering – mechanical.  I need idea’s for Christmas for him but am at a loss.  He got the motor that you put together.  Did it loved it but now it just sits there.  He wants to get things he can build and re-build.  We have more legos than you could imagine so that’s not a problem.  I need some help please.  We have a very limited budget which also posses a problem cause when I google search there are a TON of gifts in the $50 plus range but we don’t have that much to spend.  What idea’s or thoughts do you have?  Thanks Misty

    November 2, 2013 at 12:25 pm
    RobinP
    Participant

    I’ll ask my mechanical engineering major son, especially about skills that need to be developed and honed. Many of the pre-configured kit type things will probably be pricey.

    November 2, 2013 at 1:38 pm
    Bookworm
    Participant

    Do you have all the books of things like Backyard Ballistics and The Art of the Catapult and Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction and things like that?  If not, get them.  If you have them, then go through the books, pick out some supplies needed to make the things and put together a box of PVC pipes, hardware, scrap wood pieces, etc..  We did that one year and the boys got almost unlimited enjoyment out of it.

    November 2, 2013 at 9:15 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    Great thought.  We don’th have them.  I will look into it.  Thanks

    November 4, 2013 at 1:44 am
    Shannon
    Participant

    My husband is a mechinal engineer and teaches engineering at NC School of Science and Math.  I asked him what he thought would be a good gift and this is his reply:

    Below are two Arduino kits.  They are more expensive than the limit ($55 and $110) but maybe their educational value would warrant the higher cost.  It works only if the kid is a geek (in the loving sense of the word) as it required programming, electronics and knowing motors.  One can easily go from this kit to a small robotics platform. 

    We use the more expensive kits at the school and the kids love them.  I don’t know about the less expensive kit, but it looks good.  There are instructions online too as Arduino is open source and big in the Maker community.

     

    And I can’t get anything to paste into this post so you’ll have to look them up yourself on Amazon…

    Arduino Uno Ultimate Starter Kit

    The Arduino Starter Kit

     

    I realize this may be of no help because of the price, but I still wanted to share and maybe it will help in some way.

     

    Best, Shannon

     

     

    November 4, 2013 at 12:47 pm
    Misty
    Participant

    Thank you I will look into it.

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