“Dad can I have one of your flashlights?” “I want to make a light for a class assignment. It has to be something that I can make and sell.” So he wants to make a new light that lets you see the ground and in front of you at the same time. I said two leds but he let me know he had an idea.
About 2 hours later……
“Ok so what is it supposed to do?” I literally get the look of are you dumb from my 10 year old. “It so you can shine the light straight ahead and still see the ground at your feet.” with a slightly duh undertone.
I have to admit it was hard to capture a picture of this but you can imagine I am sure. What I couldn’t believe was how easy it was to walk in the dark with this light. Could see fine straight ahead and the spill on the bottom allowed me to see the ground in my peripheral vision quite east. I am sure there is a easier way of doing this but damn I think he just wanted to use my dremel and cut one of my flashlights.
The modded one is on the left and the same defiant 2xAA is on the right. So a fair bit of throw was lost but again I have to say it worked for what he wanted.
Creative I guess!!! Really neat when kiddos think like that. Greatest thing in the world when they have "0" understanding that they can't do something! It makes everything possible. I would like to go back to that point in my thinking.
It takes a 10 year old to show us something genuinely new. Well, maybe someone else has done something like it and I'm just not aware of it. The important thing is that he has a brain and a creative one at that. Seems like a way to have a deep reflector and also some spill at your feet at the same time. So you're not spilling 360 degrees and lighting tree tops and such.
So the concept is for a class project. I think it works well enough that it does what he wants so I am trying to stay out of it lol. Unless he goes for one of my other lights.
get em started young! I have a couple that are itching to learn how to solder every time I plug the iron in. I think I'll start them off with speaker wires first tho.
