Lantern how-to by a cub scout

This week’s creation comes from a little wolf of mine, Lorenzo, who made it to become a “senior” cub scout.

The whole pack tested that the lantern works fine, and Lorenzo learned something more about electricity: Bagheera is very proud of him, since he loves to inspire the youth with engineering (he’s a future aerospace engineer, hopefully).

After Lorenzo showed the lantern to the pack, Stefano/Bagheera wrote a tutorial for the blog:

(and it’s perfect for this weeks SYTYC theme, “let’s here it from the boys”!! )…. go vote for your favourite creation, I’ll link up this post in the link party! 🙂

 

For the electrical part we’ll need:

– bicycle light bulb
– lamp holder
– 4 AA batteries
– a battery holder
You can find everything in almost any electronic hardware store!
Don’t worry, there’s no danger unless you set up a short circuit (take a look at the FAQs)
Step 1)
 Cut 2 pieces of electrical wiring with a length of approx 20cm (8 in) and remove the rubber cover from the edges using a cutter or a pair  of scissor.
Step 2)
 connect the cables to the lamp holder. Different types require a different set up.. just follow the instructions on the package!
You can secure everything using insulating tape
Step 3)
 now connect the free edges of the wires to the battery holder and…
Step 4)
 plug-in the batteries and the lamp!!

 

The scheme represents a basic circuit, the minimum to switch on a lightbulb!

FAQ

What is a short circuit?
well, you have a short when you connect directly the positive and the negative side of a battery. It’s not that dangerous, but the battery can get hotter and hotter and maybe blow up.. who knows 😛

How many batteries do I need?
every AA and AAA battery provides 1.5Volts. in order to feed a.. say 4.5 Volts, you need 1.5 + 1.5 + 1.5 V, so 3 batteries. Read on the body of the bulb to know how many volts your bulb requires!

For the rest of the lamp:

Lorenzo used recycled cardboard for the lamp’s structure, and made it sturdier with wooden corners. The light is amplified by CDs glued to the cardboard

You can hang the lantern with the cords passing trough holes in the wooden corners.

That was a well done job, Lorenzo, thank you! 🙂

That’s all folks!

Cecilia