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Your first Arduino project: blink, beep, build
From an unopened box to a blinking, beeping Arduino in about twenty minutes.
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Soldering safely: a first lesson for young makers
The safety rules first, then a clean, strong solder joint in four moves.
Soldering is how electronics are made to last: it turns a wobbly breadboard circuit into something you can carry around. It's also the first tool most young makers use that can really hurt them, so safety comes first.
The rules
An adult in the room, every time.
The iron lives in its stand, never on the table.
Safety glasses on, window open, no food nearby.
Wash your hands when you finish: solder can contain lead.
A good joint in four moves
Heat both parts with the iron's tip for two or three seconds.
Feed solder into the joint, not onto the iron.
Remove the solder, then the iron.
Hold still while it cools. A good joint is shiny and cone-shaped.
Practise on spare wire first. When every joint looks the same, you're ready.
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