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The Builder · № 03

Took It Apart

Disassembled a real machine or device (appliance, bike, computer, toy) down to its components, identified what each part does, and put it back together working.

The idea

Take a photo before every part comes off. Bag the screws. Label the bag. Most kids skip this and end up with a pile of parts and no memory of where they went. The milestone isn't getting the appliance open. Anyone can open something. The milestone is putting it back together working, which only happens if you respected what you were undoing.

Steps
  1. Take a photo before each major component comes off. Phone is part of the toolkit.
  2. Bag and label every screw set. Different sizes, different bags.
  3. Sketch wire harnesses or moving connections before disconnecting.
  4. Reassemble. If it doesn't work, retrace from the last photo.
What counts

A device disassembled, components understood, and reassembled working. A photo of the parts laid out is plenty.