El-Cheapo First Soldering lesson kit?

[CronoTriggerfan]

Well, my friend's little brother (he's 11, I think) watched me do some solder work about a month or two ago, and ever since then he's become really gung-ho about doing the whole soldering/modding scene, namely video game hacking. He's bought and read Ben's book, and I let him borrow my other electronics book about using components, but I'm not too sure he got all of it. Anyways, he's got an iron and some solder, but nothing to use it on besides scrap mobos and such. He wants me to help him out with a rather ambitious science fair project, but I'm not entirely sure he can do it alone, so I figured it'd be best if I picked him up a cheap beginner's kit that involves some soldering. I think actually making something and soldering wires/components to a board will give him a better understanding of how things work and what exactly the world of hardware hacking entails.

Seeing as this is coming out of my budget and I'm uber broke, could anyone point me in the right direction of a REALLY cheap DIY kit? Just something cool, but if it's something that could be useful (like a radio, perhaps) that's even better. I did some searching, but the cheapest one I could find was about $25 from Carl's Electronics.

CTFan

[sammy]

I learned to solder with a Velleman kit. Velleman is really high quality but I dunno about the prices...

[bicostp]

I just screwed around with some old PCBs. PCI modems, dead AT motherboards, etc. It's a good way to teach you not to heat capacitors up too much.

Go to http://scitoys.com/ and find a few projects that sound interesting (they're all pretty simple). Then go on Mouser or Digikey and grab a bunch of parts like resistors, capacitors, LEDs, switches, diodes, etc... A lot of this stuff is cheap if you don't buy them retail from Rat Shack.

[CronoTriggerfan]

Thanks for the help guys! I just bought some stuff from Digikey for him to dink around with, and my pals at Ramsey Electronics also came through with some very inexpensive soldering components to PCB kits.

CTFan

[Kenny_McCormic]

do what bicostp did get some junk/working yet worthless electronics desolder every componet and resolder eveything and see if it works if not you still get a lightshow. note to self dont apply 110 through a cap

[Retromaster]

if you still want to, you can go to radioshack and buy a bunch of cheap little batteries, LEDs, lightbulbs, speakers, holders, ect. and show him where the connections go and let him go trigger happy with an iron or soldering gun.

[bicostp]

If you get stuff at Radio Shack you're going to pay an arm and a leg. (The other leg, not the one Gamestop took away when you demo-ed the Wii. After those trips we should call you Lt. Dan... )

[Retromaster]

I didn't know that. I guess that explains why I spent 50$ last week at the shack. I thought LEDs were cheap if you only buy a couple.

[Metroid fan]

But then I will need a wheelchair