Most inquisitive kids and adults will want to take apart old electronics and see how they work, if they can be fixed or repurposed, and some make this a career. You can learn a lot through studying diagrams and pictures as well as by getting your hands in the mix. It is important to research how to safely tear something apart before you start assembling the tools, especially if the device has a capacitor, integrated batteries or contains dangerous materials like lead or mercury.

How To Do It Safely

The best way to research the safe approach for taking things apart is to first look for any tags or labels. This can give you a make and model to look up diagrams and how-to guides as well as tell you about any hazardous materials which might be present. Many electronics will have a capacitor and an RF directional coupler for handling electricity, so assuming that they are still “hot” and using proper grounding techniques will protect you from electrocution.

How It Works

Once you have it safely disassembled, you can use references to identify each component and see how they work together. It can be an interesting educational activity to test the circuits and find breaks or to open couplers to see the configurations. Some companies break down technology to build better versions for sale.

How You Can Repurpose It

Many items inside common electronics can be repurposed or upcycled into something new or replaced with current technology to give antiques a new life. For instance, you can take an antique radio that matches your aesthetic and upgrade the internals to be compatible with streaming services or compact discs, give you better sound clarity or run with better energy efficiency.

Taking an old radio apart can teach you a lot about safely handling electronics, how the technology works and has changed over the years, and even how you can repurpose almost every component for something new. Researching safety and the original schematics of electronics before you take them apart can make the activity more educational and less dangerous.