Recreating Classic Electronics Kits

Contributors: Nick Poole
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Space-Age Science Fun!

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Do you remember these? Once upon a time, these electronic kits promised '1000s of experiments in one!' and rarely failed to deliver. And, once upon a time, they taught me the basics of how to build a circuit.


We recently got nostalgic here at SparkFun HQ and started selling those spring connectors. Well, it happened to catch me in the middle of a serious cardboard modeling addiction, so it wasn't long before I was building a SparkFun-ized retro electronics kit. After it was finished, I realized that these are still a great way to play with circuits because they're laid out in such a way as to really invite experimentation. "I wonder what happens if I just connect these things in series" Try it! It only takes a few seconds anyway!

So in the interest of preserving history and sharing the magic, here's how you can build your very own all-in-one springboard kit. We'll be putting together a simplified kit with fewer parts than the one you see above, but it should give you all the knowledge you need to design your own. Build it for yourself or for the young inventor in your life!

Suggested Reading


  • What is a Circuit? - To build your own circuits, you'll need to know what one is first.
  • VIR and Ohm's Law - Use Ohm's Law to help you calculate resistor vaules for LEDs and much more.
  • Working with Wire - You'll need to use wire to make your connections between springs.
  • How to Solder - Soldering isn't necessary to build this project. However, soldering your connections will increase the durability and lifespan of your kit.

Collect The Parts

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The first thing you'll need to do is collect all of the components that you'll want to include on your kit. I've chosen enough parts to build a transistor based LED flasher. Think broadly when designing your kit and add enough parts to complete a wide range of experiments.

As well as the electrical components, you'll also need the crafting materials. The body of the kit will be made of chipboard. You can get chipboard at just about any art supply store. The thickness isn't critical: it just needs to be thick enough to hold it's shape but not so thick that it's hard to get the springs into it. You'll also need some material to make the legs on either side. Acrylic, wood, styrene, cardboard, anything rigid will work. Use whatever you're equipped to work with. Finally, you'll want some hot glue to fuse the two. Oh, and maybe something to cut with, a hobby knife is perfect. I cheated (as per usual) and used the laser cutter.

Here's a Bill-of-Materials:

You'll also need:

OK, let's get to work...

Draw A Layout


Here's the drawing that I made for my board layout:

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Featuring my retro interpretation of the SparkFun logo

The layout isn't particularly important but there are a few things to keep in mind. Generally speaking, you'll want to combine like parts and label them as a group. Also, try to keep in mind that this thing is going to be a ratsnest when you're using it, so make your labels big and legible! Finally, leave plenty of room between springs, as you insert wires, the springs will bend to one side and you wouldn't want that to cause accidental connections.

After feeding my creation to the laser cutter I made a couple of legs. I used acrylic but the material isn't important, it's the shape that matters. You just need the experiment board to be basically flat but raked slightly toward the user, there's traditionally a more upright portion toward the back of the board as well. This helps the cardboard maintain rigidity. The more creases you put in it, the better off you are.


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Now that we have a structure, it's time to start populating it...

Add Spring Connectors


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Bending the spring makes it easier to insert into the board


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Springs are in place but it's still missing something...

Add Components

Now take each of your components and find a home for it. If you haven't already, add holes for the leads of your component to stick through the chipboard. They'll connect to the springs on the underside. For small components, they should be held in place by the bending of the leads. The larger components, like the battery holder, will need to be stuck to the chipboard with hot glue or a piece of double sided foam tape.


This isn't a bad time to add your supporting legs. Simply sit the chipboard on its side on top of one of the legs and glue it in place with a bead of hot glue. Turn it over and repeat for the other side. Don't be afraid to really glob it on, as long as you're working on the backside, it'll look fine!


It looks like we're done, but without anything connected on the backside, this will be a boring kit!

Hook It All Up

Carefully flip your board over and start bending your component leads toward their respective springs. If you have any polar parts, like LEDs, make sure you've labeled the spring connectors accordingly and connect them the way you've indicated on the front.


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Okay, we're all hooked up, time for a test!

Time For A Test Circuit!

Congratulations! You've built your very own all-in-one electronics kit. But wait! We don't know whether or not we've gotten our wires crossed. Let's wire up a test circuit. This is the fun part!

As you can see below, I haven't been shy in the application of jumper wires. If you're teaching the young inventor in your life, I suggest numbering the springs and then making them simple net lists for them to follow. That way, they can "paint by numbers" until they learn how to translate schematics into circuits.


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Don't worry, that's what it's supposed to look like


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Woo! Blinky!


These make a great gift and if you really want to impress someone then make up a little experiment booklet to go with it! And heck, why not include an Arduino on your kit... or a 7-segment display... it's your choice!

Resources and Going Further


And once you've designed a circuit you really like, why not take it to the next level with these prototyping tutorials:
