Children's Museum of Houston

Singing Fish Dissection

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It’s great to see how engineers designed things and figure out how they tick.  Often, it is the first step I take when trying to repair something is to take it apart (to a reasonable extent).  So, this week, in a nod to that instinct, I took apart one of those singing fish automata. 

What You Need:

• Something to take apart
• Tools: screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters and scissors 

What To Do:

• I recommend starting just by looking around the outside of what you are taking apart.  You’ll quickly find the screws holding it all together.  Some plastic toys are held together by hidden latches, so you may need to use a flat-head screwdriver to help pry it apart, but first double-check for screws.
• I recommend against cutting wires until absolutely necessary, as that usually ends your ability to trace the path to how things work.
• Salvage what you can.  From the fish, I kept: 2 motors, the batteries, a speaker, a slide switch, and a photo-resistor (light sensor) for future project ideas.  Make sure to recycle as much as possible as well.
• Take your time, ask questions (you may need to do some research on the internet), and have fun!