Time and Potatoes

When I was around 12 or 13 years old, I had a potato clock. It was a sturdy little thing, with a stand made of smoky-clear plastic featuring two holders just the right size to hold a pair of soda cans. It had a decent gauge wire firmly joined to zinc and copper electrodes, with a small digital LCD that could be fixed to the stand. I had that clock for quite a few years, and to this day I remain fascinated by natural electrochemical processes. I mean, a clock powered by a spud? How cool is that?

It so happens that a potato clock from Hobby Lobby found its way into the pile of Christmas presents this year. It was meant for the boys as an educational project, but who are we kidding here? It was really just a toy for me. But like so many toys these days, the quality of the product leaves MUCH to be desired.

First, let me show you the holders, these fine receptacles intended to hold our electrolytic spuds:

Nice, huh? And they might even work, if you used baby potatoes. But they are not, shall we say, ideal for your normal sized spud:

And then there's the wire. The product came packaged with the most brittle, flimsiest gauge wire they could find. The instructions tell you to tie the wire to the zinc and copper strips and tape them. Tape? Ugh. The wires then run into a cheap plastic box holding the LCD display and control board. As luck would have it, the solder joints where the wires connect to the control board aren't sound. It took me half an hour to get the display working, and still, if you touch it just so, the clock resets to 12:00. I lost my lab-grade soldering iron in the tornado, otherwise I would have ripped that thing open and rebuilt it with a better grade wire and better joints at all the tap points. I may yet do it (sounds like good justification to replace a tool to me). I've suddenly got the itch to tinker again. Which reminds me, I've got a old, busted up lamp made out of a slice of tree to fix too.

Anyway, quality aside, the clock works (more or less). The moral of the story? Always have red solo cups handy, and never lose the joy of taking things apart - because these days, you may very well have to take things apart to make the blasted stuff work. Most fun I've had in months!