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When I were young, Lego was for the 80% kids. Geeky kids would have Meccano or do wood and metal working.

As for what I'd give a kid today?
It would depend on the age and how much the kid has been allowed to grow up and learn, I guess.
For a 10 year old back when (which possibly equates to a 30 year old today), something like a geiger counter kit, perhaps?
For a younger kid, a good Mora or Puukko style knife with a kid sized handle. Including spending time teaching the kid knife safety.
Or a kid size workbench.
Materials for a treehouse is also a winner.
If living far away from cities and streetlights, a small telescope is always a good present. It doesn't have to be super-expensive; even a small cheap one can let the kid see the rings of Saturn and that Jupiter has moons, and spark a sense of wonder that might lead to a life long interest in science. (And weed out the truly stupid kids who would take it out during the day to watch the sun...)

I'd say a chemistry set, but they have been completely nerfed to the point of not being interesting anymore. The words "adult supervision" no longer means anything. No mercury, no thorium, no lead, no strong acids and bases, because the parents can't be trusted.

Water has a MSDS.

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/w0600.htm

MSDSes are fun.

Learn something. Learn what to do when you get superglue in your eye:

http://www.rockler.com/tech/RTD20000394AA.pdf

In other words "nothing, put a patch over it and it will come off the eyeball on its own in a few days."

--
BMO

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=747
Here is one I found online for $15. Follow the plans and a few hundred dollars worth of materials and tools(less of course if you own a router and a table saw)

http://www.ultimategamingtable.org/instructions.html
This one is $11. I like the slide out tray concept a bit more than drawers, personally.

This sort of thing isn't hard to build, really. I do suggest using real wood, though, as MDF is very heavy and not nearly as easy to screw and bolt together for the first-time project builder.

I use the micro mesh sanding pads that I also use for finish work on the Lathe - you can get them online from Rockler or from your local Woodcraft store (I'm sure there are plenty of other sources.)

they range in grit from 1100 to 12000, after the 12000 grit pad the surface is near perfect.

I then copy and duplicate the disc, some scratches are deep enough that you take a significant amount of plastic away. But for me the point is to make it readable, not a permanent repair (though I do get that on occasion)

Sounds good but isn't it a little scary that they sell this chemical at a woodworking site?

If you REALLY wanted some fancy shit, try a diamond paste. Diamond is like 2000+ W/mK. Really good at transfering heat. (No, I don't know if anyone actually makes the stuff).

Interestingly (at least to me) I just read a magazine article on sharpening plane irons and chisels, and one method is to use diamond paste on a flat, hard piece of maple. A quick search on google shows that it can be purchased pretty easily, for example here.

I have no idea whether this would be appropriate for use as heatsink compound, but maybe someone at overclockers.com or elsewhere sees this and tries it out.

If you don't want to take the door off, use either vents or fans. Pre-made vents and fans specifically for entertainment centers are available from several suppliers, including this one.

Try these vents, or these, or these. Put some vents at the bottom and some at the top along the sides or the rear wall and the case will draw cool air from the bottom while the heat rises out of the top vents. If you need still more cooling, add a power fan which includes a dust filter.

If you don't want to take the door off, use either vents or fans. Pre-made vents and fans specifically for entertainment centers are available from several suppliers, including this one.

Try these vents, or these, or these. Put some vents at the bottom and some at the top along the sides or the rear wall and the case will draw cool air from the bottom while the heat rises out of the top vents. If you need still more cooling, add a power fan which includes a dust filter.

If you don't want to take the door off, use either vents or fans. Pre-made vents and fans specifically for entertainment centers are available from several suppliers, including this one.

Try these vents, or these, or these. Put some vents at the bottom and some at the top along the sides or the rear wall and the case will draw cool air from the bottom while the heat rises out of the top vents. If you need still more cooling, add a power fan which includes a dust filter.

If you don't want to take the door off, use either vents or fans. Pre-made vents and fans specifically for entertainment centers are available from several suppliers, including this one.

Try these vents, or these, or these. Put some vents at the bottom and some at the top along the sides or the rear wall and the case will draw cool air from the bottom while the heat rises out of the top vents. If you need still more cooling, add a power fan which includes a dust filter.

If you don't want to take the door off, use either vents or fans. Pre-made vents and fans specifically for entertainment centers are available from several suppliers, including this one.

Try these vents, or these, or these. Put some vents at the bottom and some at the top along the sides or the rear wall and the case will draw cool air from the bottom while the heat rises out of the top vents. If you need still more cooling, add a power fan which includes a dust filter.

If you don't want to take the door off, use either vents or fans. Pre-made vents and fans specifically for entertainment centers are available from several suppliers, including this one.

Try these vents, or these, or these. Put some vents at the bottom and some at the top along the sides or the rear wall and the case will draw cool air from the bottom while the heat rises out of the top vents. If you need still more cooling, add a power fan which includes a dust filter.