Water Compass

myminifactory

The main goal behind this project is to educate young kids on creating their own compass using just water and some basic materials. This DIY compass can then be used to teach more complex concepts like magnetic poles and rotating electrons, which cause the needle to always point towards the north and south. A small hole at the top of the compass is designed to fit a 10 mm diameter by 2 mm depth magnet, which can be purchased from online retailers such as Amazon. This product was created using the open-source 3D CAD software FreeCAD. At a cost of $20 per kilogram, printing this compass costs only $0.56, while fitting it with 100 magnets would cost just $0.08, and a sewing needle can be had for less than $1. Overall, the total cost comes out to be less than $1.75, which is significantly cheaper than traditional single compasses available on Amazon, priced at $6.39. For example, a waterproof orienteering compass on Amazon costs $6.39, so making this DIY compass can save you up to $4.50 per unit for educational or learning purposes.