Here's one of my favorite projects that I've done with the 555 timer. I made it a couple of years ago for Halloween:

It's a "useless machine" - dressed up for Halloween:

It's a box with a toggle switch that you can flip. And when you flip it, something (maybe a ghost?) rises from the coffin to flip it back.

"What's the purpose of it?" you ask.

The answer is nothing. Hence the name, useless machine.

But it's a fun exercise in combining electronics and mechanics to make something that really catches people's attention. Do you think your kids/parents/siblings/friends will be able to resist the urge to flip the switch to see what happens?

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How It's Made

I built this with two 555 timers, a small servo motor, some resistors, capacitors, and a transistor. It would have been much easier with a microcontroller, but I like the challenge of building things with the 555 timer.

The first 555 timer creates a frequency of 50 Hz, which is what my servo needed. The second 555 timer adjusts the time each pulse is high - or the duty cycle - which is what sets the position of the servo arm.

You can learn about the 555 Timer and how to build different projects with it in Ohmify's course How The 555 Timer Works [Members Only].

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Keep on Soldering!
Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com

PS! Whenever you're ready, here are two ways I can help you learn electronics:

• ​Join Ohmify​: Ohmify is for people interested in electronics who want to learn skills like using 555 Timers, soldering, microcontrollers, and project-building - while also getting a proper understanding of the basics.
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• Discover Getting Started With Electronics: My introductory eBook designed to guide you through the basics. It’s filled with easy-to-follow steps to kickstart your electronics journey. Ideal for complete beginners.