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What was your biggest project Disaster? We are asking e14 in our Join, Share & Win Competition

e14phil

Calling all makers, engineers, and tinkerers!
We are back for a second, and more SPOOKY month, asking you about your projects, spaces and adventures in engineering!
Last month we asked you about your workbench tips RE: What are your Tips for an Organized Workbench? [Ask e14 - Join, Share & Win Competition] September 2025 

This month we want to know about the biggest project disaster you have experienced. 

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Photos: Historically "accurate" engineering accidents.  

Competition
Join the element14 Community today and take part in our latest “Join, Share & Win” challenge.

It’s simple:
1. Register (or Login) for FREE
2. Answer this question by adding a reply / commenting:

What was your biggest project Disaster?

3. Be in with a chance to WIN!

Share with us your best (hopefully lighthearted) watercooler story of how that one project sank, fell over or failed to start!

The Community Judge team will select our 3 favorite answers to win one of the prizes below. 

Here’s what you could win:

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Arduino Uno R4 Minima

General Terms
What: Win 1 of 3 Arduino UNO R4 Minima
How: Sign up  or Sign in and Comment your answer to What was your biggest project Disaster?
When: Before October 31th 2025. 
Anything else: Full terms are below, but we must be able to ship to the address in your account. 

Entries close October 31st, 2025, so don’t wait!

Terms & Conditions
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  • I wouldn't call it a disaster per-se, but I was testing a few cheap switching converter modules from China. One of them was perhaps too enthusiastically rated, resulting in a nice small fire erupting from the corner of my room at 4am ...

    But at least, now I know the 94V-0 claim was probably correct as the fire self-extinguished before I managed to slam the emergency shutdown remotely over Wi-Fi. By the time I got out of bed, all I was greeted with was a charred capacitor-that-once-was.

    That day, I learned that while the preferable amount of fire is zero, a small amount of fire is okay, at least for a short time. I've recently tested some more and managed some magic smoke too, but with much less alarm and surprise. Small doses build tolerance ... but I haven't gone back to test a second sample of that particular product as yet ...

    - Gough

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  • I wouldn't call it a disaster per-se, but I was testing a few cheap switching converter modules from China. One of them was perhaps too enthusiastically rated, resulting in a nice small fire erupting from the corner of my room at 4am ...

    But at least, now I know the 94V-0 claim was probably correct as the fire self-extinguished before I managed to slam the emergency shutdown remotely over Wi-Fi. By the time I got out of bed, all I was greeted with was a charred capacitor-that-once-was.

    That day, I learned that while the preferable amount of fire is zero, a small amount of fire is okay, at least for a short time. I've recently tested some more and managed some magic smoke too, but with much less alarm and surprise. Small doses build tolerance ... but I haven't gone back to test a second sample of that particular product as yet ...

    - Gough

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