It's a good idea. I have a few dumpster dive salvaged boards, 20+ electronic "ballasts" from cfl's, old soviet pocket knife and a soldering iron to make 3 flickering lights and a water level "sensor" for my flowerpot, that had a corrosion problem (the wire corroded off the brass bolt too fast). Just for inspiration, this is my dumpster parts made transistor tester using two led's from old soviet color-tv, a dip-socket and resistors from another old crt tv, wires from old soviet industrial washing machine, connector from the empty battery and box from the broken yard lamp.