How to Drill Small Holes
What You’ll Learn:
Tools & materials needed for drilling.
Step-by-step drilling technique.
How to keep yourself safe in the process.

- #2488
- 10 Sep 2025
Tools & materials needed for drilling.
Step-by-step drilling technique.
How to keep yourself safe in the process.

Here, we’ve listed all the tools and skills you need to solder and desolder components using THT (Through-Hole Technology).

Before you connect wires in your project, you need to take off the plastic covering (insulation) at the ends so the metal wire is exposed. This is called stripping the wire. You can do it with a wire stripper or even with simple tools you may have at home.
In the image below, you'll see where to connect the power source and the motor to the motor speed controller.
In the image below, you can see the "electrical contacts" of the motor pointer with blue arrows.
Sites are outlined on the mat wireframe.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
Sand is considered completely cleared when the pull activator is past the line on the mat.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
Technicians may open ore blocks by hand to reveal the fossilized artifact when completely in home (see Mission 14).
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
Your team’s minecart must pass completely through the mineshaft entry to score points for this mission.
It is not possible to earn the bonus if there is no opposing team or in remote competitions.
No Equipment Constraint: The mission model cannot earn points if it is touching equipment at the end of the match.
In this tutorial, we share a tip for organizing robot attachments in the FIRST LEGO League challenge. By designing attachments to hook onto the table edge, you can keep them close at hand for quick swaps, saving time and reducing mistakes.
Options include building hooks into the attachment design or using small separate hooks. This method is used by many teams and is a practical way to stay organized during competitions.
In this video tutorial, we demonstrate a full run for the FIRST LEGO League 2024-2025 SUBMERGED challenge, completing all missions in a single sequence. Each mission is shown individually beforehand, with close-up views of how the attachments work and the principles behind their design. All attachments are pinless, making them quick to change during the run, though aligning and loading the robot still requires practice. The strategy involves moving from one base to the other while accomplishing as many missions as possible, including retrying those close to base when needed.
While the complete run takes longer than the official 2.5 minutes, the focus here is on demonstrating reliability, consistency, and the trade-offs between time and scoring points. In some cases, missions are skipped to focus on higher-value tasks, but in this run, we aim to complete them all. The result is a strong performance that comes close to the maximum possible score.
The programming process for accomplishing M01 Coral Nursery, M02 Shark, M03 Coral Reef, and M04 Scuba Diver of the FIRST LEGO League 2024-2025 SUBMERGED Challenge is straightforward, despite covering multiple missions in one run. Each mission is accomplished with a simple and reliable approach that minimizes the impact on overall run accuracy.
The code consists mainly of movement blocks and gyro turns, allowing for consistent navigation between mission models. By keeping the programming uncomplicated, the robot can perform pushing, collecting, and delivering tasks efficiently without introducing unnecessary complexity, ensuring a smooth and dependable multi-mission run.
The programming process for accomplishing M01 Coral Nursery and M03 Coral Reef of the FIRST LEGO League 2024-2025 SUBMERGED Challenge is straightforward, focusing on controlled movement and stability. The motor-powered attachment lifts the coral tree smoothly to the coral tree support while also delivering reef segments outside the launch area.
The robot moves forward to position itself, raises the coral tree, and then returns to base. To ensure the reef segments remain secure during the run, the program uses slow acceleration and reduced speed when needed. This simple yet reliable approach keeps the sequence easy to execute while maintaining consistency in performance.
The programming process for accomplishing M06 Raise the Mast and M07 Kraken’s Treasure of the FIRST LEGO League 2024-2025 SUBMERGED Challenge is streamlined, focusing on controlled movement and precision. The design of the attachment ensures that the mast is lifted to the correct height while the treasure chest is securely captured.
The code uses simple maneuvering to reach the mission model, but the return path requires special handling. If the robot makes a sharp turn, the chest can be lost, so the program uses light steering to maintain stability while returning to base. This combination of straightforward navigation and careful return control ensures consistent success for both missions in a single run.
The programming process for accomplishing M05 Angler Fish, M09 Unexpected Encounter, M14 Sample Collection, M12 Feed the Whale, and M03 Coral Reef of the FIRST LEGO League 2024-2025 SUBMERGED Challenge is streamlined, making it easier to manage even in a large multi-mission run. The design of the two-part attachment system significantly influences how the robot moves, simplifying the code and reducing complexity.
The program is surprisingly simple for such a comprehensive run, with the robot performing a series of maneuvers to collect, deliver, and push mission elements. For maximum accuracy, it uses gyro turns, slow acceleration, and reduced speed in trickier spots to maintain control. By letting the attachments guide much of the interaction, the programming remains clean and reliable, enabling the robot to handle multiple scoring tasks efficiently in a single trip.