Chainsaw flashlight (gas engine powered spotlight)

Step 7 Video and extra notes

This video shows the first test starts and the light blowing out.
Also, I would use a pulley and belt next time instead of the bicycle chain; it's so hard to get it lined up and it likes to pop off and roll across the yard.

No chainsaws were harmed in the making of this video or project. The vintage 1960s era Homelite is still reversable. Most would think Homelite is a low end brand, but it was a great machine back then. It had been setting for decades before I added some fresh gas and fired it up on the third pull. 

Comments

[Terivia]

That is one BA flashlight, i want to bring on a boyscout campout. "WOULD YOU TURN THAT OFF?!?!?" "No, we need it to play magic"

[bombmaker2]

I was thinking:
"WOULD YOU TURN THAT OFF?!"

"NO!!!! I got to a good part in this book!"

[wizworm]

You need to take that to Burning Man, that would be a hoot

[SwaggeringPagan]

Who cares about practicality, gimme internal combustion! Very cool survivalist/dieselpunk rig.....

[AAAdrian san]

thats kool maybe me and my twin juan can do that one day

[memano]

YA

[memano]

cool i have a neighbor that did that to a bike

[shortw]

What is the Volts and Amps of your treadmill DC motor ?
What is the RPM of the DC motor?
I like very much. There are many uses for it.

[jamilks]

Very Creative! Good for you! Should point out that one of the conditions is that you have a permanent magnet motor...dil-willy, the alternator is kinda a good idea except that you need some incoming power to initially set up the magnetic field in the alternator coils....That's why if you have a TOTALLY dead battery, starting a car with jumper cables may not always work...you need to get some sort of minor charge in the battery.

[hot-fresh-rider]

Cletus what yo doin with yo sister? Nothing Ma! We just playin! :o)

[wheredgo]

Leave the bar and chain saw on it, then you could saw in the dark! ok, probably still a bad idea..

[finton]

"saw in the dark"! And the award for best pun goes to wheredgo!! :] In fact you could see/saw* in the dark... Ooops, best pun goes to me. Love the idea of the chainsaw light robbtoberfest: I'll have to try it ... "come here little chainsaw ... where are you boy? ... come into this nice workshop ..." *Or I saw where I could see to saw a seesaw in the dark. OMG!!!: robbtoberfest built a SeeSaw!! [tm]

[dill_willy]

have thought about going to the the junk yard for a car alternator? it might complicate the build a bit but it would have a voltage regulator built in. anyway, awesome project!

[boaslad]

You have a very "Mad Max" meets "MacGyver" theme going on with that. Is it functional? Yes. Practical? Not so much... but I love it, anyway. Great build.

[Baldwig]

And? Is it any good against Zombies?

[tantesonja]

Is that a clip from a new movie called Texas Flashlight Massacre? :) Sweet light.

[robbtoberfest]

Yes, sure.........its the proof of concept until the design is improved. :)

[6joshuaherring6]

really good instructable but i do feel sorry for your neighbours

[hoverbored]

If you are open to improvement: Had you considered, that between the chainsaw and the DC moter/generator there is a nice space for a 12v motorcycle or garden tractor battery? Would increase the weight (but if weight were a factor, a battery flashlight would be lighter), but would mean you wouldn't have to run the noisy engine constantly to get the light. Remember a charge management circuit...

[Marsh]

Pretty cool, but I'd put a chain guard on it.

[Polemic]

Well done. Fav'd.

[Everlong]

Ha! That's got to be the best sounding flashlight ever. Nice.

[psbuckley]

Hey! Great project! You don't go into the DC motor much. Are any mods necessary to make it produce current?

[robbtoberfest]

No mods at all, it's directly wired to the light and spun by the chainsaw. But the current is so variable and high that it needs a voltage regulator.

[ampeyro]

it looks like if it was from a zombie movie, strangely cool