ThinkSafe: A Magnetic Power Connector for Thinkpads

Step 7 Done!

You're done!

Well, hopefully anyway. Put the battery back in your laptop, try out your new plug, and see if you get power. You might have to fiddle with the length of the rod, or smooth out the surface of the magnet/epoxy combo. If you're not getting power, try testing the continuity between some of the washers on the plug, and the ground point on the laptop. If there's a good connection between those, then the problem must be the rod/post connection, so check on that. Make sure to clean the surfaces off so there's no grease getting in the way.

Enjoy your new freedom to trip over your power cord!

Comments

[FireSnake]

Great idea. i like it a great deal, but what about the magnets affective the hard-drive and other components in the laptop? Other than that, this idea can be used for other things as well...thanks

[lukeyj15]

 You can't wreck a hard drive with magnets
They actually contain 2 very strong magnets themselves

[greggspen]

i have seen someone total their hard drive by sticking neodyium magnets on the keyboard. they are magnetic storage devices after all. So any strong magnetic field applied in an uncontrolled manner will corrupt the information on the disk. however the magsafe link is a long way from the hard drive.

[beehard44]

their case is shielding the inside from external magnetic forces
i tried it

[heavystarch]

Those are neodymium magnets.  Very powerful magnetic field but has a very short reach so to speak.  Once you get 5-10mm away their magnetic flux/field is at it's end.  So your hard drive is safe. 

[bigjeff5]

You'd have to pull the hard drive out and set the magnets on top of it to do any damage, mod away without fear! Magnets outside the computer are rarely a problem, unless they are very powerful and they happen to touch just the right spot.

[uberdum05]

Well, if they can manufacture HDD's with the super-duper strong magnets next to the platters, you'd probably have to put them directly on top of the platters.

[jbates10]

do you know how HDDs work? the magnets are electromagnets and write data onto the disk. they turn on to mgnetize a spot on the disc to store a bit. if they want to demagnetize the bit, they use the other electromagnet with reverse polarity. making a spot of 1s or 0s on your disc would be bad

[NormMonkey]

This is great! I wonder if anybody has tried it with poured resin instead of epoxy, maybe enclosing the group of washers as well so that only the magnet surfaces are exposed? You could pour too much and dremel / sand down to expose the magnets after. Stick a bit of tightly rolled paper topped with clay in the tube part to keep resin out of there.

[cptomes]

Epoxy is a type of resin.  Most epoxy resins are liquid and can be poured.  5min epoxy is the exception, not the norm.  You might be thinking of polyester or vinylester resins.  I am building a Cozy MKIV which is epoxy/fiberglass/foam composite.  Most epoxy you see in hardware stores is the 5min variety, mostly because it's pretty expensive compared to polyester resin, and most varieties of epoxy use pretty nasty chemicals for the hardener.  Brain damage, skin reactions, etc.  As always follow the safety instructions on the packaging!

[NormMonkey]

Last but not least: the power plug from the adapter had that recessed post-receptacle for a reason: they don't want to shock users with 16VDC. This mod bypasses that safety factor. The MagSafe has 16.5VDC on its pins too but the middle one keeps the plug from being energized unless it's connected to the laptop. This one will be energized full-time. I'd guess 16VDC isn't enough to hurt if accidentally touched with fingers, but if you have kids I'd think twice about this. I don't have kids so it's a-modding I will go! Thanks for a great idea! I can see this being useful for all kinds of power sockets, too. Another idea: they make ring-shaped rare-earth magnets *grin*

[cptomes]

Most smart power supplies automatically shut off when shorted.  I wouldn't put this kind of connector on a "dumb" wall wort type of PS.  But a laptop PS has a lot more going on than just a DC source, even the ones with just ground and power connections.

[breath]

Yeah! I just got a ring magnet, and it's about a million times better. I'll try to update this Instructable once I get some pics and some free time.

[Jonaguirre]

it is a great idea!!! but i just put the magnetic power conector of a blender ruined of my kitchen, and it works very well in my laptop... try it if you hace a ruined machine at home that has this kind of power conector and its easier!!... an' also you can get one in a flea market, my cousin find one in 3 dollars!... i think you shoul try it!!! its better!!! :)

[NormMonkey]

Magnetic interference: The MagSafe connector has a magnet too although I bet it's not as strong as the 4 used here. The metal casing that hard drives are enclosed in should shield them (not sure how much) and they're usually located in the front of the laptop, not the back. I'd guess magnetic interference isn't a concern, though I ain't an engineer or nuthin'.