How to Make a Simple Portable Fan

by qazwsx755

29K2413

Intro: How to Make a Simple Portable Fan

 In this Instructable I will show you how to make a simple portable fan. Warning before taking apart the computer power supply you must unplug the power supply or else you could be really painfully shocked or even killed just from touching one of those silver plates which are heat sinks I learned that first hand but luckily I wasn't killed. You should also use a grounding wrist band with a built in resistor and make sure you keep your hands and tools away from the big black things, they are capacitors which can still hold a charge of about 200 volts at 5 amps which can easily injury or even kill you!! I am not responsible if you get injured or killed.  But you can easily overcome this by using a different fan from inside your computer.

STEP 1: Getting the Materials

 Here is a list of things you need to make the fan:

One computer power supply or one computer fan (if you are using a computer fan then skip steps 2 and 3 )
Eight AA batteries
One battery holder for eight AA batteries

Tools:
One Phillips screwdriver
Side-cutters 
Masking tape

STEP 2: Take Apart the Computer Power Supply

 First remove the four screws on top of the power supply. Then lift the cover off of the power supply.

STEP 3: Remove the Fan From the Computer Power Supply

Cut the two red and black wires with the side-cutters then remove all four of the screws that are labeled in the second photo. After that take out the fan then go onto the next step.

STEP 4: Build the Portable Fan

Now you have to put the batteries in the holder. After that is done you tape the fan to the battery holder.
Connect the wires as shown in the fourth photo then test it out and you're done. If you have any questions about this build please feel free to ask and don't forget to vote for me for the "Dead Computer Contest".


13 Comments

kodiaktau 10 years ago

Might be a good idea to mention staying away from the caps in the power supply. Safety first.

account3r2 13 years ago

or 1 A (23A) battery. they are 12 volts.

hatehatehate 13 years ago

You DO NOT want to wear a grounding wrist band while working with a PSU. Wearing the wrist band will pass a high voltage charge through your body. You do not want that! While working with high voltage sources dont use a wristband and try use only one hand if your removing a component or w/e. Using two hands will complete a circuit, passing voltage through your body.

qazwsx755 13 years ago

I mend a grounding wrist band with a built in resistor so it decreases the amps. Remember volts wont kill you but Amps will!!!

qazwsx755 13 years ago

Thanks and this was the first Instructable I had ever made.

RoboticKop 14 years ago

AWESOME!!!  This is great!!! thanks!!

Cant you use computer power supply and make it run  like a portable fan? What holds 8 batteries or more now  a days? how long does it run for?

qazwsx755 13 years ago

I'm glad you like it. It would be very hard to make a computer power supply portable because the computer power supply runs on 110 volts. You can get a battery holder that holds 8 batteries from The Source or Radioshack.

bigstiffy 14 years ago

This is fantastic, I had a dead power supply laying around for a year, now I can finally put the fan to use.

rimar2000 14 years ago

Good work!!

Cheap, eco-friendly and useful... 

qazwsx755 14 years ago

 Thanks!! I'm glad you like it.