Introduction: USB Power From Drill's Battery
Devices that can be charged via USB are only growing in numbers.
What to do when the power is out and your phone is dead?
If you are lucky enough, you'll have some kind of portable charger that will save your day.
In this project we are going to make a USB charger that can take the power from your drill’s battery.
Just slide it one the battery and you’re ready to charge your gadget.
Great for emergencies or to use it as a portable charger.
Drill batteries hold a lot of juice, so they will outperform most of the portable chargers you can buy.
Get prepared and make this super simple charger. Even though you'll be making this charger for your battery, the design should fit other brand batteries.
What is needed:
- Plastic bottle screw cap
- Cars USB charger that works with 12v - 24v (I think most of them do)
- A packet or two of Sugru
- Some cables
Step 1:
Open the charger and take out the board.
Remove the negative/ground connector that goes on the sides of the plug.
Make 2 new connectors from the negative connector.
Step 2:
Take your screw cup and check where the holes should be made for the connectors.
Make 2 cuts for the connectors and drill a hole in the middle of the cup.
Step 3:
Solder 2 cables on the boards positive and negative terminals.
If you don't have a soldering iron, you could try to attach the cables by twisting them to the connectors on the board.
Put back the board in the plug.
Squeeze or cut the connectors with wire cutters, so the cable can get a good grip.
Attach the cables.
Step 4:
Insert the connectors in the holes you cut earlier.
Screw or push the plug in the hole of the cup.
Mark positive(+) and negative (-) terminals with a permanent marker.
Step 5:
Cover the battery terminals with scotch tape.
Reason - so the Sugru does not short the battery while it dries.
There must be some moisture in the Sugru while it's fresh, so just in case.
Put the charger onto the battery and adjust the length, width, shape of connectors, so it fits perfectly.
When you are happy with the result, cover the terminals and cables with Sugru, so they don't move.
Remove the charger and use more Sugru to cover the plug and terminals on the bottom of the cap.
Put back the charger on the battery and make sure everything fits tight and does not move.
Make a custom pattern on the Sugru if you wish.
Lift the charger a little bit, so the Sugru does not stick to the battery. Wait until Sugru dries.
Remember to check positive and negative terminals before putting the charger onto the battery.
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35 Comments
8 years ago
here's mine! its for Makita LXT batteries. No reason for so many slots!
Reply 6 years ago
Very well build, its so beautiful
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Beautiful!
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
joel.riley, can you post some pics of the underside of yours -- connections, etc? My drill batteries are the slide-on like yours. Thanks!
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Here you go. It was a bit of head scratching working it out. The oak block was cut in half, I made the top and bottom to fit and cut grooves for aluminium connection to wedge into.
Reply 8 years ago
try again.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Wow, that's very neat.
Well done!
7 years ago on Introduction
How can I adapt this to have multiple USB charging ports...
Reply 7 years ago
You can add an adapter
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
You can use a car charger with multiple USB ports.
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
That was a simple answer I should have thought of - thank you...
7 years ago
Made one with my wife's charger ;) Awesome idea.
8 years ago on Introduction
Great project!
Add a solar charger with regulator if needed & its a portable power supply.
8 years ago on Introduction
Awesome project. I have a small tip, you could engrave the positive and negative polarities into the Sugru for a permanent reminder as I suspect the marker will wear off. For people building the project, this is easiest to do when the Sugru is still soft. (of course, you can just use a scalpel to carve it once set either) Again, great project. James
8 years ago on Introduction
I have a better idea. Just go to a junkyard and get your self a cigarette lighter receptacle from any old car and and then use the process described here for connecting that to the drill battery. You might even be able to light a cigarette with the setup !
Reply 8 years ago
thank you. that's what I did
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
I also had that idea, but I could not think why would I want it that way.
I have another USB charger in the car. I also don't have any CAR devices I would like to run at home or from the battery.
I guess for some it would benefit to do it that way.
Good thinking!
8 years ago on Introduction
very well done; loved it.
8 years ago on Introduction
MOST EXCELLENT! IMO, this is a perfect Instructable; well done!
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
I am glad you found it helpful.
Thanks