RobertC2

Excellent photography! I very much like the idea of reusing old designs with the new tech. Sick of generic black boxes! ;-)

Now I know what to do for Christmas gifts next year... I have a bunch of those old flash units!

That last bit was brilliant!

I reuse the wide flat cables in the much older machines, the IDE cables. Those are basically 40 little wires you can use individually, or strip away more than one and make your own flat cable with as many conductors as you need! Very useful!============Nice ideas!

Thank you both!That makes perfect sense. ...I need more coffee. :-)

Another thing to keep in mind is that these wires can be combined to give you many more voltages than the standard 3.3, 5, and 12 volts Instead of using the black wires as ground, use the lower of any combination of two wires... For example, negative on red wire (5v) and positive on yellow wire (12v) will give you 7 volts... The difference between the two voltages! Using the negative voltage wires (-5v White, -12v Blue) you stashed away will give you even more choices!There are many instructables on making a bench power supply from a computer PSU. Pretty handy for testing car audio equipment, led lights, other small projects.

I find myself wondering why the charger would do better than the computer PSU... Most battery chargers cannot provide as much current as the PSU, so why is it working better? Any ideas? Thanks for sharing! ;-)

I made one based on a few different instructables... Unfortunately I did take pics of the unit, but this is what the face plate design looks like: https://www.dropbox.com/s/oqk7f4dioddw555/Power%20Supply%20face.JPG?dl=0It contains la list of other possible voltages that are possible using the same wires...

The steel rod holds the pliers... the bottom is not really needed. Omitting it solves your impossibly unlikely problem from even happening.

Thanks, that's something I hadn't even considered!

Excellent idea! Love it! Definitely adding a magnet to my 3rd hand!Here's a dumb question: Can a magnet damage sensitive components, like a IC?

Already have a 3rd hand device? Add a magnet to any of the metal alligator clips to see if you like how this concept works... then, if you like it, think about making it more permanent; with a larger magnet, perhaps.

Cables! I thought I had a lot of old cables until my cousin died and I inherited his collection too... If I did this to all my USB cables, I could store all of Wikileaks! LOL

@Ray Something to try: Try asking them to keep the iron locked up themselves, then only take it out those few times you need to solder something and they can be there watching... Then put it away again... At least you get to enjoy your hobby, and in time they will see how careful you are and finally let you keep it. Hope that works for you!

Good idea!

The Adafruit UBEC, used here on an 18V battery, is only rated up to 16V... This device , for 2 dollars more, is rated for up to 24V and has TWO --> 2.1A sockets that you can use at the same time! (Total: 4.2A)There are even better options, starting at around 13 dollars, like a trio of similar panel-mounted devices that will give you a normal dual USB socket with 5V 1A/2.1A (Total 3.1A), a 12V Car lighter socket*, and a Voltmeter to keep an eye on your battery level... * Why a Car lighter socket? -- LED lights often use 12 volts. Also, there are many other accessories that are made for use inside a car.-- Charge extra USB devices with a car charger plugged into it. One final suggestion: If this is truly meant as an emergency solution, then you might want to start thinking about ho...

The Adafruit UBEC, used here on an 18V battery, is only rated up to 16V... This device , for 2 dollars more, is rated for up to 24V and has TWO --> 2.1A sockets that you can use at the same time! (Total: 4.2A)There are even better options, starting at around 13 dollars, like a trio of similar panel-mounted devices that will give you a normal dual USB socket with 5V 1A/2.1A (Total 3.1A), a 12V Car lighter socket*, and a Voltmeter to keep an eye on your battery level... * Why a Car lighter socket? -- LED lights often use 12 volts. Also, there are many other accessories that are made for use inside a car.-- Charge extra USB devices with a car charger plugged into it. One final suggestion: If this is truly meant as an emergency solution, then you might want to start thinking about how to charge this power-tool battery after you've drained it with all your toys! --> Next project: Charge your 18V Power-Tool Battery from your Car! ;-)

Seriously? Look at it... Did you see it? Did you read it?Fans above, filters below... Why would you want the device to blow the fumes back at your face? (I realize that there is a "Be Nice" policy, but that question is just really really dumb. My suggestion is: Sell all your sharp tools and take up knitting... Preferably the kind with blunt needles, so nobody loses an eye! LOL)

Indeed, that would work too... In a system without major air leaks, there would be little if any difference in efficiency.But a good reason to do it the way you did it is that the fan blades remain relatively clean from whatever is in the fumes. (i.e.: the fans only physically touch clean air.)

Very kind...but that would be way too much work! Chiming in with little tweaks here and there is easier. ;-)

Easy: Measure your old, messy paint cans and take notes... Head to the hardware store with your notepad and get whatever is closest but still smaller than the can. Use wide tape around the outside of the threaded coupling that you buy until it fits more snugly into your can... Now if you can take it from here. ;-)

Very cool idea, executed very well! Cheers from Canada!

Just commenting as I read. No logical order to be found in my '2 cents' contributions. ;-)Step 6 (gluing the bottom to the threaded coupling) would be easier if you wait til after this step to glue the can's original lid down permanently. You could reach into the can from the top and unscrew the coupling til it touches the bottom. It's a more forgiving method of adjustment considering the potential mess of working with epoxy. ;-)

You could make a very discreet Bluetooth speaker for your tool shed out of them! Apparently you can make a Bluetooth speaker out of pretty much anything! LOL

But, that being said, thank you for taking the time to share this with us... If I can't have what I want, I'll do all I can can to thwart their efforts by using and propagating every hack I can find! ;-)

Here's my solution to proprietary cables, chargers, and connectors. Buy something else!If it's proprietary it is out to get your money, plain and simple. I will not encourage these companies, ever. There are two reasons to use proprietary tech: They want to force you to buy only their stuff, or they cannot make it work within industry standards. Neither is a valid reason. If they can't build something good enough to keep your business without resorting to extortion, then they are too corrupt to deserve your money! If they can't build something without having to modify the connectors for technical reasons, then they are too dumb to deserve your money. No compromises or restrictions! Enough of this planned obsolescence!No expansion memory slot? - Pass! No replaceable battery? - Pass! ...

Here's my solution to proprietary cables, chargers, and connectors. Buy something else!If it's proprietary it is out to get your money, plain and simple. I will not encourage these companies, ever. There are two reasons to use proprietary tech: They want to force you to buy only their stuff, or they cannot make it work within industry standards. Neither is a valid reason. If they can't build something good enough to keep your business without resorting to extortion, then they are too corrupt to deserve your money! If they can't build something without having to modify the connectors for technical reasons, then they are too dumb to deserve your money. No compromises or restrictions! Enough of this planned obsolescence!No expansion memory slot? - Pass! No replaceable battery? - Pass! Insanely over/under engineered software required to just connect it to your PC? - Pass!Won't charge at all through a standard socket without the "special" charger? - Pass!No standard headphone jack? - Pass! (I'm talking about you, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Garmin,etc. -- Ok, mostly Apple! lol)Lets stop pretending that these are good things... they are not. Rant over... Carry on. ;-)

Case is nice!

I like how you went kinda nuts with the springs! ;-)

There are two wires coming out of Pelletier device -- One is red, that is the positive voltage. Run wires directly to fan motor. Red wire goes to +.Congrats, you are done!Now do you really need a video for that?! ;-)

Heatsinks are often made of aluminium and are very easy to cut with a hacksaw or a rotary cutting wheel device like a Dremel. But, like the man said, the dimensions are not all that critical. Use what you have and make it close if you can. It should work fine. ;-)

Try getting motors from old printers... they are often very powerful for their size and they may already be attached to gears, and other mechanisms that you can use.

LOL, that was brilliant!

Very cool design!

Wow! ...Just, wow!With absolutely no intention of building one, I nevertheless read most of this instructable. I have to say it was fascinating to see your creativity at work. Not only was it well written, it was quite amusing. The "instant dreadlocks" was my favorite, I do hope you were kidding! I particularly appreciated the fact that you had no fancy tools, Arduino, laser cutter, or 3D printer! -- You worked with what was available, without following any instructions. You made a functional piece of art from junk. Impressive, indeed!Thank you very much for the time it took to share your journey with us!

Sand in the frying pan! -- I'm definitely trying that! Thanks!

Done. :-)

What are you talking about? You are misinterpreting the comment as negative and going off for no reason at all. Who's a troll?! Or a schmuck?! Name calling, really? What happened to "if you haven't anything good to say, don't say anything at all"?Anders644PI is a big boy, he can defend himself. If he was offended, I trust he would have said so. As for your evaluation of the work, I totally agree... However, you are way off if you think you have a case against my intentions. It was a suggestion that he make his title fit the project. There was no disrespect intended in our comments. In fact, I only chimed in because the author's response to the initial advice from another user was not really addressing the problem; as if he was too close to the project to see why the title ...

What are you talking about? You are misinterpreting the comment as negative and going off for no reason at all. Who's a troll?! Or a schmuck?! Name calling, really? What happened to "if you haven't anything good to say, don't say anything at all"?Anders644PI is a big boy, he can defend himself. If he was offended, I trust he would have said so. As for your evaluation of the work, I totally agree... However, you are way off if you think you have a case against my intentions. It was a suggestion that he make his title fit the project. There was no disrespect intended in our comments. In fact, I only chimed in because the author's response to the initial advice from another user was not really addressing the problem; as if he was too close to the project to see why the title was actually wrong. So I wanted him to take another look. By being specific about the error, I figured he'd get it. We simply want other users to be able to FIND the instructable without getting upset when they realize that the title mislead them to something that is NOT a TV. Fine, let it get lost in the shuffle... But, seriously, this guide is way too well done to be lost!As for making my own instructables, how is that a necessary step to posting comments? Some of us are here to get ideas, but are not necessarily ready to post anything. I have taken ideas from many sources and made my own projects better because of it. I checked your page: ONE instructable... And a winner no less! Bravo! So, should you be restricted to commenting only on making bread? Of course not. Anyway, I will thank you to concern yourself with my comments when they are inaccurate. Otherwise, kindly refrain from inventing your own motivations for what others say or do. I am neither jealous nor am I a troll, or a schmuck. Just evaluating as honestly and clearly as I can. Sure I could have been a little more delicate with my opinion on the aesthetics of his "TV" design, but a little sarcasm never hurt anyone... But, as the author will receive this comment too, I will take this opportunity to apologize for any perceived insult. [ Anders644PI, I'm sorry if you were offended by my comment. ]But still, I stand by its content. The title is (still) badly worded, and the 'TV-look', although a good idea, is lacking enough detail to make it a total success. Everything else looks brilliant! ...Now go make some bread or something! ;-)

Makes me wanna get drunk just so I can justify having one tomorrow!

Sorry, dude, but fly_boy is right. Your title says "...retro looking TV..." which, in English, means that it is a TV that is retro-looking. As awkward as it sounds, you want to say it's a portable (dunno 'bout pocket-sized) touchscreen game pad that happens to look like a retro TV (except for the no knobs thing and the big ugly wire coming out the top).Just change the title. :-)

Wires were not used for those connections... The ends from the longer nickel strips that protrude past the edge of the battery pack are soldered directly to the board. That is why mounting the board where it is was such a genius idea!

There is only ONE connector that is used for Input when charging, and Output when powering something. No need for 2 connections since the pack is not meant to be used and charged at the same time.

Nice!One question: What is the 4th 18650 cell used for? Parts list says 4, text says 4, pics show 3...

Brilliant video! Thank you!

No, you cannot. Microwave ovens work by exciting water molecules within the thing being 'heated'... there is practically no moisture inside HDPE and therefore it will not melt from any heat produced within it.

Yes! That's exactly what I thought too! That 1974 film was was so weird and wonderful... think Sean Connery in red and black S&M gear falling for the beautiful Charlotte Rampling in hippies and crystals future distopia. Good fun! Lol

Sorry, I disagree. I know it would seem to be an obvious assumption, but it would be a huge exaggeration. It's a matter of scale...The screw's residual magnetic field is too weak to have any effect on a computer. Away from the magnet, it's barely strong enough for the screws to cling to each other! You could safely rest half a dozen of those screws on top of your hard drive and it would do absolutely nothing measurable. Been using a magnetic container for laptop screws for years with zero havoc. In fact, there are electronics repair mats that have built-in magnets for exactly that purpose. So, unless you're rubbing a hard drive with a huge magnet, like what you'd find in a microwave, then you're fine.

Good one! Did the same for the long window in my metal door.

Compared to what's going on inside the motor, a little magnet on the outside is irrelevant.

You will need to mount the sensor on the mic stand under the mic, aiming toward the person talking, and use a 5V relay to interrupt the mic's wiring. You will need to cut an extra mic cable to do this, preferably a short one. If your mic uses XLR (3 pin) connectors, look up how they work to be sure you wire it right.

I must admit, I have little interest in building this. But I just had to see how a Metal Detector could be referred to as being "Eco Friendly"! Now I know.Very well structured instructable! Cheers!

A slightly alarmist statement... There is zero heavy-metal poisoning. The metals in solder cannot become gaseous at that temperature. All the fumes from soldering are from the flux. Not healthy, but certainly NOT heavy-metal poison. A well placed fan is sufficient if working outside.

Thanks, I'll be trying some of these.Small correction:At the end of step 1, a "Viola!" is a stringed musical instrument larger than a violin, but smaller than a cello. I believe you meant to say: Voilà!Which is French for "See There" or, more appropriately, "There ya go!" (or, "Ta-Da!") ;-)

"Epoxy generally survives high temperatures well, and it bonds strong."I fixed a cracked car radiator with epoxy, years ago. It lasted an extra 6 months!

Looks like an antique tool from the 40's... it might have come from my grandfather's jewelry shop! Beautiful work!

Flange... Home Depot ($13.98) ?????14 bucks for a little metal flange? That's insane! Yeah, no! I woulda used a piece of 2 by 4. Not as nice, but for fourteen bucks you can buy a few more Helping Hands sets and build one with multiple bases. 14 bucks for a flange... Ha!

Very nice! Love the case!Small corrections needed in Step 2, In this paragraph, there are errors. Not in the math, but in the Volt and Amp symbols used in the equations."We need to load the 5V rail with 10W total, so we need to find the correct resistance. for that we need to find the amperage of the resistor. that we can do by rearrange the P=U*I so well get I=P/U which gives us I=10/5A=2AThen we can find R with rearranging the U=I*R formula, so we get R=U/I=5/2Ohm=2.5Ohm."--> Should be: I = 10W / 5V = 2A, and R = 5V / 2A = 2.5 OhmsCheers!

You mean 58.5(65W x 0.90 = 58.5, not 68.5)

Brilliant upgrade! *(adds corner clamp to shopping list)

"...I then impressed the wooden panel with small holes by pressing the post against it." So simple, and so brilliant! I've already built more helping hands than I need... but I still like reading these because of this low-tech, common-sense kind of stuff. Thanbks for sharing!

Try springs from Clothes Pins, Mouse Traps, or even small Chip Bag Clamps.

Try springs from Clothes Pins, Mouse Traps, or even small Chip Bag Clamps.

Nice looking project! I believe you quoted this from a dubious source.: "Lead is used in the soldering process in the form of lead/silver filler metals. When heated, lead oxide fumes are formed. Excessive exposure to lead oxide fumes can result in lead poisoning. Symptoms include loss of appetite, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, constipation, headache, abdominal cramps, nervousness, and insomnia. Lead is absorbed through the mucous membranes of the lung, stomach, or intestines and then enters the bloodstream"--> The temperatures used in soldering are not sufficient to vaporize lead. There is ZERO lead in soldering fumes. Still harmful, but no lead.

You are being overly alarmist.Lead does NOT vaporize at those temperatures. Therefore there is ZERO lead in the fumes. They are ALL from the flux. Still harmful but no lead. As long as the fumes are forcefully directed away from the face, his setup is perfectly fine for hobbyists in reasonably ventilated rooms.

Yeah, but they often have something more useful, a second 12V rail!

Nice warning labels! One silly question: Why waste paint on the whole cover when doing just the top would be sufficient to apply those stencils?

Good question, chargerR!It depends on your PSU. Everything you need to know is on that label...Important: You cannot have all rails at max current. The label has the wattage, too. That and the voltages you will be using at any given time will let you calculate what you can expect from the unit you have.

Hi Gelfling6,All good, just a little friendly nitpicking... You already know this stuff but others may not be so experienced. #2. The black wires are not really GND. Ground is the chassis, through the thicker green wire on the MAINS connector. In the interest of clarity, I recommend using 0V or Black Wire when referring to it. #2A. I have read many instructables that say the load need only be on the rail with the highest current limit. No harm in using it on both, but if the maker has only one, he doesn't need to put off building this to wait for snail-mail from China. ;-)Cheers!

Ah, man! Now I wanna paint mine blue! Loved how simple it was!.I've used one of those lamp arms for a fume extractor fan, but never thought of using it for a third hand. That was inspired!Gotta get some of that plastic, looks like fun.

pfred2, that's quite a magnifier you've got there! You must be doing surface-mount repairs by hand! Nice!I like the suspended platform, looks pretty versatile. Nice tool!

oops... lets try that again...

Many voltage combinations are possible. This was the face plate design for the one I made 2 yrs ago. At the top right of the photo you will find a list, and a very important notice about current rating. The current limit for combined voltages is the lowest of the two rails used.

SiDawg, I believe part of your question was left unanswered.The last part about TWO (2) pairs of +/- red/black 12v wires... I think you were asking about 2 separate rails of 12v wires... the colors you mentioned were confusing given that in this device the 12v rails are yellow. One is Yellow and the other is Yellow w/a Black stripe (2nd 12v rail only on modern PSUs).The answer is no, you cannot use those two 12v rails together to make 24v because they share the same black wire. So, if you try what you said, it would simply short out one of the rails, in which case the rail is shut down and you will never get your 24v by using these rails in series. Sadly, using +12v(yellow) and -12v(blue), typically, will give you only about one amp... Theoretically, there is another way to get 24v at a...

SiDawg, I believe part of your question was left unanswered.The last part about TWO (2) pairs of +/- red/black 12v wires... I think you were asking about 2 separate rails of 12v wires... the colors you mentioned were confusing given that in this device the 12v rails are yellow. One is Yellow and the other is Yellow w/a Black stripe (2nd 12v rail only on modern PSUs).The answer is no, you cannot use those two 12v rails together to make 24v because they share the same black wire. So, if you try what you said, it would simply short out one of the rails, in which case the rail is shut down and you will never get your 24v by using these rails in series. Sadly, using +12v(yellow) and -12v(blue), typically, will give you only about one amp... Theoretically, there is another way to get 24v at a reasonable current by combining those two 12v rails in parallel and feeding them into a boost converter. Because they are in parallel, they combine their current rating, and although some of that is lost in the step-up process of the boost converter, you are still getting reasonable current if the boost converter is rated for high amperage. Of course those are expensive...Alternatively, a cheaper solution is to just buy a 24v supply and get on with your life. ;-)

Look at it this way: Your instinct took over and wanted to prevent a law suit... Nobody can sue you for a Tic TaK! ;-)

Method 5: Wire-nuts + a little tape. If it's good enough for all the lamps and lighting fixtures in your house, it's probably good enough for most projects.Besides, who the hell is gonna be pulling on my wires?!

Laptop Power Bank using extra power-tool batteries, without modifying the batteries so they can still power your tools. I love it when things are re-purposed smartly. Particularly when the thing can still be used for its original purpose if needed. Bravo! Note: If your laptop's charger uses the very common 5.5mm (OD) x 2.1mm (ID) DC plug, as mine does, you can avoid destroying that extra charger. Just use the wire from a same-sized generic wall charger. Test carefully for polarity.

I had no idea why I was saving all those old, dull razors... now I know!

All it needs now it a sound module... ;-)Hears sound of TARDIS materializing in another room... Runs in slightly after the sound has stopped. Sees micro TARDIS, still blinking... Mind blown! ;-)

LOL, when I saw the pic of your thumbs up in front of the 2x4, which had part of the Canadian Maple Leaf symbol on it, I was sure you were making a political statement to Trump bitching about our Soft Wood Lumber! Then I saw the date this was posted... Still, I got a good laugh. ;-)Excellent work!

Love those little single cell power banks! Very useful for parts!I made a powered speaker for my sister that uses those as swap-able drop-in power modules with no modification! One bank is powering the speaker, while the other bank is charging elsewhere from a smartphone charger. Or, you can take several pre-charged power banks with you for outdoor parties...

Very nice! Looks great!--> The DC to DC converter is a BOOST or STEP-UP converter. Not a buck or step-down converter.

Wow! Great instructable!You write these for a living, right? No? ...well, you should! ;-)