Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

http://www.makezine.com/blog/tengy05n.jpg

http://www.makezine.com/blog/tengy05m.jpg

To prepare for a 2003 doomsday "pole-shift" scenario, a group of survivalists (Zetatalk) put together this "Troubled Times" information hub. One neat idea caught my eye: using an old power drill as a makeshift hand-crank generator."

From the site:

"The unit is light weight (2.5 lb), portable, low cost ($10-$20) and can be used to recharge single cell batteries at from 1-3.5 amps. It can be made from a cordless electric drill in a primitive environment. The simplest way of how to make a hand crank DC generator using a standard 12, 14.4 or 18 Volt Cordless drill from Harbor Freight Tools. With no modification hook an alligator clip jumper to the two charging terminals (on the bottom that the battery plugs into). See picture below. Note that when a 14.4 Volt drill is laid down pointing to the left then the upper terminal is most likely to be the plus and the lower terminal the minus for these units." - Link.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Hmmm....that hand crank gives an idea......if I mount a drill to the top of my White Mountain ice cream churn, I could recharge batteries WHILE making the best peach ice cream to ever slide past my lips.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

How long do you need to crank it to charge a battery?

Wouldn't a solar panel or a waterwheel work better?

If I'm busy 'surviving' is cranking a drill the best way to spend my time? I'd rather use my brain to invent something to charge it on it's own, if possible.

Also, how do you hold it to get leverage? I would think fixing it to something would be better, and in that case, a drill wouldn't be a good choice for a form factor, would it? Take the guts out, gear it up real good to get more crank per rotation, attach it to a stake and put a big rotating pole on it. Of course, the extra RPMs might burn the thing out.

Just putting on my critical hat.


LG :smokin:

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

nifty. I have a physically broken cordless drill that I haven't had the heart to throw away. I think I'll mess around with it.

re: gearing it: you'd have to REALLY gear it to spin it faster than it will spin on it's battery.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

This is something I played around with a few years ago


http://www.damoc.com/data/pedgen/pedgen1.JPG

hoda civic alternator using bike parts to gear up the speed

dont 100% remember all the specs now but I think I could put out 20 to 30
amps for maybee 30 seconds maybee 300 watts.

very hard to get working right on 12 volts due to the current needed to excite the coils and the pedal power required

resistance in the charge circuit (long length of small diameter wire)droped the amps and made it easier to pedal


finally used it to charge into 6 volts at about 5 to 10 amps 30 to 60 watts
which was comforatable for extended periods of time

used swithing relays to reconect the 6 volt batteries back to series
when I was not using charger

I did no mods to the alternator and I think a good permanent magnet generator would be a better choice but did not know of a good cheap supply


http://www.damoc.com/data/pedgen/pedgen2.JPG

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

interesting ideas

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

ERR. Halo is not in this thread. :yes:

Interesting use of stationary bike.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Andy, we've got a Rival that I've been thinking about replacing with something with some more capacity and a more durable design (too much plastic for my taste). How do you like the White Mountain and what's the capacity on your model? We just make vanilla and then use a Magic Bullet for each person to flavor to taste. Throw up that peach ice cream recipe and we'll give it a spin.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

I'd finish this off, looks like you could boot up your computer and get quick post in on G.I.M. with the results.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

At least it ain't hot water.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Just about any DC motor can be turned and it will generate power.

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

yes but the trouble was finding something
suitably sized for pedal power I thought 1 of those old automobile generators
would have been perfect.I also rigged a bike generator to charge batteries
but it did not produce enough wattage to make it worthwhile charging
100 ah batteries via pedal power(to much time spent pedaling).

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Ever tried large tape drive motors ?

Low RPM, large bearings, permanent magnet (no field windings to power), dc output.

Just wire a rectifier in series with output for battery charging.

These are also manufactored under other name brands, Indiana General, GE, Bosch, Seimens, etc ...

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Do they sell tape drive motors new or do you have to have a freind in the ancient computer business.

E-A

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Used, Ebay, might need bearings, check the brushes ...... try out an Ametek 30 or 40 volt rig for the bike, I think you'll like the result, no cogging of the armature. Use a small 5/8 bore pulley for the genny with an electric dryer belt driven by the rear bike rim.

Lance Armstrong generates about 100 watts constant output on a bike run.

I've got a couple Indiana General 30 volters around here somewhere, if you pay the shipping I'll send you one.


- Halo

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Thanks now I have an inferiority complex :haha:

would like to try 30 volter happy to pay shipping can i send you a
pm with my email for paypal

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

No problem, 15 bux too much for s&h ?

Remember this is a low speed dynamo, only need about 500 RPM to charge a 12 volt battery.

h

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Thanks I just sent you an email.500 rpm is great I would like to try it on a water wheel that I am playing with at the moment(high torque low rpm)

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Somebody finally found a use for a harbor freight cordless drill. Wow.

TG

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

Thanks for the 30 volter still tinkering but it seems very well suited to that little hydro I will change it over to another bike gen when I have finished
playing with hydro.Got it in a rough setup today but need some good rain
to fully test it.

http://www.damoc.com/data/waterwheel/ww13.JPG

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

if you are hoping for a good rain you might want to put a weather shield on that old motor there

Re: Hand cranked Electric Drill Generator!
 

have a plastic cover for it and will actually pull it of anyway when im not
playing around with it dont have good water flow/generation prospects on property so its just an experiment.