Battery Powered Drill Mod Power Source
by Ricardo1977 in Workshop > Repair
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Battery Powered Drill Mod Power Source
Have some cordless battery powered drills that you can't use because the batterries or the charger are dead? I'm sure you didn't want to throw those drills away either. I'm sure you thought it wasn't worth buying another charger or batteries just to have them die on you again.
With this project you will be able to use your drill without the hassle of charging batterries or having them die on you.
With this project you will be able to use your drill without the hassle of charging batterries or having them die on you.
Supplies
Salvaged Transformer 24v or higher. Rectifier Bridge or 4 Diodes, Some wire from an extension chord. The usual tools (Screw drivers, wire cutters, etc. maybe a soderimg iron)
Find Yourself a Transformer.
Battery powered cordless drills power requirements range from about 6v DC to 18v DC to 24v DC.
You will need to find an appropiate transformer.
for example a 24v transformer will easily power the 6v drill. The 24v transformer will power the 18v for most light drilling needs, but it will not be enough for an 18v drill if you want to do some heavy duty drilling. A 24v transformer will not be enough to power a 24v drill either.
To power a 18v to 24v drill for heavy duty work that you can use all day, you need a more powerfull transformer. For this i used a transformer that I salvaged from the amplifier of an old home audio system. that tranformer has multiple output voltages, and the one I used outputs about 33v AC.
You will need to find an appropiate transformer.
for example a 24v transformer will easily power the 6v drill. The 24v transformer will power the 18v for most light drilling needs, but it will not be enough for an 18v drill if you want to do some heavy duty drilling. A 24v transformer will not be enough to power a 24v drill either.
To power a 18v to 24v drill for heavy duty work that you can use all day, you need a more powerfull transformer. For this i used a transformer that I salvaged from the amplifier of an old home audio system. that tranformer has multiple output voltages, and the one I used outputs about 33v AC.
Find or Make a Rectifier Bridge
Cordless battery drill run on DC current. Transformers output AC current. AC current will damage electronic devices that use DC current.
The two cables on the output side of the transformer outpu AC current. AC (Alternating Current) Switches between positive and Negative at 60 cycles per second.
With DC (Direct Current), one cable will always be positive and the other cable will always negative.
In order to convert the AC current to DC current, you will need a Rectifier Bridge.
If you salvaged a transformer from a circuit, you can usually get the Rectifier Bridge from the same place. Some Rectifier Bridges are enclosed in a single component (square chip with 4 legs and some Rectifier Bridges are made with Diodes.
I made my rectifier bridge with diodes. They are not pretty but they work.
A quick web search (Rectifier Bridge schematic or Rectifier Bridge Circuit) will help you identify them and make them. Remember, If you salvaged the transformer from a circuit, there is a very good chance the rectifier bridge or the diodes can be salvaged from there too.
The two cables on the output side of the transformer outpu AC current. AC (Alternating Current) Switches between positive and Negative at 60 cycles per second.
With DC (Direct Current), one cable will always be positive and the other cable will always negative.
In order to convert the AC current to DC current, you will need a Rectifier Bridge.
If you salvaged a transformer from a circuit, you can usually get the Rectifier Bridge from the same place. Some Rectifier Bridges are enclosed in a single component (square chip with 4 legs and some Rectifier Bridges are made with Diodes.
I made my rectifier bridge with diodes. They are not pretty but they work.
A quick web search (Rectifier Bridge schematic or Rectifier Bridge Circuit) will help you identify them and make them. Remember, If you salvaged the transformer from a circuit, there is a very good chance the rectifier bridge or the diodes can be salvaged from there too.
Connect Wires From the Rectifier Bridge to the Drill
Get some wires that are the proper gauge for conecting the drill. You can use wires from an extension cord from some other broken power tool. If the wires are too thin they will heat up because of the current and you might run into problems (not enough power, overheating or melting wires, fire or short).
When you connect the wires from the rectifier bridge to the drill, make sure that you connect the positive wire coming from the rectifier bridge to the positive connection on the drill and the negative wire from the rectifier bridge to the negative connection on the drill. you can identify which side is which with the marks on the batteries themselves.
If you dont have the batteries, which was my case with one of the drills I just connected it and one way the drill will run way way better than the other.
That's it. Be carefull when making this project. It would be best to enclose the transforner in some sort of wooden or plastic box . This info is as is and if you decide to make this you do so at your own risk.
I've drilled through some pretty hard concrete with my 24v drill without issues.
have fun using your unused drills.
When you connect the wires from the rectifier bridge to the drill, make sure that you connect the positive wire coming from the rectifier bridge to the positive connection on the drill and the negative wire from the rectifier bridge to the negative connection on the drill. you can identify which side is which with the marks on the batteries themselves.
If you dont have the batteries, which was my case with one of the drills I just connected it and one way the drill will run way way better than the other.
That's it. Be carefull when making this project. It would be best to enclose the transforner in some sort of wooden or plastic box . This info is as is and if you decide to make this you do so at your own risk.
I've drilled through some pretty hard concrete with my 24v drill without issues.
have fun using your unused drills.