# Charging Station - No more worries



## cbMerlin (Jan 13, 2009)

*Charging Station - No more worries*

I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:








I didn't like the way the batteries sort of "smacked" onto their storage part of the station so I added some small pieces of weather stripping to absorb the weight of the batteries. That's the grey you see under the batteries








The chargers I have are the one hour type, so that's the timer I got, there's a number of other timers available. Luckily both size batteries I use, 14.4v & 19.2v have the same size base so the storage holes, sort of a oval with one flat side, work with either battery. The chargers accept either battery as well.








I attached the extra cord with velcro under the base. No more cords all over the place! Each charger only pulls 65 watts, the switch is rated at something like 1850 watts, so no worries there. A couple coats of poly and I was done! Will probably build a small shelf on the wall to get it off the work bench at some point. Works great and a little compensation for my forgetful nature as well!


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## interpim (Dec 6, 2008)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


excellent idea!


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## FirehouseWoodworking (Jun 9, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


Very nicely done!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


good work and great idea.


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## Hawgnutz (Mar 29, 2007)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


great project! I gotta make one of those, too!

God bless,
Hawg


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## johnnymo (Aug 15, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


pure genius!


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## trbrown47 (Nov 4, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


Considering my little brother is not an electrician, I am quite impressed! There is very little he won't tackle!
(Of course everything he does impresses me; I am just a bit biased)


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


Wow !~ don't know how I missed this one , but glad I found it now !! Great job : ) Thanks for posting your project . Where do you store the drill / drivers ?


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## cbMerlin (Jan 13, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


Dusty - The 12v & 14.4v are on a shelf just above charger station. The 19.2v are in their cases, on a shelf below my bench. 90% of the time I use the smaller ones. Still havn't found a better place for the station so it's still sitting on the bench, I getting used to it there.


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## bigike (May 25, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


very good idea nicely exacuted.


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## ravencaptain (Feb 6, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


I like it, I have many times myself forgotten about batteries in the charger frying-good idea


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback . I didn't know if you were going to make a cabinet / shelving unit to store everything together with the chargers. : )


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## cbMerlin (Jan 13, 2009)

cbMerlin said:


> *Charging Station - No more worries*
> 
> I read one too many stories about over-heating batteries during re-charging. Went out to the shop the other day and realized I forgot to take a battery off the charger. It was extremely warm! I didn't want to burn down the house, not to mention the cost of replacing batteries, so I made this station. I found the timer switch on e-bay for about half the price of a local purchase. I had everything else left over from other projects so my total (new) investment was under $15. Had the recepticles & covers, boxes, an old extension cord with a missing female end, a couple feet of #14 wire, a small pieces of plywood, some 1x poplar and pine and this is what I came up with:
> 
> ...


I'm planning on some sort of storage at some point but the wife's "can you make me this list" is growing…..


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