POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

[rabler]

Agreed! I have two 2/10/50 Schumachers that are flaky. Sure, auto shut off is nice, when/if it works! I just set a timer on my phone as a reminder if charging at 10A.

Bruce

As someone who made a career out of working in electronics, I still like the old ones too. I have an old 10/50 Craftsman that I need to clean up, but it still works fine as-is although the charging leads and clamps are ratty as can be.

 

[pontiac428]

I have a pair of hardy transformer chargers that I use for charging. But dumb chargers are no good at low float, that takes electronics. I ignored the cries of my real chargers and bought a battery tender a few years ago. Apparently, my batteries all tell me that I don't drive enough, and the cost of car batteries is up in price from before COVID. I know because the $60 battery and the $99 AGM batteries that I bought before became $200 and $300 to replace... So now anything that sits gets plugged in to a tender. If prices keep going up, I'm going to make my own batteries, it's not exactly rocket surgery. I can get 600 CCA out of a battery made from a rubbermaid tub and wheel weights, right? Deep cycle is even easier, just iron and nickel electrodes and KOH or H3PO4 as an electrolyte, in 8 cells. Maybe add sodium slilicate to keep it from sloshing in the back seat...

 

[rabler]

I have a pair of hardy transformer chargers that I use for charging. But dumb chargers are no good at low float, that takes electronics. I ignored the cries of my real chargers and bought a battery tender a few years ago. Apparently, my batteries all tell me that I don't drive enough, and the cost of car batteries is up in price from before COVID. I know because the $60 battery and the $99 AGM batteries that I bought before became $200 and $300 to replace... So now anything that sits gets plugged in to a tender. If prices keep going up, I'm going to make my own batteries, it's not exactly rocket surgery. I can get 600 CCA out of a battery made from a rubbermaid tub and wheel weights, right? Deep cycle is even easier, just iron and nickel electrodes and KOH or H3PO4 as an electrolyte, in 8 cells. Maybe add sodium slilicate to keep it from sloshing in the back seat...

Says the man who has an aversion to lead exposure

Battery tenders have their place. In my mind they are not the same beast as a battery charger. Many issues would be avoided if people could differentiate.

 

[woodchucker]

Says the man who has an aversion to lead exposure

Battery tenders have their place. In my mind they are not the same beast as a battery charger. Many issues would be avoided if people could differentiate.

yep, to me they are trickle chargers .. I realize they call them float chargers, but I had a computerized charger years before they were common for my RC soaring planes. the mode where it drops to a low charge was always referred to as a trickle charge.

 

[pontiac428]

Says the man who has an aversion to lead exposure

You betcha! That's why I included the Ni-Fe-PO4 and KOH deep cycle options, I have a lead allergy.

Battery tenders have their place. In my mind they are not the same beast as a battery charger. Many issues would be avoided if people could differentiate.

The difference being transformer vs. switching power supply. The transformers have the grunt. I don't consider 3 amps peak to be a charger, it's just a trickler with some good sensing algorithms that makes it better for sustained float without boiling the battery dry.

 

[rabler]

trickle charge.

That's the old term I'm accustom to also.

I think some people don't realize that the 2-3A output after charging from say a 20A charger is too much for a trickle charge/battery tender. It's just a more complicated circuit than a simple transformer/rectifier to not cook a battery on a charger, and still get decent charging performance. That's before throwing in different battery chemistry.

 

[pontiac428]

Just the temperature difference after a 20A charge has an impact. As the battery cools from the peak charge, it takes more trickle. The smart charger will overdrive the hysteresis and be done while the dumb charger is still adjusting output as the battery cools. At the end of it all, I just don't want dried up electrolyte on those days where I do need to drive.

 

[tq60]

There is trickle charge then float charge.

Not even close to same thing.

Trickle charge is just that, a limited current source.

Float charge is voltage controlled.

My switch had a 2000 Amp "float charge" after a commercial power outage...

There is actually other stages, bulk snd absorption, float is when the battery is fully charged so it just floats.

It is a precise controlled VOLTAGE.

VRLA battery is happy with .1% C, where C is the 8 hour rate.

A 100 Amp battery is happy with 0.1 Amp float.

Battery minder is voltage controlled and floats well.

Battery tender brand run a bit hot and may ruin the battery.


Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[woodchucker]

There is trickle charge then float charge.

Not even close to same thing.

Trickle charge is just that, a limited current source.

Float charge is voltage controlled.

My switch had a 2000 Amp "float charge" after a commercial power outage...

There is actually other stages, bulk snd absorption, float is when the battery is fully charged so it just floats.

It is a precise controlled VOLTAGE.

VRLA battery is happy with .1% C, where C is the 8 hour rate.

A 100 Amp battery is happy with 0.1 Amp float.

Battery minder is voltage controlled and floats well.

Battery tender brand run a bit hot and may ruin the battery.


Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

when you say switch, what are you talking about?
2000amp is a huge amount of current.

 

[wachuko]

Needed a stand/base for the anvil... saw this video and decided to give it a try... Easy to make and I can make it in two afternoons after work.

Unfortunately, the local Lowes does not do project cuttings... only two cuts per piece... since they were out of 2x12x10', I had them cut two 2"x12"x12' into 4' pieces... I then did the rest of the cutting at home... it was late, so garage door close, fan on high... still it felt like being in a sauna... Cut to 24" since the recommendation of having the anvil face at knuckle height.

Looking at the photos, looks like I added one more piece than needed. I will remove it tomorrow before securing everything... Should have been 9 pieces instead of the 10 in the photo. The base of the anvil is only 6.5"x 9"



I will finish it tomorrow after work... forgot to buy wood glue... do not want to only use screws...

I did get some wheels... at the end, it should look something like this, but lower, the guy that made this one, is 6'3" tall:





Question: What is the chain for??