Weekend Project — Timed Outlet

I have a cordless drill with rechargeable batteries.  The batteries charge completely in about 20 minutes.  They are not supposed to stay on the charger for longer than that.  However, unless I am standing right there after the charging time, I forget to take the batteries off of the charger.

To fix this problem, I made a timed duplex power outlet out of a countdown timer and a duplex outlet.  I plug the timed outlet into a 120v outlet.  Then, plug the battery charger into the duplex outlet attached to the timer.  Finally, I set the timer to 20 minutes and walk away.  (There are more details about the parts and assembly on the Instructable.)

One problem I had is that the faceplate that came with the timer was too wide.  It covered the timer and a bit of the duplex outlet.  I found a Thing on Thingiverse that uses the Customizer to custom build faceplates that cover from one to five outlets with any configuration.  I used it to make a custom faceplate for two outlets with a single hole for the timer on the left-hand side and holes for a duplex outlet on the right-hand side.  I printed it on the Makerbot 3D printer using black PLA filament.  I used 100% infill to make it solid and durable.

 One problem I had with the print was that the raft stuck to the surface in some spots and would not come off.  So, there are a few rough looking spots.  Another problem is that the hole for the timer knob was a bit too small.  I had to drill it out slightly bigger.

 After attaching the new faceplate, I used my label maker to print the numbers for the dial.

That’s it.  No more ruined batteries due to overcharging.  And, it’s portable!

timerOutlet