AA-sized conductor (fake battery) wanted

My comment was intended more as "tongue-in-cheek" (I have a friend that I *never* ask for things like this as he *would* turn something on a lathe for me and I often end up embarassed at the "excessive quality" of his solution! :> )

Some batteries (against which the "dummy" may mate) require the little "nub" on the + end to ensure contact. Likewise, some battery holders "guard" the + terminal with a bit of raised plastic to protect against a battery installed backwards. (i.e., a "flat surface" -- like the - terminal -- won't connect)

"Ian Field" wrote in news:lo3Yo.23358$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe10.ams:

that could LEAK electrolyte. Better to just cut a dowel to size,cut a slot for a wire from end to end,fold over the ends,maybe epoxy in place.

Cheap,easy. follows the KISS principle.

The dowel and wire would be the most easily fabricated/accomplished for most handy folks, I think. If some cells are arranged end-to-end in the equipment's battery holder, placing the dowel version between 2 other cells would eliminate the need for a more sophisticated top and bottom terminal, which some battery holders actually require.

Additionally, it's about as lightweight as can be, and durable (won't collapse or leak, etc).

-- Cheers, WB .............

D Yuniskis Inscribed thus:

Us mechanical engineer types take great pride in our hobbies ! :-)

Ah ! In that case you would need to turn it to produce the pip on one end.

Well, *he's* the mechanical type: lathe, end mill, surface grinder, shadow graph, coil winder, etc.

Of course, another friend has a sinker EDM and a couple of wire EDM machines... a bit too expensive to qualify as "toys" :-/

Yes, that was why I suggested the lathe instead of just cutting drill rod, etc.

Though, with copper, I think you could *almost* use a file as "cutting tool" and a large electric (hand) drill to spin the work. Wouldn't have much control over the dimension of the pip but I suspect you could fashion a functional one in a few minutes. Heck, even putting a slight taper on the one end would work!

D Yuniskis Inscribed thus:

Ooo ! I feel the green eyed monster coming on. :-)

I wasn't aware of that limitation. Though my son just pointed out the battery holder in the Wii was shaped so you couldn't put the battery in backwards.

Very true ! A trick I've used to clean up the end of damaged bolts.

Yeah, when I hear complaints about all of my crap ^H^H^H er, *toys*, I think about *these* sorts of things! :> The first friend (above) gave me a 3KW FERRUPS (UPS) one day. I was trying to figure out how to get it *into* the truck (weighed a couple hundred pounds... the batteries alone weighed more than 100 pounds). He "disappeared". And came back a few minutes later with a front-end loader, scooped the UPS into the bucket and dropped it onto the truck.

Sheesh!

Yes. It's the same sort of problem you face with "untabbed" NiCd or Li cells. They don't always want to conduct abutted "end to end".

How rebolting! ;-)

D Yuniskis Inscribed thus:

Indeed. :-) In my case it would still be in the truck.

On 1/15/2011 9:28 PM Michael A. Terrell spake thus:

Aaaaaah, the guy's nuts I say. Cross-threaded between the ears. Tapped out, ready to die.

David Nebenzahl Inscribed thus:

Ooo Nasty. ;-)

You need one of these!

Left hand thread in a right handed world!

Michael A. Terrell Inscribed thus:

Hey that looks nice ! Don't know what I would do with it ! But it looks nice.

Michael A. Terrell Inscribed thus:

That reminds me of a little tale. Many many years ago, an apprentice was given the task of drilling some holes in a piece of metal. He was given a drill of the right size and told to get on with it.

He came back quite some time later with a very badly burnt and blunted drill, a piece of metal with a burned depression in it.

The foreman had sneakily given the lad a left hand drill... :-)

Great for moving (light) pool (billiard) tables, pinball machines, etc.

Of course, the latter can be moved by a person with a suitably strong

D Yuniskis Inscribed thus:

Well that rules me out then ! ;-)

Get heavy things from the bed of a pickup truck to your workbench. You should have seen the fun Ihad unloading a 60 Gallon air comressor from my truck last year. Two guys with a forklift loaded it, and slid it all the way forward. I had to use a chain hoist to inch it back to the tailgate, then lift it an inch above the bed before I pulled the truck out. Then I lowered it to the ground and 'walked' it into my shop.

The boy's not too sharp, I say! He tried to back up his hard drive on the Xerox machine! ;-)