How To Make Cordless Drill To Crank Charger See how you can use a cordless drill as a crank charger to recharge batteries, even alkalines! Step 1: A Clever Idea It's the holiday season and everybody knows what that means: lots of dead batteries. But, don't throw them out, recharge them. Here's how. A cordless drill can also be used as a generator. Connecting the battery leads inside to a volt meter, and simply turning it, will show this. Step 2: Obtain The Parts All we need now is a voltage regulator. You'll find the perfect part inside a cheap, outdoor solar-powered garden lamp. The battery holder inside has a circuit board attached, which charges the battery from the solar panel. This is exactly what we need. The rest of the parts cost about $3.00 total, and include a C and D cell holder, some alligator clips, and a length of wire. Step 3: Attach The Wire To The Circuit Board Although I prefer to sauter them, you can attach the alligator clips by stripping about a quarter-inch of wire, and using a pair of pliers to firmly clamp them into place. Now, attach or sauter the other end of the wires to the red and black leads on the circuit board. Step 4: Make The Hand Crank I made a hand crank from bending a metal bar that attaches to the drill just like a regular bit. Now, the cordless drill will work just like a hand crank generator. Attach the alligator clips to the battery post and we're ready for testing. Step 5: Test The Machine Let's start with a completely dead NiCad ...
