Homebrew MagSafe

[Freeload] sent us his custom MagSafe adapter build for laptops. MagSafe for those unaware is Apples (patented) power adapters that prevent damage to laptops when the cord is accidentally yanked from the socket. While we’ve seen some custom versions before of MagSafes they were usually bulky, ugly, and used a ton of unremovable glue. We really like [Freeload’s] because its quick, good looking, and the best part – completely removable without marks or damage. In short, an easy weekend project that could one day save your laptop.

33 thoughts on “Homebrew MagSafe

  1. If you read the comments on this, it seems that he is making the current flow through the magnets, adhesive, and metal foil… which is all heating up nice n toasty

    suggestions have been made so it might be worth looking if you actually plan on making this

  2. if you trip over the cable it disconnects instead of breaking, my laptops cable has a breakaway that just unplugs itself.

    i’ve got that similar 9 hour battery on my aspire one, its great.

  3. yah basically the Apple MagSafe is a plug that is loosely plugged in, but is held in securely by magnet, but when you trip over it or w/e, the force is enough to remove it without damaging the board or the cord.

  4. >> neodymium magents are strong and who wants that next to there hard drive..

    erm… perhaps someone who knows that there is a much stronger magnet INSIDE the hard drive, and you’d need to literally remove the cover and scrape one across the platters to destroy the data.

  5. Having dragged a laptop off the table and shattering the screen in my finals I really approve of this mod. It will stop you screaming like a high-pitched thing. (I used a monitor to rescue work)

  6. @ Osgeld

    Well if you read the comment by the instructable author completely, you will learn the following;”If the use of copper foil will solve/help the heat issue then i will hunt some down tomorrow and update the instructable.”

    The instructable was updated. Any good reason for posting incomplete information here?

  7. Nice work. My problem was that the power plug was in the back, and anytime my laptop tipped off my lap or whatever else it was on, it landed right on it. I could replace the port inside by myself, but after a few times nothing really repairs a cracked board…

  8. problem with this is, the magnet is on the plug, so you can easily get it next to the hard drive.

    @dennis – that little stack of rare earth magnets is PLENTY strong to damage a hard drive with a quick grazing

    difference with apple’s magsafe is the plug itself is just ferrous metal, the only magnet is in the computer, a safe distance from the hard drive that won’t/can’t get any closer

  9. I don’t know.
    An extension cord and a few seconds of planning have kept all of my laptop power connectors in one piece since I started carrying them.

    Maybe I’ve just been lucky.

  10. Freeload thanks for the instructable, you have saved my wife’s life! I just stopped cringing after a while when she would trip over it, thanking my stars for foldersync and vpn lol. I’m gonna order the parts today but in the meantime I’m gonna try CLIFF’s idea of the xbox “girlfriend saver” and see how that works. Thanks again freeload for the hard work and I will definitely use copper foil. I love it when people actually work together :)

  11. “We really like [Freeload’s] because its quick, good looking, and the best part – completely removable without marks or damage. In short, an easy weekend project that could one day save your laptop.”

    From the instructable itself:

    “Epoxy the large washer to the side of the laptop, taking care not to get any into the socket. Hold for a few minutes, making sure it sits flush”

    The part about putting epoxy on the side of your laptop doesn’t sound very removable.

  12. @dennis
    “there is a much stronger magnet INSIDE the hard drive”

    — obviously you didn’t disassemble one: most of the field is confined within the bracket where the voice coil moves.

  13. This is a good idea I screwed up my first plug by a friend tripping over it and the replacement isn’t perfect, this would fix that problem on top of protecting it.

    I always wondered why laptops didn’t use magnets to keep the plug held in place loosely instead it was on an old deepfryer of mine and I though it ingenius and it took a company like apple to rip that off lol.

  14. ghaldos: agreed, my deep fryer has the same deal, and I’m pretty sure they’ve been doing it longer than Apple has. My power connector is the only thing I dislike about my laptop, but I’m not 100% sure this “upgrade” would solve the problem…

  15. Nice, but as others have noted here, the Instructables site has been infected by the GoPro virus. To see the entire instructable and all its pictures you have to input your credit card information for a “membership.” That membership includes ‘targeted’ ads made just for you.

    Instructables was MUCH better before being infected. Someone should kill the site or establish a non-infected alternative.

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