We love this hacked-together mini drill by [BuenaTec] that uses a DC7.2V 10K-RPM motor with a 1/8” Dremel chuck added on. Power is supplied by a USB-A cable with the data wires cut off, with a switch controlling the voltage and a rectifier diode protecting the USB port or battery pack from back voltage from the motor.
The drill isn’t very powerful, only able to bore holes in PCBs, plastic, and similar soft materials. However, you could see how just a couple more components could make it even more robust — maybe a speed controller and voltage booster? Even so, we appreciate this bare-bones, ultra-low budget approach — only the barest essentials are included, with the components held together with hot glue and solder. Also, no one is allowed to complain about their soldering iron after viewing this video.
For more projects involving motors, read up on this brushless motor made from 3D-printed parts and this guide to hand-winding quadcopter motors.
WTF HaD? I see fast quality content decline in recent years, not to mention HaD from ten year ago are gone.I even remember days when being featured on HaD mean something like Oscar for hardware hacker. Future turns out just sad.
I agree – what next? “Screwdriver made from metal”, “Pencil made from wood”?
This particular post looks like a shill for poor instructables “guide” has slipped through.
I’m guessing you didn’t actually click the link, which shows it IS a poor instructables guide ;D
I didn’t say it looks ‘like’ a poor instructables guide – I said it looks like one slipped through [the HaD QC]
I like how they wired a diode in series with the switch. I hope it was to lower the voltage and not trying to use it as a flyback/freewheel diode.
Other than that, I am not really impressed by the quality of some “hacks” like this particular, even though one could do wonders with a couple of parts harvested from the dumpster hacked together.
Does it means I should submit to HaD my “redneck engineered” bike that had its frame straightened with a ratchet strap and a car jack?
I’d actually like to see how you did that. Hackaday needs more bike hacks
Yeah, that sounds like a genuine, HaD worthy hack. Post it!
I wish I took pictures…
I simply strapped the frame of the bike to 2 pillars in front of my house, then I started to pull, but I had to stop after hearing the strap making cracking noises, being afraid of getting cut in half by a broken strap. It should be enough for small bits (derailleur brackets, saddle brackets, seized bolts), but some parts of the frame are stronger.
I had to put the bike on the ground, take the jack and a few shims to push between the crank bearing and the rear fork, and pump until it’s straight (don’t forget to take some hysteresis into account).
Not to mention that the bike died of multiple failures (bearings, chain/sprockets, frame welds starting to crack) a few months later.
TL;DR, Chinesium bikes are not made for crashing or daily use.
Whether it is on Instructables or not, it’s especially sad that this is a device you can buy off of Ali Express for the past three years or more – right now, US$2.60 will get you a motor, chuck, bit, allen wrench (for the setscrew), and a quad AA battery holder, including shipping (at least to the USA).
Where’s the hack? The term “clickbait” comes to mind.
I agree!
All the Oscar-worthy hacks have been reported on.
You can improve the content by throwing your projects on the submission line.
agree!
There’s plenty of Oscar-worthy hacks out there still. The new generation of writers for HaD just can’t be bothered venturing any further than Reddit, Youtube, and Instructables to find them.
Well said.
It’d be cool to implement machine learning to review articles and add a “not a hack” to the title text. You could train it with the outrage from the comments section.
Except for the CD & the fingers the picture above looks very similar to the first hit on:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=pcb+drill+motor
+1
Turns out hackaday is becoming one giant aliexpress ad :D
But at least these have some usefull power: 12V and 1A no load current. That could give several Amps under load, so 25W to 50W of power. 2,5W from USB are a joke. People should use their Laptops PSU (19V) for such things and not the data port (USB). I wonder how long it takes until people try to build USB powered flatirons and water heaters :-(
You can get a lot more than 2.5 W from USB. USB Power Delivery is a thing you can use right now.
Yes with the most modern USB-C you can. But the widespread USB 2.0 is limited to 5V/500mA, although many mainboards do not really limit the current until the PCB traces fry.
“although many mainboards do not really limit the current until the PCB traces fry”
Which would be a great reason not to plug a motor directly into it.
OTOH, usb battery packs are a dime a dozen now so using USB for your little mini-drill isn’t necessarily a horrible idea. Just don’t power it from your PC.
A laptop is not meant to be a portable power station.
No, but laptop chargers are.
“I wonder how long it takes until people try to build USB powered flatirons and water heaters :-(”
Depends, how’s the USB-C adoption coming along?
briliant hack for idiots wow!
I made a toothpick with a match!
I made ice from wather!
A drill using a DC motor (as found in a Dremel) and a chuck (as found in a Dremel) you say…
Impressive hack – surprised that no-one’s ever thought of it before. Other brands are also available.
I have seen probably over a hundred sellers on Ebay selling small drill chucks that fits on most small electric motors out there…. Nothing against the person behind this project, or anything, but it is rather simple for a hack a day article. (One can just tape the drill to the motor too…)
Surely there must be something more interesting out there?
You can buy the whole drill pre-assembled and ready to plug into a USB port:
http://item.ebay.com/112261323562
Oh man… I did this back in 90s…
You had USB ports in the 90s? Late 90s I’m guessing…
I’m referring to motor/chuck part – I didn’t even used chuck – took part of electrical connector block (metal part from something like this: http://www.fachowyelektryk.pl/images/stories/porady/co-laczy-obwody-elektryczne/co-laczy-obwody_7.jpg)
I did the same as a kid, I gotta admit that it was very wobbly (even after gluing small nuts to try balancing it).
Troll-a-day. Give me some hardcore thought provocation. This has to be the worst article I have seen in my nine years of reading Hackaday.
You have to admit, this would have been a perfect post for april 1st.
what the hell is this….
…a drill for ANTS?!
HAHAHA Nice
it looks like an attempt to attract less-advanced readers. Not really a bad thing, but it might deter more-advanced readers.
That’s why I want a hypothetical site, Pretentious Hacks, which only features real hacks that make demands on one’s skill, ability, or means. Also, its writers must be hackneyed and think a lot of themselves, thus giving the name a wonderful double-meaning.
It looks like an attempt to attract “10 live hacks you never seen before” youtube addicts.
Or how do I prefer to call them? Idiots?
Hackaday should never feature instructables.
HaD was pretty Unique.
Now it is just another place sharing stuff of the kind “5 life hacks”.
It is just sad, but everything comes to an end.
A place for hackers, but not by hackers.
Kinda sad that people who complain about ‘not-a-hack’ articles, and still come back the next day. Either stop coming back, or just ignore the article. Easy as that.
For every 50 lumps of shit there’s a nugget of gold. The shit/gold ratio has just gotten way off track the last few years.
The ratio is now 50 rocks for one lump of shit, 50 lumps of shit for one copper nugget, 50 copper nuggets for… well, you get the idea.
That may be true, and that’s where I’m confused. People still come here. If hackaday loses a significant amount of audience then maybe they’d do something about the articles published. Personally I’m not dissuaded by it, and come here to read whatever article, and just be happy if there are a couple that I really liked.
Ok here’s the only lesson from this article and video: If you make a youtube put some nice green material on the table because then it’ll look better.
Oh wow and in my Next Ebay search I will show you what a cheap Lathe Looks like.
Also Dremel Chuck it’s a common Chinese Rotary tool chuck Dremel chucks are a little bit darker.
The I didn’t even try at all to research for an article award should be a thing.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-Motor-Micro-DIY-Electric-Hand-Drill-Press-Drilling-0-8mm-1-5mm-Drill-Bits-OZ-/132272635871?hash=item1ecc103fdf
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Electric-Hand-Drill-Mini-Small-12V-Motor-and-0-5-3-0mm-Twist-Drill-Rotary-Set-A-/272593126988?hash=item3f77d1064
ITT: complaining. I’m fine with an occasional post about some guy hot gluing shit to a motor in between posts about quantum parity and laser-cutter shenanigans. I don’t get why people are so serious all the time.
To be fair, this article created 10x the comment traffic as compared to the average post. Perhaps HaD makes posts like this on purpose, not for novices to like but for pros to hate.
That’s my big worry now, they see the interest, and now we can expect tons of this nonsense.
Next, a battery and an LED! Note to self: Do projects with readily available components and document on HaD.io instead of complaining :-)
IMO this is one of those “rite of passage” hacks that pretty much everyone tried sometime before they were 16.
It could be worse. He could have housed it in an altoids tin.