What do you do, when you move into a shared apartment and find only one socket is available among four electric toothbrushes? Revert to an old-style manual brush? If you’re [luisengineering], not a bit of it. He’s modified an electric toothbrush with the only sensible power plant, a three-horsepower twin cylinder four-stroke gasoline motor. You’ll need to turn on translated subtitles from the original German to watch it, but we hope you’ll agree it’s worth it.
After explaining the problem, the video below the break continues with the assembly of the motor, a model unit available through the usual online suppliers. This alone is interesting, for no doubt many of us have seen these motors for sale and retain some curiosity about them. We expected him to retain the electric drive for the toothbrush and use a generator, but instead, he hooks up the motor via a shaft directly to the input gear. With three horsepower behind the brush, this will surely shift that stubborn plaque! Astoundingly as you can see in the video below the break the contraption works, and both he and a friends perform their dental ablutions with it.
We like the blend of craziness and engineering embodied by this project, and we commend it to you on that basis. If you’re short of electric toothbrush modding ideas, how about an engraving tool?
“He’s modified an electric toothbrush with the only sensible power plant”
Power source perhaps makes more sense?
Depends on the country of the writer. In some places, power plant makes more sense, in some power source.
Use a simple power distributor/junction? There is a vast difference between being clever/lazy and plain moronic.
You have to understand the goal before you can make such an assertion. The goal is not to solve the outlet problem, it’s to make money from a YouTube video.
I’ve been told repeatedly that pointing this kind of thing out means I don’t belong on HackaDay.
Truth is HackADay can never sink below the twine wrapped old tire table. They will take that as a challenge, just watch.
Why does this make me think of the movie “The Naked Gun”… https://media.tenor.com/iCndi0Uy7lsAAAAd/naked-gun2-dildo.gif
He’ll need to make it easier to start and remain running before it will be a commercial success.
Finally, a sensible, practical, and useful “hack”. I’m very glad to see this.
When I first saw the title, I was thinking of a gas engine, but I hardly expected my crazy imagination to be realized. The trick now of course if to make this modular so you can use it to sharpen pencils, grind coffee, run dremel tool “bits” and so forth with the proper front end.
It’ll make the dental industry happy…in repairs.
Next time: “We build a Sun in our kitchen to Bake a Cheesecake”
I can’t belive it, over educated engeneers, years of suffering and pain throught one of the hardest degrees in Germany, to end up As a Youtuber.
Darwin, i think There is an mistake in yout theory.
But ITS definetly a Hack, thumbs Up.
I’m doubtful about the 3HP claim. I’ve only been able to find 7cc versions from a quick search, and if they’re getting 3HP from that displacement, they have a pretty amazing engine tech.
Anyone got a link to an engine like this that produces 3HP? If so I have a small plethora of uses.
Sears Craftsman horsepower.
Yeah it isn’t even remotely plausable when you compare it to a regular 3hp gas engine. Just looking at it there’s no way it can be more than 0.5hp.
Speaking as a dentist, my only problem with this is that he didn’t use the toothbrush power button on the handle to start the motor. I don’t like it when hobbyists take shortcuts. You have to commit fully to become self actualized.
And with the electric starter, that really should be nothing more than a few wires, maybe a relay…
Shocked at the omission of obvious creature comforts from such an otherwise sensible project. Shocked!