Wonder if Robert Graham got the job done he posted question last
January about converting cordless to corded.
I did it today using an old Western Auto 10 amp car battery charger.
I used the tools today (7.2 volt Black and Decker saws that had 2
VersaPak removable batterries each), no problems, also wired a Black
and Decker drill, 4.8 volt with built in battery pack, (removed the
battery pack). Still used the 12 volt setting on the old Western Auto
10 amp charger.
Simply took cords off of old radio's and stuff opened up the tools and
figured out positive and negative, forgot to mark the other end of the
cord and had to take apart and use meter to get it right.
Works great, got them set up at thier own work bench with the charger
on shelf, can see amp needle on charger, when start drilling or sawing
the needle jumps all the way then settles back to 5 amps, 6 or 7 when
drilling with hard pressure.

On 5 Sep 2004 20:24:45 -0700, (William Krems)
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Wonder if Robert Graham got the job done he posted question last
January about converting cordless to corded.
I did it today using an old Western Auto 10 amp car battery charger.
I used the tools today (7.2 volt Black and Decker saws that had 2
VersaPak removable batterries each), no problems, also wired a Black
and Decker drill, 4.8 volt with built in battery pack, (removed the
battery pack). Still used the 12 volt setting on the old Western Auto
10 amp charger.

Well. 4.8v mnotor on 12v. We will hear from you again tomorrow?

Simply took cords off of old radio's and stuff opened up the tools and
figured out positive and negative, forgot to mark the other end of the
cord and had to take apart and use meter to get it right.
Works great, got them set up at thier own work bench with the charger
on shelf, can see amp needle on charger, when start drilling or sawing
the needle jumps all the way then settles back to 5 amps, 6 or 7 when
drilling with hard pressure.

************************************************** ***
I know I am wrong about just about everything. So I
am not going to listen when I am told I am wrong about
the things I know I am right about.

Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for pound,
or comparably priced. But I guess if you have a few spare tools, a lot of
time and a desire anything is possible?

"William Krems" wrote in message
om...
Wonder if Robert Graham got the job done he posted question last
January about converting cordless to corded.
I did it today using an old Western Auto 10 amp car battery charger.
I used the tools today (7.2 volt Black and Decker saws that had 2
VersaPak removable batterries each), no problems, also wired a Black
and Decker drill, 4.8 volt with built in battery pack, (removed the
battery pack). Still used the 12 volt setting on the old Western Auto
10 amp charger.
Simply took cords off of old radio's and stuff opened up the tools and
figured out positive and negative, forgot to mark the other end of the
cord and had to take apart and use meter to get it right.
Works great, got them set up at thier own work bench with the charger
on shelf, can see amp needle on charger, when start drilling or sawing
the needle jumps all the way then settles back to 5 amps, 6 or 7 when
drilling with hard pressure.

"Dave in WA" wrote in message
news:bUW_c.2231$Q44.947@trnddc09...
Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for
pound,
or comparably priced.

Maybe so, but I can think of a few reasons to do it. Car battery on hand,
cordless batteries have died or are not retaining much of a charge. Maybe
cost of new batteries or rebuilding batteries is too much. Maybe it's just
an educational exercise. Haven't you ever tried something just to see if it
works? A large proportion of what we do is a waste of time and money.

On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 10:31:18 GMT, "Upscale"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

"Dave in WA" wrote in message
news:bUW_c.2231$Q44.947@trnddc09...
Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for
pound,
or comparably priced.

Maybe so, but I can think of a few reasons to do it. Car battery on hand,
cordless batteries have died or are not retaining much of a charge. Maybe
cost of new batteries or rebuilding batteries is too much.

Actually, it's interesting. I have a rellay expensive 12V cordless.
The guts are great, but the supplied battery packs (at $120 per pack)
are dead. They were proprietary NiCds, and a ripoff.

Suddenly it occurs to me that I can get NiMH cells with umpteenth the
capacity, for a tenth of the price of replacement of the prop packs.

The only trouble is, of course, that the charger will go in the bin,
and that I will have to crack the pack to charge the new cells in the
intelligent NiMH charger. Temperature and all that.

There has to be a market there somewhere. I have a couple of 2-ways
that you can get in-radio chargers for, but of course the chargers
take 24 hours to charge 800mAH NiMh cells, because a quick charger
cannot measure temp if the cells are still in the radios. Devices that
talk to the chargers? Why not? Probably $1 to make and $10 on the
price.


************************************************** ***
I know I am wrong about just about everything. So I
am not going to listen when I am told I am wrong about
the things I know I am right about.

Another reason is recyceling, those tools will go to the dump
otherwise.
I don't understand the 12 volt setting working on the 7.2 and 4.8 volt
tools but I've used them several times with no problems, no heating up
or anything.

Old Nick wrote:

On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 10:31:18 GMT, "Upscale"
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

"Dave in WA" wrote in message
news:bUW_c.2231$Q44.947@trnddc09...
Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for
pound,
or comparably priced.

Maybe so, but I can think of a few reasons to do it. Car battery on hand,
cordless batteries have died or are not retaining much of a charge. Maybe
cost of new batteries or rebuilding batteries is too much.

Actually, it's interesting. I have a rellay expensive 12V cordless.
The guts are great, but the supplied battery packs (at $120 per pack)
are dead. They were proprietary NiCds, and a ripoff.

Suddenly it occurs to me that I can get NiMH cells with umpteenth the
capacity, for a tenth of the price of replacement of the prop packs.

The only trouble is, of course, that the charger will go in the bin,
and that I will have to crack the pack to charge the new cells in the
intelligent NiMH charger. Temperature and all that.

There has to be a market there somewhere. I have a couple of 2-ways
that you can get in-radio chargers for, but of course the chargers
take 24 hours to charge 800mAH NiMh cells, because a quick charger
cannot measure temp if the cells are still in the radios. Devices that
talk to the chargers? Why not? Probably $1 to make and $10 on the
price.

Who knows, if you could develop the technology you might have a nice little
niche market going. I've got a couple of dead DeWalt packs here that it's
not cost effective to have rebuilt with NiCd but if I could get NiMH in
them for the retail price of a new NiCd pack or less and get a fast charger
to go with them I'd do it in an instant.

************************************************** ***
I know I am wrong about just about everything. So I
am not going to listen when I am told I am wrong about
the things I know I am right about.

--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Upscale wrote:

"Dave in WA" wrote in message
news:bUW_c.2231$Q44.947@trnddc09...

Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for

pound,

or comparably priced.


Maybe so, but I can think of a few reasons to do it. Car battery on hand,
cordless batteries have died or are not retaining much of a charge. Maybe
cost of new batteries or rebuilding batteries is too much. Maybe it's just
an educational exercise. Haven't you ever tried something just to see if it
works? A large proportion of what we do is a waste of time and money.

Yuppers, many new things have been invented by people tinkering around.
Good stuff Maynard! Besides, we've become too much of a throw-away
society.
Grandpa

Upscale wrote:

"Dave in WA" wrote in message
news:bUW_c.2231$Q44.947@trnddc09...

Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for

pound,

or comparably priced.


Maybe so, but I can think of a few reasons to do it. Car battery on hand,
cordless batteries have died or are not retaining much of a charge. Maybe
cost of new batteries or rebuilding batteries is too much. Maybe it's just
an educational exercise. Haven't you ever tried something just to see if it
works? A large proportion of what we do is a waste of time and money.

I've done a similar thing with the cord and plug off a dead truckair
compressor and an old metabo 12v drill that had 1 dead pack and one on
its way out (the charger went years ago, charged them off a bench psu).
Now I can plug into a lighter socket in any car/suv or use my 7ah
leadacid power pack, much better than throwing away a perfectly good
drill that packs can't be bought for.

Badger

William Krems wrote:

Another reason is recyceling, those tools will go to the dump
otherwise.
I don't understand the 12 volt setting working on the 7.2 and 4.8 volt
tools but I've used them several times with no problems, no heating up
or anything.

I wouldn't be too if there was a voltage regulator in the tool.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto, Iowa USA

There's theory and then there's the real world. The internal resistance
of an auto battery charger is pretty high. A twelve volt potential
should push enough current through something designed for 4.8 volts to
fry the sucker. In the real world, with the setup he describes, while
not a sure bet, is likely to work for a good long time. The internal
resistance of the charger is likely enough higher than the battery pack
the drill came with that both machines (drill and charger) will survive
in good shape.

bob g.

Old Nick wrote:
On 5 Sep 2004 20:24:45 -0700, (William Krems)
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email


Wonder if Robert Graham got the job done he posted question last
January about converting cordless to corded.
I did it today using an old Western Auto 10 amp car battery charger.
I used the tools today (7.2 volt Black and Decker saws that had 2
VersaPak removable batterries each), no problems, also wired a Black
and Decker drill, 4.8 volt with built in battery pack, (removed the
battery pack). Still used the 12 volt setting on the old Western Auto
10 amp charger.


Well. 4.8v mnotor on 12v. We will hear from you again tomorrow?


Simply took cords off of old radio's and stuff opened up the tools and
figured out positive and negative, forgot to mark the other end of the
cord and had to take apart and use meter to get it right.
Works great, got them set up at thier own work bench with the charger
on shelf, can see amp needle on charger, when start drilling or sawing
the needle jumps all the way then settles back to 5 amps, 6 or 7 when
drilling with hard pressure.


************************************************** ***
I know I am wrong about just about everything. So I
am not going to listen when I am told I am wrong about
the things I know I am right about.

How about a cordless tool that works but the replacement battery costs
more than you want to spend and you don't use the cordless feature that
much anyway. I can't imagine a whole lot of folks running out and
buying cordless with the plan to convert but if you've used the thing
until the battery quits, what do you have to lose?

bob g.

Dave in WA wrote:
Just because it can be done is no reason to do it. Corded tools are
probably safer and I'd bet a hell of a lot more powerfull...pound for pound,
or comparably priced. But I guess if you have a few spare tools, a lot of
time and a desire anything is possible?

"William Krems" wrote in message
om...

Wonder if Robert Graham got the job done he posted question last
January about converting cordless to corded.
I did it today using an old Western Auto 10 amp car battery charger.
I used the tools today (7.2 volt Black and Decker saws that had 2
VersaPak removable batterries each), no problems, also wired a Black
and Decker drill, 4.8 volt with built in battery pack, (removed the
battery pack). Still used the 12 volt setting on the old Western Auto
10 amp charger.
Simply took cords off of old radio's and stuff opened up the tools and
figured out positive and negative, forgot to mark the other end of the
cord and had to take apart and use meter to get it right.
Works great, got them set up at thier own work bench with the charger
on shelf, can see amp needle on charger, when start drilling or sawing
the needle jumps all the way then settles back to 5 amps, 6 or 7 when
drilling with hard pressure.

"Upscale" wrote in message able.rogers.com...
A large proportion of what we do is a waste of time and money.

LOL - Everything I ever made in my shop comes to mind...

-CJ