# Weird, Scary, Power Gizmo-thingy



## middle.road (Nov 25, 2015)

The missus bought an entire wall of electrical/electronic junque (again) at an estate sale this weekend.
This gizmo is just plain scary. Any volunteers for plugging it in?




There is a bunch of cool stuff too. I scored some tools and also came away with a new 5C indexer.
Several vintage Variacs, couple of lasers, and a bunch of laser mounting accessories.
Some real oddball stuff.


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## CluelessNewB (Nov 25, 2015)

I'm guessing some sort of power supply, maybe...   Looks like that Variac might be useful.


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## tomh (Nov 25, 2015)

*Egor  *
fetch me my tongs and hold my beer
Yes master


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## RJSakowski (Nov 25, 2015)

Just put it out in the middle of a concrete slab, preferably outside and go for it.  What's the worst that could happen?


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## Charles Spencer (Nov 25, 2015)

I think it's a marital aid.


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## wawoodman (Nov 25, 2015)

If you have a DeLorean handy, you might go Back to the Future!


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## Billh50 (Nov 26, 2015)

Looks like a lot of possible parts for that homemade EDM.


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## Eddyde (Nov 26, 2015)

Wow thats a lot of capacitance. Be super careful with that thing, even after its unplugged it could still kill ya.


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## CluelessNewB (Nov 26, 2015)

RJSakowski said:


> Just put it out in the middle of a concrete slab, preferably outside and go for it.  What's the worst that could happen?



Just make sure you get it on video!


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## John Hasler (Nov 26, 2015)

middle.road said:


> The missus bought an entire wall of electrical/electronic junque (again) at an estate sale this weekend.
> This gizmo is just plain scary. Any volunteers for plugging it in?
> View attachment 114977
> View attachment 114978
> ...


It's a power supply.  I'd plug it in, but first I'd straighten some of those wires.  Looks like some of the circuitry is mashed down against the edge of the large capacitor.


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## middle.road (Nov 26, 2015)

EDM makes since, there is the copper probe-y thingy attached with a large gauge cable.

I do believe that we'll be 'parting' it out - hehe


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## RJSakowski (Nov 26, 2015)

I would guess from the insulators on the large capacitor and the three series diodes that there is some high voltage involved, possibly in the kv range.  There are bleeder resistor strings across the capacitors which should safely discharge them in a few seconds to minutes, depending on the capacitance.  Maybe a zapper for those pesky mosquitoes?


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## John Hasler (Nov 26, 2015)

middle.road said:


> EDM makes since, there is the copper probe-y thingy attached with a large gauge cable.
> 
> I do believe that we'll be 'parting' it out - hehe


Not likely EDM: that wants low voltage and high current.  This is a high-voltage supply.  The three diodes are part of a voltage multiplier.   What is the device on the left front next to the variac?


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## tomh (Nov 26, 2015)

No doubt she would have made the evening news had she been  stopped  by the popo.


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## JimDawson (Nov 26, 2015)

John Hasler said:


> What is the device on the left front next to the variac?



Looks like a mercury relay


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## genec (Nov 26, 2015)

middle.road said:


> The missus bought an entire wall of electrical/electronic junque (again) at an estate sale this weekend.
> This gizmo is just plain scary. Any volunteers for plugging it in?
> View attachment 114977
> View attachment 114978
> ...


It looks like it could be EDM Or maybe A defibulator I don't understand why the high tension coil on there, with that much capacitance it will light your fire


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## JimDawson (Nov 26, 2015)

Given that the laser hardware acquired with the power supply, I'm guessing it is a home brew laser power supply, thus the high voltage output.


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## RJSakowski (Nov 26, 2015)

JimDawson said:


> Give the laser hardware acquired with the power supply, I'm guessing it is a home brew laser power supply, thus the high voltage output.


I had thought that as well.  It does seem overly complicated for that application though.


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## Billh50 (Nov 26, 2015)

I was just thinking that the variac and maybe a capacitor and other stuff might be used to make a homemade edm like the one I linked to in another thread.


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## Ulma Doctor (Nov 26, 2015)

nothing says safety like tie wire on a capacitor bank!


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## John Hasler (Nov 26, 2015)

Ulma Doctor said:


> nothing says safety like tie wire on a capacitor bank!


A friend of mine had a folding battery charger that made that thing look safe.  It consisted of a two-wire line cord and plug, two diodes, a capacitor, and a set of jumper cables, all connected by bits of stranded wire.  No chassis or case.  He kept it in a bag and laid it out on the ground when he used it.


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## coolidge (Nov 26, 2015)

If that were manufactured today it would have like 14 government mandated warning stickers.


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## John Hasler (Nov 26, 2015)

coolidge said:


> If that were manufactured today it would have like 14 government mandated warning stickers.


You mean the charger my buddy made?  I wouldn't apply the word "manufactured" to it (or to the device at the top of this thread).  I don't think I adequately described my buddy's device.  There was *no insulation* on any of the connections.  It *had* to be spread out carefully to work: otherwise it would have caught fire.  I *think* that he used a polarized plug and made sure that the negative terminal connected to the neutral, but I'm not sure.  I never used it and stayed well clear when he was.


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## RJSakowski (Nov 26, 2015)

John Hasler said:


> You mean the charger my buddy made?  I wouldn't apply the word "manufactured" to it (or to the device at the top of this thread).  I don't think I adequately described my buddy's device.  There was *no insulation* on any of the connections.  It *had* to be spread out carefully to work: otherwise it would have caught fire.  I *think* that he used a polarized plug and made sure that the negative terminal connected to the neutral, but I'm not sure.  I never used it and stayed well clear when he was.


That sounds like a good plan , John.  Unfortunately, I have seen similar contraptions.  Best to back away quickly when you meet one.


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## 4GSR (Nov 27, 2015)

Home made fence charger???

See if it will blow up watermelons...


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## TOOLMASTER (Nov 27, 2015)

ETCHER.?


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## anadeau (Dec 23, 2015)

Old Science Fair project?


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## chips&more (Dec 23, 2015)

It looks like a power supply and with dual voltage output. That larger transformer has a very serious secondary winding which would indicate some extremely high current low voltage output. And that component to the left of the Variac looks like a repurposed high voltage transformer from the earlier TV’s with CRT’s. And this thing also has a diode multiplier suggesting high voltage…Good Luck, Dave.


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## toolroom (Dec 23, 2015)

That my friends is the High volt FLUX Capacitor from the Deloren in Back to the future!


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## RJSakowski (Dec 23, 2015)

Trying to understand what this gizmo is from the pictures is like trying to understand a Picasso.


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## toolman (Dec 23, 2015)

Looks fine to me, plug her in and see what happens. Better yet, find a buddy to plug it in and you can video it.


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## Dave Smith (Dec 23, 2015)

turn the variac  to low setting plug in the 110 and step on the foot switch--and then use your meter carefully to determine the dc voltage on your large output wires---then turn your variac up a little and recheck---but if you know nothing about electricity safety--then don't mess with it---give it to someone who does---just the foot switch and the variac are probably worth what your wife paid for all of it---I wish my wife would buy stuff like that for me----be safe-----Dave


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## FOMOGO (Dec 23, 2015)

I believe that to be version 1 of professor Peabody's Way-Back machine. Plug it in and stand Waaay Back. Mike


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## Ulma Doctor (Dec 23, 2015)

it kinda looks like the gizmo that E.T. used in the movie to phone home....


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## RJSakowski (Dec 23, 2015)

I wouldn't recommend plug something in to see if it works without having some kind of a clue as to what it is supposed to do.  A little circuit tracing would help a lot.  If it were my gizmo, it would be parted out.


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