I just got this assembled last weekend.

printables, complete with F3D file.

This is a battery adapter that will allow you to insert D cell batteries into a LiitoKala Engineer Lii-500. I included the Fusion 360 file, so you can customize it to fit other applications, but odds are it will fit most 4+ 18650 based chargers that are also compatible with Ni-MH.

It prints in two halves that I simply hot glued together around their perimeter. It’s not like this part is going to see very high loads… The parts are designed to print without supports. My copies are 20% infill (you could easily go with less) and 3 walls for an overall wall thickness of 1.16. Wall thickness is something I wouldn’t change, at least for the battery side so the battery terminals don’t eventual fail. The batteries are a very slight interference fit to ensure a robust electrical connection.

For terminals, I used 8mm wide nickle strip. I’m sure you could use something else, but I had some on hand and it seemed like an obvious application. Connections between the two halves were made via wires and solder.

  • ramenshaman@lemmy.worldEnglish
    81·
    11 months ago

    What do you D batteries for?

    I hadn’t used them in many years but then my gf got me the hot wheels set I asked for at Christmas 30 years ago and never got and it uses D batteries. I’m planning to make a wall adapter for it.

    The hot wheels set is Criss Cross Crash and it’s probably the best toy ever made. They haven’t changed it in the last 30 years.

    • IMALlama@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      9·
      11 months ago

      Amusingly, this is almost exactly the reason why we have D sized batteries. The batteries are for a Criss Cross Crash, which I also never owned for a kid. But we got it for our kids (one of the perks of being a parent - you can buy the toys you wanted as a kid but didn’t get).

      I initially purchased a pair of these chargers to charge 18650s for… high power flashlights. Yes, that’s a thing, go check out !flashlight@lemmy.world. Then I started tearing down older laptop batteries to harvest 18650s for a DIY electric scooter. Then we had kids and now these chargers see a lot of use for Mi-MH