My DIY modular charging station
14 comments
·August 6, 2025montroser
abound
When you make it a reality! For folks with even the most modest of DIY inclinations, there's never been a better time to try building things.
alanbernstein
Generally I'm all for this, but newcomers to this stuff should be aware that DIYing 120v outlet or switch hardware can be a fire risk.
AstroJetson
I have the same thing. You can find a variety of drawer pulls that work for you. I used ones that have ends sticking out. That way I can wrap the excess cable. They are called Bar Pulls, and mine have a 1” extension on both ends.
nfRfqX5n
Need one of these but for 2 electric toothbrushes
moron4hire
Speaking of charging setups: I have a wide selection of battery-powered tools all running the same standard of battery (Ryobi, but that's but immigrant, the other manufacturers have the same products). Week, actually, it's two, one for the big machines like the lawnmower and chainsaw, and one for the small ones like the drill. But one of the items is a battery dock using the big battery, a 4 amp-hr li-ion brick. It offers a standard mains socket (as well as USB-A and USB-C sockets) in which I plug my laptop when I work from home on my front porch or a smart-speaker when we want music outside.
For my laptop, one battery adds at least 80% to my battery time, plus I don't get down-throttled for being in battery power only, giving me about 4 hours at full power and another 5 on regular battery thereafter, plus the batteries are hot-swappable.
You can buy external battery backups specifically intended for electronic devices for significantly more money and they only give you one charge.
EDIT: example link https://www.ryobitools.com/products/46396026651
nullc
I was expecting a fire resistant cabinet.
I keep my chargers and batteries in another building for anything with removable batteries.
femto
I gather a burning battery tends to spray flaming debris in all directions. Even if it it's not full on flameproof, some sort of enclosure might contain debris and avoid spot fires.
progbits
I'm as paranoid as anyone but this is too much even for me. How do you two charge your phones?
nullc
Phones charge on fire resistant tile. I only use the other building for stuff with removable batteries which phones sadly aren't. If the phones had removable batteries I'd just get an extra set an swap with the ones on the charger when they run low.
I've been thinking of finding some kind of fire resistant box for phone charging though, so that's what I was hoping to find at the link. :)
What I really want is for all of my outlets to have one A/C and one retractable usb-c cable. So the cables are exposed when in use, but coiled back into the wall otherwise. When will my dream come true?