Project Boxes and Battery Holders

[Mycroft2152]

With a little imagination, a number of commercial items can be easily and cheaply converted into project boxes with battery holders.

The new white LED lights usualy have 3 cells for 4.5 volts, perfect for a PICAXE.

Here are a few sitting ion my junkbox waiting to be filled:

Halloween lights -- I bought these for the UV leds and the battery box. The day after halloween the prices were slashed.

White "puck" lights - three whiote leds and a great battery holder with switch for under $1 US.

Stickon drawer lights--3 cells and room enough for a small 08 project (Like the Jar of fireflies or a temp logger) for aboput $1 US and the batteries were included.

Intel flasher--this was a point of sale gimmick, a flashing Intel logo, running of dual lithium cells. This was a gfreebie.

 

[Mycroft2152]

Project Boxes and Battery Holders (part 2)

Since the forum has a 2 item limit on attachments, here are the other 2 photos of project boxes and battery holders.

 

[manuka]

Agreed! There are certainly all manner of coin shop e-toys suiting PICAXE enhancement. Parts alone in most are often worth more than the item cost - witness the nifty US$2 torch pictured.

My preferred housing however are AA switched battery boxes (~US$1), with a single AA within replaced by a 08M circuit. The popular 3 x AA type, even with 2 x AAs (3V) remaining, is usually still up to powering many PICAXE circuits. An ex solar garden lamp PV can even be glued to the outer case & it's boost circuitry used to charge just a single AA NiCd- even more internal space is then available! Such solar powered flashlights make for a low cost kids DIY workshop project, with the initially working solar PV lamp educationally reassuring.

 

[sedeap]

Recycled boxes

Other items can be used after use the product, like cosmetics and deodorants.
see.
Pic1 lowres Hi.res
Pic2 lowres Hi.res
Pic3 lowres Hi.res

Or CandyBox or Bubble gum box

Even Empty Ink Cartdrige, from Printers.

35mm Photoroll canister (film container)

Firelighters... for leds

And so on...

 

[topicaxe]

A source of free batteries!

For your cheapo project boxes, how about some free 1v5 AAA size batteries to power your projects. Trot along to your nearest film processing shop and ask for some emptied disposable cameras. (they break open the camera to get the film out). Inside the camera you will find a barely used AAA size battery.