Putting the batteries in parallel increases the current available. The logical result is increased torque. If he had put them in series he would get faster rotation on the spindle but reduced torque, comparitively.
All the internet has to offer with advice on hooking up Lithium is that you need a spot welder. Such a game changer seeing someone solder tabs on. Thanks for the never ending class on how to.
I had a similar screwdriver from Black and Decker that had ni-cad batteries that lasted for over twenty years before I put a new set of batteries in it. What a workhorse.
My dad had one of those on the shop wall for like 20 years. Love it. The latest B&D versions just don't last, but the one with the gyroscopic trigger on the back was slick.
Takes me back to childhood. Had the same one for putting Steel Tec together. I remember the day we found it at Deseret Industries for $1.00. Overkill for Steel Tec but I was a happy camper! Still sitting in my parents garage.
@@sixtyfiveford really is the most useful MacGyver channel I have on tap, and my most suggested to anyone I know that might appreciate useful inventive info. I'd love to see more like this where we can really get to see the brilliance within that soulless ginger melon. 😜😁 Just kidding bro. Obviously there's a ton of amazing spirit in that brilliantly red topped idea box we all appreciate so much.
Got one of those for Christmas back in the day. Absolutely loved it. Used it for years, then later found out that a friend of my father had designed the gear-set. I probably still have it out in the garage somewhere, along with the matching power ratchet, which I rarely used and was always dead. What I would like to see you do, is convert a modern battery-pack system into a corded adapter, so that I can plug my battery-powered tools in and keep using them, rather than having to have a bunch of batteries to switch out, or wait while they're recharging.
Buy a knockoff cheap as shit battery on amazon, and take the battery out of it. Attach wires to the contacts, and then connect that to an 18V grunty switchmode power supply. Done - now your battery tools are "corded"
Biggest issue is the amps these tools draw. Sure it might only be 12, 14.4, 18v etc, but they will draw 30-60+amps under load. That's way more than any reasonably priced ac - dc power supply can handle.
@@sixtyfiveford So.... Maybe I could find a good power supply that can handle the amperage, then set it up so I could switch it between the various tools. Still cheaper than a half-dozen battery packs for two or three different tool brands.
If you need more than 17A, you can also get 24V 25A (600W) meanwell powersupply for about $100 - not too bad for one power supply shared among many tools
I have 3 of the Skill Super Twist brand. A twin to the B&D. I have replaced the Ni cad cells with Ni metal and still use them. Fair warning though. A friend had two of these, one for his shop and one for use in the house for his better half. He had converted the shop driver to Li with a battery management board in a new charger. It worked great. His wife found hers uncharged and "borrowed" his from the shop. After using it she made sure it would be charged so she placed it on "her" charger. The resulting fire scorched the drywall and left a burn mark in the floor beneath.
I'm a huge Black & Decker, Gibson, Sears, and Montgomery Wards tool user and collector. I really like and appreciate this video, as a matter of fact I was just using my battery powered motorized B & D tape measure which runs on 4 x AAA... Definitely going to convert it now, should have years ago when I used it in construction, drove everyone crazy but sometimes they'd borrow it as I was always carrying it 😆
I love the way you pieced this all together. I have the same tool base, but mine has the 1/4 inch ratchet on the end instead of a screwdriver. I have a similar universal charger from Radio Shack that I got for a song when they closed the stores a few years ago. I also have the lithium ion batteries. Boom! I'm doing this!
Still got b&d exactly like yours still running on original batteries, got a few 18650s knocking around, the ole thing has been surprising over the years so she deserves an upgrade!
Thank you my black and decker is modle (9018) and has two battery's at 2.4 volt and made in 07 / 1980. And today it still works like new. I would like to get new batteries for it if and when it refuses to work. Thanks again . I look forward from hearing from you.
1990 called and wanted it's screwdriver back. I had one of those and loved it. Battery died and now it's gone for ever. I actually miss it sometimes. Thanks Moe
Nice upgrade! I have an orange B&D cordless screwdriver (from forever ago, probably the 1st gen, it’s all orange and the bottom half folds when pressing a button to form a handle ) that you pop the battery in and out of from the bottom. I searched and couldn’t believe they still make batteries for it! I got a great deal on two new ones (nicad) so I’ve stuck with them. I used the heck outta that thing back in the day doing electrical.
have one of those I used to use the dickens out of at work. We assembled stuff with 8/32 chicago post screws, was perfect for that. It's still in the cannibal electric parts bin on the shelf. Got the same Lithium charger and cells...I might duplicate this same project. These would shine doing projects just like this taking small diameter screw in and out of other drills and stuff while working on the bench. Nice job!
I have an older Panasonic electric screwdriver, been contemplating doing the same, you just convinced me. Great for removing and installing electrical faceplates.
Nice one! I’m used to that kind of conversion too. I found that running the battery without a bms is fine but you have to be aware of it. You can’t run the tool till the battery is dead, you must recharge as soon as power goes down and speed decreases or you damage the cells. Thank you for your videos I’m a big fan, I like your approach and the way you do things. Cheers from France
😊 this video completely made my day! I’m grinning from ear to ear! I can hear my dad right now. He had probably five of these at all times because none of them were ever charged 🤣😆😂. He’s been gone 6 years now, but I sure wish I could send him this video! He’d get a kick out of it! Thanks for the smiles brother!
Always amazed at the great info in these videos. And even more amazed by Ginger in each video. Enjoy all your videos. Keep up the the great work. Good stuff. Allen from Atlanta
Good stuff ! Always good to keep adapting and make work what you have ! No kidding that those screwdrivers look new - once they were permanently attached to charging stations they never worked well and became fixtures. Thanks for the vid ! (And that pup is crazy smart !!)
Very cool, taking an under powered, short battery life screwdriver (even when new) and turning it into a nice, very handy tool. A lot more power. I've disassembled all my old Ni-cad drill drivers and a couple of Li-Ion and given the motors to a friend who teaches robotics. I'll need to rethink that.
Oh yeah, my dad had one of those. I have a similar Ryobi that I got as a gift, hung on the wall, and haven't touched in 15+ years. I guess I can't throw it away now.
Oh man! I wish Ida watched this BEFORE we tossed all dad's old tools out! His WOULDN'T hold charge anymore. I would have liked to keep a few in memory of him, but thought it was pointless to keep worthless tools that no longer worked. AWESOME video!
I have Both this as well as the 90 degree ratchet. Thank you for this tute. I wasn't sure how to renew these. You are a legend! I couldn't source 4/5th in any type!
There are these little 3.7v charge/discharge chips on amazon for about $1 each if you buy a bunch. They work great with the lithium batteries you find in the street inside tossed e cigarettes. The chips are pretty small, a little bigger than a stamp. And you can get a variety of usb jacks for whichever cord you prefer to use for charging. Cool project thanks for sharing
Hello, I'm thinking about doing what you say, but I thought about placing the charging plate inside the base where the screwdriver is placed to charge, my question is whether it will work or if I have to change some connection inside the screwdriver, will you? Can you enlighten me?? Thanks
@MrJamp11 the charge chip I use has 4 connections you will need to connect to. 2 for the battery and 2 for the load (screwdriver). You'll need to remove and reconnect the wiring from the old battery connections in the screwdriver to the new charging chip, and you'll need to drill and shape a hole in the area your chip is mounting for the charging plug for your external cable to plug into. If you're thinking if doing this then you're probably capable of getting it done. You can drill another small hole above the plug hole on the side of the led, fill in the back of the hole, and fill to cover the led with hot glue. If you cover the led and it also covers the hole in 1 piece of glue the led will light up all the glue and you'll have a charging status light on the outside that's easy to see. The parts are cheap so you should try it. But be careful not to cross the leads on the battery, lithium fires are scary and could burn your house down. It is recommended to keep a bucket ¾ full of sand nearby
Thanks for the answer. I think the charging chip can be connected to the screwdriver's original charging base. The two terminals B+ and B- must connect to the base's contact points. In the screwdriver, the only change is replacing the batteries with two 18650 batteries or one 21700. My question is whether I have to change the screwdriver's chip as seen in the video at minute 7:45?? but I think I'll soon know when to start reconverting the screwdriver, thanks again for sharing your experience. Greetings.
Man, you have such a wealth of knowledge and practical skills, I'd love it if you could give us your origin story or at least some background into how you learned all these skills.
Thank you so much. I will be performing the battery upgrade tonight, on that same B & D screwdriver, thanks to your video. Outstanding and very useful tip/upgrade!!
Cool vid! I have a driver kinda like that and was thinking of doing this same mod. The driver was my first fathers day gift and I didnt want to throw it away.
Great conversion, 👍 I converted my Black and Decker Versa packs to lithium ion but was only able to put one 1860 cell in them, two cells like you did would have been nice. Ginger is one smart dog. Yoda is a very good dog and cute, but not smart like Ginger.
Those were great for taking apart computer cases and repetitive small screws back then. Never thought I'd see one drive a big wood screw... Not on its best day!
The Versapack version, where you could swap out the 3v battery pack for the one in the charger, was the best of these cordless screwdrivers. Still using mine and it has been discontinued for well over a decade.
Awesome, I put these 18650s in everything too lol! The only thing I would have done different is run those cells in series to over volt it! Twice the volts, run twice as fast! Obviously it's a little harder on the motor, but who cares (it will take it)! I had the cheapest black and decker electric gun screwdriver that walmart sold that ran on 3 volts. I ran 4 18650s in series crammed into the handle. The seams of the plastic casing in the handle no longer met up, but I gave it the "kungfu grip" by wrapped the handle in electrical tape, took care of that. That little screw gun was super compact and was my go to when I didn't need the 18v stuff. Worked for years (lost it in a fire).
Nice to see tools being repaired and not thrown in the trash. You really need a low voltage disconnect when running 18650s. Running them flat and then charging them is dangerous
You not going to find a super easy way to do a low voltage cutoff. It's really only a feature for the uninformed/dumb users who would continue using a tool when the power significantly dropped off. Lithiums power curve is really flat and once you hit 3v or so a cell it plummets instantly letting you know stop. However with having such a huge 5000mah vs 800-900mah capacity it is highly unlikely I will ever get the point where I would run the batteries fully down before tossing it back on the charger. As far as being dangerous, no. All that will happen is you'll kill the cell/s and they won't accept a charge if you take them to below 2volts.
@@sixtyfiveford they sell 18650s with integrated protection circuits. They 100% will take a charge under 2 volts if you're using a manual charger. The charger you are using in that video will not charge below 2 volts because it is not wise.
Great video! Thanks for commenting on mine so I could see this. This was not coming up in my search choices I will do this to one of the few I bought lol
Hey you should start doing some more videos like this where you modernize Vintage things like tools and phones and stuff or something to that effect. I remember when I was a Kid my dad had a whole set, flash light, circular saw, drill, and screwdriver like the ne you have but they used the long cell battery's I assume was just 2 or 3 of those in line. I remember he hated how the battery's never seemed to be worth a damn though lol.
Lol "idk what i would do with a black n decker" says the man with all the dewalt tools.. Thanks for posting another useful video. Ive got 2 of those b&d screwdrivers for the same reason. Thanks for the info and tips
Those are not bad for anyone who installs electrical fixtures or does small repairs, they don't spin fast enough that you need a clutch, maintenance guys could get good use out of them with the conversion because of the extra torque the 2 cells give and I actually prefer a straight handle over the pistol grip when it comes to cordless screwdrivers. Cool conversion Moe and what is nice is you extended the life of something that does not need to end up in a landfill or even recycled into some useless crap.
Keep in mind you can get a brand new li-ion battery one for cheap. I bought a HyperTough one through walmart for $14.76 which is probably about the same as you'd pay for 2 decent brand 18650 cells.
@@johnpossum556 Not for someone like myself who has tons of cells, I rebuild my own battery packs. You need to keep in mind also that the cells that come with a 15 dollar driver are not great. I guess for someone that just needs a cheap cordless screwdriver for a quick home repair, than yes you can buy them cheap but I don't think this was the intention of the vid that Moe made, its for if you have one of the old drivers and some cells kicking around already, plus, sometimes its just fun to do stuff like this.
I just threw mine away when I moved back in 2020. I had taken it apart to look into replacing the battery. I did a quick search, but didn’t find any replacements, but I’ll admit I didn’t look to hard. I don’t know why iI didn’t consider the li-ion conversion. I have a bunch of 18650 cells I’ve salvaged out of old laptop batteries. My only concern with your conversion is over-discharge protection. I’m bad about running the batteries into the ground. 😆 Wouldn’t be too difficult to add that though. The performance was impressive compared to what I remember this thing being capable of when my dad purchased it decades ago.
The over discharge is the only concern with this. However this being a power tool is extremely obvious when the voltage drops off as the power does as well. Unlike something like a flashlight etc that you can't really monitor the use and you'll destroy lithium cells. Unfortunately there is no obvious / cheap low discharge cut off available that will handle the 10 to 15 amps required.
I did this with that little VersaPak (or how ever you spell it)... I added a TP4056 Charging Board to it with only 1 battery. (inside guts too small for two batteries; I didn't feel like grinding it out). Works well...
I can't believe I'm the first to say you should have a BMS! lol. Would be a good idea to check the motor current draw stalled to make sure it can't hurt the cells from over discharge or over current draw. Also, the charger pins being open to the outside without a BMS is a little risky. Not a tool to lend out, but it works!
Don't need a bms with a single cell nor multiple cells in parallel. You would only need a bms if they were in series. I did an amp draw and at stall it pulls under 10amps, so the cells will share this at sub 5 amps a piece. This is fine for a non high discharge cell.
@@sixtyfiveford Not sure if BMS is the right term for single cells, but you still want to prevent the cells from seeing too much voltage, which isn't likely to happen in the wild. But a single cell BMS can also protect against a dead short across the cells, which is very possible with exposed charging terminals on the side of the tool. Tossed in a bag, drawer or toolbox and you could short the cell. Great video, but something viewers should be aware of with the power density in lithium cells. At least the charging pins are far apart I think?
@@Donn29 They new charger is designed to not over charge the lithium cells. The battery pins are slightly recessed and on completely opposite sides. Yes a BMS would be needed if I had multiple cells in series. The only drawback to the way I have it set up is there's no low voltage cut off, so if you continue to use a tool even when it gets super weak/low battery you could damage the cells.
The batteries that I put in this last forever. In the last 2 years I've charged it twice and neither time did it really even need it. Of course I don't use it everyday, but I use it fairly often.
I have one of those screwdrivers just haven't had the heart to throw it away..guess i could try this trick..you have ginger trained really well she's a sweet dog ..take care dude..see you on the next one Cheers 🍺🍺🍺🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Love it but the thing is still light duty for sure with plastic gears and light duty motor, which is still great for in the kitchen drawer but I'd kill it in the workshop. Brought it to life for some good use though ...thumbs up ! very cool pup !
@@sixtyfiveford I agree with that... just thinking the DeWalt would be overall built better and last longer even so. I'd still leave the cheapie old B&D in the kitchen LOL
I have one of these sitting on the wall in my garage that hasn't been used since the 1980s. Looks like I need to order some lithium batteries. Thanks! I may have to fix my Rigid impact driver, battery op circular saw kit from Home Cheapo who wouldn't honor their "lifetime Guarantee." Got to dig out the soldering iron!
You've inspired me to crack open a couple of handheld B&D and Craftsman tools with dead Ni-Cads and see if I can repower them like you did. Was going to crack them open anyway to remove the Ni-Cads for Hazardous Waste anyway...so why not??
if you use a protection circuit you could totally use the original charger. The voltage is close enough, and the current output won't be high considering it's supposed to be a trickle charger. It would be very slow, but it'd work fine so long as you put in a little charge circuit to keep it from overcharging.
A protection circuit won't allow high enough discharge rate. They're fine for things like flashlights, but generally they're only rated at 2-3 amps max. This tiny screwdriver pulls 9ish amps at stall.
@@sixtyfiveford damn, got a replay, and your pretty knowledgeable about this stuff. i probably should have said charge circuit rather then protection. One with discharge protection as well would be too large to fit in there likely. I was thinking more along the lines of if you have one with a charge\cradle stuck together.
I learn a lot from your channel. I have a few nice flash lights that work with ni cads and they r no good anymore. Plus, I have a few defective Ryobi 18 volt batteries. I bet there r some good 18650 in there to harvest. I just have to match the voltages. And get some of that nice flux u use.
Now you just need to ask Ginger to find those missing 10mm's..... That shoe goo stuff is amazing. There is a fellow known as Karma Chameleon in my city who made the PBS special about cars because his car is decorated with chameleons and such. He did it all with shoe goo. His house is the same way.
Had something very similar to that it was all metal Black & Decker charger was the same type except for it was for a 3/8 socket. Took it apart and three batteries set up just like that kept it for about 2 months was planning on getting replacement batteries for it. Got tired of looking at it and trash it. Should have kept it.
Looks like you could fit a single high mAh 21700 in there. They can be as high as 5100mAh. I don't know if it would run longer on a single charge or not. Pretty much just a lateral option I guess. Awesome to see one of these updated and it's definitely simple enough. Cheers Moe!!! Zip~
Some 14500 cells would have fit perfectly and I wouldn't have to cut the screw mount. I would have been able to get three possibly four in there as well. however I didn't have any of those laying around. It's amazing how much more juice they can get into a 21700 that is just barely bigger.
@@sixtyfiveford I know! I don't know the science behind it all, but between an 18659 and the 21700, I try to pick flashlights with the 21700 for just that reason. The smaller 18350's and 16340's could also be an option in that driver too I would think. So many Lithium choices out there now that just about any NiCad powered driver like the old Makita's could be easily repowered as well. Cheers Moe! If I didn't say it in the video, you rock! Zip~
Also usb power banks have the charging board same that’s in the charger he used plus it can charge a usb micro, usb c whatever charger for the power bank
The torque is amazing! I would have never thought it could drive a screw that length into wood that thick. Nice conversion!
It did way better than expected.
Putting the batteries in parallel increases the current available. The logical result is increased torque. If he had put them in series he would get faster rotation on the spindle but reduced torque, comparitively.
Did not expect him to slap in a 2.5” screw. That’s pretty cool.
It'll work great until it nylon gears give out.
I had that screwdriver in the late 1990's. I think it had a wall mounted charger. Awesome to see you give it new life.
Hey thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
All the internet has to offer with advice on hooking up Lithium is that you need a spot welder. Such a game changer seeing someone solder tabs on. Thanks for the never ending class on how to.
I've done a lot of batteries with solder and never had any issues. I am very cautious though and make sure I don't put too much heat into it.
I had a similar screwdriver from Black and Decker that had ni-cad batteries that lasted for over twenty years before I put a new set of batteries in it. What a workhorse.
Good little tool.
My dad had one of those on the shop wall for like 20 years. Love it. The latest B&D versions just don't last, but the one with the gyroscopic trigger on the back was slick.
These must have been front row at every home improvement store.
My dad had one too. I got a newer one (blue) with the replaceable battery stick🔋 that locked into the handle.
@@sixtyfiveford It remains still one of the only effective Father's Day gifts in the vennic household
Takes me back to childhood. Had the same one for putting Steel Tec together. I remember the day we found it at Deseret Industries for $1.00. Overkill for Steel Tec but I was a happy camper! Still sitting in my parents garage.
That's awesome.
You really do have one of the best/most informative channels on the tube!!
Thanks for showing us another brilliant repair/upgrade-
Wow, thanks!
@@sixtyfiveford really is the most useful MacGyver channel I have on tap, and my most suggested to anyone I know that might appreciate useful inventive info.
I'd love to see more like this where we can really get to see the brilliance within that soulless ginger melon. 😜😁
Just kidding bro. Obviously there's a ton of amazing spirit in that brilliantly red topped idea box we all appreciate so much.
Got one of those for Christmas back in the day. Absolutely loved it. Used it for years, then later found out that a friend of my father had designed the gear-set. I probably still have it out in the garage somewhere, along with the matching power ratchet, which I rarely used and was always dead.
What I would like to see you do, is convert a modern battery-pack system into a corded adapter, so that I can plug my battery-powered tools in and keep using them, rather than having to have a bunch of batteries to switch out, or wait while they're recharging.
Buy a knockoff cheap as shit battery on amazon, and take the battery out of it. Attach wires to the contacts, and then connect that to an 18V grunty switchmode power supply. Done - now your battery tools are "corded"
Biggest issue is the amps these tools draw. Sure it might only be 12, 14.4, 18v etc, but they will draw 30-60+amps under load. That's way more than any reasonably priced ac - dc power supply can handle.
@@sixtyfiveford So.... Maybe I could find a good power supply that can handle the amperage, then set it up so I could switch it between the various tools. Still cheaper than a half-dozen battery packs for two or three different tool brands.
If you need more than 17A, you can also get 24V 25A (600W) meanwell powersupply for about $100 - not too bad for one power supply shared among many tools
I have 3 of the Skill Super Twist brand. A twin to the B&D. I have replaced the Ni cad cells with Ni metal and still use them. Fair warning though. A friend had two of these, one for his shop and one for use in the house for his better half. He had converted the shop driver to Li with a battery management board in a new charger. It worked great. His wife found hers uncharged and "borrowed" his from the shop. After using it she made sure it would be charged so she placed it on "her" charger. The resulting fire scorched the drywall and left a burn mark in the floor beneath.
I'm a huge Black & Decker, Gibson, Sears, and Montgomery Wards tool user and collector. I really like and appreciate this video, as a matter of fact I was just using my battery powered motorized B & D tape measure which runs on 4 x AAA... Definitely going to convert it now, should have years ago when I used it in construction, drove everyone crazy but sometimes they'd borrow it as I was always carrying it 😆
That's awesome. They made some great tools. I have a M Wards Powr-Kraft table saw I fixed up years ago.
I love me sum black and decker, old school craftsman is pretty sweet
I love the way you pieced this all together. I have the same tool base, but mine has the 1/4 inch ratchet on the end instead of a screwdriver. I have a similar universal charger from Radio Shack that I got for a song when they closed the stores a few years ago. I also have the lithium ion batteries. Boom! I'm doing this!
Still got b&d exactly like yours still running on original batteries, got a few 18650s knocking around, the ole thing has been surprising over the years so she deserves an upgrade!
Thank you my black and decker is modle (9018) and has two battery's at 2.4 volt and made in 07 / 1980. And today it still works like new. I would like to get new batteries for it if and when it refuses to work. Thanks again . I look forward from hearing from you.
1990 called and wanted it's screwdriver back. I had one of those and loved it. Battery died and now it's gone for ever. I actually miss it sometimes. Thanks Moe
Thanks Ron.
Great idea. I need to do that to my old "wall ornament". Thanks for the inspiration.
I used to own exactly the same B&D power screwdriver back in the early 90s 😀. Shouldve kept it, thanks for showing how it can be modernized again.
Hey thanks!
Nice upgrade! I have an orange B&D cordless screwdriver (from forever ago, probably the 1st gen, it’s all orange and the bottom half folds when pressing a button to form a handle ) that you pop the battery in and out of from the bottom. I searched and couldn’t believe they still make batteries for it! I got a great deal on two new ones (nicad) so I’ve stuck with them. I used the heck outta that thing back in the day doing electrical.
"Orange" I bought one like your that was blue. Dad had the black one like in the video.
Great video. Old, reliable tools are always worth resurrecting. They don’t make new stuff anywhere near as good!
Very true. It was just a random project and I'll likely just toss it into a drawer and seldomly use it.
Great video! I appreciate how you re-purpose old items that most people would throw away and make them better!!
have one of those I used to use the dickens out of at work. We assembled stuff with 8/32 chicago post screws, was perfect for that. It's still in the cannibal electric parts bin on the shelf. Got the same Lithium charger and cells...I might duplicate this same project. These would shine doing projects just like this taking small diameter screw in and out of other drills and stuff while working on the bench. Nice job!
I have an older Panasonic electric screwdriver, been contemplating doing the same, you just convinced me. Great for removing and installing electrical faceplates.
Nice one!
I’m used to that kind of conversion too. I found that running the battery without a bms is fine but you have to be aware of it. You can’t run the tool till the battery is dead, you must recharge as soon as power goes down and speed decreases or you damage the cells.
Thank you for your videos I’m a big fan, I like your approach and the way you do things.
Cheers from France
My Dad had the old sears craftsman version of this. Did the same thing just because I liked the wall mounted charger.
I think you mentioned Shoe Goo in another video. So I bought a tube.
It worked great to repair my old Red Wings.
Nice! Used to have one but it only worked well for a few months and I finally dismantled it just too see the guts and then trashed it!
Holy crap, I had what looks to be the same model and I want to say that was 25 or 30 years ago!
😊 this video completely made my day! I’m grinning from ear to ear! I can hear my dad right now. He had probably five of these at all times because none of them were ever charged 🤣😆😂. He’s been gone 6 years now, but I sure wish I could send him this video! He’d get a kick out of it! Thanks for the smiles brother!
Awesome. I get a kick out of using this thing.
Always amazed at the great info in these videos. And even more amazed by Ginger in each video. Enjoy all your videos. Keep up the the great work. Good stuff. Allen from Atlanta
Good stuff ! Always good to keep adapting and make work what you have ! No kidding that those screwdrivers look new - once they were permanently attached to charging stations they never worked well and became fixtures. Thanks for the vid ! (And that pup is crazy smart !!)
Hey thanks
Very cool, taking an under powered, short battery life screwdriver (even when new) and turning it into a nice, very handy tool. A lot more power. I've disassembled all my old Ni-cad drill drivers and a couple of Li-Ion and given the motors to a friend who teaches robotics. I'll need to rethink that.
These old drills have some powerful little motors.
Oh yeah, my dad had one of those. I have a similar Ryobi that I got as a gift, hung on the wall, and haven't touched in 15+ years. I guess I can't throw it away now.
We want to see pin stripes on that baby!
Oh man!
I wish Ida watched this BEFORE we tossed all dad's old tools out! His WOULDN'T hold charge anymore. I would have liked to keep a few in memory of him, but thought it was pointless to keep worthless tools that no longer worked.
AWESOME video!
I've tossed half a dozen of these over the years.
I have Both this as well as the 90 degree ratchet. Thank you for this tute. I wasn't sure how to renew these. You are a legend! I couldn't source 4/5th in any type!
There are these little 3.7v charge/discharge chips on amazon for about $1 each if you buy a bunch. They work great with the lithium batteries you find in the street inside tossed e cigarettes. The chips are pretty small, a little bigger than a stamp. And you can get a variety of usb jacks for whichever cord you prefer to use for charging.
Cool project thanks for sharing
Hello, I'm thinking about doing what you say, but I thought about placing the charging plate inside the base where the screwdriver is placed to charge, my question is whether it will work or if I have to change some connection inside the screwdriver, will you? Can you enlighten me?? Thanks
@MrJamp11 the charge chip I use has 4 connections you will need to connect to. 2 for the battery and 2 for the load (screwdriver). You'll need to remove and reconnect the wiring from the old battery connections in the screwdriver to the new charging chip, and you'll need to drill and shape a hole in the area your chip is mounting for the charging plug for your external cable to plug into. If you're thinking if doing this then you're probably capable of getting it done.
You can drill another small hole above the plug hole on the side of the led, fill in the back of the hole, and fill to cover the led with hot glue. If you cover the led and it also covers the hole in 1 piece of glue the led will light up all the glue and you'll have a charging status light on the outside that's easy to see. The parts are cheap so you should try it. But be careful not to cross the leads on the battery, lithium fires are scary and could burn your house down. It is recommended to keep a bucket ¾ full of sand nearby
Thanks for the answer. I think the charging chip can be connected to the screwdriver's original charging base. The two terminals B+ and B- must connect to the base's contact points. In the screwdriver, the only change is replacing the batteries with two 18650 batteries or one 21700. My question is whether I have to change the screwdriver's chip as seen in the video at minute 7:45?? but I think I'll soon know when to start reconverting the screwdriver, thanks again for sharing your experience. Greetings.
Man, you have such a wealth of knowledge and practical skills, I'd love it if you could give us your origin story or at least some background into how you learned all these skills.
Hey Thanks.
Thank you so much. I will be performing the battery upgrade tonight, on that same B & D screwdriver, thanks to your video. Outstanding and very useful tip/upgrade!!
Cool vid! I have a driver kinda like that and was thinking of doing this same mod. The driver was my first fathers day gift and I didnt want to throw it away.
I remember when my dad bought one back in the day and at the time it was a pretty neat little tool
They must have been front row at the home improvement stores because I think every father had one or wanted one.
He's a mechanical engineer, he's an electronics engineer ... Is there anything he can't fix or upgrade ? Impressive !
I love watching u fix old stuff I like that old stuff
Thanks Jason.
Great conversion, 👍 I converted my Black and Decker Versa packs to lithium ion but was only able to put one 1860 cell in them, two cells like you did would have been nice. Ginger is one smart dog. Yoda is a very good dog and cute, but not smart like Ginger.
Those were great for taking apart computer cases and repetitive small screws back then. Never thought I'd see one drive a big wood screw... Not on its best day!
It's a torquee thing
The Versapack version, where you could swap out the 3v battery pack for the one in the charger, was the best of these cordless screwdrivers. Still using mine and it has been discontinued for well over a decade.
Holy crap My dad had one of these in the 90s your giving me flash backs
Awesome, I put these 18650s in everything too lol! The only thing I would have done different is run those cells in series to over volt it! Twice the volts, run twice as fast! Obviously it's a little harder on the motor, but who cares (it will take it)! I had the cheapest black and decker electric gun screwdriver that walmart sold that ran on 3 volts. I ran 4 18650s in series crammed into the handle. The seams of the plastic casing in the handle no longer met up, but I gave it the "kungfu grip" by wrapped the handle in electrical tape, took care of that. That little screw gun was super compact and was my go to when I didn't need the 18v stuff. Worked for years (lost it in a fire).
That's awesome.
Makes me look at older NiCad tools differently. Thank you
You and me both!
Nice to see tools being repaired and not thrown in the trash. You really need a low voltage disconnect when running 18650s. Running them flat and then charging them is dangerous
You not going to find a super easy way to do a low voltage cutoff. It's really only a feature for the uninformed/dumb users who would continue using a tool when the power significantly dropped off. Lithiums power curve is really flat and once you hit 3v or so a cell it plummets instantly letting you know stop. However with having such a huge 5000mah vs 800-900mah capacity it is highly unlikely I will ever get the point where I would run the batteries fully down before tossing it back on the charger. As far as being dangerous, no. All that will happen is you'll kill the cell/s and they won't accept a charge if you take them to below 2volts.
@@sixtyfiveford they sell 18650s with integrated protection circuits. They 100% will take a charge under 2 volts if you're using a manual charger. The charger you are using in that video will not charge below 2 volts because it is not wise.
I had one of those for taking apart radio stuff CB radios etc....
Better than doing a bunch of screws by hand.
Love the VW Garage sign too. Restoring that Rabbit diesel was an awesome project!
That is a blast to drive. Hey thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
Great video! Thanks for commenting on mine so I could see this. This was not coming up in my search choices I will do this to one of the few I bought lol
Good ol' Shoe Goo! You got that tool nicely salvaged and updated!
Hey Thanks. Another random tool I really have no use for that'll sit in the toolbox.
Hey you should start doing some more videos like this where you modernize Vintage things like tools and phones and stuff or something to that effect. I remember when I was a Kid my dad had a whole set, flash light, circular saw, drill, and screwdriver like the ne you have but they used the long cell battery's I assume was just 2 or 3 of those in line. I remember he hated how the battery's never seemed to be worth a damn though lol.
Lol "idk what i would do with a black n decker" says the man with all the dewalt tools..
Thanks for posting another useful video. Ive got 2 of those b&d screwdrivers for the same reason. Thanks for the info and tips
It's a little powerhouse. I've been using all week.
That was a great battery conversion, and I can’t believe 1990 called and wanted their electric screwdriver back LOL
Hey Thanks.
You’re like the opposite of AVE…he takes new stuff and tears it apart, you take old stuff and make it better!
I've got two of these in my garage cabinet that have been sitting for about 15 years 😆
Awesome upgrade! I think I have a Motorola ultra classic brick phone laying around for your next 90's skit.
I used to have one of those and actually, “liked” it…lol.
Wish I still had it so I could do your mod. Thanks!
That screwdriver brought be back to being 8 years old in my grandads shop.
That's exactly what it did for me.
Ginger is one smart dog. If there was such a thing as incarnation I would think she was once a human.
Those are not bad for anyone who installs electrical fixtures or does small repairs, they don't spin fast enough that you need a clutch, maintenance guys could get good use out of them with the conversion because of the extra torque the 2 cells give and I actually prefer a straight handle over the pistol grip when it comes to cordless screwdrivers.
Cool conversion Moe and what is nice is you extended the life of something that does not need to end up in a landfill or even recycled into some useless crap.
Keep in mind you can get a brand new li-ion battery one for cheap. I bought a HyperTough one through walmart for $14.76 which is probably about the same as you'd pay for 2 decent brand 18650 cells.
@@johnpossum556 Not for someone like myself who has tons of cells, I rebuild my own battery packs. You need to keep in mind also that the cells that come with a 15 dollar driver are not great. I guess for someone that just needs a cheap cordless screwdriver for a quick home repair, than yes you can buy them cheap but I don't think this was the intention of the vid that Moe made, its for if you have one of the old drivers and some cells kicking around already, plus, sometimes its just fun to do stuff like this.
You, sir, are a mad scientist! And I applaud you!
Hey thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
I just threw mine away when I moved back in 2020. I had taken it apart to look into replacing the battery. I did a quick search, but didn’t find any replacements, but I’ll admit I didn’t look to hard. I don’t know why iI didn’t consider the li-ion conversion. I have a bunch of 18650 cells I’ve salvaged out of old laptop batteries. My only concern with your conversion is over-discharge protection. I’m bad about running the batteries into the ground. 😆 Wouldn’t be too difficult to add that though. The performance was impressive compared to what I remember this thing being capable of when my dad purchased it decades ago.
The over discharge is the only concern with this. However this being a power tool is extremely obvious when the voltage drops off as the power does as well. Unlike something like a flashlight etc that you can't really monitor the use and you'll destroy lithium cells. Unfortunately there is no obvious / cheap low discharge cut off available that will handle the 10 to 15 amps required.
Slick job!. Your comment: looks hardly used: of course, those were never charged when needed.
Bob definitely has it
Wow you have really smart dog!
yup, had several of the same ones and they were never any goo because of the batteries. Should have kept them eh....good job with the change up.
I did this with that little VersaPak (or how ever you spell it)...
I added a TP4056 Charging Board to it with only 1 battery. (inside guts too small for two batteries; I didn't feel like grinding it out).
Works well...
Awesome
I can't believe I'm the first to say you should have a BMS! lol. Would be a good idea to check the motor current draw stalled to make sure it can't hurt the cells from over discharge or over current draw. Also, the charger pins being open to the outside without a BMS is a little risky. Not a tool to lend out, but it works!
Don't need a bms with a single cell nor multiple cells in parallel. You would only need a bms if they were in series. I did an amp draw and at stall it pulls under 10amps, so the cells will share this at sub 5 amps a piece. This is fine for a non high discharge cell.
@@sixtyfiveford Not sure if BMS is the right term for single cells, but you still want to prevent the cells from seeing too much voltage, which isn't likely to happen in the wild. But a single cell BMS can also protect against a dead short across the cells, which is very possible with exposed charging terminals on the side of the tool. Tossed in a bag, drawer or toolbox and you could short the cell. Great video, but something viewers should be aware of with the power density in lithium cells. At least the charging pins are far apart I think?
Good to hear you checked out the current draw though !
@@Donn29 They new charger is designed to not over charge the lithium cells. The battery pins are slightly recessed and on completely opposite sides. Yes a BMS would be needed if I had multiple cells in series. The only drawback to the way I have it set up is there's no low voltage cut off, so if you continue to use a tool even when it gets super weak/low battery you could damage the cells.
I did a smilar upgrade in 2017 on a old skill screwdriver. The litiuum upgrade battery life lasted forever
Great rebuild and your dog is awesome thanks for sharing
Thanks Brad. -Moe
I'm about to do this because I watched this vid I had one growing up so I ordered one off Ebay awesome tip
The batteries that I put in this last forever. In the last 2 years I've charged it twice and neither time did it really even need it. Of course I don't use it everyday, but I use it fairly often.
I have one of those screwdrivers just haven't had the heart to throw it away..guess i could try this trick..you have ginger trained really well she's a sweet dog ..take care dude..see you on the next one Cheers 🍺🍺🍺🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I have one of those and believe it or not, it's still working.
That's awesome
Love it but the thing is still light duty for sure with plastic gears and light duty motor, which is still great for in the kitchen drawer but I'd kill it in the workshop. Brought it to life for some good use though ...thumbs up ! very cool pup !
Absolutely it's light duty, but what power screwdriver isn't? I have the DeWalt which is the best on the market right now and it's light duty as well.
@@sixtyfiveford I agree with that... just thinking the DeWalt would be overall built better and last longer even so. I'd still leave the cheapie old B&D in the kitchen LOL
You need to train Ginger to find the 10 mm socket ! lol
I have one of these sitting on the wall in my garage that hasn't been used since the 1980s. Looks like I need to order some lithium batteries. Thanks! I may have to fix my Rigid impact driver, battery op circular saw kit from Home Cheapo who wouldn't honor their "lifetime Guarantee." Got to dig out the soldering iron!
Awesome. Yeah, I've heard quite a few people disappointed with the Ridgid "lifetime warranty".
Oh and love your Dog / Family member.
You have some killer skills but I have to say, your dog is pretty impressive as well.
Hey thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
Thank you, I have been watching and liking your videos.Just don't comment a lot. All my best.
You've inspired me to crack open a couple of handheld B&D and Craftsman tools with dead Ni-Cads and see if I can repower them like you did. Was going to crack them open anyway to remove the Ni-Cads for Hazardous Waste anyway...so why not??
Great job. I have a screw driver just like that one and it does not work. Gonna have to watch again and maybe give mine a try. Thanks for the video.
It was a fun little project getting it going.
if you use a protection circuit you could totally use the original charger. The voltage is close enough, and the current output won't be high considering it's supposed to be a trickle charger. It would be very slow, but it'd work fine so long as you put in a little charge circuit to keep it from overcharging.
A protection circuit won't allow high enough discharge rate. They're fine for things like flashlights, but generally they're only rated at 2-3 amps max. This tiny screwdriver pulls 9ish amps at stall.
@@sixtyfiveford damn, got a replay, and your pretty knowledgeable about this stuff.
i probably should have said charge circuit rather then protection. One with discharge protection as well would be too large to fit in there likely.
I was thinking more along the lines of if you have one with a charge\cradle stuck together.
I learn a lot from your channel. I have a few nice flash lights that work with ni cads and they r no good anymore. Plus, I have a few defective Ryobi 18 volt batteries. I bet there r some good 18650 in there to harvest. I just have to match the voltages. And get some of that nice flux u use.
Thanks. I really like the robust nature of Nicad cells but you can't beat the amount of power that these lithium can store in a small package.
Cool replacement of those batteries 👍
I couldn't even tell you where mine is after using my Dewalt tools for so long
Now you just need to ask Ginger to find those missing 10mm's.....
That shoe goo stuff is amazing. There is a fellow known as Karma Chameleon in my city who made the PBS special about cars because his car is decorated with chameleons and such. He did it all with shoe goo. His house is the same way.
I just need to paint them tennis ball green and I'd never loose a 10mm.
Old school B D, you're great, thanks
Hey thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
i just thew one out this past summer. It hadn't work for probably 20 years. now i wish i would have kept it. oh well
When I first saw it in the box it was 100% going into the trash. But it sat there for a few days and I couldn't resist.
Good video Moe, as always.
Ginger is a legend👍
Had something very similar to that it was all metal Black & Decker charger was the same type except for it was for a 3/8 socket. Took it apart and three batteries set up just like that kept it for about 2 months was planning on getting replacement batteries for it. Got tired of looking at it and trash it. Should have kept it.
Looks like you could fit a single high mAh 21700 in there. They can be as high as 5100mAh. I don't know if it would run longer on a single charge or not. Pretty much just a lateral option I guess. Awesome to see one of these updated and it's definitely simple enough. Cheers Moe!!! Zip~
Some 14500 cells would have fit perfectly and I wouldn't have to cut the screw mount. I would have been able to get three possibly four in there as well. however I didn't have any of those laying around. It's amazing how much more juice they can get into a 21700 that is just barely bigger.
@@sixtyfiveford I know! I don't know the science behind it all, but between an 18659 and the 21700, I try to pick flashlights with the 21700 for just that reason. The smaller 18350's and 16340's could also be an option in that driver too I would think. So many Lithium choices out there now that just about any NiCad powered driver like the old Makita's could be easily repowered as well. Cheers Moe! If I didn't say it in the video, you rock! Zip~
Also usb power banks have the charging board same that’s in the charger he used plus it can charge a usb micro, usb c whatever charger for the power bank
luv your dog ... best part of your show 🙂
Me too!
Cool ! i don't think the one i had ever spun that fast lol
I remember my dad had one of thoses. i used to think they were so cool
I had 2 of those back in the day!
there are small usb plug charger boards, you can easily fit into the device
Nice job, great video and even better dog!!!
I wouldn't worry about those batteries and soldering I've had drill batteries hot to the touch and I'm pretty sure it killed cells