Mains Powered AA Batteries

Please note - you are wholly responsible for the selection of the correct transformer type, setting it up and wiring it correctly for your device, and to ensure your own safety. If you are unsure of how to do this, please consult a professional. By using this model and instructions you agree explicitly that this is wholly your responsibility. Now that is out of the way, please read on.

In addition to the components that you print, you will also need the following materials:

- Aluminium Foil
- For each battery: 1 x metal wood screw for the bottom of the battery - head diameter approx. 7mm and length approx. 1.5cm
- For each battery: 1 x metal wood screw for the top of the battery - head diameter approx. 5mm and length approx. 2.4cm
- Superglue
- Twin Core wire - zip wire or similar - length to suit your project requirements
- A suitable transformer that suits the voltage you require for your device. Remember to check whether you device uses AA batteries in series or parallel. I used something like this: http://amzn.eu/5IDYKu7

Other than the 3D printer, you will need the following tools:

- suitable screwdrivers
- hammer
- wire clippers/trimmers (or your teeth)

Here are the instructions

1. Print and clean up the required parts. The length of the printed battery should be 5cm - scale other parts accordingly.

For each dummy battery:

2. Clean up any support material and fill the body of the battery with compacted aluminium foil - crush into the compartment with a screwdriver until approx. 2/3 full.

3. Glue on the lid - you may need to tap it into place with a hammer until flush with the body.

4. Take the larger headed screw for the bottom of the battery and screw it into place until the head is blush with the bottom of the dummy battery.

5. Take the smaller headed screw for the top of the battery and screw it into place until the head is approx. 1mm higher than the top of the dummy battery.

For each mains powered battery:

6. Clean up any support material on the printed parts.

7. Prepare a suitable length of wire and bare approx. 3cm of the individual plastic covered wires, then bare approx 1.5 cm of metal core for each wire. Twist each exposed metal core until then are tight and tidy.

8. Thread the cores through the holes in the lid - push the lid all the way back to give yourself room to work in later steps. Bend the exposed wire into a loop.

9. Push each exposed wire loop into a compartment into the mains powered battery, and then fill and compact in aluminium foil into each compartment until they are around 3/4 full. Ensure that the foil is tight into each compartment, and that foil does NOT overlap or join the two compartments - they need to be kept separate.

10. Slide the lid down and glue in place. You may want to put a little glue into each wire hole to ensure the wires do not get pulled out accidentally. - you may need to tap it into place with a hammer until flush with the body.

11. Take the larger headed screw for the bottom of the battery and screw it into place until the head is blush with the bottom of the dummy battery.

12. Take the smaller headed screw for the top of the battery and screw it into place until the head is approx. 1mm higher than the top of the dummy battery.

13. Set the transformer to the correct voltage and find a way to connect the transformer cable to the batter cable/zip wire. If the transformer cable is long enough to suit your purposes, then you could cut the end off the cable and wire it directly into the battery.

Install into your device

14. Install the batteries into your device, plug in and switch on - Voila.