How to make a portable charging station
Cordless tools nowadays are no longer restricted to drills and lights. Battery-operated track saws, routers, dust extractors, mitre saws and even tablesaws have become common – especially in worksite settings. Battery chargers as a by-product become ubiquitous in both ordinary households and workshops. Everyone tries to find a good way of managing their assortments of chargers. Some resort to a wall-mounted charging station if they have the wall space, while many are still searching for a good solution.
Well, if you are reading this, perhaps your wait is over because I have come up with a compact tote that is portable and takes advantage of space on both sides of the station (photo 1). I built this charging tote out of scrap plywood and basic supplies in half a day – probably not a lot more than the time needed to recharge all your batteries.
1. The opposite side of the power strip is a storage unit for storing spare batteries.
The charging tote
The charging station is essentially a T-shaped fixture with a board for mounting the chargers and a storage unit for batteries )(see fig.1 below). The vertical board serves as both the handle and a spot for mounting the chargers and power bar. As an optional safety feature, a timer-switch is included in my design.
The size of the tote is determined by the quantity and size of the chargers you plan to install. The measurements suggested in the diagram are for three mounted chargers and two standalone chargers.
The base
Start with the cut on the base, which is the dado, if you want to get the most demanding part of this project out of the way first. Cut a dado in the centre across its width on the base for the mounting board (photo 2). You can use other joinery methods such as the loose-tenons (dominos) or even just glue and screws/brads. The joint will be further reinforced by the storage unit subsequently.
2. Set the dado depth to one half the thickness of the base.
The handle/mounting board
To make the handle, lay out the handle and the centre points for the round ends and drill the holes on the mounting board (photo 3). Then remove the waste with a jigsaw or handsaw and ease all the sharp edges.
3. Bore the end holes and finish the handle with a saw.
The Storage Unit
The storage box provides a space for the spare batteries, while also functioning as a charging area for the standalone chargers. One side of the box has a kerfed hole to allow the charging wires to pass through. Drill the hole first and then cut out the slot with a jigsaw or hand saw. After attaching the mounting board to the base, glue and nail the box together to the base and mounting board (photo 4).
4. Apply glue and nail the storage compartment to the base and mounting board.
The chargers
The general guideline for mounting the chargers is to place them evenly on both sides without hindering the charging and storage. After figuring out the placements for the chargers and power accessories, you can begin installing them.
For the chargers, locate and mark the screw holes on the mounting board for each of them. Here’s a simple and easy way of marking the holes:
1. Put a long piece of masking tape over the screw holes on the back of the charger (photo 5).
2. Poke a hole on the tape to locate each screw hole.
3. Position the charger on the board and use tape to hold down both ends of the masking tape (photo 6).
4. Remove the charger from the masking tape and mark the screw holes on the board (photo 7).
5. Use screws to install the chargers on the mounting board.
5. Put a long piece of masking tape on the back of the charger over the mounting holes.
6. Position the charger and secure the ends of the tape to the mounting board.
7. Remove the charger and pre-drill the screw holes as guided by the holes on the tape.
The power bar and switch
I shortened the power bar’s cord with a new plug so the power bar and switch could be bundled closer together (photo 8).
8. Use a power strip with a fuse and the timer-switch is optional.
Follow the same mounting procedures as above to install the power bar and the timer-switch on the board (photo 9).
9. Limit the charging to within the amerpage rating of the power bar.
Lastly, you can screw some rubber bumpers to the base allowing the tote to maintain stability on uneven surfaces (photo 10).
10. Screw four rubber bumpers on the base to provide stability and prevent scratches.
The operation
My chargers draw less than 2 amp each in the charging mode. With the 15A/120V fused power bar, I can run all five chargers at the same time safely. I set the timer to 2 or 4 hours and the power will be cut off accordingly in case I forget to turn off the power bar. Before you start using your new charging station, find out the amperage of your batteries and determine how many batteries can be charged simultaneously with the power strip you will use.
My portable charging station not only takes up no valuable wall space but also provides portability whenever needed. This weekend project is for workshop owners, DIY-ers, and anyone who has a handful of chargers in their arsenal – and who doesn’t?
Charles Mak is a Canadian woodworker who enjoys writing articles, authoring tricks of the trade, and teaching workshops.