Built a corded 12-volt drill

Oct 10, 2013
127
Catalina 22 Minneapolis
I don’t have an inverter on my Catalina 22, so I’m limited to the charge on my cordless drill. Also the drill is usually at home when I want it on the boat.

I have this 20+ year old Ryobi 12-volt cordless drill whose charger finally died. Instead of tossing it in with the electronics recycling, I re-purposed it to be a dedicated boat drill.

I took apart the battery pack, removed the batteries, drilled a hole in the back, and crimped on 16 AWG cigarette lighter adapter and cord.

Viola, now I have a drill just for my boat! And no need to worry about recharging anything. Total cost $10 for the cigarette adapter and cord.



 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Interesting idea. I may still have an old dead 12v cordless laying around in my garage.
Do you think the new cable needs to be fused?
 
Oct 10, 2013
127
Catalina 22 Minneapolis
I don't know if it needs to be fused, but the adapter cord I bought came with a 15 amp fuse in the plug, so why not o_O

A drill can draw a bit of current if it starts to bear down.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I love it. I'm stealing that idea. I do have an inverter for my car. I've started using it to wood burn while at farmer's markets, but why put wear on it when a simple cord like that is cheap and convenient. Not for the wood burner, but my old Makita.
Beautiful.
:thumbup:

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
  • Like
Likes: Minnesail

ToddS

.
Sep 11, 2017
248
Beneteau 373 Cape Cod
Very clever... I love a good re-purposing/DIY solution... I'm thrifty like that. That being said... I try to take care of bigger projects in spring and fall while the boat is out of the water... and drilling while I'm away from a boat yard is kept to a minimum... so my solution is generally good old fashioned screw drivers for driving screws, wrenches for nuts and bolts, and a hand drill like this one for the rare occasion where I need to drill holes in things "in a pinch" while I'm out there: https://www.amazon.com/Skelang-Hand...ocphy=9001949&hvtargid=pla-574529759212&psc=1
I'm not saying your invention isn't cool... it is... I'm just performing the mental exercise of "Do I need to add another tool, or does my current, (and oversized) tool collection already accomplish what I need?"
 
  • Like
Likes: Minnesail
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
My most cherished tool in the box, a Stanley Yankee Push Drill, passed from my grandfather to my father to me.
Had one since I was a tyke. It wasn't until I started working for the phone company that I found out they make metal-drilling bits for those, also. Nice for slow-starting dimples for larger bits.