The Mad Lab

Reclaimed electronics?  Recycled computer parts??  You want me to do what with my iPod and my cell phone???  Dr. Jekyll.... are you nuts????? 

There's times when I look at Dr. Jekyll's SEI (specific everyday item) and think, yeah, she's lost her mind.  My notebook sat empty for a looooong time with this challenge.  Sometimes, because of the time of the year, I also get stifled because I'm not in the right frame of mind.  This contest however, has made me more creative and more resourceful and I really do look forward to it every month.

Electronics are a big challenge for me.  I've chatted with SoulEcho before about electronics and I still can't get over step one.  This project allowed me to plug something in so while it is considered electronic, I really didn't have to mess with anything to get the final result that I was looking for.  In a way, I cheated.  However... this is one of the coolest things I've ever made! 

I give you... The life-sized, psychopath-ready electric chair!

First and foremost, the basic instructions for this chair are nicely shown in this video that I found after doing a simple Google search for "How to make an electric chair."  Some exceptions that I made from what was used in the video include using 2x3 wood studs instead of old 4x4 posts and I did not glue my sander to the seat like they did in the video!  The back of the chair was also redesigned a bit to have a definite cross rather than the typical ladder back style.  Other than that, I did not reinvent the wheel here with this project.

Perhaps the best experience in making this electric chair was going to a local salvage yard known here as Bass and Bass Flea Market.  They have all kinds of reclaimed and recycled items from homes and workshops.  I picked up all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to use for this job.  For a mere $13, I bought eight brass corner straps, four brass corner guards, three telephone cords, a ton of the rusty round metal cap nails,  an old thermostatic energy monitor, flexible conduit with attached electrical box, and an odd plate with wing nuts and voltages engraved on it plus some other stuff that I didn't use.  I reused the metal can light and strobe light from what I already had.  My cousin gave me his old sander (because it was too loud and too shaky.... just what I was looking for!) and my best friend donated an old belt that we used for the wrist restraints.  My cousin also found at an antique show an old lever that the seller claimed was used with a real electric chair (can't really validate that claim, but it does look authentic!).  The metal mesh and metal for the seat that I used I already had in my collection.  I spent a total of $32.  Not too shabby!

Take a look at the details:

And finally, you have to see it in action!

When I get a video of the chair operating in its full glory, I'll add it here.  Thanks for taking a look!

amazing!

Awesome!