How to make a "shock lighter" or equivalent?

[jamesml]

My question is this:

I would like to make a joke item like a shock lighter or a "shock box"

For those who are unfamilliar with this item it is simply an item that when picked up delivers a mild electric shock to the unsuspecting target.

I have only a very basic understanding of electronics and this is what i come up with so far. I have been able to make a simple circuit of a battery connected to a the primary side of a transformer with a switch in series. The secondary side is connected to electrodes that deliver the mild shock. I have only been able to induce the shock by pressing the switch on and off.

From my understanding of transformers, this is because transformers work with alternating current, and the shock is generated from the collapse of the electromagnetic field induced by the battery. So I can only generate single pulses with this setup.

My question is this. Is there a device i can use that will either rapidly switch current on and off to the transformer (on the order of 20-100hz)thereby causing a sustained shock, or somehting that will easily generate alternating current to the transformer?

I would like to keep this device fairly small and simple, and any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Nostrafus]

You'd have to use a 555 timer, take a look at the electronics projects forum for the setup of a 555 timer to make a stungun (I've gotten this circuit under 1"x1" excluding the transformer), I believe this one gives a pulse every .5 seconds, so it will be enough not to need a switch.

However you've already got a good design, just modify it so the switch is smaller and the "gas" lever on a lighter will then trigger the switch.

But instead of using a switch like you said, use a "Normally Open Momentary Pushbutton" this means it normally leaves the circuit open so it won't be shocking you just by picking it up, only when the lever is depressed, and when their hand has a firm and definate grip on the lighter, does the pushbutton close the circuit and the shockbox work.

 

[jamesml]

Is there any way to do this without using a timer IC? I have problems even reading a schematic. Although this might be a good time to learn.

If a 555 timer IC is the only way, are there timers available that are faster than 2 pulses per second? Thanks for the help so far.

 

[jamesml]

Is there some way I can do this with a relay that is normally closed? When the relay recieves power it opens cutting the circuit, then returns to its unpowered state which is closed and the process repeats? Is there some way to control the frequency at which this occurs?

I"m not very familliar with relays or how they work, or whether this type of relay even exists. Would the relay have to be SPST or SPDT? Thanks.

 

[Jaw174]

haha you can use the 555 timer. it deliver way more than 2 pulses a seccond. it can be adjusted to many hundreds of hertz, and thousands as well, im just not sure of the maximum. i uses a 555 to drive a large NPN transistor that drove 12v through a car ignition coil (at decent amperage) at around 10,000 hz, which resulted in about 2-3 in sparks being emmited from the ignition coil (ignition coils are in cars to make the spark plug ignite fuel)
annyways, this can be modified in that u use a small audio transformer, and u use alot less power, probably at most a 9V battery.

another way, it use use a photoflash circuit off of a camera. it charges the capacitor in it to about 300V, which give quite a nasty shock,


just becareful of anything wall powered, and rember the ONE hand rule... even 3 (three) volts at 20 Ma flowing through the heart can kill you, though thatemans that ud need quite the powersupply, as skinns resistance is several mega-ohms per inch, though 110 volts at 10 amps from the wall outles can do it quite nicely.

there is a thing that is called the "tickly stick. its odd, since neither is it a stick, nor does it tickle! it Hurts! its a small metal box desighned to shock people, made into a paperweigh to shock the curious. look on https://www.jameco.com and order the magazine. its in with the "kits"

 

[seeker]

Hi jamesml,
as you know, you must make or break the battery and transformer connection to get the jolt. You could use a normally closed push-button switch on the bottom of a shockbox with your xformer and battery inside so if someone picked it up they get a one-shot shock. (radioshack carries the switch)

You could make some kind of springy or bouncy contact inside so it would bounce around and make contact a few times before they dropped it :wink:

Here is a really simple oscillator circuit if you want to check it out:
**broken link removed** (click on the "original circuit" link for really basic circuit). You can try different little xformers and should be able to get it to work with some experimenting.

Don't use this on people with pacemakers or heart problems, no girls, and nobody who might kick your but if they don't find it amusing :shock:

Good luck and experiment safely :twisted:

 

[Jaw174]

well, you could also use a small relay. there is a "shocking pen" sold at food bag thst uses a relay to do it
it take sin DC and puts out a pulsed DC. you just hook the coil so it makes a connection normaly, then when it is conected to power it charges the coil, which disconnects it, which reconnects it because teh coil is no longer connected, which re charges the coil, which disconnects it, ect ect ect. that works quite nicely.

 

[jamesml]

That's kind of along the lines i was thinking. Would this have to be a SPST or a SPDT relay? Radio shack sell small reed relays in both of these configurations. I barely know what the difference is. Thanks

 

[Jaw174]

uhm
it should work with a spst, it just might work better with a dpdt, as you will have an aditional output, instead of messing with it.
just try and draw it out and ull see how it works.

 

[bogdanfirst]

how about if you habe a switch and push it to turn on the oscilator. i would use a small audio transformer, the tiny ones, with 8Ohm on primary and 32 on secondary(or the other way around). anyway, use a small 12V battery. those that look like a AAA size battery but are a bit shorter. i think that it is the best type. use the 555 timer and a transistor to drive the primary of the trnasformer. the for the output use a 10-20 uF cap at highter voltage and a diode. you must have a hidden switch wich you will use to charge the cap(wich, i forgot to tell you must be conected to the secondary trough a diode). then the cap remains charged until discharged.
seems like a good idea?

 

[arlin]

I once took apart an old defunct cattle prod. It was composed essentially of a switch, a relay and a transformer (just two coils wrapped around each other.) I put it back together and it was no longer defunct - ouch!

 

[Jaw174]

hehe the relay one puts out decent output with little work