Electric Shock Toy?

[Andrew Edmond]

When I was a kid, I read a schemetic in a magazine that showed how to
make a shock machine out of a transformer, a capacitor, a 9V battery
and a push/release switch. At age 12 I was able to build one and had
a great time shocking my friends (small but still startling).

At age 14, I built an electric chair (a living room chair with foil
wrapped on the arms, with a push button to deliver the shock) for
halloween.

At age 30, I'm trying to recall how I did it as a kid, and am having
tons of trouble

Any electrician minded people willing to help me with this halloween
project?

If I remember correctly, I hooked the leads of the 9V battery to the
transformer (120V / 12.6V 1.2A transformer) and then hooked the leads
on the other end of the transformer to a small capacitor (pinky tip
sized cylinder). From the capacitor I hooked one lead through a push
button switch and the other lead on an open circuit. Each lead
terminated in a standard kitchen knife.

The net effect is that you'd hold the kitchen knives as easy-grip
conductors and then push the button. The current from the capacitor
would be released into your body offering a small but shocking jolt.

When I did it as an electric chair when I was a kid it was so much fun
on Halloween!

If anybody might be able to give me some pointers for refreshing my
memory on this, I'd be much obliged!

Andrew

PS: Please cc edmond at aravia.com. Thanks!!

 

[Joe Legris]

When I was a kid, I read a schemetic in a magazine that showed how to
make a shock machine out of a transformer, a capacitor, a 9V battery
and a push/release switch. At age 12 I was able to build one and had
a great time shocking my friends (small but still startling).

At age 14, I built an electric chair (a living room chair with foil
wrapped on the arms, with a push button to deliver the shock) for
halloween.

At age 30, I'm trying to recall how I did it as a kid, and am having
tons of trouble

Any electrician minded people willing to help me with this halloween
project?

If I remember correctly, I hooked the leads of the 9V battery to the
transformer (120V / 12.6V 1.2A transformer) and then hooked the leads
on the other end of the transformer to a small capacitor (pinky tip
sized cylinder). From the capacitor I hooked one lead through a push
button switch and the other lead on an open circuit. Each lead
terminated in a standard kitchen knife.

The net effect is that you'd hold the kitchen knives as easy-grip
conductors and then push the button. The current from the capacitor
would be released into your body offering a small but shocking jolt.

When I did it as an electric chair when I was a kid it was so much fun
on Halloween!

If anybody might be able to give me some pointers for refreshing my
memory on this, I'd be much obliged!

Andrew

PS: Please cc edmond at aravia.com. Thanks!!

It's politically incorrect to shock people these days. Even lethal
injections have lost their charm. Pre-killed victims are your best bet.

 

[John Fields]

---
Apparently you've forgotten that memeory loss due to electroshock is
irreversible.

What you'll need to do is to learn how to perform the experiments again,
from scratch, and then practice them on yourself to make sure they're
"safe".

However, once you practice them on yourself, if you find that you can't
quite figure out what those kitchen knives you're clutching are for,...

 

[Si Ballenger]

When I was a kid, I read a schemetic in a magazine that showed how to
make a shock machine out of a transformer, a capacitor, a 9V battery
and a push/release switch. At age 12 I was able to build one and had
a great time shocking my friends (small but still startling).

At age 14, I built an electric chair (a living room chair with foil
wrapped on the arms, with a push button to deliver the shock) for
halloween.

At age 30, I'm trying to recall how I did it as a kid, and am having
tons of trouble

Any electrician minded people willing to help me with this halloween
project?

If I remember correctly, I hooked the leads of the 9V battery to the
transformer (120V / 12.6V 1.2A transformer) and then hooked the leads
on the other end of the transformer to a small capacitor (pinky tip
sized cylinder). From the capacitor I hooked one lead through a push
button switch and the other lead on an open circuit. Each lead
terminated in a standard kitchen knife.

The net effect is that you'd hold the kitchen knives as easy-grip
conductors and then push the button. The current from the capacitor
would be released into your body offering a small but shocking jolt.

When I did it as an electric chair when I was a kid it was so much fun
on Halloween!

If anybody might be able to give me some pointers for refreshing my
memory on this, I'd be much obliged!

Andrew

PS: Please cc edmond at aravia.com. Thanks!!

The below kit might be of interest. Something simple that can
generate a shock is the flash part of a disposable flash cam
(been there, done that!).

http://www.qkits.com/serv/qkits/diy/pages/FK901.asp

 

[Si Ballenger]

It's politically incorrect to shock people these days. Even lethal
injections have lost their charm. Pre-killed victims are your best bet.

But what if you have been bad, bad, bad, and want to be shocked?
;-)

 

[N. Thornton]

Umm, why do I think thats going to be a 'no' ?

Regards, NT

 

[Watson A.Name - Watt Sun]

See what happened because of all the shocks you gave yourself? You've
lost your memory! Hah-hah.

There was a young lady who lived in the apts across the courtyard who
told me she had electroshock treatments when she was younger. She
said there were whole segments of her life of which she couldn'r
remember anyting.

It's politically incorrect to shock people these days. Even lethal
injections have lost their charm. Pre-killed victims are your best bet.

--
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[Tim Jackson]

When I was a kid, I read a schemetic in a magazine that showed how to
make a shock machine out of a transformer, a capacitor, a 9V battery
and a push/release switch.

Any electrician minded people willing to help me with this halloween
project?

If I remember correctly, I hooked the leads of the 9V battery to the
transformer (120V / 12.6V 1.2A transformer) and then hooked the leads
on the other end of the transformer to a small capacitor (pinky tip
sized cylinder). From the capacitor I hooked one lead through a push
button switch and the other lead on an open circuit. Each lead
terminated in a standard kitchen knife.

That works but you will need a resistor to discharge the capacitor so that
it will fire again the next time the button is pressed.

When I was a kid (a lot more than 20 years ago I am afraid) we used a buzzer
circuit ( for the uninitiated that's a relay with its n/c contact in series
with the coil) to generate a continuous shocking voltage. In your design
you will need to keep the capacitor small enough to ensure that the device
is medically safe, at 15VA your transformer is a too large to provide
protection itself. We used custom 'shocking coils', or wound our own.

Tim Jackson

 

[Michael]

That works but you will need a resistor to discharge the capacitor so that
it will fire again the next time the button is pressed.

When I was a kid (a lot more than 20 years ago I am afraid) we used a buzzer
circuit ( for the uninitiated that's a relay with its n/c contact in series
with the coil) to generate a continuous shocking voltage. In your design
you will need to keep the capacitor small enough to ensure that the device
is medically safe, at 15VA your transformer is a too large to provide
protection itself. We used custom 'shocking coils', or wound our own.

Tim Jackson

I've made heaps of shockers with relays when I was a kid too, and had
a lot of fun with them. The last one I made worked so well it was
impossible to let go of. Another good shocker is the generator used
in old fashioned telephones.
Just watch out for old people with weak hearts. Be careful.

 

[Andrew Crook]

the Victorians used to pay for a shock, it used to be the answer for
anything. I even heard that roman emperors used to use electric eels to
treat things ... headaches

Andi

 

[Walter Harley]

the Victorians used to pay for a shock, it used to be the answer for
anything. I even heard that roman emperors used to use electric eels to
treat things ... headaches

Andi

As do we, albeit for fewer disorders: severe depression, heart seizure,
chronic pain, muscle atrophy, and if memory serves (no jokes about
depression here, now), epilepsy.

Hmm, I'm struggling with a cold. Mebbe I'll go give it a try.

 

[Ted Wilson]

As do we, albeit for fewer disorders: severe depression, heart seizure,
chronic pain, muscle atrophy, and if memory serves (no jokes about
depression here, now), epilepsy.

Hmm, I'm struggling with a cold. Mebbe I'll go give it a try.

My understanding is that Electric Shock Treatment was introduced as a
treatment for severe depression on the basis that epileptics rarely,
if ever, suffer from depression: an epileptic attack is an
uncontrolled electrical discharge in the brain; epileptics don't get
depressed; ergo subject someone suffering from depression to several
electric discharges through their brain and, "hey presto", no more
depression!

Absolutely flawless logic wouldn't you say? What breathtaking insight
into the wonders and workings of the human mind and body!

I believe one day, EST will be seen in similar light to that which we
now see lobotomy. In the meantime, if you want some pretty chilling
reading, just do a google search on "electric shock treatment".

Ted

 

[Dave VanHorn]

I believe one day, EST will be seen in similar light to that which we

now see lobotomy. In the meantime, if you want some pretty chilling
reading, just do a google search on "electric shock treatment".

Ted

You'll end up looking at a lot of material prepared by the "church" of
scientology, designed to scare people away from conventional mental health.
The "citizens committee on human rights" is one of their many front groups.

The "church" of scientology regularly beats this horse, in their effort to
paint all mental health care as barbaric. (except their own of course, where
they excorcise the spirits of dead aliens from you at $450/hr)

EST certainly has been mis-applied, but applied properly, it does work, and
it does improve people's lives. Insulin therapy is similarly scary, but
again, applied properly, it does work.
http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/wir5-40.html

 

[Paul Burridge]

Absolutely flawless logic wouldn't you say? What breathtaking insight
into the wonders and workings of the human mind and body!

I believe one day, EST will be seen in similar light to that which we
now see lobotomy. In the meantime, if you want some pretty chilling
reading, just do a google search on "electric shock treatment".

Apparently it's very effective, though. The only downside is you can't
remember who you are, where you live or what you've done in life.

 

[Andrew Crook]

I believe devices similar to pacemakers are available to counteract tremors
caused by disorders such as Parkinson's Disease. I am sure similar devices
have been used to treat types of epilepsy.

Andi

 

[Jim Thompson]

I believe devices similar to pacemakers are available to counteract tremors
caused by disorders such as Parkinson's Disease. I am sure similar devices
have been used to treat types of epilepsy.

Andi

[snip]

See "electronic design", 10.27.03, page 56, figure 4.

...Jim Thompson

 

[Walter Harley]

I believe one day, EST will be seen in similar light to that which we
now see lobotomy. In the meantime, if you want some pretty chilling
reading, just do a google search on "electric shock treatment".

Like many things (amputation, leeches, ...), EST has gotten refined over
time. As I understand it, they've gotten better at determining how much
shock to apply and where to apply it, so that the side effects are greatly
reduced. AIUI, it remains an effective and medically indicated treatment in
some cases of severe, acute depression (i.e., if your person is otherwise
going to commit suicide before the drugs can kick in). It's certainly not
used as a panacea any more.

--walter

 

[Dave VanHorn]

Apparently it's very effective, though. The only downside is you can't
remember who you are, where you live or what you've done in life.

Hardly.

 

[Arch-lab]

Don't have the actual magazine, is the article called "Medtronic Sets The Pace
With Implantable Electronics " you are refering too?

 

[Arch-lab]

Seems to me you were looking to build shock circuit before all this other talk
took off.
Do you still want to do that, or did someone get back to you?

the Victorians used to pay for a shock, it used to be the answer for
anything. I even heard that roman emperors used to use electric eels to
treat things ... headaches

Andi