E-tank manual charger?

[RickN]

Any of you guys ever converted a PC power supply into a manual charger to power an e-tank? I have found some videos online but some say one way and others say different. I am really wanting to build a tank for cleaning rusty cast iron skillets, tools, guns, etc, but will not until I can be sure of doing it without burning the house down.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

My cousin has. He's a PC dude though. I just use a car battery charger.

 

[RickN]

My cousin has. He's a PC dude though. I just use a car battery charger.

They stopped making the manual charger so unless I can find a really cheap used one, I have to convert.

 

[Tanis143]

It all just depends on what voltage and amperage you need. For the most part a PSU has two voltages, 5v and 12v, with both a + and - rail for each. PSU's will also have different rails for the 12v side so 1 or 2 devices won't tie up all the amperage available to that rail. This would be why they have different ways, it all depends on the PSU. I don't know how to do the conversion, but hope that helps explain PSU's a bit.

 

[RickN]

It all just depends on what voltage and amperage you need. For the most part a PSU has two voltages, 5v and 12v, with both a + and - rail for each. PSU's will also have different rails for the 12v side so 1 or 2 devices won't tie up all the amperage available to that rail. This would be why they have different ways, it all depends on the PSU. I don't know how to do the conversion, but hope that helps explain PSU's a bit.

Yep I understand all that. I was an electrician 40 years ago. I am need the 12v side but the videos I have seen show different ways to get there. I was hoping somebody had done it successfully and could talk me thru it.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

They stopped making the manual charger so unless I can find a really cheap used one, I have to convert.

There's a bunch on Facebook marketplace up in your zip code for $15-$35. Old school manual ones.

 

[Tanis143]

Yep I understand all that. I was an electrician 40 years ago. I am need the 12v side but the videos I have seen show different ways to get there. I was hoping somebody had done it successfully and could talk me thru it.

Thats because there a lot of different ways to get there. Basically any yellow wire coming out of the PSU is +12v. You will need to wire a STSP switch to the PS-ON wire and its adjacent ground (on 20 pin connectors its pin 14 & 15, on 24 pin connectors its 16 & 17) or just bridge them if the PSU has a rear on/off switch. Other than that, just cut off one of the yellow leads that goes to a set of molex connectors along with the ground next to it and you have your +12v and ground. For max amperage just make sure to get a PSU with a single +12v rail.

 

[tyromeo55]

Tons of YouTube videos on this. If it were me I’d look into getting an inexpensive lab bench power supply instead