DC power socket help - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: lazarusr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 08:45:23 am
content: I am building a project in a wooden box (for aesthetic reasons). It will be supplied by an external 5V regulated DC power supply. The original plan was to use a 2.1mm socket to connect to the power supply. Unfortunately, the walls of the box are 14mm thick and no panel socket I can find comes anywhere near being able to mount this deep. If I mount the socket so that it is recessed in the wall of the box, then it will be too deep for the plug to reach.The obvious solution is to have a captive fly lead coming from the box, but this won't result in quite the right aesthetic I am going for. Before I go down this route, does anyone have any better suggestions?

author: Tandy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 08:53:19 am
content: Could you make the wall thinner where the power connector goes. For example use a 20mm (wide) flat drill bit to remove 10mm depth of the wood on the inside creating a recess on the inside so that you could then mount your socket?In other words have the recess on the inside rather than the outside so you can get the nut on.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 09:14:11 am
content: Alternatively, mount the DC socket on a small plate attached to the inside surface and make the hole wide enough to take the body of the plug. That would also hide a lot of the length of the plug which might help with the aesthetics.

author: jitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 11:10:42 am
content: I see another option: replace the standard DC-plug on the power supply with a longer type.Or maybe use something likethisthat you glue (rather than snap) into the wood.

author: Aodhan145
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 11:38:01 am
content: Can you not just take a forstner bit slightly larger than the panel mount one and create a recess on the inside and then mount the normal sized panel mount socket.

author: lazarusr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 09:41:42 pm
content: Thank's for the suggestions.Drilling a recess on the inside would be the neatest solution. However, I am working with an existing box and there is no way I can angle a drill from the inside to drill out.I have, however, found a brass disc (that matches some of the other hardware I am using) that I can fit the panel mount socket onto (as suggested by Gyro). I think I can then mount that in a recessed hole on the outside so that it sits flush.

author: Aodhan145
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 10:44:01 pm
content: Quote from: lazarusr on May 29, 2016, 09:41:42 pmHopefully it works. Is the project interesting?

author: lazarusr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2016, 10:56:47 pm
content: Quote from: Aodhan145 on May 29, 2016, 10:44:01 pmNot really. It's a Nixie clock. There's hundreds of such projects online.At least it's basically my own design - I haven't just slavishly copied someone else's schematic.Fun nonetheless and hopefully it will make a nice gift for Mrs L.

author: lazarusr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2016, 09:10:12 pm
content: This is the solution I went for in the end. I made a hole in the wooden box just large enough to take the full body of the socket. This in turn is mounted on a metal disc and there is a recess in the wall of the box just large enough to accommodate the disc. Worked out well. Thanks for all your suggestions.

author: Aodhan145
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2016, 09:39:44 pm
content: Quote from: lazarusr on June 24, 2016, 09:10:12 pmNice job, seemed to work out well.

author: jitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2016, 06:22:12 am
content: Looks good! Looks like it originally left the factory that way.

author: alsetalokin4017
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2016, 05:35:57 pm
content: I used a Forstner bit to make a recess larger than the max OD of the jack, thinning the wood until it was thin enough for the jack's mounting length. Then drilled through for the jack diameter.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 04:24:53 am
content: Quote from: lazarusr on June 24, 2016, 09:10:12 pmI like it. It does go well with the overall aesthetic.

author: lazarusr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 05:57:39 am
content: Quote from: bitseeker on June 28, 2016, 04:24:53 am

author: jitter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 03:39:34 pm
content: Haha, "Lazarus' Clock" I think it says...

author: lazarusr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 03:41:49 pm
content: Quote from: jitter on June 28, 2016, 03:39:34 pmYes.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 06:13:03 pm
content: Nicely done. I like it.