DIY $5 Mini USB Fridge!

Tags:
Cooler, Peltier, Camp, Campers, USB, Refridgerator, 360, PlayStation 3, Drink, Cool, Easy, Fun, Tricks, Hacks, Babblin5

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Convert an old garage sale electric camper cooler into your own personal, customizeable drink cooler powered by a USB port! Cheap, fun, and easy!

  1. By: babblin5
  2. Categories How To, Science & Tech
  3. Views 203,829
  4. Added :27-Nov-07
  5. Related Link: More Great Videos!
Comments on DIY $5 Mini USB Fridge!
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  • cool man!

    send me one of those..with metacafe background!

    By Mr.illusion 1196139392
  • Pretty cool (pun!)

    How do you put graphics in there?

    By ZackScott 1196131169
    • Oh!

      I printed on inkjet transparency film, and cut it out and attached it to the plastic.

      By babblin5 1196147288
    • I meant to mention

      You just connect the red and black wires wires in your USB cable to the red and black wires of the peltier unit... cut and glue our foamboard (you can pick up a 20"x30" piece for a buck), then cut and glue to size. I wish I had a Master Sargeant's helmet from the Halo 3 special Edition... would have made a REALLY awesome cooler...

      By babblin5 1196185976
    • which is the best?

      hi babblin. i have a big doubt and i haven't continued my cooler. i am wondering. which is best... 1. the heasink goes to the bottom and make a fan at the top? 2. or put the heasink at the top and don't install a fan? please respond so i'll continue my cooler

      By pajju01 1220708961
  • haha

    cool, thats great Rosskay :P
    loved the metacafe skin

    By iguanna 1196138616
    • Lol...

      I wanted to do it with Halo3, but I don't think Microsoft would like that...

      By babblin5 1196139659
    • Halo 3

      is such an addicting game =P I need to build one of these for my basement

      By VideoVault 1201062187
  • Peltier

    What a funny word...

    You could sit yer ice cream in there and keep it cool.

    By HydroSliders 1196128620
    • Ummm

      Not QUITE that cool unless you used about a 10 volt DC adapter ;)

      By babblin5 1196128967
    • lol!

      I've done a similar project with a 10 volt adapter! The ice cream dosen't last long though...

      By Omfgpie 1196739576
  • Awsome

    Dude, this is so cool , il make one since im at the pc all day, but it's winter here so make something that keeps my coffe hot :) that would be awesome to !

    By akamakavely 1196124498
    • Actually

      You can reverse the voltage ad the top will get hot instead of cool... nstant coffee warmer! 8)

      By babblin5 1196125185
  • That's Cool!

    Could you make it bigger, to eat while gaming? LOL

    By IZasPIE 1196122601
  • NOTES:

    I used Foam Board to build the cooler, then used a flexible refridgerator magnet (like they give away at banks, etc.) to make the door latches. The light is obviously optional. You could also use an inexpensive plastic box shaped container with a lid if you don't want to go to the trouble of building one like this. With 5 volts, drinks stay cool at about 45 degrees F. You could also connect this to an old DC adapter that puts out from 7.5-10 volts to keep stuff ICE cold. Have fun! =)

    By babblin5 1196123416
    • Oh, and just wanted to let you know,

      I'll definetely try this except with two ports to make it colder, and once i start making videos, i'll let you know how it turned out!

      By poston 1196217440
    • Nice new logo!

      im busy making one myself for my future videos...
      BTW, the light was a nice touch:)

      By poston 1196217332
  • that was impressive

    how the hell did you figure that out? Where did you find it? It is one of my favorites now!

    By sinisa10 1196157858
  • nice 5*****

    what id the temperature reached?

    By tycoyoken 1196148506
    • 45 Degrees F

      Could have made it a lot colder by using 2 usb connections in series, but I don't think many people would want to tie up 2 ports =)

      By babblin5 1196149225
  • Camp Cooler

    babblin5,you are the best master!!!

    By valmarinov 1196155305
  • Fans

    Add fans so the air can spread around

    By Videowacher5 1196146690
    • Yep!

      I actually put a small one in the top, but I thought that would be overkill in the vid... 8)

      By babblin5 1196147221
  • Very clever ! Mon ami...


    A lot of stars for you ;-D

    By LUCCHINA 1196151611
  • great

    can i order one
    :)

    By vvr_1976 1196146483
  • Just a thought

    If you put the cooling unit at the top it would be more efficient cause everyone know thats cold air sinks and hot air rises. Although you're probably limited by structural integrity.

    By a Mammoth 1196272170
    • Yep!

      I'm still playing around with it... =)

      By babblin5 1196272690
  • Great addition,

    Love this idea. I'm making one for sure.

    By fishin4daze 1196257129
  • That is so cool!

    I really need to make one of these, im always running down stairs for a drink.

    By VideoVault 1196207451
  • 5 * * * * * "s

    Very Smart Idea

    By Nickstar19 1196205272
  • superbauctions.com

    GREAT VID

    By tigerpaw55 1196204383
  • ?????!!!! !!!!!! ?!?!?!?!?

    I see u have a laptop in there but i have a idea for you: make that small device some how stik to a desktop pc procesor and you wil have a silent and great cooling device for your procesor then sell it and get rich :) !

    By dansobolanu 1196203801
    • Yep

      You can use these to overclock the snot out of your PC, but I'm not sure how many people would actually want to try it. You have to add some extra stuff in order for it not to fry your power supply and/or MB. But it is pretty fun to know that when you see one of these at a garage sale, you can grab it and get a $30 part for next to nothing! ;)

      By babblin5 1196204169
  • cool!

    realy cool! lol

    By pan_bosio 1196193433
  • Very creative

    Lots of possibilities - beer chiller, pizza cooker.... all while I'm at work. 5 *'s!!!

    By betterskier 1196185322
  • pel t a

    is that how you spell the name of the cooling unit?

    By takodogproductions 1196183997
    • Peltier

      Is how you spell it, and thank you all for the kind comments! 8)

      By babblin5 1196214084
  • Cool Cold!

    Cool idea! insanely funny! Damn! you got style haha! i bet u did that on purpose, the light, the skin! now i must give u 5 star! you sick guy!

    By weirdwired 1197662850
  • cool

    nice job i like the diy projects you make (especially the naration) keep it up

    By fuckyeahimover18 1196996756
  • 5 *****'s all the way!

    Excellent job!

    By AidieThatBoy07 1196851595
  • hi.

    Hi man, could you make me a picture on how to make it with 2 usb cables?

    And the peltier, where can I get those from? Instead of mini coolers, where else?

    By phantombadger 1274439521
  • Where...

    could I get those parts if I can't find one of those coolers?

    By 4thgenaccord 1273244041
  • Any ideas?

    I found actually found a peltier unit but it only has a heat sink for the hot side. With 12v of power from a DC adapter the hot side eventually counteracts the cold side and the whole thing becomes hot, any ideas why?

    By rocko799 1252464340
  • Part List?

    Can you give me a list of Parts please :)
    Like in Details
    Also This may be useful on my xbox 360
    :)

    By Demarshmello 1250721767
  • watch this

    free online films : click here
    http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2359051/amazing_invention/

    By moameddsouky 1234194723
  • watch this

    free online films : click here
    http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2359051/amazing_invention/

    By moameddsouky 1234194693
  • CAUTION

    Could also fry your USB port if it draws to much power

    By ziggy 1226915774
  • name of the device

    The proper name of the device your using to cool your fridge is what the call a thermoelectric cooler... You could modify that thing to be a CPU cooler and get really good results

    By jasonelmore 1222325812
  • KooL!!!!

    Very Nice videos!!!!

    http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1547372/hide_drives_in_my_computer/

    By teamreplica 1218465467
  • awesome

    what is the exact thing which he used in this fridge

    By don003 1217612555
  • Hehe cool!

    That's cool!

    Can I get one but bigger?

    By Mr.ownage 1217434902
  • peltier unit?

    when you connect the pelitier unit to the heatsink how do i know which side to build the fridge on? and if i used a four point usb connecters will i get four times the voltage or the same as 1??

    By cizam 1217145107
  • Half Arsed

    Now, flip the whole fridge over and repeat, so that there is a heated unit and a chilled unit. Us the heated side to keep coffee, tea, soup, and whatever else warm.

    By mark siege 1216446234
  • Nice

    hi babblin5. i had seen your video few months ago and i had interested myself to do 1. i bought a peltier (12V 113W) and when i power it to a usb port, i dont get much cool temperature. any suggestions? 10x

    By malkurju 1212683309
    • ...

      12 volts and 113 watts means that the USB port would need to draw 10 amps, which is quite a load. In fact USB ports typically supply .1 amps, but are capable of supplying up to .5 amps. Go out an get a less powerful pielter? unit.

      Aside the pielter? unit is actually a really big transistor.

      By mark siege 1216446414
  • ok

    PLEASE DONT READ THIS!!!!U WILL GET KISSED ON THE NEAREST POSSIBLE FRIDAY BY THE LOVE OF UR LIFE. 2MORROW WILL BE THE BEST DAY OF UR LIFE.HOWEVER IF U DONT POST THIS COMMENT TO ATLEAST 3 VIDEOS U WILL DIE IN 2 DAYS.NOW UV STARTED READIN THIS SO DONT STOP NOW!THIS IS SOOO SCARY.SEND THIS TO ATLEAST 5 VIDEOS IN 143 MINUTES WHEN UR DONE PRESS F6 AND UR CRUSSHES NAMEWILL APPEAR ON THE SCREEN IN BIG LETTERS THIS IS SOO SCARY CUZ IT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!!!

    By klo5588 1205851674
  • zomg

    awesomeness.. i want one

    By Snakieeee 1205118528
  • heat-sink should go on top !

    The heatsink should go on top !
    If the fridge is very tall, you need to connect a thermal bridge from the bottom all the way to the top (at the heat-sink)

    By sandro.bilbeisi 1201061586
  • wow

    that whas awesome dude im gonna make me one of those!!!

    By Dixies 1200178632
  • awsome

    Im a big fan of you and kipkay. but this kind of blows the lid off anything that kipkay ever did. Where can I get the unit if i cant find a coler at a garage sale or a thrift shop?

    By P.C.hAcK 1199997436
  • Very neat...

    but wouldnt it be more efficient to put the cooling element on top, since cold air falls?

    By jasontimmer 1199435240
61 Comments
 

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