Easy Sonic Screwdriver

Be honest, ... Who hasn't wanted a sonic screwdriver?

I've been looking for the parts to make a simple, nice looking one for sometime.

The main problem was adding sound. It had to have sound! No Arduino, no programing my own chip. Just cheap and simple.

Found most of the parts at TARGET in the dollar section at the front of the store. The flashlights are almost perfect for this. The sound comes from a key chain in the same section. The rest of the parts are things I already had. The flashlights I used were different diameters. This made it easy. But you could use two the same. Just roll an inner sleeve out of some soft metal, and use it to connect the two halves.

REQUIERED...

Flashlight 2ea

Ghost key chain

extra LED, I used 2 RGB fast change

50 or 100 ohm resister

slide switch, from tea light at TARGET.

plastic top from spray bottle

wire

silicone

small screws

TOOLS...

soldering iron

small files

small drill and bits

Start by removing the lens and LEDs from the "handle" flashlight. This is a little tricky. The lens is a larger than the diameter of the handle and pressed in. I drilled a hole in the center of the lens and pried it up. It takes some effort to do this. After the lens is off you can push the LEDs out from behind. Unsolder the LEDs from this board. The board gets negative feed from the case of the flashlight. I added a small strip of copper to the board to rub against the side and improve contact. Add some wire to the positive, and to the negative side of the board. Run these wires to the front (where the LEDs were) of the board, off to the side.

On the "extension" flashlight, decide how long you want it. Then cut it. Make sure to leave room for the sound unit. Test fit both tubes. Remove the lens and LEDs from the "extension" also. Even if you plan on using them. It make things easier. Unsolder the lights from the sound board. You can use them later if you want.

On the handle, plan the placement of the slide switch and make the opening. (if you want the flashlight option) Plan the placement of the sound board and speaker. Make sure the board LED board you added wires to earlier is temporarily in place. For the slide switch you will need to cut a notch in the "extension" to go around the switch. After that, mark the location for the screws that will hold both handle and extension. Drill the holes and temporarily screw together. Mark and drill the location for the sound board on/off button. Also in the extension, mark and drill small "sound holes" for the speaker. The casing muffles the sound, this will make it a little louder.

Solder a "positive" wire to each end of the slide switch. Solder a tap wire to the negative wire from the rear board. The tap wire will feed the sound board. The original wire will go to the flashlight board. Put the rear board in place. Solder the positive lead from the rear board to the center of the slide switch. Put the switch in the handle and "glue". I used liquid electrical tape to insulate all connections and hold things together. It sets fast and makes a good glue.

**(If no flashlight, solder the positive wire from the rear board to the positive side of the sound unit. Solder the negative from the rear board to the input side of the sound board button.)**

Add extension wire to the positive and switched negative of the sound board for the extra LED.

Assemble the handle and extension. My extension was a little wobbly in the handle. So I added some silicone inside the handle and pushed the extension in. Clean the excess silicone out. Add the screws. Let the silicone set completely. Now solder the negative tap wire to the input side of the sound board, and solder the loose positive wire from the rear of the slide switch to the positive input. Insert the loose button for the sound board into the hole in the handle, and position the sound board over it inside. I used a little silicone to hold it in place. After that set, I braced the back of the sound board too the bottom of the slide switch with a piece of plastic. This will support the switch and keep the board in place. Position the speaker behind the sound holes you drilled earlier, and glue with silicone or liquid tape.

Remove the center LED from the flashlight board. Enlarge the holes so wire will fit through. Insulate the back of the board with... what else... liquid tape. Leave one negative and one positive spot open. Drill a hole in the center of the lens you will be using on the flashlight. Make the hole large enough to fit wires and a LED.

**(If not using the flashlight option, you may still want the chrome reflector and front lens to use as a spacer)**

Add the resister to the positive extension wire on the sound board. Solder the main case negative lead, and the positive lead from the front of the slide switch, to the open spots on the back of the flashlight board. Insulate. Run the switched negative and resister wire from the sound board through the holes in the flashlight board. Install the flashlight board and insert the lens. Solder your extra LED to the wires you just pulled through.

Attach the plastic cap to the lens with silicone. I dulled the inside of the cap to blur the light. I used fast change RGB LEDs.

I kept the original flashlight on/off switch in place, to act as a master power switch.