Create your own miniature electric chair

Sure, we've got plenty of options to sit in when it comes to rewarding yourself, but what if you've got a mischievous trick-or-treater that really needs some payback for stiffing you in the candy department? Enter Lil' Sparky, the miniaturized (albeit potent) electric chair, handcrafted to scare the living daylights out of anything or anyone who dares to place its behind in it. Rob Cruickshank has officially "put the cute in electrocute" by wiring up a wooden electric chair that's powered by a single 9-volt battery and can deliver the juice to the unlucky participant with just the flip of a toggle switch. While we certainly don't condone the act of channeling unabated voltage through anybody's bones, be sure to peep the video of the electrifying chair in all its sizzling glory just in case the need presents itself.

[Via BoingBoing]

[J Ozer @ Oct 31st 2006 11:36PM]

The video is worth watching for the woman's comments alone: "You spent all day doing this?!?!" & "NO! I'm not gonna touch it!"

[Brendan @ Oct 31st 2006 11:37PM]

Now I've got a use for all those toys nobody loves!

[Chris @ Oct 31st 2006 11:37PM]

How well does this thing scale? Hypothetically, would it work on say an annoying coworker? Can it be made to look like an office chair?

[Dave @ Oct 31st 2006 11:41PM]

Already got one: http://www.victorpest.com/store/product.asp?dept_id=54&pf_id=M252B
I fry my mice ... works like a charm.

[Paul @ Oct 31st 2006 11:50PM]

The womans comments are what makes the movie worth watching. No! I'm not going to touch it (20 seconds later) OW! hehe

[Matias Korhonen @ Nov 1st 2006 1:53AM]

This is amazingly tasteless. Personally, I'm disgusted. Not that I support capital punishment anyway.


==
http://korhonen.matt.googlepages.com

[LTM @ Nov 1st 2006 3:48AM]

plenty of assholes out there that'll get pleasure from something else's torture!

[midgetHater @ Nov 1st 2006 7:12AM]

Handy for midgets. Midgets piss me off.

[Wouter @ Nov 1st 2006 10:16AM]

Sorry to be a party pooper, but isnt this just a chair with some wires and a motor that makes sound??? She is not being electrocuted in any way, I believe. Wouldnt u have to touch the part where the head is supposed to go to be shocked??

[Silver @ Nov 1st 2006 10:35AM]

No, Wouter, it really does pass current through whatever's across the contacts.

If anyone's interested, these are very easy to make. It's just a relay with the NC contacts in series with the coil (and the power). When you turn on the power, the coil energizes and breaks its own circuit. However, because of the fairly large inductance of the coil, it will try to still push current, so if you happen to be across the coil, it's going to push that current through you.

It's a few mA at best, but it's enough to startle someone.

-KJ

[Daniel @ Nov 1st 2006 11:17AM]

I bet it would still come in 2nd at the science fair. You can't go wrong with the baking soda volcano.

[Elias G. @ Nov 1st 2006 12:57PM]

I remember seeing one of those in Problem Child 2, when the dad goes to the open house at school (it was Junior's science project).

[junk @ Nov 1st 2006 2:13PM]

I have a cattle prod, it hurts like a bitch.

[Nick Catalano @ Jul 8th 2007 2:13PM]

This is a totally pointless. The second electrode has to be on a the left (right?) leg of the chair. With this setup the current would just skip down the side of the person in the chair and go out the left arm, missing the heart completely (which is a vital part to hit)

Get with the game!