Mouse Vapor

[Owly055]

Ever vaporized a mouse? Just kidding.

I recently built an electric mousetrap..... electro shock therapy ;-) The thing is so deadly I'm afraid of it. It consists of a bank of large capacity motor start capacitors, and a metal platform the mice have to cross to get to the bait which is on an electrically isolated surface. The platform and bait pan are opposite polarity. The electronics other than the capacitors are a high value resistor on the mains to hold the capacitor charging current very low so it takes a few minutes for the capacitors to reach full charge, a rectifier to produce DC, set up as a voltage doubler (using another small capacitor), so the caps charge with around 270 volts DC, the capacitors themselves, and nothing else.

The thing sounds like a pistol shot when it goes off as the capacitors discharge a LOT of energy when shorted. It will toss the mouse.... dead of course, and often body parts are missing... a foot completely gone for example. Where did it go? "mouse vapor"? Because it throws the mouse, I can end up with 3 or 4 mice in one night when it's cold out and the mice are finding their way in. It wakes me up at night when a mouse get's into it.

This is a fun but deadly toy.......... capable of killing humans, so not something to have around children or pets. I feel kind of like Bill Murray (Caddy Shack) when I plug it in. I haven't graduated to explosives yet!! At least not for killing mice.

The joys of being single ;-)

H.W.

 

[yeahfairly]

I hope you didn't find the plans online at floridadepartmentofcorrections.com...... If so..... buy a fire extinguisher!

 

[CorporateHippie]

The joys of being single ;-)

curse you

 

[Owly055]

curse you

Mouse Lover!!

The truth is that this thing brings instant painless death..... far more humane than an ordinary mouse trap.

H.W.

 

[unionrdr]

I preferred to watch my 4 wheel drive mouse trap. Like watching a lion with a gazelle.:rockin:

 

[ChefRex]

Cool, I need one of these! You do kinda loose me on lethal to humans part.

 

[unionrdr]

270 volts AC would be worse, you can't let go versus DC which instantly repels you. If you're going to be a sicko, do it bloody right! :rockin:

 

[sandyeggoxj]

That sounds like a lot of fun! We always have problems with our long-term camps. Lots of mice try to get in. Worst night I was up all night clubbing them to death with a tac light. This would be better. Of course we don't have power so that kinda limits our methods to snap traps and PB. You should setup a game camera and get a video!

 

[hunter_le five]

Video or it didn't happen!

 

[Owly055]

Video or it didn't happen!

Isn't that what they call "California Rules"? ..... If it isn't on film, it didn't happen....

I've never felt the need to prove anything to anybody.... It was a fun project I thought people might enjoy...... at least those of us with diabolical tendencies. It's not an original idea. There are a number of electric mousetraps out there available commercially. I didn't feel like spending the money when I have a bunch of electrical and electronic components laying around. Needless to say they don't work on line voltage....... batteries are typical, nor are they nearly as dramatic or dangerous..... or just plain fun.

I encourage people NOT to duplicate this........ I happen to be OK with stuff like this....... many people are not. Capacitors can and do kill people. I've been playing with stuff like this since about age 12, and I'll be 60 next year........if I live that long!! Evidence that though I may be a bit crazy, I'm not stupid.


H.W.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I kind of wonder what kind of juice that thing eats up. Have you plugged it into a kill-a-watt to find out?

 

[Homercidal]

First, you *could* build one that is lethal to mice and discharges much less energy.

Second, people have been playing with high capacity, uh, capacitors for many decades. They are not dangerous if the usual precautions are in place and proper safety steps are taken.

I'd love to try this. I'd probably need to see if it could be done using something like a spare car battery.

I don't have ready access to any large capacitors, so I guess I will write this one off as a project never realizsed.

 

[Owly055]

I kind of wonder what kind of juice that thing eats up. Have you plugged it into a kill-a-watt to find out?

It uses almost no electricity at all. A large value resistor limits the current to almost nothing. It depends on the DC to charge the capacitor, which charges slowly, and then quits drawing current at all other than small leakage current which is infinitesimal. I designed it to pump out a massive jolt in a few milliseconds...... depending on the electrical resistance of the mouse. It takes a few minutes for the capacitor to come to full charge due to the large resistance on the mains.

H.W.

 

[DrunkleJon]

It uses almost no electricity at all. A large value resistor limits the current to almost nothing. It depends on the DC to charge the capacitor, which charges slowly, and then quits drawing current at all other than small leakage current which is infinitesimal. I designed it to pump out a massive jolt in a few milliseconds...... depending on the electrical resistance of the mouse. It takes a few minutes for the capacitor to come to full charge due to the large resistance on the mains.

H.W.

I never thought I would see "depending on the electrical resistance of the mouse" quoted on a home brew site. Congratulations good sir.

Any chance of a picture of said science experiment. The more mad scientist looking the better

 

[Owly055]

I never thought I would see "depending on the electrical resistance of the mouse" quoted on a home brew site. Congratulations good sir.

Any chance of a picture of said science experiment. The more mad scientist looking the better

Mice are a relevant topic on a homebrew forum......... considering their love for malted grain. How many of us have gotten up in the AM to find a bag of crystal 60 we left on the counter with a hole chewed in it and grain spilled all over? Please raise your hands!! How long did it then take to declare war on mice, and to become anal about always storing grain in sealed mouse proof containers....... even for 5 minutes while answering the phone or making a potty stop. I no longer have 4x4 mousetraps randomly roaming my home. The previous two were long time friends who decided at different times that they wanted to become permanent guests, and always behaved as guests should, not climbing on things, or getting into human food, not leaving messes, or clawing furniture.

I have photos of the first iteration of this trap, and it is very mad scientist looking, though the electronics are all heavily wrapped in tape and duct tape, so you can't see that part of it at all. It consists of a piece of an aluminum sign, a narrow strip with the ends turned up, and a copper tube pinched between the two ends with rubber bushings on either end of it. A copper wire extends over the top which is the same polarity as the base. The copper tube has pieces of copper wire soldered into it sticking out in various places to impale bait such as a piece of meat or cheese. In the photo it is baited by having been liberally smeared with peanut butter.

................. Does this look mad enough for you ;-) The new one is more sophisticated and more safe, not wide open where you can reach out and get nailed.


H.W.

 

[b-boy]

My vote is to just get a cat.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Homebrewers, inventing new ways to blow up/vaporize mice daily.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

That looks like a lot of fun. Nice work.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

I might have to try this. I have to restrain my traps with wire or before I get to empty them the stray cats in the neighborhood drag away the whole trap (they must prefer dining out). This way they could take the mouse and I'd still have the trap. Heck, it might even take care of the stray cat problem in the neighborhood....

 

[hunter_le five]

Does it work on meddling kids? I need a way to keep them out of my abandoned warehouse/ghost factory.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

Does it work on meddling kids? I need a way to keep them out of my abandoned warehouse/ghost factory.

Don't forget the Waskly Wabbits?

 

[BGBC]

Mice are a relevant topic on a homebrew forum......... considering their love for malted grain. How many of us have gotten up in the AM to find a bag of crystal 60 we left on the counter with a hole chewed in it and grain spilled all over?

So do you have this set up in your brew room? Picturing flying mice parts landing in buckets, grain bags, etc.

What's the death toll?

Also now picturing tiny stakes (toothpicks?) with mouse heads impaled on them, warning the other locals that this ground is off limits...

 

[Owly055]

Does it work on meddling kids? I need a way to keep them out of my abandoned warehouse/ghost factory.

It would probably just work on one........... after that word would get out.


H.W.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

It depends, kids these days don't seem to have much common sense unfortunately.

 

[Owly055]

So do you have this set up in your brew room? Picturing flying mice parts landing in buckets, grain bags, etc.

What's the death toll?

Also now picturing tiny stakes (toothpicks?) with mouse heads impaled on them, warning the other locals that this ground is off limits...

I like the idea of the stakes........... It's under the kitchen sink, and parts don't actually fly as far as I can tell. It just knocks the dead mouse off the trap. The current trap is much more "contained".

I don't believe in body counts....... Vietnam left me with a real aversion to such things. Keeping score by counting the dead is just offensive!

I do however like your idea of heads on toothpicks........unfortunately mice are even more stupid than people!! They'll climb over the bodies of the dead just to get their turn. I used to have an array of 8 traps at a natural "choke point" with a veritable smorgasbord of delicacies that would appeal to mice. They almost couldn't get by without walking over a trap. I've had as many as 6 trapped in a single night when the temp is getting cold and they're looking for a nice warm place to nest. I've also had times when one mouse was caught in as many as 4 traps...........and still alive!!

This is a very dangerous toy......not something I would advise normal folks to build..... IT CAN KILL YOU. Weather it kills the mice or kills you, either way your mouse problem is solved ;-)

H.W.

 

[Leithoa]

Is this meme about you Owly? http://i.imgur.com/91kuSa0.jpg

 

[Owly055]

Is this meme about you Owly? http://i.imgur.com/91kuSa0.jpg

I'll leave that up to you.............

H.W.

 

[Owly055]

This AM, I heard a mouse rustling under the kitchen sink, opened the door, and he darted into the trap. There was a sharp crack, and he was flung backward, and lay there twitching like he was dying............ A few minutes later he got up and staggered away. That explains the times I have heard the trap fire, and not found a body in the morning. It's not 100% effective for some reason.


H.W.

 

[ChefRex]

This AM, I heard a mouse rustling under the kitchen sink, opened the door, and he darted into the trap. There was a sharp crack, and he was flung backward, and lay there twitching like he was dying............ A few minutes later he got up and staggered away. That explains the times I have heard the trap fire, and not found a body in the morning. It's not 100% effective for some reason.


H.W.

But damn it's fun, please set up a camera

 

[riderkb]

Ever vaporized a mouse? Just kidding.

I recently built an electric mousetrap..... electro shock therapy ;-) The thing is so deadly I'm afraid of it. It consists of a bank of large capacity motor start capacitors, and a metal platform the mice have to cross to get to the bait which is on an electrically isolated surface. The platform and bait pan are opposite polarity. The electronics other than the capacitors are a high value resistor on the mains to hold the capacitor charging current very low so it takes a few minutes for the capacitors to reach full charge, a rectifier to produce DC, set up as a voltage doubler (using another small capacitor), so the caps charge with around 270 volts DC, the capacitors themselves, and nothing else.

The thing sounds like a pistol shot when it goes off as the capacitors discharge a LOT of energy when shorted. It will toss the mouse.... dead of course, and often body parts are missing... a foot completely gone for example. Where did it go? "mouse vapor"? Because it throws the mouse, I can end up with 3 or 4 mice in one night when it's cold out and the mice are finding their way in. It wakes me up at night when a mouse get's into it.

This is a fun but deadly toy.......... capable of killing humans, so not something to have around children or pets. I feel kind of like Bill Murray (Caddy Shack) when I plug it in. I haven't graduated to explosives yet!! At least not for killing mice.

The joys of being single ;-)

H.W.

Dear Mister Owly,

Will you marry me? I am smitten even though I am straight, male, and married.

 

[Owly055]

Dear Mister Owly,

Will you marry me? I am smitten even though I am straight, male, and married.

I'm flattered...........but I'm not sure how that works..... two straight males??? Somehow that just doesn't compute.


H.W.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

I'm flattered...........but I'm not sure how that works..... two straight males??? Somehow that just doesn't compute.





H.W.

It could just be two cool dudes living together.

(Thank you always sunny)

 

[grathan]

The Victor electric mouse traps kill over 100 mice with only 4 AA batteries. Not sure how large the capacitor is, but definitely less of a fire hazard.

 

[Owly055]

The Victor electric mouse traps kill over 100 mice with only 4 AA batteries. Not sure how large the capacitor is, but definitely less of a fire hazard.

This was supposed to be a fun, mad scientist project............ There is zero fire hazard the way it is built. A 5000 ohm resistor on the mains limits the current to such a small current that it simply cannot do anything without the capacitor. Once the capacitor is discharged, it recharges slowly, and if shorted, not at all. There is no way realistically for it to start a fire. Perhaps if you had gunpowder on the surface and shorted it with a screwdriver, that single spark could be used to start a fire......... Of if there were a gas leak, that single ignition spark could set it off. I've played with far more dangerous things that this.


H.W.

 

[Airplanedoc]

This AM, I heard a mouse rustling under the kitchen sink, opened the door, and he darted into the trap. There was a sharp crack, and he was flung backward, and lay there twitching like he was dying............ A few minutes later he got up and staggered away. That explains the times I have heard the trap fire, and not found a body in the morning. It's not 100% effective for some reason.


H.W.

More Power!!!!!!!

 

[estricklin]

This AM, I heard a mouse rustling under the kitchen sink, opened the door, and he darted into the trap. There was a sharp crack, and he was flung backward, and lay there twitching like he was dying............ A few minutes later he got up and staggered away. That explains the times I have heard the trap fire, and not found a body in the morning. It's not 100% effective for some reason.


H.W.

Mice actually have the ability to restart their own heart after some electrical shocks! That's why the store bought electric mouse traps actually shock the mouse again after a few seconds, or holds a steady 60 second shock.

I really love the low tech mouse trap my cousin built a couple years ago. He used a mop bucket and a make shift ramp out of a 2x4, on top of the mop bucket he placed a close hanger wire with an empty toilet paper roll covered in peanut butter. The mop bucket was half full of water, when the mice ran up the ramp and across the wire they would slip and fall off the cardboard into the water and.......well you get the idea. Believe it or not VERY effective low tech mouse trap.

 

[Strut]

Love it!

Ever try mouse launching?

 

[DrunkleJon]

Mice actually have the ability to restart their own heart after some electrical shocks! That's why the store bought electric mouse traps actually shock the mouse again after a few seconds, or holds a steady 60 second shock.

I really love the low tech mouse trap my cousin built a couple years ago. He used a mop bucket and a make shift ramp out of a 2x4, on top of the mop bucket he placed a close hanger wire with an empty toilet paper roll covered in peanut butter. The mop bucket was half full of water, when the mice ran up the ramp and across the wire they would slip and fall off the cardboard into the water and.......well you get the idea. Believe it or not VERY effective low tech mouse trap.

Kinda cruel, maybe should add a bit of soap to the water to make it harder to stay afloat in, speed the process some. That or leave it dry, and dump the bucket out outside every time it catches one/a few

 

[Owly055]

Love it!

Ever try mouse launching?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5-d3rZZ-_M

Looks pretty cool.......... They need more thrust though. I'd love to see one that would launch the squirrel across town. Unfortunately it would be difficult to launch a mouse from inside the house...... I've considered "mouse flushing" though............

The squirrel launcher reminds me of the propane actuated wood splitter I once built.......... Used a small compressor with a propane carb attached. You fill the cylinder with propane air mixture up to 100 psi, and touch it off. Used a sparkplug and a coil. A rubber bumper kept it from self destructing at the end of the stroke, and it was returned with a couple of very strong springs. Worked fine most of the time, but it was a bit scary.... It would throw the wood. The problem was that if it didn't get a full split, it wouldn't return until you cleared the wood, and with spring tension that could be a bet tense. Definitely not a toy for everybody! Not something I would recommend trying to duplicate. I did use it for quite awhile until I mounted a cone splitter on the end of my knuckle boom with hydraulic drive. With almost 30' feet of reach and 2500 lbs lift at full extent, it works great. You reach out and screw into the block a little way, then lift it and swing it over the wood pile, then hit the control and it screws into the block and splits it. All this will sitting in a lawn chair next to my truck running the controls. I use an 18 HP kohler to run the hydraulics....... I really don't want to have a 3126 idling just to run the splitter!

H.W.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Looks pretty cool.......... They need more thrust though. I'd love to see one that would launch the squirrel across town. Unfortunately it would be difficult to launch a mouse from inside the house...... I've considered "mouse flushing" though............

The squirrel launcher reminds me of the propane actuated wood splitter I once built.......... Used a small compressor with a propane carb attached. You fill the cylinder with propane air mixture up to 100 psi, and touch it off. Used a sparkplug and a coil. A rubber bumper kept it from self destructing at the end of the stroke, and it was returned with a couple of very strong springs. Worked fine most of the time, but it was a bit scary.... It would throw the wood. The problem was that if it didn't get a full split, it wouldn't return until you cleared the wood, and with spring tension that could be a bet tense. Definitely not a toy for everybody! Not something I would recommend trying to duplicate. I did use it for quite awhile until I mounted a cone splitter on the end of my knuckle boom with hydraulic drive. With almost 30' feet of reach and 2500 lbs lift at full extent, it works great. You reach out and screw into the block a little way, then lift it and swing it over the wood pile, then hit the control and it screws into the block and splits it. All this will sitting in a lawn chair next to my truck running the controls. I use an 18 HP kohler to run the hydraulics....... I really don't want to have a 3126 idling just to run the splitter!

H.W.

I wish I understood half the stuff you were talking about.

I will say I got this. Exploding log splitter cannon :rockin: which sounds like an amazing way to die.