Mad Scientist Knife Switch Extension Cord

There’s a running joke amongst my friends that I’m an actual time-travelling mad scientist – mostly because it’s more true than false. So I figured, why not run with it a little and have some fun with it. So that’s what I’ve done here – I’ve restored this old Mad Scientist’s Knife Switch into perfect working order!

A 2x DPDT knife switch, rated for 500V 60A, with arc suppressors. It's sitting on a sheet of brushed Aluminium on a table with a tablecloth on it.

A 2x DPDT knife switch, rated for 500V 60A, with arc suppressors

Just cleaning it & replacing the springs was the easy part. Safety is important – especially when you’re going to have “exposed” bare copper like I have here. For this knife switch the exposed bare copper is only ever running at 5 Volts, and those +5V connections are used to open/close some relays, with additional protection if the exposed areas ever go too high in voltage or current. You could lick the bare copper if you wanted without feeling so much as a tingle. But I don’t recommend licking copper; it tastes bad.

(YouTube link in case the above video doesn’t work for you)

Knife Switch as viewed from above

“Pull the Lever, Kronk!”

Fully restored/repaired/running, this knife switch is now sitting around my house as a random extension cord you can use to turn on/off any appliance it’s paired with. Because why not make turning on a lamp a little bit more Mad Sciencey.


Similar Posts

Gehn’s Holographic Imager/​Andotrope

Gehn’s Holographic Imager/​Andotrope

For my secret project for Mysterium 2023, I’ve spent the past 8 months making a replica of one of Gehn’s...
25-Hour Digital Myst Clock/Chronometer

25-Hour Digital Myst Clock/Chronometer

My wall clock in my house recently died, and with there being a running joke that I’m a time traveller...
Silicon Wafer Wall Artwork

Silicon Wafer Wall Artwork

I needed some new art for one of my walls and I thought that this time I’d try making something...

There are no comments yet, add one below.

Leave a Reply


Name (required)

Email (required)

Website