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This DIY Steampunk Toothbrush Timer Tells You When You're Done Brushing Your Teeth

Aug 15, 2012 04:10 PM

Aug 15, 2012 04:13 PM

Copper appliance with buttons on a wooden base.

If you're a steampunk enthusiast looking to give your bathroom an extra kick, this just might be the project for you. This stylish and functional "vintage" toothbrush timer knows when you've grabbed your toothbrush, and will visually count down two minutes before alerting you when you've brushed long enough.

Copper tea set with three cups on a decorative tray.

All you'll need to put one together yourself is a microcontroller (the designer used a ATmega328p), a weight sensor, light bulbs, brass cups and a tray, an alarm clock's chime, and some wood for the base.

It works by reading the weight of the scale. If it ever dips below 3 grams, it'll activate the timer and turn on all of the lamps. For every 20 seconds that passes, one of the lamps will turn off. After 2 minutes, the little alarm clock chime will be struck and a "cool down" period will start, giving you time to get your brush back onto the scale.

Vintage wooden electronics box with open lid, showcasing internal components and wiring.

Wooden box with electronic components and a hot glue gun on a table.

Electronic circuit board with colorful wires and components.

Circuit board with multiple capacitors and wiring connections.

You can find the circuit diagram and instructions right here by basil.shikin, as well as the code work on Github.

For another cool steampunk project, check out this clever iPhone music amplifier or some other steampunk designs.

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