Have any of you make a brick out of an old PSU?

[BaLaClavaAa]

Have any of you ever made a power supply out of and old computer PSU or maybe an old brick for an Xbox or something. I need to build a power supply for my pedals, but I'm a little lery about shelling out the money for the transformers, yet at the same time I don't want to kill myself with the current. If any of you have ever done this could you please enlighten me a little of what you did 

[Michael Allen]

I made a power supply in a PSU, just gutted it and used the enclosure. You can get transformers from mouser that fit the build for $2 a piece so don't worry about the money. There is so much junk going on in those power supplies I would just gut it and build your own. It takes a regulator, a diode bridge and a couple capacitors. $10 and you're good to go

[chi_boy]

If a desktop PSU is an option, would a laptop AC adaptor work as well?  I used one once for a DC sensitive LiPo battery charger and it worked well.  Perhaps it also an option here.

[anchovie]

Desktop PSUs put out +5, +12 and -12 volts, with power handling being hundreds of watts, and laptop PSUs generally put out between 15 and 24 volts with a power rating of about 120W, so both would require additional 9V regulation for pedals. I think a laptop PSU would be more suited to powering a small amp.

I've successfully powered pedals using the power supply from an old Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, which was rated at 9V/1.7A. It was lovely and quiet, and I only stopped using it because I got a bout of nostalgia and wanted to fire up the computer again to play the games I loved when I was 12.

[BaLaClavaAa]

That's pretty cool =]. Did you have to do much to get it work?

[GibsonGM]

If you have  regulated 9V supply, all you'd have to change is the plugs. 

Most scrap wall warts are NOT regulated, tho (you measure something like 16V on them no load, the load they are meant to be attached to pulls the voltage down to 9 - which is why they say "9V 100ma" etc...at 100mA load, they put out 9V), so you have to watch it or you could fry something....if your pedal(s) doesn't draw enough current, you'll throw excess voltage through them.

OTOH, the regulated type will also say "9V 100mA" etc, and that means they can handle 100mA and still put out 9V.  More likely they will be able to put out more like 1A, though, if using an IC regulator....so in this case, your meter is your friend - if it says 9V supply, and you get 9V with no load, well there you go....just be sure you get one that can put out enough current (500mA +, perhaps? Depends on how many pedals you're powering, 1A is common).