World's Largest and Smallest Bug Racket!

Ajouté : 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]I built the world's largest bug racket and the smallest. The tiny one is so compact and effective, it goes everywhere I do. And since I'm promoting the outdoors, I'm also sharing how I lost over 30 lbs and have kept it from coming back. Good weather means picnics, barbecues, and camping, which often means uninvited guests.

[00:00:21]>> Away from my sandwich. Though indoors are generally safer, you never know what's been on that last free sandwich in the breakroom. But with mosquitoes, we become the food. These tiny vampires kill up to a million people a year through diseases like malaria. Wasps, unlike honeybees, sting multiple times and cause more deaths than all other venomous animals combined. They nest on our buildings and defend them aggressively, likely because humans and tennis balls can seriously ruin their day. Flies outnumber a 17 million to one, transmitting 65 or more diseases to humans. No wonder we invented bug zappers back in the 1930s. Problem is, they attract and kill beneficial insects like pollinators and predators that eat pests. But bug rackets only target what's actively bugging us. Inside the handle, a clever circuit pulses a transformer, feeding a sequence of capacitors and diodes, multiplying the voltage to one big capacitor at over 2,000 volts.

[00:01:26]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:01:27]>> Early bug racket simply connected the capacitor to alternating metal rods, awaiting a bug to close the gap. But that was too much of a shock hazard. So, modern versions use a three layer mesh sandwich charging only the inner layer.

[00:01:42]It's still possible to get shocked, but you have to really want it. In my experience, the original works better on large insects, while tiny bugs can walk around unharmed. But here's the problem.

[00:01:54]Nobody wants to carry a racket on a walk or a hike. We need something pocket-sized you can deploy in an emergency. My first thought was to make something like a Japanese fan that can unfold in seconds. But instead of paper, use overlapping metal combs that can expand and collapse with the flick of your wrist. I had the combs laser cut and spray painted the hinge end to keep them from shorting out on each other.

[00:02:16]But as is often the case in engineering, it didn't open and close in the real world quite like it did on the screen.

[00:02:23]Ouch.

[00:02:24]I cher the edges of the combs to keep them from hanging up and machined extra features to engage with special 3D printed insulators between them. It helped a lot, but when I wired it up to test how the paint prevented sparks, it didn't go so well. Whoa.

[00:02:42]The paint I put on there is not enough of an insulator. While I think on what to do about that, I'm starting a large zapper, stealing parts for one of my favorite rackets. But plastic alone won't support something this heavy. So, I'm machining the handle out of build aluminum to fit the same circuit board and battery. The hoop is too big to machine, so I'm going to try roll forming aluminum tubing. But the vendor I bought needs rollers that fit the tube exactly, which are hundreds of dollars a set. So, I 3D printed my own. I had a rough start getting things aligned, curving the tube in different directions, but eventually got it figured out. As you can see, I had to move outside before the ends hit the ceiling. I then rolled a smaller piece of flat stock to match, lined everything up as best I could, and TIG welded it together. Returning to the pocket version, I've concluded the fan concept isn't the way to go. For legit everyday carry, it needs to be smaller yet big enough to swat bugs. Metal mesh can't fold and unfold. But what about window screen? It's made from fiberglass, which isn't conductive, so we'll have to make it take electricity, but only where we want it. I got some stainless wire and threaded it through a screen to see what it would do. But as I feared, when connected to high voltage, the sparks easily jumped the gap.

[00:03:58]>> Oh, it's jumping.

[00:04:02]So, I skipped a row, which did the trick. To get equal coverage on both sides of the screen, I alternated every stitch. I started with magnifying glasses, then a microscope. Hours later, I had a decent sized patch to test. In the interest of time, I chose to reuse the frame and circuit I sacrificed for the large zapper and literally super glued the screen into one half of the racket. It isn't pretty, but only has to work long enough to test. I just need a few test subjects. I just saw a fly, of course, on the trash. There's one.

[00:04:42]Don't land on my hand. Land on the There he is.

[00:04:47]I don't want to damage my toy.

[00:04:57]Oh, I got him. I got him.

[00:05:02]First contact.

[00:05:10]You're mine.

[00:05:14]All right.

[00:05:18]Now, let's uh Oh, yeah.

[00:05:23]This works, man. It works.

[00:05:29]Oh, yes. This is it, man. We just got to miniaturaturize it. Back on the large racket, I love the look of bare aluminum, but I want the final product to resemble a store-bought version. So, I'm firing up my larger Form 3L to print the biggest parts I can. I've designed it, alternating the outer and inner layers to properly sandwich the metal mesh and keep the high voltage safely insulated. And of course, the final touch is a coat of paint to give it that finished look. The next step is installing mesh, but everything I search for online is way too thick and heavy.

[00:06:03]My only option was to contact an overseas supplier who can make the stuff, then pay hundreds of dollars in shipping. While we wait for that to arrive, we still need to choose between rolling or folding our window screen version. Rolling would be super compact, but I like the idea of folding it like solar panels on a satellite. After multiple rounds of printing and testing, I think I've got something that will fit inside an Altoid tin. I even made tiny velcro-like posts I can snap the mesh over. That way, if I break my 3D print, I can remove the mesh and reprint the frame. Nice. These things work fantastically. I put little detents in there so I can just close it and things line up. Did that on both sides. Shoot.

[00:06:46]Looks like putting it away is even easier than getting it out. Time to start threading some wire. Now comes the task of weaving my wire back and forth with the geometry that will work but still collapse and fit inside the tin. This is tedious work. But I'm grateful my mom made me take home economics back in junior high. Who knew sewing skills could be so destructive? I also need something to keep the high voltage electronics from arcing to the case. So I designed and 3D printed a snap-in shroud to hold the board, battery, and switch. But I honestly don't know if everything will fit in the case at once.

[00:07:26]My new bug zapper. Meanwhile, the mesh finally arrived from overseas, so I can finish assembling the large racket. Now, it's critical to maintain proper spacing between the layers. Too close and they'll arc for no reason. Too far and the bugs won't get zapped. I'm using fiberglass rods for support because they're nonconductive, but the gaps between them still need some kind of spacer. So, I'm 3D printing some in clear resin on my form 4 because that's as close as I can get to the production racket I'm trying to emulate. But stacking everything and keeping it aligned was a nightmare. I ended up disassembling and reassembling multiple times, working well into the night, and I totally forgot about the UV lights. I got some installed, but they kept burning out until I realized I'd omitted a critical resistor from the original.

[00:08:17]Only question now is which racket should we test first?

[00:08:22]Gotcha.

[00:08:26]Oh, and it's really common on evening walks to find clouds of gnats >> spread out.

[00:08:34]>> Oh, got one.

[00:08:44]>> Oh, there we go. They're cooking.

[00:08:55]>> Apparently, there's no limit how many this thing can get.

[00:08:59]>> And flies are always getting in my shop.

[00:09:01]So, it's super cool. It works on those, too.

[00:09:03]>> Gotcha. Where'd you go?

[00:09:07]Go. Yep. I saw it. There it is. Right there. Down. In prior years, food on my back deck attracts all kinds of insects.

[00:09:18]But it's so early this year, all I can get is a single fly. And a smart one, too, because he crawls around my screen to get at the scraps of food. Of >> course, he did.

[00:09:28]>> But his departure is anything but clean.

[00:09:38]It looks like he got a total knockout, but somehow he flies away.

[00:09:48]for the giant racket. I just wanted to start off feeling what it was like to swing something so huge through the air.

[00:09:55]But lo and behold, I zapped a tiny gnat I didn't even see. Oh no. Did I catch something?

[00:10:06]I did.

[00:10:08]First casualty. I didn't even see it.

[00:10:10]Then I noticed another mosquito-type bug hanging out on the kitchen window screen and couldn't pass it up. You can't see the bug very well, but you can sure see the spark.

[00:10:22]Also, I've often got black flies along the entryway just waiting for an open door to fly into the house.

[00:10:30]Got him.

[00:10:32]There's a park across town where we got ambushed by bugs at a potluck last year.

[00:10:37]So, I'm setting up a mock picnic to see what insects I can lure in. I even brought decoys. We've got Sucker the Mosquito, Buzzkill, the Wasp, and last but not least, Lord of the Flies. But I waited nearly 40 minutes, and all I got was one passing fly. Fine. I didn't want to have to do this, but I grew up around farms and I know where to find flies for sure. Huge piles of horse manure. A literal crap ton. And I'm going to have lunch right next to it. Surely flies will choose a sandwich over poo. Right.

[00:11:11]Right. You know, I guess just because I would rather eat a sandwich than poo doesn't mean flies would. But to sweeten the deal, I've added a sampler plate of raw meat and sweet sauces. Hey, look. We have a contestant. I could grab the giant racket, but the Altoid model is already in my pocket.

[00:11:30]Out for the count in one shot. I was hoping for a cloud of flies, but they're literally as happy as flies on poo. So, I guess there's just one place left to go. When the air is still and the lights just right, we get swarms of gnats around drainage ditches in my neighborhood. Let's see how they handle the world's largest bug racket.

[00:11:56]They're still smoking everywhere.

[00:12:36]But I still haven't tried the UV lights indoors for when a fly won't leave my shop. That's why I added a tripod mount for just such an occasion. I turned the lights off except for the racket and only took a minute for a giant fly to land on it. Oh wow.

[00:12:54]Oh, he's a massive. The size of that guy.

[00:13:01]Oh no, he's catching on fire.

[00:13:09]All right, I think maybe it's time to turn it off.

[00:13:17]All right, as promised, let's talk about my weight. That is a real picture of me from 30 plus pounds ago. Because like 72% of Americans, I was overweight. And though I eventually slimmed down during lockdowns, it tried to come back. So I bought a cheap standing desk and moved more, which helped. But then I quit my job, got super busy with YouTube, and again, my weight tried to creep back up.

[00:13:43]So I started taking walks because I know it helps me shed weight. But let's face it, walking in the rain kind of sucks and I don't need another excuse to not get my daily steps in. But even when the weather does cooperate, I don't have an hour to kill wandering around outside.

[00:13:57]I've got stuff to do. So, I bought a treadmill for my desk, a quality one.

[00:14:02]Unlike cheaper models, this one is electric incline, so I can adjust it up and down while I'm walking. Plus, it's rated for 275 lbs with a 2-year warranty. I've been using it for a while and honestly it feels like I unlocked a cheat code getting more steps each day.

[00:14:18]But there is one issue. Standing on the treadmill puts me 3 to 4 in higher up and my desk at the highest setting was barely tall enough already. Plus that desk is so wobbly my computer screen shake enough that it's distracting from my work. So I got a better desk from Flexispot. First off, it goes way higher. So, even though I'm 6'2, it can accommodate me plus the treadmill. And it hardly moves at all while I'm walking. Probably because of these massive three-piece telescoping legs, each with their own electric motor. And unlike the simple up down buttons of the old one, Flexis Spot offers four custom settings at the touch of a button. That way, I can let the desk adjust itself with confidence while I'm switching between sitting, standing, and walking.

[00:15:03]Now, Flexispot is having mega sales right now, so don't miss out. They even offer a budget friendly Motion X treadmill priced at under $200 that can easily meet basic daily walking and movement needs. In fact, they just announced a brand sale going on right now. So, take advantage of that while it lasts. Use my code YTE730 for E7 and E7 Pro standing desks and WP30 off for Motion X Ultra WP MO3 treadmill. All to get $30 off. Click the link in the video description to learn more. Man, I really wanted to do battle with some wasps with this thing defending a picnic, but it's just too early in the season for it. So, but fortunately, got the whole summer ahead. I'm going to have this thing out recording footage, having some epic battles. So, maybe by the end of the summer, I'll have a long form or short form video on that. Not sure. Uh I now that the mesh has proven itself, that window mesh, uh you know, maybe I'll make up my own. I mean, how cool would that be to have a window that you can just activate and zap any bugs that are sitting on it trying to get inside your house? So, so we'll see. So, stay tuned for that. And anybody that is interested in the CAD files or instructions for one of those little miniature Altoid zappers for study purposes, of course, I wouldn't want you to risk shocking yourself. I'm going to make those available for super cheap on my website, like five bucks or something, uh along with little instructional video, all the little details again for study purposes that anybody would need. Uh or you can become a patron and get a discount code to get all that stuff for free. And of course, patrons get access to background video, behind the scenes content, uh, which this time around, I'll have a special video on more details on my weight loss journey for folks that are interested in that, all the little strategies and things that I've used in addition to getting extra steps.

[00:17:08]Naturally, all the links will be in the video description. Consider getting yourself a standing walking desk treadmill for the days when it's too hot or too cold to be outside. And uh see you in the next video.