How to Make a Faraday Cage with a Trash Can
Morgan Rogue 02.27.23
A Faraday cage is a device that is used to block electromagnetic fields. It is named after scientist Michael Faraday, who first discovered the concept in 1836. Faraday cages are typically made of a conductive material, such as metal mesh or aluminum foil, that surrounds an area or object to protect it. The conductive material absorbs the electromagnetic energy, preventing it from entering the protected space.
Faraday cages are used in a variety of ways, including electromagnetic shielding for electronic devices, protection from electromagnetic pulses (EMP) in nuclear power plants and military facilities, and in medical imaging equipment. They are also used in scientific research to study the effects of electromagnetic fields on living organisms.
When it comes to wanting to make one for yourself, with all of the EMP talk lately, it only makes sense that the everyday person would want to protect their precious electronics.
I may not be able to always protect the laptop I’m writing on or the phone I use every day, but I can have backups safely tucked away inside of the faraday cage for ‘just in case’.
What should you put in a faraday cage:
- Backup radios
- Backup battery banks
- Backup tablets with digital pictures, eBooks and important information
- Backup phones
Why would you want to protect electronic devices during an EMP?
- Stay in contact with loved ones and listen to intel
- Retain important information (of course, physical copies are always needed, as well)
- Safely store battery banks
- Entertainment
Here are the steps to make a simple Faraday cage:
Materials needed:
- A metal container (e.g., a metal trash can, a metal box, I used a small metal trash can)
- Cardboard
- Aluminum foil
- Conductive tape
- Scissors
Steps:
- Select a metal container that is large enough to hold the electronic devices you want to protect.
- Take the cardboard and cut it out so that it is securing the inside of the metal trash can.
- Cover the inside of the lid with aluminum foil. Make sure the foil covers all sides of the container and overlaps at the seams.
- Use conductive tape to secure the foil to the container. Ensure that all the seams are taped properly to avoid any gaps.
- Place the electronic devices you want to protect inside the container.
- Close the container lid and ensure that it is tightly sealed.
Make sure to test the cage to ensure that it is working properly by placing a cell phone inside and calling it from another phone. If the phone does not ring, the Faraday cage is working as intended.
You can use almost any sized aluminum trash can here. You can even use an ammo can if all of your devices will fit in there.
