Which way should the diode face...?

It must normally be reverse-biased so it does nothing. When the high voltage spike tries to exceed the power supply voltage then the diode is forward-biased and conducts, squashing the high voltage spike from the coil to only 0.7V higher than the supply voltage.
Did you try my zapping circuit??

I am not sure what relay it is at its part of a board I am using right now.

Then you and we are just guessing that the little transistor will or won't blow up and that the base current is high enough.

Did you measure the resistance of the relay coil so you can use simple arithmatic to calculate its current??
Engineers usually find out all the details and do not guess.

I also have a mini one that I will be switching over to soon. it's a blue mini-relay from Radioshack by Tyco Electronics....I can't find the part # or anything though.

I think RadioShack sells obsolete old junk that have no datasheets because they do not even know who made them.
Without a detailed datasheet for the relay then we are just guessing or asking you to do normal tests.

What would the capacitor do?

There is a sticky at the top of this forum that explains very important supply bypass capacitors.
The capacitors keep the ICs from oscillating at a high frequency and keeps the supply voltage from jumping up and down with the signal level (then howling feedback would result).

 

Do you think you can show me what you mean on the schematic?

You can edit my schematic here.

If you make some changes and screenshot it than I can know you mean...thanks

Sorry about the relay...I am still trying to find a datasheet for it.

 

Do you think you can show me what you mean on the schematic?

Sorry, I am not a teacher. You must learn the basics of electronics somewhere. Most of us learnt it in high school then in university.

Sorry about the relay...I am still trying to find a datasheet for it.

Throw it away (RadioShack no-namebrand junk?) and find one that has a detailed datasheet then ask if it can be used in your circuit.

 

Throw it away (RadioShack no-namebrand junk?) and find one that has a detailed datasheet then ask if it can be used in your circuit.

The OPs relay is built-in in a bread-board kit. The box it came in should contain its specs. I too am a bit worried it may not be able to handle mains voltage or the load the OP will be putting on it.

 

Hey guys, I am back on this project again. Austin is right, the relay that I was using was the one from the bread-board kit, but the one that I am switching to is a Radioshack one that quite frankly sucks. Hooking up my 9V batter straight to the coil with no resistance won't even switch it.

Any suggestions for a good relay? SHould I go back to the shack or order one online?

 

The spec's for electronic parts at The Shack are only for the weight of them because they know NOTHING about electronics.

Look up then order Name-brand parts from a REAL electronics parts distributor like Digikey. Their parts cost much less than "cheep, cluck cluck, YingYang" no-name-brand parts at The Shack.

Before RadioShack left Canada I bought a long s-video cable there for $15.00 or $20.00. I installed it under the floor.
The next day I went to The Dollar Store for something and I saw EXACTLY the same Chinese cable for $1.00 so I bought it and returned it to RadioShack and got my previous day's money back.
They tried to sell me a cell phone.

 

I did end up getting another relay from Radioshack. This one has a part number too it and me and Austin have been discussing it. Seems it will work with AC power

 

I did end up getting another relay from Radioshack. This one has a part number too it and me and Austin have been discussing it. Seems it will work with AC power

I can't see the video, Web Of Trust has the linked site marked as unsafe. I'd suggest YouTube as they also compress the video to similar quality in a smaller file size and file format that doesn't require add-ons to view.

What are the contacts of your new relay rated for? Should be >=250V at >=5 Amps to switch a 60W incandescent bulb (120VAC @ ½Amp) Make sure you label the maximum current clearly for some point in the future when the bulb will be switched out for another device (usually this happens so far in the future, you don't remember details, so document clearly with a label maker, especially for Line Powered circuits!) The coil should be 5VDC if you add a resistor or diode to prevent burning out the coil.

I'd suggest a solid state relay, but those cost a bit more, however, they don't degrade over time from physical contacts. SSRs also do not need the snub diode across the coil, as they don't have a physical inductive coil inside.

In design, it is a good practice to never run a device near/at the rated capacity. Many circuits, such as Motors, CFL bulbs, or most other non-purely resistive loads will cause peak currents higher than the average current, especially at power on. NEVER Assume a switched outlet will always be used for what it was designed for!

Look to Jameco, Mouser, or My Favorite: DigiKey for parts. It's a small delay, but you do get full technical information/datasheets for components you purchase, and an infinitely larger menu of parts to use!