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Step 2Fabric switches, bitches!
OK this does not actually use the bitch fabric but I could not resist the title...
The fabric switch is a layer of three pieces of insulating fabric with two strips of conductive fabric in between. The middle insulating layer has a hole in it; when the switch is pressed, the two pieces of conductive fabric touch, completing the circuit. This was invented by Leah Buechley (or at least I got the technique from her), check it out at http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~buechley/diy/diy_e_sewing.html#switch
Pic 1: cut a strip of conductive fabric about a foot long and half an inch wide
Pic 2: cut the strip into quarters
Pic 3: cut a small hole from the center of one of your three insulating squares, by folding it in quarters and cutting off the appropriate corner
Pic 4: the hole! the conductive fabric strips will touch, or not touch, through this.
Pic 5 & 6: glue one conductive strip to an uncut insulating square
Pic 7 & 8: glue the insulating square with the hole on top of the conductive strip
Pic 9: glue the second conductive strip to the last insulating square
Pic 10 & 11: glue the second strip and square over the rest of the switch assembly, so that the top conductive strip's overhang is on the opposite side from the bottom strip.
Pic 12: the finished switch
Make one more of these and let them dry THOROUGHLY before testing them. If you try them out before the glue has dried, you may accidentally glue the conductive strips together which will make the switch useless. (Yes, I have done this ... several times...)
The fabric switch is a layer of three pieces of insulating fabric with two strips of conductive fabric in between. The middle insulating layer has a hole in it; when the switch is pressed, the two pieces of conductive fabric touch, completing the circuit. This was invented by Leah Buechley (or at least I got the technique from her), check it out at http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~buechley/diy/diy_e_sewing.html#switch
Pic 1: cut a strip of conductive fabric about a foot long and half an inch wide
Pic 2: cut the strip into quarters
Pic 3: cut a small hole from the center of one of your three insulating squares, by folding it in quarters and cutting off the appropriate corner
Pic 4: the hole! the conductive fabric strips will touch, or not touch, through this.
Pic 5 & 6: glue one conductive strip to an uncut insulating square
Pic 7 & 8: glue the insulating square with the hole on top of the conductive strip
Pic 9: glue the second conductive strip to the last insulating square
Pic 10 & 11: glue the second strip and square over the rest of the switch assembly, so that the top conductive strip's overhang is on the opposite side from the bottom strip.
Pic 12: the finished switch
Make one more of these and let them dry THOROUGHLY before testing them. If you try them out before the glue has dried, you may accidentally glue the conductive strips together which will make the switch useless. (Yes, I have done this ... several times...)
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