One-Touch Keypad Masher

Step 3 Making the 'keypad masher'

Now, since the example code I've used in this article isn't the real code, the layout of the device I made is slightly different to the one shown here. But it ought to be good enough to demonstrate one way of doing it.

I took a scrap piece of "Cay Foam", a plastic foam board which used to be available from C & A Building Plastics (though it doesn't seem to be any more) and cut it with a scalpel into a backing sheet, and individual strips and bits which could then be put together to make the right layout.

You could use thick cardboard, MDF, acrylic, anything - even a sheet of something with pins or nails stuck into it at the right points. If you have access to a bandsaw, router or milling machine you could produce something quite beautiful. The Cay Foam is ugly, but it was very quick to cut by hand, at my desk!

Mirroring the layout from the previous step, copy it onto the backing sheet, and then stick the strips/bits on in the right places. I used double-sided foam tape; you could use superglue or anything really; you may want the pieces to be repositionable at some point (e.g. if you make a mistake, or if the code is changed).