Introduction: Keyboard Thumbtacks
Old hacked up keyboard keys + push pins = awesome keyboard thumb tacks! In just a few minutes I modified some keys from old keyboards, hot glued push pins inside of them, and presto, made some keyboard thumbtacks.
Step 1: Materials
- liberated keyboard keys
- map style push pins
- Dremel tool, or a pair of pliers, or small hand saw, or an exacto knife
- drill with drill bit to match the diameter of the head of the push pin. Mine required a 3/16" drill bit.
- hot glue gun
Step 2: Choose Some Good Keys
Not all good keyboard keys make good keyboard key thumbtacks. Choose ones that have a large enough hole, or "well" on the back of the key to easily accept the head of the push pin.
Check out the picture below to see what I mean.
Step 3: Cut Off Excess Plastic on Key
The keyboard key has too much plastic on it to make a good thumbtack. Using the cutoff wheel on a Dremel tool, or a small hobby saw, or even a good exacto knife, carefully cut off the excess plastic so that whatever was there to mount the key to the keyboard is now flush with the key itself.
Step 4: Drill Out a Hole for the Push Pin
Next, drill out a hole to clean up the cut you just made with the Dremel and clear out a place where you can glue in the head of the push pin. The push pins I got required a 3/16" drill bit.
Be careful not to go all the way through and ruin the key, or drill into your finger.
Step 5: Put Hot Glue in the Hole
Shoot some hot glue into the hole.
Step 6: Insert the Head of the Push Pin
Carefully push the head of the push pin into the little pool of hot glue making sure to submerge it far enough so that it's good and stuck, but not too far so that an insufficient amount of the pin is left sticking out.
Use your pointer finger to hold the tack in place (vertically) as the glue sets.
Step 7: Repeat to Make More
Make as many as you like and then use them on your cork boards instead of regular thumbtacks or push pins. They work they same way, but look cooler!
1 Person Made This Project!
CobyUnger made it!
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49 Comments
7 years ago on Introduction
I ADORE THIS! <3
Brings out my inner nerd.
8 years ago on Introduction
awesome..! :)
10 years ago on Step 7
nice revolutionary and techy idea.. i got bunch of broken key and now i got a great innovation for them
10 years ago on Step 2
Warning! From the left in the reject box, #2 is an ALPS switch top and #3 is a Cherry switch top. I don't recognise the other two off the top of my head,
These are extremely valuable and are proving harder and harder to find--and a well worth something on eBay for people trying to built "just the right keyboard".
The four in the lower "OK" boxes are obviously from membrane keyboards--so go for broke.
I mention this here, because in your Part 1 Instructable, it seems you have used Cherry and ALPS tops as well
11 years ago on Introduction
Great idea!
11 years ago on Introduction
Cool idea. I have a great boss that just doesn't get the idea of dual monitors. The second mopnitor he uses as a post-it board. I'm going to use this, plus I'm planning on gutting a dead LCD and replace the screen with cork board. I get another working monitor and he keeps his post-it holder and geek-cred is slightly upped.
11 years ago on Step 7
GREAT IDEA!!! THANKS A LOT!
11 years ago on Introduction
April Fool's idea--- Drill a hole in the TOP of the key. Follow the rest of the instructable but glue the tack to the keyboard and replace the key. When someone hits the key, they stab themselves! Instant Comedy!
11 years ago on Introduction
Veeeerry cool idea. I think I'm going to convert keys into fridge magnets also :)
12 years ago on Introduction
Nice! Ju*t wi*hed I didn't pull out the "$" on my keyboard...
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
rofl
11 years ago on Step 6
it might be better to not push the pin all the way so that you have more of the sharp pointyness
11 years ago on Step 1
hey i was wondering if you could just glue on the pin without drilling the whole
11 years ago on Introduction
hehehe i like the magnets idea, the thumbtacks will work great too:P i just got 6 or 7 keyboards from my school, so i have over 700 keys to use *evil laughter*
11 years ago on Step 7
Very cool- I think I will make some for the co-worker gift exchange. Would be a cool gift for a kid, too, using their mane letters.
11 years ago on Introduction
this is a great Idea! I was wondering what to do with my old dead keyboards, now I Know what to do.
11 years ago on Introduction
you also can put magnets on the place of the pin
12 years ago on Introduction
This was in a popular science magazine. Props man props!
12 years ago on Introduction
This would be especially cool with old terminal keyboards ... more keys, different words, usually double-shot (letters slower to wear off).
12 years ago on Introduction
I loved this idea and I tried it right away. I made a couple of discoveries, it's hard to cutoff the plastic with the Dremel, so I just used the wire wheel on my grinder (a wire wheel on a Dremel would probably be too weak). The wire wheel chewed off the excess plastic within seconds and I gripped the keys with a pair of pliers to hold them securely (and away from my fingers). The other thing was that it's dangerous to push the push pin into the key with your bare finger (mine had to be jammed in there a little bit). A thimble works great for that!