Pro Mouse Beltbuckle

Intro: Pro Mouse Beltbuckle

I have an Apple Pro Mouse that stopped working. I thought I would tear it apart to see how it worked before I threw it away, at the very least I could salvage the LED from it. As I held it in my hand I realized it was the right size and shape to become a belt buckle. With it's two-layer construction, the design could be custom and interchangeable.

STEP 1: Dead Mouse

Dead Apple ProMouse. In the background you can see the logitech mouse i found on the sidewalk that made a great replacement.

STEP 2: Dismantle

Pry the mouse apart with a small screw driver. Some of it was glued together, so I used an x-acto knife to cut the seams.

STEP 3: Custom Image

Here is where you can install your own personal image. For this one, I dug through a pile of stickers I've been saving and found this image of a bird on a powerline (2000 x-games)
I layed the top portion of the mouse directly on top of the graphic. Then I used an x-acto knife to trim it to shape.

STEP 4: Apply the Design

I applied the sticker, and burnished it tightly around the edges. Other options at this point would include, painting the piece, or applying custom printed images with adhesive..... or leaving it as-is so you can show the world how much you love Apple while keeping your pants up.

STEP 5: Drill the Tounge Hole

Drill a hole 3/16" in diameter in the bottom plate, at the side that is closer to the thumb grip.

STEP 6: Tonge and Hinge

Use a piece of wire (I used a coat hanger) as the tonge and the pivot connection to the belt. The tounge sticks out throught the hole we made in the last step. The wire then is bent into a rectangular loop, which will be the means of attaching it to the belt.

STEP 7: Set Screws or Glue

I chose to use screws, so I would be able to change the image at will. Drill a pilot hold in each side that goes through all three layers of plastic. Drive a screw in each side. At this point in the project, acrylic cement could be used instead to hold all the pieces together more permanently.

STEP 8: Finished Product

So this is a pretty simple version. It probably wouldn't be hard to use the LED in the mouse and some small batteries to backlight your design. Maybe even the CMOS sensor could be used to control the LED.

Comments

[redreda123]

what kind of led is in the mouse? please answer

[sjoobbani]

 I feel this as a bit of a waste, you can take the cheap mice that start @ $10
and replace the circut board wit minimum moding.

[ItsTheHobbs]

Yes! I hate those, and I have a broken one!

[ThinkBeforeYouSpeak]

those mighty mouses are EXPENSIVE

[xtopher-robin]

Kick ass! I have one of those bad boys laying around here somewhere; someone needs to figure out how to make the LED and CMOS sensor run off of a battery.

[pattes]

I think that's funny, but I prefer use my old mouse as collar or to keep it like art object... In general I repair what does not function any more it was the case for a mouse of my Emac...

[eleraama]

I think it's pretty cool-- but you'd have to be an apple fanboy (luckily, I am.) I think it would work better to use a black one if you wanted to use it without changing it-- you could wear it with more things.

[Fiapo]

I think it will fit better if the mouse is small. :DDDD

[NeuronExMachina]

That's pretty cool, although I think I'd like to try it with one of those mice with a floating duck inside of it.

[Pucca]

Who´d waste his/her time creating such a stupid and ugly peace of buckle? And second, who in this world would wear such a thing?

[JamesIsOdd]

Is that a girl in that picture? If it isnt - that guy has some odd shaped hips.

[danielpetry]

That is one of the most, if not the most, ugliest things i've ever seen!

[Nickse]

FYI, you spelled TONGUE wrong.