Introduction: Technico 780 IPad Stylus
I love the Staedtler Technico 780 lead holder (mechanical pencil). It has good weight, balance, and the metal knurled grip just feels great.
I don't so much love the stylus designs available in the local retail market.
While I have seen many amazing stylus designs on kickstarter.com, they are all costly and I never seem to notice until after they achieve funding.
I have also seen the many great instructables for such stylus hacks, but none quite have the style I look for in a writing instrument.
Anyway, the clear solution for me was to adapt my favourite pencil to work with my iPad. This was super easy.
OK, here's the how to:
Like with other stylus instructables you need to get yourself some black conductive foam that CMOS based Integrated Circuits come packaged in. Some computer electronics ship packaged with conductive foam but often that foam is lower density as it needs bigger 'bubbles' for shock absortion. The Integrated Circuit foam is quite dense.
Taking the foam in hand use reasonably sharp scissors to cut off a section. Approximatly 1/8th inches (2.5mm). Then cut the foam again lengthwise at 1/8th inch width. This will give you a narrow piece of foam 1/8th inch squared * the original length. Length is usually 1 inch.
Fold this foam piece in half, open up the Technico's grips as wide as you can and insert the foam you have folded. Using a twisting motion push the foam until a small black ball is left at the end. Let the grips close and give them a little extra push from the tip so they fully close.
For this to work as a stylus you simply need to be touching the metal grip while touching the black foam nib to your device screen.
I prefer this stylus to those I have paid big dollars for, and just maybe you will too.
Here is a short video of the assembly: (please excuse my big hands getting in the way)
I don't so much love the stylus designs available in the local retail market.
While I have seen many amazing stylus designs on kickstarter.com, they are all costly and I never seem to notice until after they achieve funding.
I have also seen the many great instructables for such stylus hacks, but none quite have the style I look for in a writing instrument.
Anyway, the clear solution for me was to adapt my favourite pencil to work with my iPad. This was super easy.
OK, here's the how to:
Like with other stylus instructables you need to get yourself some black conductive foam that CMOS based Integrated Circuits come packaged in. Some computer electronics ship packaged with conductive foam but often that foam is lower density as it needs bigger 'bubbles' for shock absortion. The Integrated Circuit foam is quite dense.
Taking the foam in hand use reasonably sharp scissors to cut off a section. Approximatly 1/8th inches (2.5mm). Then cut the foam again lengthwise at 1/8th inch width. This will give you a narrow piece of foam 1/8th inch squared * the original length. Length is usually 1 inch.
Fold this foam piece in half, open up the Technico's grips as wide as you can and insert the foam you have folded. Using a twisting motion push the foam until a small black ball is left at the end. Let the grips close and give them a little extra push from the tip so they fully close.
For this to work as a stylus you simply need to be touching the metal grip while touching the black foam nib to your device screen.
I prefer this stylus to those I have paid big dollars for, and just maybe you will too.
Here is a short video of the assembly: (please excuse my big hands getting in the way)