What to make a stylus for a touch phone from. Homemade stylus for iPad

Good day to you, dear Habro readers.

I would like to bring to your attention material that will, I hope, be of interest to handy enthusiasts. And it might even be useful to someone.

Some time after I became the owner of a mobile device with a capacitive touch screen, I had an obsessive thought that it was more convenient to perform some actions using a wonderful magic wand.

First of all, my research led me to a store where you can traditionally find such things. But to my disappointment, the blunt-ended samples that were available there aroused skepticism.

The shape and accuracy of the hit did not go far from the fingers, but the screen response was worse. The sensor picked up the touch only after slight pressure. The usefulness left doubts. I had to refuse the purchase.

According to my ideas, ideally the shape should have been pointed. Just like a drawing pencil, which can be used to make precise movements. But as far as I was able to find out, this shape is not suitable for a capacitive screen. Apparently it is oriented towards contact with a larger contact area, comparable to the touch of a finger.

We managed to find a couple of interesting articles and videos on this topic - use the negative terminal of the battery and roll the antistatic film into a tube. Unfortunately, both options did not suit me. The battery is as thick as a finger. And twisting a tube every time may be convenient for some, but it’s clearly not for me.

Doubts arose about the feasibility of the idea. Due to the wide spot, it will not be possible to accurately direct the touch. And conductive material, usually metal, will scratch the surface of the screen.

As a result, a solution was found.

It turns out that the ring-shaped shape is quite perceived by the sensor and the center is also visible. Thanks to this you can see where you are pointing and hit.

The secret of the miracle wand is simple: a steel washer (any other conductive material will do), an aluminum rod (this should also be a conductor) and a skein of thread.

Thanks to a cryptographic analyzer, which, by the way, this time was used for peaceful purposes. Thanks to improvised tools from home tools, we get something similar to a dentist’s tool.

The handle needs to be soldered at an angle that will be as compatible as possible with the natural position of the hand and ensure that the plane of the ring is completely adjacent to the surface of the screen.

Of course, we could stop there, but such a design will scratch the screen and has no chance of getting a high rating from Habra readers :)

This problem was successfully solved with the help of... thread.

The ring-shaped edge is good not only because it allows you to aim more accurately through the center, but also because it makes it possible to wrap yourself with thread. Some doubters will think that an additional layer of thread will worsen the sensitivity of the screen. But that's not true. As you know, the sensor does not need absolute contact to detect a touch. It is enough to bring your finger very close. In this case, there may not be a touch.

In conclusion, I will say that I was pleased with the result.
- The reaction is the same as to a finger. There is no need to press.
- Does not leave marks, does not scratch and even wipes the screen.
- Accurate aim.

Working with the Android shell

There are also disadvantages
- Because the operating principle is based on the passage of current through a metal stylus to the human body. That is, it will not work in parquets.
- On my communicator model, the lower touch buttons (“back”, “menu”, “home”, “search”) do not work as well as we would like.

Typing text

P.S. Believe it or not, after all this was written and all the accompanying pictures/videos were prepared, I learned that one Canadian manufacturer is already producing styluses of a similar design. I found out about this when I uploaded the first video to YouTube and it showed similar videos. The idea turned out to be not new and I began to doubt whether it was worth sending this article to the public, as I might be subject to attacks related to accusations of plagiarism. Then I decided that since such a solution was put into mass production, it means the design was successful and all this was not invented in vain. Despite the fact that there was a coincidence of a good idea, it is still worth talking about :)

P.S. v 2. Some readers were interested in the suitability of the design in the winter conditions of our harsh regions. It turned out that in this case this device can be useful, although the sensitivity of course worsens. I tried it with the thickest gloves I had. If you squeeze the handle harder, the response gets a little better.

And another example of handwriting notes:

A homemade tablet stylus opens up new possibilities for users. On the one hand, this is a way to show your skills and create a tool that meets individual preferences and requests, on the other hand, it is an opportunity to save money on buying a store-bought stylus. Today, you can find many video tutorials on the Internet that contain a variety of ways to make styluses with your own hands. It should be noted that any of them does not take much time and does not require the purchase of expensive materials. The main requirements for this kind of hand tools are ease of use, conductivity of electric current and safety for. If the stylus is made from hard materials, it can damage the touch display, leaving scratches on it. We recommend making such an accessory only if you are not satisfied with the performance of the factory stylus. The skills of making an accessory yourself can help you out in a situation where you urgently need to do complex work on a tablet, and there is no way to purchase a stylus.

DIY stylus for doing complex work on a tablet

Features of a hand-made stylus

A homemade stylus is often much more convenient for hobbyists. Thanks to this accessory, you can use different techniques, apply shaded lines, and work with colors. In addition, the stylus can make handwriting text easier, thereby speeding up work with a mobile device. For this reason, users are looking for the best way to make a stylus from scrap materials with their own hands.

Depending on what goals you are pursuing, you can make the tip of the accessory softer or harder. An accessory with a soft tip is most convenient for drawing. It is important to choose the right materials that will be comfortable when making the tool, will not scratch the tablet screen during use, and will conduct electricity well.

Of course, metals must first be classified as conductors of electricity. But they have a big drawback - they can seriously damage a mobile device. The best materials that conduct electricity are various films that contain aluminum. These include aluminum tape, snack packaging and various self-adhesive films with a silver surface.

Before starting manufacturing, check how well the base material conducts current. To do this, simply touch the screen with it. If the device reacts, then the material is suitable for creating a stylus with your own hands. It is very important that the accessory fits comfortably in your hand. We recommend choosing a convenient case, which can be made from a pen, antenna or other similar object.

An easy way to create a tablet accessory

One of the easiest ways to make a stylus involves using the following materials:

Part of the antenna is about 15 centimeters long;
Cotton pad;
Transparent tape;
Self-adhesive film on an aluminum base (or aluminum tape).

First you need to take a cotton pad and cut it into two parts. After this, the disk should be placed inside the antenna as deep as possible. The use of soft cotton fiber will ensure comfortable work. The stylus will not make loud sounds when you touch the screen. This method will increase the sensitivity of the drawing accessory and protect the screen from mechanical damage.

After placing the cotton pad into the antenna cavity, you need to trim off the excess cotton using scissors, leaving a tip about 5-7 millimeters long. Next, use transparent tape to create a protective shell for the cotton wool tip. Scotch tape will provide additional fixation. It is necessary to completely seal the cotton tip with gentle movements.

After this, you can begin to attach the electrical conductor, which will be aluminum tape or film. To do this, you need to take a self-adhesive aluminum tape, stick it on one side of the stylus, then throw it over the tip and secure it on the opposite side. It is very important that the material that serves as the conductor comes into contact not only with the tape, but also with the surface of the antenna. Otherwise, the accessory will not function.

After you have attached the conductor, you should remove the air from the part of the film that remains on the tip. This can be done using a credit card. In this case, both ends will stick well to the cotton tip and to each other. At the final stage, it is necessary to trim off the excess film, leaving a small soft tip up to 1 centimeter long.

Instead of an antenna, you can use a pen housing. But it should be understood that plastic materials do not conduct electricity. For this reason, please note that you will have to cover the body of the pen with aluminum film. The main condition that must be met is the contact of your hand with a material that conducts current. In this case, a continuous electrical circuit must be maintained between the body, tip and screen of the mobile device.

Making a stylus with your own hands is not very difficult for most users. If such a tool is made correctly, it can be much more convenient than an accessory purchased in a store. Mostly, homemade styluses are used by those who like to draw on a tablet and by users who actively use handwriting input. We recommend carefully choosing the materials from which your homemade tablet tool will be made, since there is a possibility of causing mechanical damage to the screen of your gadget. Most often, aluminum tape is used as a conductor, which is convenient to use due to its self-adhesive backing.

Good day to you, dear Habro readers.

I would like to bring to your attention material that will, I hope, be of interest to handy enthusiasts. And it might even be useful to someone.

Some time after I became the owner of a mobile device with a capacitive touch screen, I had an obsessive thought that it was more convenient to perform some actions using a wonderful magic wand.

First of all, my research led me to a store where you can traditionally find such things. But to my disappointment, the blunt-ended samples that were available there aroused skepticism.

As a result, a solution was found.

It turns out that the ring-shaped shape is quite perceived by the sensor and the center is also visible. Thanks to this you can see where you are pointing and hit.

The secret of the miracle wand is simple: a steel washer (any other conductive material will do), an aluminum rod (this should also be a conductor) and a skein of thread.

Thanks to a cryptographic analyzer, which, by the way, this time was used for peaceful purposes. Thanks to improvised tools from home tools, we get something similar to a dentist’s tool.

Of course, we could stop there, but such a design will scratch the screen and has no chance of getting a high rating from Habra readers :)

This problem was successfully solved with the help of... thread.

Working with the Android shell

Typing text

And another example of handwriting notes:

Now capacitive touch screens are increasingly replacing resistive screens. This type has obvious advantages: a sensor of this type is more durable and durable due to the fact that the flexible resistive membrane in it is replaced by a grid of electrodes. The capacitive screen supports more touches than its counterpart, it is more transparent, and only it now supports multi-touch technology, which is popular today.

The need for a stylus

The difficulty is that using your fingers to operate the interface is not always convenient, and in this case there are no other options. This is quite noticeable when drawing or entering handwritten text on the tablet screen, as well as in winter, when you don’t want to take off your gloves outside, but you need to perform certain manipulations. At such moments, many would benefit from a stylus for a capacitive screen. Many may remember the ease of use of such a manipulator if they once owned smartphones with resistive screens. It allows for more precise manipulations. But the capacitive screen does not respond to the touch of a conventional stylus, since working with it requires a certain capacitance that receives and conducts low-voltage electric current. Mobile phone manufacturers are ready to offer a stylus for capacitive screens. It can be different in appearance, but it is made from special conductive materials. The stylus for a capacitive screen has a fairly simple structure, which allows you to make it yourself.

Varieties

The mobile gadget market offers four types of stylus models:

In the form of a brush;

On a sponge;

Rubber;

Plastic.

Available options

The SPMP 1019 stylus model, designed for iPhone, iPad, HTC and Samsung screens, belongs to the second category. This model is considered inexpensive, and high quality is ensured through the use of a metal body. The presence of a hook similar to that on a ballpoint pen allows you to conveniently attach it. Its disadvantage can be considered fragility. This gadget will not lose its tactile properties at low temperatures. At the moment, the most convenient stylus for a capacitive screen is made of conductive rubber. It has design features that provide a seamless touch experience with your fingers on the screen. The tactile feedback of such devices is considered the highest. The degree of pressure is easily adjusted.

From what was written earlier, it should be clear to you that the market is ready to provide a huge variety of options for this device. However, the question of how to make a stylus for a capacitive screen may bother many people. Here we can recommend the following set of tools: a relief pin, a nail file, a metal pen, tin, a soldering iron, glue, copper wire, self-adhesive tape, and a battery. The wire must be soldered to the button, after which the workpiece should be inserted into the handle body and glued at the end. Apply self-adhesive tape to the button and cut off the rest. The second end of the wire should be attached to the battery, and the pen body should be closed. The stylus for the capacitive screen is ready!

Friends, before you learn how to make a stylus for a tablet with your own hands, let’s first understand the principle of operation of this device. It is possible that during your study you will come to your own ideas for producing a product, which will differ from those presented below. So, let's figure out how this wonderful gadget works.

When Apple introduced the iPhone, in which the touch screen worked and responded to human fingers (capacitive display), then people began to think about whether they should buy a stylus if they don’t always have it with them? However, for some tasks, the convenience of using your finger on a touch screen is compromised, for example, if you draw on a tablet, it is very difficult to draw fine lines when you control it with your hands. This situation is familiar to many artists or simply those who like to draw, when instead of an elegant eyebrow a dense forest appears.

The lines drawn with the stylus are thin and graceful, so you can draw whenever you want

It turns out that there are still times when the thought is spinning in your head: “If only I had a stylus now!” But smartphones are practically not equipped with such devices. And here the need arises to additionally purchase this miracle of technology. What then is the decision of Apple, which releases the iPad Pro and shows how it works with a special Apple Pencil stylus, which must be purchased separately? Naturally, this is the corporation’s disregard for its customers, who clearly do not want to pay more than nine thousand rubles for a stick that could be added to the kit of such an expensive tablet. So let's find out how to make a stylus for a tablet with your own hands?

How to do it?

What can you use instead of a stylus for a tablet? This question arises for many people who want, for example, to draw a beautiful picture on their device. Let's try it then! It's not very difficult, because there are so many ideas and methods for this. Please note that some materials may scratch the display, so only test on a screen with film. So, let's look at the most popular “home” styluses.

The most popular “home” styluses

From a cotton swab

The easiest option is to take a cotton swab and wrap it in foil. Swipe the screen and check its action. Make sure your fingers touch the foil.

A cotton swab and foil are all you need for your tablet pen

From a metal tube

Take a metal tube, for example, an antenna from an unnecessary radio receiver will do, and insert an antistatic sponge into it, which can be purchased at any radio market. Trim this sponge to give it a nice and pleasing shape. But make sure that it is not very thin, as the screen may not react.

With your own hands, you can create a wonderful tablet drawing tool that glides well and softly across the screen, evokes responses and leaves no traces behind.

From a ballpoint pen

If you need the lines to be thin when drawing, you will have to work a little. Take a regular ballpoint pen and wrap the tip in some soft material. You can tightly roll the paper with an antistatic film around it so that the contact area is sufficient. Now wrap the pen in foil so that it touches the foil on one end and your fingers on the other. You can! Please note that the rod must be removed from the handle.

The most basic rule, without which you won’t get a stylus, is the use of conductive materials

Made from fluoroplastic

And finally, let’s consider the most interesting and presentable option - a fluoroplastic stylus, which must be purchased in advance at the appropriate store. The purchased piece of fluoroplastic must be turned into a pencil in appearance. To do this, you can use a drill (fix one end of the fluoroplastic in a drill and rest the other, for example, on a stool) or twist the piece by hand. At the same time, you will need to move the sandpaper along the entire base of the material until it becomes round, that is, you should get a rounded stick. After this, wipe the surface with paper and remove all roughness. Then sharpen one end of the structure to the desired state with a simple pencil sharpener, and then polish your stylus with fine sandpaper. You can come up with further manipulations of the stylus design yourself at your own discretion.