custom mouse

[Nick_Black]

hey, when I stumbled across a computer store that I never knew existed, I was blown away, they had prices of that you would expect off of on-line, (and if online was cheeper they would price match it) and unlike my local computer store, they have actually heard of liquid cooling.. and even more so.. they knew what they were talking about!!! :D:D

anyways. I stumbled across this lazer wireless mouse for $10. I thought, hey can't go wrong. I was planning to mod a mouse anyway's.

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/5995/mouseintactte4.png

than I thought wow, that's a huge reciever.. and the reciever takes bataries too???

but then I actually read the manual for the first time in my life, and I noticed, the usb reciever is inside a box, which turned out to be a batary recharger.. pretty sweet. (especially seeing that I got 4 aaa rechargable bataries included!)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/39/usbkeyov0.png

and here is a shot with the batary compartment open:

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4832/baterieskj3.png

this thing is puny and makes my hands cramp.. so here are my plans:

build a new shell for it that matches my hand exactly.

lift up the lazer part a bit so it dosn't jump so much when I lift the mouse (make it so that the lazer can just reach the surface)

make the mouse and reciever look cooler


I'll probably (hopefully) get started when I get back from work in a few hours or so.

till then, cya!

[tinker]

Sounds like a cool idea.
Look forward to seeing the results.

I need to find one of those computer stores where I live.
haha.

[Nick_Black]

tinker: thanks for the reply :) yeah I neerly peed myself when I was in there. unfortunatly I was there to fix a friends pc. but I'm definatly going back when I start my new comp.



rough layout:

the middle part is going to be solid
the 2 outer parts are goint to be soft (maby... depending how things go..)

and yeah... I can't even read my own writing.. (hey I was writing with my left!)

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7421/handop3.png

I pried off the sides

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/9550/priedoffsideoq6.png

I removed the buttons (suprisingly without breaking them...)

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/5311/buttonsem0.png

took off the centre tab (again, suprisingly without breaking it)

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/803/centretabkj5.png

and then I rememberd, srews are usually hidden under the feet... and yep, there they were. which hlped me remove the body & bottom piece & PCB.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6130/screwedyg6.png

thats it at the mo. I'm going to scetch up some layouts for the mouse.

[scar~face]

wow, i like this, mapping your design on your hand instead of the mouse! Brilliant!

[psychowit]

I hope you pull it off

[Nick_Black]

sorry for the delay. here's is another update.

this is the wood I'll be using to carve the mouse out of, i chose wood rather than foam (which would have been alot easyer) becouse of it's weight (I like heavy mouses)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9245/dscf0083ow3.jpg

cut down to a respectable lenghth (I had to use the hack saw becouse the table saw was clutterd and I as lazy)

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3525/dscf0084by6.jpg

layout kina where I want the PCB to be (I was originally thinking about re-wireing the buttons and scroll wheel to where I wanted it.. but then I decided just to move the whole thing. makes things alot simpler.

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3330/dscf0085wo5.jpg

rough cut.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/1629/dscf0086ml2.jpg

how my hand is gonna lay

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/2789/dscf0087qq7.jpg

and my rough brainstorming (I'm designing this as I go)

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1141/dscf0089fr0.jpg

thats the update for now.

[Cagedconnerman]

looks like fun, i'm definitely going to watch how this turns out.

[slytherock]

Are you done yet? cause according to your picture date, you're on it since april 2000... :D
Will follow it; I love big mouse :) Like I say to my friends when they see a rat in the kitchen: don't look at him. Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away :D

[cured]

haha that is hugeeeeee

[NightrainSrt4]

Thats cool.

A vice, some nice sharp chizels, some files, and some sandpaper and you can make a SICK mouse.

I made a duck one time in school lol years ago. Damn did that thing turn out perfect. If it wasn't made out of wood there would be no way to distinguish it from a raft of ducks.

[Indybird]

I thought about doing this project a while ago with my logitech MX-510, but I never got around to it.

I can't wait to see how this turns out: it really looks like you know what you're doing!


-Indybird

[Nick_Black]

slytherock: hehe, omg :D I better fix the date on my camara :) hehe, thxs for noticing.

cured: Yeah, I'm debating whether or not to make it so that my wrist is on the grownd, or on the mouse....

NightrainSrt4: yeah, it's been a while since I worked with wood, so hopfully it'll turn out ok (if not, there's always filler :) )

Indybird:
it really looks like you know what you're doing!
hehe :p looks can be diciving aperently :D

[Nick_Black]

Mini update:

pics explain themselves I think....

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9084/dscf0091is9.jpg

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7074/dscf0092to6.jpg

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3497/dscf0094ep2.jpg

hmm, it looks like it's not even posting the date anymore... oh well.

[D1337]

Am i the only one that thinks he's crazy?
Clay would have been a great option, since you could mold it almost perfectly to fit your hand. Then you could have used it as a mold for plastic.

Splinters FTL D:

[Nick_Black]

Am i the only one that thinks he's crazy?
Clay would have been a great option, since you could mold it almost perfectly to fit your hand. Then you could have used it as a mold for plastic.

Splinters FTL D:

I hate it when people are right.. but than again, when clay hardens it shrinks a fair amount..

oh well, nobody said I was sane.

[Roughhouse]

Acutally if you use a polymer clay, does not harden, you can then use casting silicone to first make a negative mold, then a casting resin or plaster to make a hard mold that would be the correct size.

This is a fairly good resource on how to make various types of molds.
http://www.alumilite.com/index.php?page=info&type=HOWS

[NightrainSrt4]

Dude, you can totally do this out of the wood. I used to be sick with a chizel. It just takes time. Go slow.

The two biggest thing for doing it this way are

1: use sharp chizels and take your time. No need to take out a huge chunk in one pass.

2: Clamp it down. You can't effectively chizel something like this if its just lying on a table. Throw it in a vise (not too tight, use two blocks of wood around it if you don't want the metal squeezing right onto the wood).


You beware of those two things and this thing can be killer. Just be patient. You can always take off more, you can't put it back.


The hardest part of this I think would be getting the mouse hardware in it. Thats where I see the most time spent here.

[Nick_Black]

Roughhouse: Hmm, I might just swich it up and do something similar to that...

NightrainSrt4: thanks for the tips :D
1) I took off large chunks just to get the rough shape than fine it down

2) it was in a vice (as you can see in the pics) and yeah, I prob should put some padding inbetween to prevent any gouging...

though I might swich to more an "easyer" way that Roughhouse sugested... (or something similar...

we shall see.

[NightrainSrt4]

Ya, I saw the vice and such. Just was trying to say don't give up on it. You had an idea and you can do it. Ya sure, clay would be easier. But you had an idea and you thought you could do it so go for it. You will never know how nice the mouse could come out if you just take an easier route.

Just be patient and it will turn out great.

I'll be watching, even if you do change your method.

[Nick_Black]

I decided I'm goint to do both, and which one I like better will be the one I choose.

update: (finally.. stupid work and guitar hero...)

so in order to make a mouse take 4 cups of water and pour it over salt and flower:

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1528/dscf0095bf4.jpg

mix it over a medium heat:

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7396/dscf0096ik9.jpg

untill it looks like something you might not wanna eat.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/4135/dscf0097tp9.jpg

and mold into shape of a mouse of your preferance. (it's a bit smoother now than in the pic)

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/9301/dscf0098ph5.jpg

that's it for today (I have a few other prodjects on the go too, but hopfully I'll have another update by tomorow)

[slytherock]

mmm. mashed potatoes...