Recycle: Home-Made Universal Stylus

A stylus is a pen-like device that is used to write on screens of devices that can be controlled/commanded by touch. But tablets come with a stylus of their own and you might still want to use a stylus on an ordinary touch controlled device for drawing, sketching, graphic designing or justfor fun, well then you've scourged your way through the web to the right place. Not all people have a fiberglass factory in their backyard (which is why this project can be made out of reuseable material), neither do they have lunch money to spend on a stylus, and that's why this instructable will teach you how to maker a universal stylus (with a few optional tweaks) that can be used on any screen to do anything (Dragging apps aoung the home screen using a lopsided pen.)

Let's get right into it!

This projet is made compleely out of reuseable material and the supplies can be found in literally any corner of the world. (unless you live under a rock in the 21st ceentury.)

Materials:

1. Aluminum Foil (or any other conducive mettal that can be bent, like thee copper you pulled out of an electric cable)
2. A cotton earbud (better if it has not been used beforehand.)
3. An old pen (any pen that can be opened up from atleast one side to put sometthing inside so it reaches the writing point, if you get what im saying...)
4. Some conductive tape (if you have it, it's completely optional.)

That's all you need to have in order to make your very own stylus from materials lying around the cupboard ( or shelf)

his is a pretty simple projet hat anyone can make. The first step is to decapitat (take apart) your pen. Best if it's plastic, and even better if you can unscrew both the ends out (makes working easier.)

Take help of the image shown in order to properly open up your pen.

Now comes the fun part. You should just stick your earbud into the writing part of the pen in such a way that only the cotton is visible on the outer edge of the pen (see image), this will help in conductivity AND not harm/damage your screen.

Note: You can use pracically any material that contains cotton for he conductive tip, the nibs of sketch pens or markers, a ccotton cloth, or even wet wipes.

You'll have to moisten this conductive tip every time you use the stylus, because water is the element that allows the electric current from your hand to flow onto the screen.

This is the most simple step. All you have to do now is wrap/cover the whole pen in aluminum foil or any other conductive material. This will ensure that no matter what part of the pen you touch, you will still be able to controll the screen.

Note: The aluminum foil or any conductor should be in contact with the moist cotton material that you use for the tip, if it is not in contatc, the stylus will not work.

See the image for more details.

There is a lot you can do with the stylus and experiment with science. The project basically works on the principle of conducting the electric currnet from your hand to the screen using conductive material.

The project will work aso long as the conductive surface is in contact with your hand (or feet), and the conductive material is in contact with the cotton and the cotton is moist.

Note: If you choose to moisten the cotton with water, you'll have to do it every time you use the stylus, because the water will have dried up after 4-5 hours.

You can use this principle in any way you want to, so experimentation and tinkering are strongy encouraged.

If this project worked for you or if you experimented with it, make sure to post it in the comments under this instructable.

The important thing is to never stop experimenting!

Thanks!