Here is the original article from my blog: http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...e-and-tablets/

Well, when you work with capacitive touchscreens you might need to draw something, or use something for handwriting, and you can't use a simple stylus. So here is how you can make a DIY capacitive pen for less than 1 dollar, and look great!

Here's what you will need for this project:

• A pen that you can easily dissemble (I have many of those since I am a student)
  
• A thin 15-20cm cable
  
• A small piece of sponge
  
• Some aluminum foil (that is used to cover food)
  
• Some office duct tape
  
• A screwdriver or whatever it have a thin, hard head (I used a screwdriver I used for the N900)

Now here's how you start:

You unscrew your pen, and get out the paste tube (mine was completely empty, yours should be too, not to have some unexpected results), the spring and the open/close mechanism.

Take the paste tube and the wire, and wrap around the wire around the metal tip of the paste tube. Now secure that in place with some duct tape.

Take your sponge and moisturize it just a little bit with some special moisture, water or your own saliva. Take that piece of sponge now and using the tip of the paste tube punch a hole trough it, you'll not need it now, you'll need that hole later. Put the sponge inside the pen case and using the screwdriver and push it hard until the tip comes out of the pens hole. Now take the paste tube and fit it inside firmly (be sure the tip is not getting out through the pen hole or you might scratch your screen). Now the sponge can't move and it's secured.

It should look something like this:


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0892.JPG


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0893.JPG


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0894.JPG

Now, after you get a result something like this, you need to take care to the other end of the cable. Note that if you want this to work, that end should somehow be in direct contact with your skin, but isn't it somehow uncomfortable to keep your finger on the cable all the time? Here's the solution to that. Bend your cable so that it would fit in the other half of the pen case and secure it that way.

Here's how it should look like:


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0895.JPG

After that, right at the point where you screw back in the pen case you shoul leave out the loose end of the wire. Don't screw it in all the way, screw it in until you feel it firm in your hand, screwing it in all the way may break your wire. Now, get some aluminum foil and wrap it around that zone so that the tip of the wire can touch the foil. Now secure it in place on both sides with some duct tape (do not duct tape ALL the foil, just the left-right ends) so that your finger can directly touch the foil.

It should look like this:


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0896.JPG

So this is it, now here are some examples about how it should look like when it's done:


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0897.JPG


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0898.JPG

And here is how it works:


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0899.JPG


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...g/IMG_0900.JPG

And to end this thread as it should be, here is a drawing made using this pen:


http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...2013_00_28.JPG

This image was created in Fantasia Painter PRO, using lots of effects (just like the software on the N900).

Final notes:

• If you follow the steps, or even upgrade them, you will have a nice looking very good capacitive pen.
  
• The sponge needs to be moisturized permanently to work, so when it stops working, just touch the tip of the pen with your tongue and everything will work back again

Now, if there are problems loading images in this thread (since they are very large, and take too long to load) you may visit the gallery here: http://www.windowsphone.athousand-su...apacitive_img/

Enjoy your brand new DIY capacitive pen, that also looks nice, and you can take it with you anywhere you need, just like any other pens!

Pretty neat, that.

Only thing that I think less than ideal here is the moisturizing of the pen tip. I think it leaves the touchscreen a bit slimy that way

I wonder if it would be possible to use some already conducting material for the sponge tip? You know, the kind of foamy stuff that is sometimes used to pack memory modules and other sensitive electronic circuits.

scrap open a old unused remote or gamepad and use the black thing in buttons

Not quite, I have a screen protector, and no slimy marks were left on the screen. When I said moisture, it means very very little moisture, not enough to really leave a trail.

I would say that this is a good idea indeed, but how are you going to connect the wire to that material? If you can find a solution don't hesitate to post it!

simple struck the wire in it its soft and to use it resonably glue togther two of them via some electric glue or just use cut one finely to be placed in the tip of the pen then lightly struck the wire in it it would work pretty relaibly for me if i build one and you just find the said thing or similar ideas will pop up your way also if you have those brick video games you can find some long conductive strips

And if you struck the wire in it, isn't it somehow going to scratch your screen? I know what you are talking about but that is very thin and sensitive, if you punch that with the wire, the wire will scratch your digitizer.

The idea with those strips (I also know about what you are talking about) is also super good, but there is a problem, how many people have games like that, or some electric device that he can remove strips like that?

The whole point was to create something fast, useful and very cheap (cost almost equal to 0).

Or take a mini sausage like they do in Korea. It's less work and tastes better.