Drawdio hack: the Syntheslicer

Technology
Drawdio hack: the Syntheslicer
Syntheslicer-diag.jpg

Jonathan Guberman wanted to hold a soldering class top help raise funds for the Site 3 hackerspace in Toronto. For his class’s soldering project he chose the Drawdio kit by Adafruit.

The Drawdio is a toy that attaches to a pencil and uses the conductive properties of graphite to make noise from what you draw. It’s easy to assemble, fun, and perfect for beginners.

Unfortunately, I was missing a crucial piece: a thumbtack to attach the circuit to the pencil. Of course, the circuit doesn’t have to travel through a pencil, so I attached it to something else instead.

It’s very simple to build, once you’ve made the circuit: find a knife with a non-metallic grip (wood, plastic, or rubber should all work). Attach the Drawdio to the handle — I used a zip-tie. Using copper tape connect one end of the circuit board to the blade, and the other end to the handle so that your hand will be touching copper when you hold the knife. That’s it! To use it, hold the Syntheslicer in one hand and a fork with a metallic handle in the other, and start playing with your food!

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4 thoughts on “Drawdio hack: the Syntheslicer

  1. Nate says:

    I smell a drawdio-enabled remake!

    This is pretty cool, anyhow :) Kids will love it, pets will whimper!

  2. pete says:

    Well that was quite creative. I actually LOLed. Strange bit of dinner there though.

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My interests include writing, electronics, RPGs, scifi, hackers & hackerspaces, 3D printing, building sets & toys. @johnbaichtal nerdage.net

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