How to Make a Foot‐Operated Mouse Out of Wood

Gather materials and prepare to recreate this design., Cut two pieces of the 2x3 inch lumber to the same length as the mouse. , Cut a third piece to a length equal to the width of the first two pieces plus the width of the mouse., Cut a piece of...

12 Steps 1 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Gather materials and prepare to recreate this design.

    Lay them out as shown around the mouse. ,,,,,, One option is a piece of Styrofoam insulation.

    You can also use a piece of 2x4 with foam padding over it. , For positioning the cursor, a trackball may be easier for some people to use than a mouse.

    You can also attach a vertical handle to a regular mouse if that makes holding it easier.
  2. Step 2: Cut two pieces of the 2x3 inch lumber to the same length as the mouse.

  3. Step 3: Cut a third piece to a length equal to the width of the first two pieces plus the width of the mouse.

  4. Step 4: Cut a piece of plywood to fit underneath the mouse and surrounding wood pieces.

  5. Step 5: Screw the 3 side pieces of 2x3 to the plywood forming a 3-sided box as shown above.

  6. Step 6: Cut two pieces of plywood about 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) wide and about an inch longer than the mouse.

  7. Step 7: Attach these to the 2x3 piece that runs across the base of the mouse using one small hinge on each piece of plywood.

  8. Step 8: Locate a spot above each mouse button on each of the two plywood hinged pieces and run one of the longer screws into the under side of plywood so that when the hinged plywood is lowered

  9. Step 9: the screw rests on the button.

  10. Step 10: Fabricate some kind of foot rest to support the user's heel.

  11. Step 11: Hook up another mouse to your computer to move the cursor

  12. Step 12: and use your foot-operated mouse for clicking.

Detailed Guide

Lay them out as shown around the mouse. ,,,,,, One option is a piece of Styrofoam insulation.

You can also use a piece of 2x4 with foam padding over it. , For positioning the cursor, a trackball may be easier for some people to use than a mouse.

You can also attach a vertical handle to a regular mouse if that makes holding it easier.

About the Author

R

Richard Ford

Creates helpful guides on organization to inspire and educate readers.

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