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In this tutorial we’ll show you how to Cold Solder you Touch Board onto paper using an Electric Paint Pen. This is only one example of the multitude of ways and materials you could attach your Touch Board to. You can use this same technique to attach your board to cardboard, acrylic, wood, a wall, or almost anything else you can think of.
We’ve also provided a template so that you can easily print out the pitch of the Electrodes if you don’t have one of our stencils.
For more ideas on how to use the Touch Board or to find other techniques for using the paint make sure to browse our MAKE page, where you’ll find loads of tips, tricks, and projects!
Materials: To begin you will need:
1 x Touch Board
1 x Electric Paint Pen
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1 x Paper with Touch Board Grid
Step 1: Touch Board Grid
If you don’t have your surface ready, you can download the template for your Touch Board electrodes below.
If you don’t know how to prepare the stencil, you can follow our Stencil Tutorial (link below) to learn how to do this.
Once you have your surface ready for mounting the Touch Board, go to Step 2.
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Step 2: Cold Solder
Cold Soldering with Electric Paint is dead easy.
All you have to do to, is very carefully squeeze a small droplet of paint onto each of the circles at the bottom of your grid. We are using the paint as a cold solder to ensure contact between our Touch Board’s electrodes and the conductive paint.
It’s very important to make sure the paint between these points doesn’t smudge! If these lines touch each other, then they will create a short circuit. This won’t break the board, but it will mean that the linked Electrodes won’t be able to trigger sound, so make sure no to put so much paint that placing the Touch Board over the droplets will make them bleed onto each other.
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Step 3: Attaching the Touch Board
Once you’ve prepared all the traces you want to use, carefully center the Touch Board over your grid, and place it down so that each Electrode makes contact with the droplet below. Each droplet should align to the hole in the Electrode.
Make sure the paint doesn’t bleed between the electrodes!
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Step 4: Now for a Top Up!
Using your Electric Paint pen, squeeze a second set of droplets on the top of your Electrodes. You don’t need to cover them, but only connect to the paint beneath so a medium sized droplet should do.
This is to ensure a good connection to the board.
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Step 5: Watch Paint Dry
Once you’ve topped up your Electrodes, set your paper and board aside to dry.
Wait 5 – 10 minutes to make sure the board won’t slide and smudge.
You’re ready to go!
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