Phase seven:

    We'll begin wiring the switch.  Quick tip, the red is positive and the black is negative.  If your wiring color scheme is different then break out the voltmeter and give it a check.  Our plan is to run the negative straight to the motor, and to run the positive, or power, to the switch, and then to the motor.  Instead of soldering the leads to the mouse’s connector, all we have to do is strip back some wire and shove it in the top of the connecter.  This should be easy and this way we can be remove it if the mouse needs to be disassembled.  Now we need to run the power to the switch and from the switch to the motor. We are going to solder the wires onto the switch, and the motor.  I was going to brush on some of my liquid electrical tape, but it had hardened in the can, so I just folded tape over the exposed portions of wire.  Once again this portion of the install will not be seen, so don’t sweat it if it looks stanky. (technical term: means looks like crap)  While here, go ahead and glue the switch in place.

 

(23) Red and Black, venom lack	(24) All wired up

Phase Eight:

    This phase can be skipped if you decide to go with the switch rather than the potentiometer.  There are many styles of pots and they all have different levels of resistance.  I went to the Shack (Radio Shack) and picked up an assorted bag of pots for $2.99.  There were about 15 of them in there, so we are going to need to wire them up to a battery and a voltmeter to test them.  We need to try them out until we find one that will suit our needs.  Another way of testing them is to wire them up to the massager’s motor.  A pot with very little resistance works best.  Once you have chosen a pot, it is time to decide where to put it. I suggest using the same method as we did with where to mount the switch.  I put my hand on the mouse and realized that the only viable spot was someplace just past the massaging head to the left.  I then looked on the inside of the mouse in that general vicinity.  I found a decent spot by putting the pot inside and moving it until I was satisfied.  Now that we have our spot we need to mark the spot so we can drill it.  Hold the pot there firmly and take an awl or ice pick and press firmly to leave an indention.  We will come back and drill it after we assemble our pot’s handle. 

 

(29) Mark the pot handle	(30) The victims	(31) Filed pen tab

    I suppose you can call me ghetto, because I used the little tab off of a pen cap.  I found a clear one in my drawer, and you’ll see why I chose clear soon. Break the tab off with a pair of pliers.  I used the file on my Leatherman to shape the end of the tab to about the same size as the center of the pot.  The best, and easiest way to attach the pen tab to the center of the pot is to heat it with a lighter, then stick it in.  The pot has two sides, a front with plastic and a back with the metal part.  Be sure to attach it to the backside.  I heated the filed end until it almost caught on fire.  It melted through the middle of the pot and after it cooled it was in there very solidly.  When I say that I am not joking! I tried to pull it out to no avail!  At this point we need to make the hole for our mouse’s pot handle. 

 

(32) Melted in	(33) Dry fit pot handle hole	(34) Attached pot and Aux LED Holder

    I used a drill bit slightly larger than the handle.  I used the mark I made with the awl earlier as a pilot hole for my drill.  Dry fit the pot and make any necessary adjustments.  While the pot handle is sticking through its new hole, we need to mark how long we want the handle to be. Then break the handle with some pliers and round the top with a file.  If you heat any scuffed up areas on the handle with the lighter it will turn clear again. Now, we need to solder a wire coming from the positive terminal on the motor, to one on the outside posts on the pot.  After you have done this you can glue the pot in place.  Be sure NOT to get any glue on the pots resistance assembly! 

 

(35) Aux LED hookup	(36) Finished pot/switch mouse