Turn Your Phone into a Temporary Etch A Sketch with This 3D-Printed Mechanism

Playing with a classic Etch A Sketch toy is a lot of fun — for about 3 minutes before you make a mistake that forces you to start over…

Cameron Coward
5 years ago3D Printing

Playing with a classic Etch A Sketch toy is a lot of fun — for about 3 minutes before you make a mistake that forces you to start over, and you throw the stupid hunk of plastic away in frustration. Some people are able to create genuinely good art with an Etch A Sketch, but you’re probably not one of them. Luckily, you can replicate that knob-turning experience in a far more enjoyable way with YouTuber Potent Printables’ 3D-printable Etch a Sketch mechanism for you phone.

This video starts with an explanation of how an Etch A Sketch actually works. Underneath the screen is a bed of powdered aluminum, and the particles naturally stick to the the underside of the screen. When you turn the knobs, a stylus is dragged across the screen and scrapes off a line of powder. That stylus is always pushed up against the bottom of the screen, which is why an Etch A Sketch can only produce frustrating continuous lines.

Potent Printables’ design provides a more user-friendly experience. All of the parts are 3D-printed, so you can easily make one yourself if you have access to a 3D printer. You place your smartphone on the platform, and a stylus rests on the screen. Turning the X-axis knob moves the platform left and right, and turning the Y-axis knob moves the stylus forward and back. Both axes rely on rack-and-pinion mechanisms. The benefit of this setup is that you can use a modern drawing app to change line size, change color, save your work, and use tools like erasers. It’s a great way to get your Etch A Sketch nostalgia fix with a fun little 3D printer project.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
Latest articles
Sponsored articles
Related articles
Latest articles
Read more
Related articles