The Go Button

As you may know, I am a Database Administrator of the MS SQL Server variety. For those of you who do not know what all that entails (Hi Mom!) ... basically I spend all day (except when I am in meetings ... which is all the time) writing, modifying, and executing SQL scripts. In doing so I find myself hitting the F5 key quite often to execute a script, so much so that I have on occasion hit F5 at the end of an email in an attempt to send it, only to find that my browser is refreshing and I get to rewrite the entire email.

So I got to thinking; executing scripts, compiling code ...etc should not be done by mildly hitting F5, rather it should be a statement with gusto. In this regard I have built myself a giant red button that can be pounded to execute a script It is USB and mapped to the F5 key. Check out below for instructions on how you too can make one.


The Supplies:

-Logitech Mouse (the cheap USB one) -Big Red Button (AllElectronics.com) --Old Backup Tapes

I removed the actual tape from the backup tapes and drilled them out with a 1" bit. I also drilled holes to insert bolts and hold the stack together.
The mouse came apart quite easily with only a single screw. The soldering was also quite simple, I soldered two wires to the active pins of the middle button switch, then connected those leads to the switch hardware using the NC connector (normally closed circuit). For the switch lighting I pulled the red LED the optical mouse uses and soldered it in place into the original light bulb socket, then wired the socket the the original LED leads. I initially tried to use the bulb that came with the button, but it proved to require too much current and was quite dim, it pulled so much current that when you hit the button the USB device disconnects. After all of these are hooked up I placed the mouse hardware in the housing (wrap most of it in electrical tape so it doesn't hit the bolts holding the contraption together.

All that remains then is to install the Logitech SetPoint drivers and use the software to map the middle mouse button to any key you would like.

--Dan