makersmakingchange / pen-ball

The Pen Ball is a 3D printable writing aid for those with difficulty holding a pen or pencil directly.

Overview

This is a customizable (parametric) 3D printable writing aid. The pen ball makes it easier to grip a pen, pencil, or other writing utensil and may be useful for someone who has difficulty holding a pen or pencil directly. The diameter of the ball and the writing utensil diameter are available in different sizing and are able to be customized further if needed.

There are multiple sizes available for this device for both the device size and pen hole size. If you are requesting this device, please indicate which size you believe will work the best for you. There is a sizing guide seen below and available for download. If you want to customize the sizes further download and save both the ".scad" and ".json" files in the same place and use OpenSCAD to edit using the instructions found in the documention folder above

Usage

A pen or pencil is inserted through the pen ball and is fixed in place by tightening a screw to allow for different pen sizes. The ball is held in the hand with the pen fixed to change the grip to be easier to write with. With different sizing available, this device works well with narrow writing utensils like paintbrushes or wider ones like sharpie markers. In addition, the device itself has alternate sizing to provide options for the user.

Build Instructions

All documentation, design files, and photos can be found on the GitHub page that is linked at the top of this project page. The Maker Checklist document will aid you in following the correct steps to build and work with the requestor.

Verison History

See the folder labled "Version Archive" to access the previous versions of this device. The "Changelog" document will aid in noting key changes between the verisons