# Hobbyist: Is there any easy way I could make this contraption? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981 "2012-02-16T00:10:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/1 "2012-02-16T00:10:26Z")
With my luck, this is probably some idea that is going to make someone a million dollars. Basically, what I want is a pistol style grip and at the end of that grip a suction cup. The idea is I could stick this to the back of my kindle and make a handy easy to use holding device. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/2 "2012-02-16T00:24:32Z")
Um, what’s so hard about holding a kindle as is? ---
**Author:** ![MobiusStripes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MobiusStripes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MobiusStripes)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/3 "2012-02-16T00:24:35Z")
And when you pull the trigger, the page turns. You’re welcome. I don’t suppose you can just get a squirt gun, cut barrel in half, and add your own suction cup? At least to prototype it. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/4 "2012-02-16T00:41:06Z")
I’d be worried that the suction would give out, probably when you’re distracted and swinging it, and your soon-to-be-ex Kindle would go flying. Could you use a Velcro attachment instead? That seems a little safer to me. Might be easier to make yourself, also. I assume the suction cup would be on the top of the barrel, not on the tip of the gun? ETA: Yeah, I guess it would, but I was originally visualising it on the tip, and trying to figure out why you’d want that. “You wouldn’t be able to see the screen! Is he a teacher, holding it for his students to see?” ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/5 "2012-02-16T00:51:31Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Um, what’s so hard about holding a kindle as is? Holding my kindle the way I currently do for prolonged amounts of time give me carpal tunnel. > [@ZenBeam](#): > > I’d be worried that the suction would give out, probably when you’re distracted and swinging it, and your soon-to-be-ex Kindle would go flying. Could you use a Velcro attachment instead? That seems a little safer to me. Might be easier to make yourself, also. > > I assume the suction cup would be on the top of the barrel, not on the tip of the gun? > > ETA: Yeah, I guess it would, but I was originally visualising it on the tip, and trying to figure out why you’d want that. “You wouldn’t be able to see the screen! Is he a teacher, holding it for his students to see?” I was thinking of a handle like on [This](http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS403US404&biw=1366&bih=579&tbm=isch&tbnid=ofvnw4Xtg1dBgM:&imgrefurl=http://www.quik-express.com/products-page/cleaning-products-home/libman-power-scrub-brush&docid=8UiOoVpb8JnUKM&imgurl=http://www.quik-express.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Libman%252520Power%252520Scrub%252520Brush(LIB-00057).jpg&w=200&h=200&ei=lFE8T9XEJuXh0QGm3unACw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=880&vpy=300&dur=5195&hovh=160&hovw=160&tx=68&ty=126&sig=116516407004065325726&page=2&tbnh=128&tbnw=128&start=12&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:27,s:12) scrub brush. Only except instead of the brush part, it would be the suction cup. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/6 "2012-02-16T01:02:05Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Holding my kindle the way I currently do for prolonged amounts of time give me carpal tunnel. . . . Me, too. I have to shift grip constantly. When reading an old-fashioned paperback, my grip shifts about four times for each pair of pages. But on the Kindle, I have to make a conscious decision to change grip every ten pages or so, or else pain starts to build up. This is also why I can’t play most modern video games: the death-grip on the controller is too static, and pain (and numbness!) start to hit. So, my recommendation would be some sort of swiveling grip, so you can change orientation (no, no, I’m not talking about that!) every so often, to keep your wrists from getting fixed in one position. Also, don’t use a suction cup, but build your widget to connect with the mounting slots that are integral to the Kindle. They’ve already made your job a lot easier! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/7 "2012-02-16T01:18:19Z")
You know what **ZenBeam**? You’re a genius!! You just helped me answer my own question. What I’ll do is, take the above scrub brush, cut off the bristles, then line the platform of the would be scrub brush with some velcro! A much better design than I had originally conceived! Thanks! > [@Trinopus](#): > > Me, too. I have to shift grip constantly. > > When reading an old-fashioned paperback, my grip shifts about four times for each pair of pages. But on the Kindle, I have to make a conscious decision to change grip every ten pages or so, or else pain starts to build up. > > This is also why I can’t play most modern video games: the death-grip on the controller is too static, and pain (and numbness!) start to hit. > > So, my recommendation would be some sort of swiveling grip, so you can change orientation (no, no, I’m not talking about that!) every so often, to keep your wrists from getting fixed in one position. > > Also, don’t use a suction cup, but build your widget to connect with the mounting slots that are integral to the Kindle. They’ve already made your job a lot easier! Glad I’m not alone. Seems like somebody should’ve already come up with something for guys like us. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/8 "2012-02-16T01:59:39Z")
[Here](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kindle+holder&hl=en&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS420US421&prmd=imvns&resnum=4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1170&bih=503&wrapid=tlif132935747413310&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4991357759403291080&sa=X&ei=rWI8T7yeGOr00gGs9Y2hCw&ved=0CHMQ8wIwAA#) ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-is-there-any-easy-way-i-could-make-this-contraption/612981/9 "2012-02-16T03:45:26Z")
Yeah, the Kindle Fire is _heavy_. When at work, I rest it on an upright clipboard with a lip at the bottom. But at home I just have to hold it. I actually had to stop playing games on it because holding it with one hand was causing numbness and tingling in my wrist. Disclaimer: I also work on a computer 40 hours a week and play computer games as a hobby, so I’m more predisposed to RMI already. But still. I’d like to have a Kindle harness that holds it up for me.