This tutorial will show you how to create a little USB multitool, perfect for when you need a quick cable to power your device or transfer data. It’s the size of a credit card and about 6mm thick, perfect to throw in your wallet, luxury fanny pack or pocket in case you ever need it. All the USB plugs and sockets have been modified to save space, resulting in a pretty small package. The whole thing is encased in a custom black wallet design that snaps shut thanks to a bit of magnetic strip.

The multitool includes a micro USB cable, a mini USB cable, a micro SD adapter with space for 1 micro SD card and a USB condom adapter so you can safely charge your devices in any computer or charger.

Outside of some basic soldering skills, all you really need to make this is patience and a bit of crafting creativity. All the parts are easily available and you can save money by salvaging almost everything. A quick and cheap project that actually could be useful if you’re ever in need of a cable.

PHOTOS (more photos in the how-to guide further down)

- Open
- Closed
- USB Micro, USB Mini, USB Condom & Micro SD Adapter
- Wire thickness
- Custom mini USB tip
- Custom half-height USB connector
- USB Condom with custom female socket

PARTS/MATERIALS

- 3x USB A male plugs
- 1x USB mini male plug
- 1x USB micro male plug
- 1x USB A female socket
- Ribbon cable
- Kensington USB micro SD adapter
- Super glue
- Insulating tape
- 2x credit card sized pieces of plastic
- Foam sheet

TOOLS

- Soldering iron
- Craft knife
- Sharpie
- Metal rule
- Wire cutters / strippers
- Small hacksaw blade

HOW-TO GUIDE

Step 1. If you’re salvaging your parts from old cables and stuff, the first thing you’ll need to do is get all the plugs and sockets from inside their plastic housings. A little screwdriver + the craft knife are perfect for this job. It’s fiddly, so try not to stab yourself.

Step 2. We need the plastic parts from inside metal housing on the USB male plugs. Use something to pry open (VIEW PHOTO) and you should be left with something that looks like this (VIEW PHOTO).

Step 3. Take the hacksaw blade and chop up the plugs. Make them as small as you like, as long as they still fit inside USB sockets correctly. I went over it with a sharpie to make it black (VIEW PHOTO)

Step 4. Get your ribbon cable, peel off some excess cables so you’re left with 4 sections. Now partially peel back the tips maybe 1cm down and strip the ends (VIEW PHOTO).

Step 5. Now tin the ends and solder them to the pins on your connectors. I used [USBPinout.net] as a reference (VIEW PHOTO)

Step 6. Test your new tiny cables (VIEW PHOTO)

Step 7. To create the USB condom, basically follow the same instructions for the USB A male plug, as well as modifying a USB A female socket so it’s thinner. You should be left with these two parts (VIEW PHOTO). Notice how only the 2 pins are sticking out (voltage + ground). This is to ensure only power (and not potentially malicious data) is being transferred.

Step 8. Simply solder the pins together. Again, you can use [USBPinout.net] for reference to make sure you get it the correct way. (VIEW PHOTO)

Step 9. Tidy up the cables and insulate where needed. I used a combination of super glue, sharpie and black tape so they were more or less uniform. You may also need to bulk up the bottom of the USB A male plugs so they fit snuggly into the ports. This is what I ended up with. (VIEW PHOTO)

Step 10. The final step is to make the case. (VIEW PHOTO) What I ended up with was a piece of foam sanwiched between two pieces of plastic, but you can do what you like to suit your needs.

CONCLUSIONS

I’m pretty happy with how this turned out and I really love how thin the cables are. If I were to do this again, I’d maybe add more pieces to it, like other card readers etc.

The magnet doesn’t work too great, and I’d rethink how to make the case. With a bit more effort, I bet you could cut down the thickness even further.

––
BY CHRIS ROBINSON