How to Make a Custom Garage Door Opener

I recently got a new Ford Explorer. It is a fantastic car, and has made being a maker so much easier. The one problem is that it didn't have a garage door opener. The interior looked so nice, I didn't want to ruin it by clipping an old clunky clicker to the sun visor. So I took my old clicker apart and rebuilt it to fit my car perfectly.

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Materials: Momentary switch (button), ⅛” wood, lead wires, vinyl/paint, small garage door opener

Tools: Drill, drill bit (matching button diameter), 2 hole saws (one slightly larger than change holder and one slightly smaller) momentary switch (button), soldering tools, super glue

The first step is to remove the circuit board form your old, ugly, inconvenient garage door opener.

Once the circuit board is removed, you will most likely see a pad like the one in the picture. This is how the button works. When the interwoven lines are connected by the conductive material on the bottom of the button (or your thumb) the switch is activated. Solder a new lead to each side of the oval to separate the positive and negative terminals.

Use a hole saw (or band saw, jig saw, or scroll saw) to cut a circle slightly larger than the cup holder/change holder that the new button will be going into. Then cut a second circle slightly smaller.

Use a smaller whole saw to cut the center of the smaller circle out, making a ring.

After making sure that the hole in the center is big enough for the button. Vinyl wrap/paint the bigger circle on one side, this will be the top of the garage door opener.

Using super glue attach the ring to the underside of the larger circle. This will hold the whole thing in place in the cup holder/change holder and prevent it from sliding around.

Attach the button to the large circle using the nut it came with.

Connect the other side of the leads you previously soldered to the circuit board to the button. This is done by threading the wires through the holes in the button and then tightening them with the included bolts.

Place the your stylish new garage door opener in your change holder/cup holder and you are ready to go!