Guides, Toy Adaptation - Switch

Minion Stuart Interacts with Guitar – Switch Adaptation

Follow along with this guide as we switch adapt a Minion Stuart to work with standard 3.5mm AT Switches.


Required Items:

  • 3.5MM 1/8 Inch Gold Plated Stereo Jack Panel Mount Solder Connector (Amazon: click here)
    • Adaptive Jack
    • Triangle headed 1.8 screw driver (who knows why….Amazon $7.50 prime)
    • Phillips head screw driver
    • Single core coated wire (braided will work but is harder)
    • Shrink wrap tubing
    • Lighter
    • Soldering Iron
    • Helping hands (optional but recommended)
    • Drill with 1/8 inch bit
    • Vice grips or clamp
    • Clippers to cut plastic

Steps: Unpackaging (Important if adapting to give as a present).

  •  Cut tape along box top and remove Stuart.
  •  Remove yellow plastic holders from bottom and back of Stuart by turning. (You do not need to remove the guitar or the guitar strap).  NOTE:  Stuarts feet should be straight forward when you do this.
  • Remove the battery cover by unscrewing the two Phillips head screws on the outside of each leg.
  • Remove the six screws around his bottom.  NOTE:  They use an 1.8 triangle screw head.
  • Adjust the plastic holder that tethered Stuart to the box as your switch jack holder.  To do this, secure the plastic holder in a vise and drill with a 1/4″ bit in the center. 
  • Build a 3.5mm (1/8) Panel Mount Stereo Jack (adapted to mono-configuration) and attach it to the plastic holder with the nut.
  • Remove the blue jack from its port to splice into it about 2 inches from the end.  Just for reference what we found was:
    1. Blue was the switch (the only one of real concern)
    2. Orange activated Stuart when you pushed his head back.
    3. Yellow – didn’t investigate
    4. Green activated Stuart when you tilted him left.
    5. Red – didn’t investigate
  • Solder each of the jack wires to the tiny blue wires from Stuart and trim them.
  • Cover each pair with a half of a shrink wrap tube.
  • Tin both ends of the tiny blue wire that is still connected to Stuart.
  • Spot solder corresponding ends to the jack.
  • Trip and heat shrink the connection (careful not to burn the tiny wires).
  • Reconnect the blue jack.
  • To allow Stuart to connect back with the screws, it is necessary to cut some of the plastic & rubber to make room for the jack.
  • Reconnect Stuarts bottom six size 1.8 triangle headed screws, add batteries, and connect his battery cover (his feet).
  • Test Stuart
    1. Standard actuators
      1. Head tilt forward
      2. Belly push
      3. Left head tilt
      4. Right head tilt
      5. Push his guitar button in on his side with a pencil and then do one other of his actions.
    2. Switch connector
      1. Test the switch without the guitar
      2. Test the switch while holding the guitar button on his side in.
  • Repackage Stuart