Where can I buy tiny plastic dots/bumps?

October 6, 2010 7:56 AM

My Google-fu has failed me. Where can I buy very small, adhesive dots which I can stick to buttons/etc. to improve their usability?

My minivan's remote has a slew of buttons, none of which have a tactile differentiator... so I can't open the sliding doors from my pocket without taking my keys out of my pocket and looking at the remote. This is a first world problem which needs correction!

I figured that small, transparent, adhesive dots (or letters?) could assist here. I'm thinking pretty small, along the lines of the bumps of the home keys on a keyboard. Round is fine but I'm not too picky.

posted by hijinx to Shopping (12 answers total)

Best answer: Why not just use a single small dollop of epoxy resin? I doubt that a self-adhesive application would stay on the button after being jingle-jangled in your pocket.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:58 AM on October 6, 2010

Best answer: how about little blobs of superglue?
posted by duckstab at 7:59 AM on October 6, 2010

Best answer: When I was in Picture Framing we used silicon Bumpons for the bottom edges of frames, would that work for you?
posted by TooFewShoes at 8:00 AM on October 6, 2010

Glue Dots. I've gotten them at Michaels, which means A.C. Moore would probably also have them.
posted by booksherpa at 8:03 AM on October 6, 2010

Response by poster: I hope marking all three of your answers isn't excessive, but they're all great. Superglue or epoxy resin sounds like a perfect first choice - and via dollops, nonetheless!

But Bumpons are perfect for larger applications. Great!

Thank you!
posted by hijinx at 8:03 AM on October 6, 2010

Response by poster: Glue Dots seem pretty great too - thanks.
posted by hijinx at 8:04 AM on October 6, 2010

You could also try a dab of liquid Wite-Out. We've used it for labeling notebooks and it is remarkably durable.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:11 AM on October 6, 2010

The buttons are usually made of slightly squishy rubber, right? I think sticking glue on them won't work- the rubber will squish and adhesive will peel off. What about somehow marking the edges of the hard plastic remote beside the buttons? Maybe putting a bump of resin there, or scratching a little groove with a nail file so your thumb can feel which end is up when you're holding it?
posted by pseudostrabismus at 8:26 AM on October 6, 2010

Just googling around....

What about Braille keyboard label stickers?
posted by CathyG at 8:43 AM on October 6, 2010

Sugru?
posted by so at 9:16 AM on October 6, 2010

Nail polish works for things like this.
posted by Madamina at 9:29 AM on October 6, 2010

Came in to recommend Sugru. Sounds like a task tailor-made for Sugru.
posted by chazlarson at 11:27 AM on October 6, 2010