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A small bag of fine grey stainless steel fibers, 10 grams of 20um conductive thread for felting and e-textile prototyping

Adafruit

Adafruit Conductive Fiber Stainless Steel 20um 10g

SKU CH-M3K4-A9DYY

Conductive stainless-steel fiber for felting, spinning yarn and making squeeze sensors that drop resistance under pressure

  • TypePrototyping Products
  • Create squeeze sensors that drop resistance under pressure
  • Felt wearable buttons directly onto wool garments using 20um fiber
  • Blend with animal fibers for stronger felting results
  • Spin 10g supply into conductive yarn for e-textile projects
  • Prototype touch interfaces with .2g per button for MaKey MaKey

Conductive fiber for wearable prototypes

Adafruit Conductive Fiber Stainless Steel 20um 10g is a prototyping material designed for makers who want to add touch or pressure sensing to fabric projects. The stainless steel fiber works with felting techniques and can be spun into conductive yarn for custom wearable interfaces. It suits hobbyists and educators exploring e-textiles without soldering.

Resistance drops as fibers compress

The fiber becomes less resistive the more the strands are squeezed together, giving a continuous analogue response rather than a simple on-off signal. This behaviour lets you build squeeze or pressure sensors that react smoothly across a range of force. Performance stays consistent as long as the fiber remains integrated in the felted structure.

Felting with animal fibre gives best results

Combine the stainless steel fiber with a natural animal fibre that has scales so the materials interlock during needle felting. About .2g makes a felt touch button suitable for capacitive sensing circuits such as MaKey MaKey. Alligator clips and the controller board are not included, so plan for separate connections.

Highlights

  • Create squeeze sensors that drop resistance under pressure
  • Felt wearable buttons directly onto wool garments using 20um fiber
  • Blend with animal fibers for stronger felting results
  • Spin 10g supply into conductive yarn for e-textile projects
  • Prototype touch interfaces with .2g per button for MaKey MaKey

Specifications

TypePrototyping Products

Questions about this item

Does the stainless-steel fiber generate heat or draw noticeable power when used in a squeeze sensor all day?

The fiber itself is passive; it only changes resistance when compressed and draws no power or produces no heat on its own.

What other materials do I need to felt a working button with this 20 µm conductive fiber?

You need a natural animal fiber such as wool for the scales that bind during felting, plus a microcontroller like a MaKey MaKey and alligator clips to read the sensor.

Will this 10 g spool work with the wool sweater I already own for making felt buttons?

Yes, the fiber is designed to felt onto existing wool garments; about 0.2 g is enough for a touch button that a capacitive-sensing board can detect.

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