graflex clamp and switch question

[pipster79]

hi i got a graflex saber and i would like to have a slide switch in the clamp and use the red button as a momentary for the cf board i have in it, just wondering how i could put a switch in the clamp and stil have the clamp work properly, if its even possible i dont know, but id like to have the clamp the swich like in the fx sabers where u slide the bubble strip in the clamp to turn it on or off
any help would b great, and if u can post pics of how to do it even better, many thanks in advanceee

[xwingband]

It's possible... worth it, not in my opinion.

I did it once. You have to cut out notches inside. The real problem was the bubbles. You have to trim them to slide and accept the switch. It never looks as good as like the MR that's cast for it.

Do you have a version that allows momentary for the main on/off?

[pipster79]

unfortunatly no, mine is the v1.2 and only latching for on/off. thats what i was thinking would have to be done, with the notching out the clamp, not something i really wanted to do

[xwingband]

The notching wasn't so bad as the bubbles don't look as good when you have to alter them so much.

I'd put an aux under the lever and use the normal one for the main.

[pipster79]

do you think i micro on off push switch in the center of the strip might work ok? of course thats if i can even find one, i have about 4 micro momentarys but if i could find a micro on off that would b nice

[Darth Lars]

I think I shared this idea in another thread here: Maybe you could put a T-profiled piece of plastic (think "saber grip") in the clamp, where the ridge is large enough to reach down into the hilt and touch against a sliding switch inside the tubes.
Then you wouldn't have to alter the clamp in any way, but making room for the switch could present a challenge.

[xwingband]

I doubt you'd have to not alter the tube. When I did it the twisting of the tubes required that I notched the one to let the wires go. Pushed together there isn't much room at all so a switch below the clamp would really mean your shuffling the altering somewhere else.

This needs serious thought... I've gone back to the traditional switch because an ideal solution has alluded me for so long.

[pipster79]

its too bad someone doesnt make a replica clamp but with a larger opening so a switch could b fit in between without affecting the funcion of the clamp

[pipster79]

i thought i had seen somewhere before that someone had managed to put the switch in the clamp...but after endless searching have not found it

[pipster79]

xwing, how did you notch yours out? did it affect the look of the clamp at all?

[Angelus Lupus]

You can use the edit button to add to your posts, you don't have to tripple post.

[LAN-ED-TUL]

since i tried that once bout 3 years ago, i can say, its not worth ther trouble.

you might utilize a MR clamp setup in its place, but it wont connect the 2 halfs like a real clamp does.

my thought is as mentioned above, get a red button micro switch from TGS, and use that as main off and on switch,

and get a micro momentary and mount it in the side of the clamp.

that can be done, with not much trouble. but to make it work like a MR does, your wasting your time, and will ruin the clamp.

[pipster79]

well it was worth a shot i guess. thanks for the info

[xwingband]

I just took a good old dremel to the clamp and tube. Nothing was visible other than I thought the bubbles looked like crap... really not worth it IMO.

It might be okay if you really work at it. There are just things you're fighting though... the clamp itself moves and secures the two halves. Second, the bubbles are meant to not move. So you have to make it loose to work... :?

[LAN-ED-TUL]

just tryin to save you all the trouble, and possible trashing of a working clamp.

like X says, it CAN be done, very hard to get right tho, and i agree with him, its not worth the time or trouble.

[pipster79]

yeah i think you guys are right. not worth the trouble, and i dont want to ruin anything, or the functionality of the clamp. I guess i will stick with the red button for activation
Thanks for the input guys