Tiny Tactile Mounting Ideas

[BlackDOG]

So for after my search, I found:

a hot glue method...

Maul's make a tiny square hole and cram it in method

Erv'---how did you do that on your sabers?

The switches tim has are exactly waht I was looking for although I scavenged six off an old TV board (GASP).


I had thought about using the drill and file method espoused by Maul, but I worried about the switch shorting out and how I would insulate the switch posts....

Guidance, O fair sabersmiths?


BD

[xl97]

I too have been on a hunt for a nice/clean (ingeneious) way to mount tactile switches..

(sub to thread)

[Stinky Bantha]

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9377/saberpickf6.jpg

I don't have a closeup at the moment, or a picture of the insides which is really where the interesting stuff is, but here's what I did:
~Drilled and tapped two holes spaced wide enough to fit both of the tactile switches between the screws in the MHS
~Used that to mark a small section of sinktube that was also drilled to line up with the holes in the MHS
~I then cut the sinktube section to length so there are really only 2 half holes on either edge, and made it as small as possible while still giving it room to support the switches
~Then I arranged the switches on the sinktube "shelf" and glued them in place
~After that I drilled holes in the MHS to allow for the switch posts to come out slightly and used a larger drillbit to countersink the holes
~Then I just slipped the whole setup in place on the inside of the hilt, put some 1/2" screws in the outer holes and put some nuts on those to keep the sinktube "shelf" from moving when the buttons were pressed

That probably didn't do a very good job of explaining, so I'll try to get a picture or several next time I open it up.

[eastern57]

on my MHS, I used two long-shaft tactile push-buttons. There's a quarter inch of button that can be trimmed if need be.
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/MPB-133/700325/SPST_TACTILE_PUSHBUTTON,_0.25%22#34;_PLUNGER_.html

I just drilled two holes to stick them through. They're held in place by half-inch cross-section of blade tube. The tube piece is sammich'd between the heat sink and the batter pack... no glue, solder, tapping, screws, nothing.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn260/eastern57/MHS%20Hilt/tactile.jpg

Clean looking outside, brown = activator, black = aux

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn260/eastern57/MHS%20Hilt/tactile2.jpg


I also used the "regular" one on the previous version. It just happened to fit in the space of the parks control box. I encased it in heat shrink tubing to prevent shorting and then cut the switch face out. The millimeter of rubber made for a nice snug fit.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn260/eastern57/MHS%20Hilt/emitter.jpg


and lastly (promise), I have a regular on my quase-vos-Do-Clo hilt - and this one is the easiest:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn260/eastern57/black%20hilt/tactile3.jpg

there's a small hole behind the shroud for the wires, then I just covered it with shrink tube and smashed it down (there's a set screw on the opposite side of the shroud), then I heated it to shrink the rubber around the switch - so the only thing you see is a black rubber circle...


*whew* ...breathes...

[xwingband]

I've done half of Maul's and half of Eastern's. The plastic sinktubes fit fine in standard MHS sections. So I cut and file out a square. Then the plastic tube acts as my backing.

[eastern57]

Another good thing with these is they open up idea doors that you'd never even consider with larger switches... like putting the activator so close to the emitter - right under the heat sink.

I like the switch to be as high up (close to the emitter) as I can get it
I'm sure I'll get more ideas the more I use them.

[BlackDOG]

Wow, that is a huge help.

Bantha- I followed ya! Thanks.

Eastern- Thanks for the pics.

x- that is a great idea, since I was headed to a chassis-type install anyhow!


Thanks a ton.

BD

[eastern57]

please post some pictures when you finish, we like pictures.