Shortening AV switch leads

[TuxedoCartman]

(This might be a really dumb question to some people, but I'm not in an easy position at the moment to ruin one or two switches testing. Shipping to Japan costs $ALL, and I can't find these locally.)

Is it alright to file down the leads on the long illuminated AV switches, or even snip off leads I won't be using altogether? Anything I need to be aware of, besides going really slowly and not breaking them off at the base? I've got one long momentary switch in a type 14 box that is actually touching the other side of the saber while only being 97% screwed in. I figure if I can file it down to about half of what it is currently, then it'll work just fine. Thoughts from people more experienced?

[Batosai]

as far as my experience goes, snipping off the leads won't harm the switch. just be careful that you don't pull it out somehow. but just snipping it off with a sidecutter should work quite well. I have also done it with the rice port and the power jack of my last saber.

[TuxedoCartman]

Thanks for the response. Glad to hear someone else has actually done it.

(Side note: freakin' AWESOME profile name! Though how in the world you'd make a reversed-edged lightsaber is beyond me.)

[Batosai]

nice, someone that knows where batosai comes from
but don't forget, battosai was the assasin, only kenshin had the reversed-edged blade

[IndustrialAction]

You can definitely shorten the leads, just go slow and don't remove too much. Are you working with the "short" version or the "long" version?

[TuxedoCartman]

The long version. I've got two switches: one latching green ring, and one momentary green dot. The green ring fits, well... okay. Tight, but okay. The green dot, however, is butting up against the hilt without even being screwed in all the way. I figured the thickness on the type 14 box would be roughly the same as a bezel; I guess I figured wrong.

I figured that it would be okay, but I'm paranoid. First saber build for me, and frankly my first time working with electronics in a long, long time. Didn't want to assume it would work out fine, only to have my saber fizzle when I hit the activation button, and have people on here go, "Oh my god... you filed down the leads on a switch? What kind of moron are you?!" LOL... Not that I think they would, but again... paranoid.