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Any advice for building a 2 button footswitch?

Started by LJN, April 26, 2011, 01:56:50 AM

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J M Fahey

Cheap plastic push on-push off switched work very well and are sturdier than many think, but stop working after a few months, even if well treated.
Being a *very* curious type of guy, I investigated until I found ou the real culprit: dirt from your shoes gets trapped between the button itself and its sleeve, blocking it in the "down" position.
Your weight is enough to push them, but the skimpy spring which they have inside, is not strong enough to rise it again.
I found 2 solutions, to avoid replacing them *that* often
1) I superglued a slightly larger plastic "coin" to the top, it worked like a hat´s brim .
2) I talked the switch maker about it, telling him that Desert Storm soldiers used to put condoms on their M16´s muzzles, to avoid sand getting in, and jokingly telling him to do something similar.
He said "you gave me an idea"
Next month he called me, and showed me little "condoms" he had specially made (he made the dies, got the injectable silicone rubber, everything)
I´ll post some pictures .
Result? they work for *years* without problems.
A crazy idea which worked.