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Author Topic: Translucent Microswitch Buttons **www.fxbuttons.com**  (Read 93455 times)

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Buddabing

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I had a thought today.

I took a button apart and there are four pieces. Two of them are the spring and the lock nut. For lack of better, more accurate words, I'll call the other two pieces the "housing" and the "plunger". The plunger is the piece of the button that moves when you press it, and the microswitch and nut attach to the housing.

My thought was this. Wouldn't it be easier to get an injection mold company to make duplicates of just the plungers? After all, most of the housing is below the surface of the panel. That way, there would be just one simple piece to reproduce.

The downside is that the ring of plastic surrounding the plunger would still be visible. It would be okay if it was black or roughly the same color as the plunger, but we wouldn't want a mishmash of colors.

This also lends itself well to people wanting to retrofit their panels with lit buttons without the cost of all new buttons.

There is an injection molding company,Globecorp, just a few miles from my house. I wonder if they would do just the plungers and what they would charge for a small run of a few thousand.
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shawnzilla

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I went to the source of the buttons and they are producing them for me. Right now, I'm waiting on a sample set from them (they're working hard to match the color samples that I sent).

As always, I'll keep everyone posted on the progress. I hope to have pics for everyone very soon!

I had a thought today.

I took a button apart and there are four pieces. Two of them are the spring and the lock nut. For lack of better, more accurate words, I'll call the other two pieces the "housing" and the "plunger". The plunger is the piece of the button that moves when you press it, and the microswitch and nut attach to the housing.

My thought was this. Wouldn't it be easier to get an injection mold company to make duplicates of just the plungers? After all, most of the housing is below the surface of the panel. That way, there would be just one simple piece to reproduce.

The downside is that the ring of plastic surrounding the plunger would still be visible. It would be okay if it was black or roughly the same color as the plunger, but we wouldn't want a mishmash of colors.

This also lends itself well to people wanting to retrofit their panels with lit buttons without the cost of all new buttons.

There is an injection molding company,Globecorp, just a few miles from my house. I wonder if they would do just the plungers and what they would charge for a small run of a few thousand.


SOAPboy

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black smoke..

White frost..

True Blue..


mr.Curmudgeon

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black smoke..

White frost..

True Blue..




lol. A little late don't you think?


mrC

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Definitely. Blue, black, white.
I didn't touch it....honest!

shawnzilla

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Darnit! I already ordered Chartreuse, lavender and desert sand mica.  ;)

They are experimenting with some different colors for me (I gotta save some surprises for y'all).

More soon....

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I havne't read back through all the pages, but has anybody thought of just using the Nintendo pushbutton holders?
« Last Edit: March 04, 2005, 03:46:39 pm by Witchboard »

oldsage

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Haven't been here for a while (moving 7 timezones is tough), i like the way this thread is going... Shawn, any rough estimation as to when these will be available? Hope the clear ones come out good... *drool*...
I had a cool sig once... But it had to go because of *someone*... You know who you are!

shawnzilla

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They've had my color samples for a while now and the last I heard (couple of days ago), they are messing around with color mixing/materials. I'm hoping that they'll have some samples ready to show me within a couple of weeks.

Haven't been here for a while (moving 7 timezones is tough), i like the way this thread is going... Shawn, any rough estimation as to when these will be available? Hope the clear ones come out good... *drool*...

oldsage

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They've had my color samples for a while now and the last I heard (couple of days ago), they are messing around with color mixing/materials. I'm hoping that they'll have some samples ready to show me within a couple of weeks.

Haven't been here for a while (moving 7 timezones is tough), i like the way this thread is going... Shawn, any rough estimation as to when these will be available? Hope the clear ones come out good... *drool*...

Note even a really rough estimation? 200% +-??? Anything??? I've been thinking of starting my cab in the next couple of weeks, so this would mean a lot to me...

Man, i want a clear one...   :)
I had a cool sig once... But it had to go because of *someone*... You know who you are!

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lol. A little late don't you think?


mrC

yeah.. lol.


shawnzilla

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Sorry, I'm a little bit at the mercy of the manufacturer.

They've had my color samples for a while now and the last I heard (couple of days ago), they are messing around with color mixing/materials. I'm hoping that they'll have some samples ready to show me within a couple of weeks.

Haven't been here for a while (moving 7 timezones is tough), i like the way this thread is going... Shawn, any rough estimation as to when these will be available? Hope the clear ones come out good... *drool*...

Note even a really rough estimation? 200% +-??? Anything??? I've been thinking of starting my cab in the next couple of weeks, so this would mean a lot to me...

Man, i want a clear one...   :)

Trimoor

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Wait a minute......you're not just stringing us along are you?  The buttons really are coming, right? ;D
I thought you said it would be a couple weeks a couple weeks ago.

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You can put me down for the following,

20 dark blue
10 red
10 orange
 4 green
10 smoke

Let me know when they ready and if the colors are true to the old leaf switch style buttons (that is what I use currently), Thanks. Alex B.
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pointdablame

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Not that I'm doubting you shawnzilla, but I just really hope this all comes to fruition... I would love some trans blue buttons... or smoke... or damn.. almost anything I can get haha.

As long as prices aren't off the wall, put me down for an order ;)
first off your and idiot

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Put me down for a bunch, too
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put me down for some. Oh wait I already did that 6 months ago.  ;)

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shawn, how much of a discount did you say MODS get? I cant recall  ;D ;D

shawnzilla

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shawn, how much of a discount did you say MODS get? I cant recall  ;D ;D

 ;D


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I might like in on the buttons... I will wait until I see the prototypes first, if that's cool. 8)

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I'd be in for a few of each if I can see prototypes first : )
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I'm really hoping these turn out to be cheap enough for my new CP.

I know I said blue earlier, but some completely translucent buttons would be awesome since you could change their color on the fly. Just change the color of the LED in them, you could even put them on a switch. I may consider this.
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Then youll need either several LEDs per button or you'll need an RGB one, but either way, youll need some way of controlling them, probably a circuit, so if you're willing to spend that much money......

On the other hand, Id rather buy some blue ones and light them up instead.  ll probably be down for 6-8 red, 6-8 blue, maybe some clear ones, etc.

Too lazy to search:  are there going to be 1/2p ones?  Perhaps coin ones?

shawnzilla

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Regarding clear vs. colors. I'll just have to see how the prototypes look first. Still waiting for them to be done. I thought it'd be this week, but they haven't given me a solid answer (I think they're experimenting with different materials).

I wasn't planning on 1/2 player buttons, but if my first run of buttons sells well enough for me to get my costs back and there is enough demand for 1/2 player buttons then I will order a run.

Then youll need either several LEDs per button or you'll need an RGB one, but either way, youll need some way of controlling them, probably a circuit, so if you're willing to spend that much money......

On the other hand, Id rather buy some blue ones and light them up instead.  ll probably be down for 6-8 red, 6-8 blue, maybe some clear ones, etc.

Too lazy to search:  are there going to be 1/2p ones?  Perhaps coin ones?

cholin

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Do you have any extra info you can give us?  Are the prices solid yet or do you even have a new estimate?  Last time I checked this thread you were getting them from a different manufacturer and selling for around $3?

shawnzilla

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I have tried to pin the manufacturer down on price several times over the last few weeks, but I think they are hesitant to give me numbers until they decide on a material. This is a completely different manufacturer from the original one (when I quoted $3.00).

I hope to know the answers to everyone's questions very soon (I'm dying to see a prototype)!


Do you have any extra info you can give us?  Are the prices solid yet or do you even have a new estimate?  Last time I checked this thread you were getting them from a different manufacturer and selling for around $3?

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I think I would definately be down for 12-20 depending on the colors you get... 

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Then youll need either several LEDs per button or you'll need an RGB one, but either way, youll need some way of controlling them, probably a circuit, so if you're willing to spend that much money......

You can get superbright LEDs on ebay for extremely cheap. And as far as controlling them, all you need is a multiple throw switch. You could do it fairly cheaply, that is, if you don
« Last Edit: March 13, 2005, 05:56:57 pm by tahnok100 »
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shawnzilla

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Unless the company changes them on me, the buttons should be identical in size to the Happs ones. It's the same company that manufactures the Happs ones, so I'm guessing it'll be the same mold.

Then youll need either several LEDs per button or you'll need an RGB one, but either way, youll need some way of controlling them, probably a circuit, so if you're willing to spend that much money......

You can get superbright LEDs on ebay for extremely cheap. And as far as controlling them, all you need is a multiple throw switch. You could do it fairly cheaply, that is, if you don

cholin

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Which should take off a few bucks for you considerring they only have to inject, they dont have to manufacture and design a mold, or several of them in that case.

shawnzilla

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Hopefully so. I do think it'll be easier on my upfront costs compared to the previous manufacturer, because I don't think they'll make me order quite as many units. The first manufacturer wanted me to buy 10,000 units of one color!!!


Which should take off a few bucks for you considerring they only have to inject, they dont have to manufacture and design a mold, or several of them in that case.

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The first manufacturer wanted me to buy 10,000 units of one color!!!





What the problem with that? Didn't you want arcade push buttons to replace all of the switches in you home? and didn't you want to sleep on a bed made entirely of MDF and arcade buttons?

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The first manufacturer wanted me to buy 10,000 units of one color!!!





What the problem with that? Didn't you want arcade push buttons to replace all of the switches in you home? and didn't you want to sleep on a bed made entirely of MDF and arcade buttons?


Can you imagine the noise everytime you rolled over in your sleep..... *SNORE* *clickityclickityclickity*  what the hell.....
first off your and idiot

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Haha well he doesnt have to put the microswitches in them, he could sell 10,000 switches on eBay no problem  :o

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Can you imagine the noise everytime you rolled over in your sleep..... *SNORE* *clickityclickityclickity*
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:-) I could use them as a home protection system.


<click, click, click, click>
Wife: Honey, what's that noise?
Me: What noise? Go back to sleep?
<click, click, click, click>

shawnzilla

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I'm really very sorry guys, here is the email that I received from IL. As I said to everyone, they were running test samples for me.

"Dear Mr. Muller,

Our R&D dept. has made many different test and mixed different materials and colours to get the most similar PUSH BUTTONS with traslucent bezel as per your samples.

Unfortunatelly, although the buttons look fine when they are not illuminated, when fitting a led inside/besides the bezel, the light does not pass through properly enough and the button does not get illuminated correctly.
The surface of the shank is not as much polished as the samples you have sent us. I tried it to light the bezels up, but the light doesn't go through I'm afraid. 

We regret to inform you that we will not be able to help you with this matter.
Please let us know if we can help you with some other products of our product range.


I have sent him a response, requesting to actually see the samples so that I can make that determination myself. We'll see, but I think this might be a dead end road.

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Bummer . :'(