Stuck Buttons

[battletoads]

So I've got an old custom control panel with some Happs microswitch pushbuttons that I want to strip. 

The plastic nuts are on the buttons SOO tight that if I turn the nuts with pliers and hold the button shaft with my other hand, I'm afraid im gonna break the plastic.

What's everybody's technique of removing old, stubborn plastic nuts off of buttons?  I'm welcome to any tricks, ideas, or tools.

[rlemmon]

Maybe a button nut wrench would work.

eBay Link






edit by moderator: shorten those links!

[battletoads]

So this tool holds the shaft of the button in place while it turns the nut?

[c64rulez]

Indeed. I ordered one but it seems of no practical use.
Try and lubricate that area with some soap, just a bit to loosen things.

[eccs19]

What's everybody's technique of removing old, stubborn plastic nuts off of buttons?

[cw]

if the big hammer doesnt work try a bigger hammer.....


worst case you could cut it with a dremel.....

[RetroACTIVE]

Try heating them up with a hair dryer... not sure if it will work but worth a try (if you are interested in saving them)... otherwise as stated, hammer, dremel or whatever to cut them off.

[battletoads]

Haha damn well maybe ill try the hair dryer, and I just ordered one of those tools off of ebay, thanks rlemmon.  Yeah I want to save them for sure, so Ill hold off before I go smashing them with any big hammers.

[SirPoonga]

Maybe some penetrating oil?
Also, as mentioned, http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/53800300.htm
This can help get the right leverage on it, specially in tighter spaces.

[maxlamer]

try turning the button (from underneath) not the nut holding the button in

[erictrumpet]

I was just going to suggest that, what maxlamer said -- turn the button itself, from underneath, not the nut. Since you want to loosen it you will actually want to grab the button (with microswitch still there -- if it's a horizontal switch -- for leverage) CLOCKWISE. From underneath that is. This is because if the nut is "grabbing" the underside of the CP, when you turn the button body the other way it should "pop" and then the nut can be removed normally, still possibly needing the tool though.

I do the opposite as a way to tighten the nuts when installing buttons: orient the button so the microswitch (I use horizontals) is about 30-40 degrees clockwise of where you want it pointing, then grab it by the switch for leverage and crank it that extra 1/8 turn or so (turning to the LEFT, but it's not lefty-loosey since the nut is grabbing the wood, instead it will tighten it down that last little bit). This is how I cinched down buttons before I ever knew that friggin tool existed.

Eric.

[battletoads]

Wow so I tried just turning the buttons themselves clockwise and not touching the plastic nuts, and it popped the buttons loose right away.  Thanks

[erictrumpet]

Cool! Glad it worked! And I have less than 100 posts here. Don't trust those weirdos with thousands of posts, they don't know what they are talking about.

Eric.

[battletoads]

Well said.