I hate breaking things

[garnerb350]

  Yesterday, I got my joystick from Mikesarcade...Perfect match for my MrDo cab restore...When i installed  the joystick on the control panel...I noticed that one of the leaf switches wouldnt fit, because the connecting prongs needed to be bent so that everything would fit in place...( too close to edge of metal control panel... low and behold I bent one and the connector broke off ...flush with the back of the switch...

I know im not the only one this has happened to ( if not...I know i get the king idiot award)

Anybody know what could be a quick fix?...

I could probley take one of the old leaf switches and replace...but looking at the black base...it looks like it is melted to be one base to hold everything...is there a way to hack it...

This a really a venting thread and at the the same time a small cry for help...

[Ginsu Victim]

Is there enough metal left to solder to? (Or does flush mean FLUSH?)

[garnerb350]

FLUSH.....i was hoping that i could be able to solder....I could try but I dont think i'll get a good joint...

[whammoed]

You can solder directly to the leaf on the other side.  Sure its a little sloppy looking but it will work.

[Ginsu Victim]

You can solder directly to the leaf on the other side.  Sure its a little sloppy looking but it will work.

This was going to be my next suggestion, actually.

[garnerb350]

So you mean...by doing this?

[garnerb350]

So how the best way to bend the other prong..with out breaking it...? I still need to bend that one...
Heat?

[whammoed]

So you mean...by doing this?

yep

[Ginsu Victim]

Don't let it bend at the holder. Bend the metal itself. Maybe use needle nose pliers and twist carefully.

[leapinlew]

Don't let it bend at the holder. Bend the metal itself. Maybe use needle nose pliers and twist carefully.

 

[bkenobi]

Aren't the switches held together by screws?  If so, you could loosen the screws while you bend the switch.  You created a HUGE stress concentration at the point where it broke (which is why it broke).  If you can relieve some of the stress, you should be good.  As suggested above, pliers might help but you still need to be careful.  If you loosen the switch up, it won't have that sharp corner it's being forced to bend over.

Oh, and since it's broken already, you could try dremeling away some material on the back side to allow for soldering to.  You would want to disassemble the switch first if you do that cause you will likely melt the plastic part of the switch otherwise.

Good luck!

[garnerb350]

Thanks guys....

obi wan...the switches that came with the mikesarcade joystick...they look generic...If you were to look at it... you can tell they are separate pieces but they are bonded together...like if somebody took a solder iron and melted the top, bottom,and sides at the edges...Made in Taiwan quality...They look specicily made to just insert, hookup and go...

[mvsfan]

Leaf switches are made out of a material called spring steel. It has a great property in that it is very very flexible on a gentle bend like such as when you press your arcade button. The metal is designed to spring back to its original positions time and time again for years provided its not misused.

ANY sharp bends will immediately break it, as you found out. what i would do is solder to the other side of the broken switch, as well as being EXTREMELY careful when you try to pull a spade connector off of any of the other switches since they are already also weakened. the best thing in this case would have been to cut off the end of the leaf switch that was too close to the panel just before where yours broke off, so youd still have had a edge to solder a wire to on those switches. Then put a M/F quick disconnect somewhere out of the way.

[bkenobi]

I figured that they might not be able to come apart (that would be way too easy).  There is another way you might be able to get what you need, though.  If the problem is that you are limited on space, you might be able to CAREFULLY cut the tabs shorter on the leaf switch so they don't stick quite so far out.  This might not help depending on the QD you use.  Also, it's easier to bend a QD (or at least replace one) than it is a switch, so you might try both shortening and/or bending the QD.

Pictures make things easier when offering suggestions.   

[DillonFoulds]

If you're still thinking about soldering to the switch to recover it...

Bust out a dremel or other grinding tool and grind out the area around the contacts so you can get a better solder contact. I've done this to numerous nintendo wiis while modding them. Nintendo would cut legs off the IC short enough so you can't solder directly to the IC. So grind away some of the package, and solder away...

Just a thought!

[garnerb350]

I tried it last night...it not going to be easy...I dont have much space ...the old leafswitches must've use different type of metal...the prongs are bent 90 (looks like a letter T)...I'm wondering weither to just switch to a microswitch joystick...