Anyone tried pcb mounting buttons and knobs?

Parts Questions
1

I’m thinking I might try to do my pushbuttons and maybe some pots this way for my MB64.  I see that the mini buttons are really cheap, and it seems a pretty tidy way to do things.  

I’ve ever tried this before so don’t really know what the consideratons are.  There must be a trick to getting the board mounted to the front panel at the correct height, the layout of the panel must be in a certain module based on the pcb, and as far as the physical piece that you actually push to activate the mini button below, I have no idea where to get this.  

I guess I’m just asking a general ‘how to’ question to see if this is really a practical way to do things in homemade project.

I can’t seem to find anything on the web so if anyone’s done it this way, I would like to hear how you did it and if you would recommend it.

thanks,

Jimminy

2

Look here to see how Thorsten did his sid.http://www.midibox.org/midibox_sid_photos/

If you can find those buttons with the long shafts. otherwise make some sort of button or buy ones with tops.

3

there’s a lot of beautiful caps for tact switch at http://www.albs.de

And if someone can get an answer from this guys I would be interested!!! :-[

Well on ebay I bought 120 “big” (12x12mm) tact switch, with a long shafts, like the one steven_c used on his box as far as I remember, try a search with “tact switch” on ebay.com and you will find them! (cheap : $3 for 40!)

4

So with the snap-in tactile switches like mouser 101-0621 or 611-KSC621G you just snap them into a pc board solder and you’re done?  This seems easy and cheap, what’s the catch?!  Laying out a panle seems like it would be pretty easy, but you wouod have to maintain very high tolerances, though I think I’ll have mine CNC’ed if I do it this way.  You can get a really professional looking project this way I think.

Do places like mouser send samples if you ask nice?

5

Mouser no, they are a distributer(i guess this is what you call them) you would want to check with the actual manufacturer of the components you want samples for.

check the website first.there is a thread about this somewhere, look for it.it has a list of places that do samples. there are surely more.

6

have a look at the MB gallery, at the close up pics of the PCB mount buttons, and the mounting method. (thickness of 2x M3 nuts, as spacers)