I’ve got a few hundred of those switches, and they’re quite nice. Pretty much ideal for this kind of button DIY.
Indeed.
They seem like if you “fuzz’d” up the top a little with some sandpaper, you could probably epoxy or silicone just about anything to them. After I posted that, I tried to tilt one of mine sideways to see if it made any difference and it clicks just the same from any angle, so I guess even with a larger rubber cap or whatever, it wouldn’t affect the functioning.
@Moxi,
A couple things:
For stuff like the smaller cube-shaped button, have you got any plans on how you would go about suspending it in your panel holes, or are you going to make them all “free floating” in the holes and just affix them each to the buttons underneath?
Also, any ideas on the coloring of the resin you mentioned earlier? I’ll have to look at the ingredients later, but I’m guessing there’s stuff that won’t mix with it (or will keep it from curing).
Thanks!
George
PS- I really like that dull gray color :). I need to track down that RTV stuff. I used a mold making latex, which starts off white, then turns a yellowish clear when it dries. I also found out I wasn’t using it right. You’re supposed to apply it in really thin coats and dry it in-between with a hair dryer. I tried to make a few of those buttons on a rubber membrane and they came out sort of messy with air bubbles, and they didn’t dry well. If I get any good results with that, I’ll post. FWIW, the procedure was a cinch. I took a scrap of particle board, and drilled a few 1/4" deep, flat bottomed holes in a row, with a Forstner bit (a fancy spade bit), I then hotmelt glued strips of hardboard (masonite) around it to make a small reservoir, and filled it up with that latex (I think I greased it up with something first). The result was a row of 1/4" tall circular rubber buttons, stuck to a thin sheet of rubber (the thickness of the masonite). Might work with a few tweaks. It’s close to what you described with the plexi panel, but a bit more home brewed and sloppy.
Now, how the hell do we get labels on that stuff??;D
Oh, also- Coating fiberglass (or just resin) with that rubber worked really well too. If you coated the tops, or suspended resin buttons in the latex somehow, you should have a clean “glue friendly” surface to stick to a tact switch or something. I dunked a piezo in fiberglass a while back and rubberized it successfully. With enough layers, you’d be back to a rubber feel.
Pretty horrible looking picture. It actually feels more like a piece of chocolate candy, and would look more appetizing if the latex had some coloring added (that’s the plain clear, and the FG is that green “Bondo” body filler). That dark bottom half is actually mouse pad material that I stuck to it while the rubber was wet.
Especially the MPC style buttons.. very cooool 8)
