Friday, July 17, 2015

Mounting toggle switches in 9mm plywood

switchmounting

The problem: Fitting a toggle switch in a 9mm plywood baseboard. You can't just drill a hole as the threaded area on the switch is also 9mm tall so the retaining nut won't grip.

Solution: Drill half way through the wood with a 12mm spade bit. The go all the way through with a 6.5mm normal bit - the spade will leave a guide hole in the centre.

Clean up with sandpaper, knife and the spade bit twiddled in the fingers.

Result: Nicely recessed toggle switch held in place perfectly.

Sounds simple but thinking this up took me a couple of days!

5 comments:

Dodgy Geezer said...

I hope that's not the working side!

When I do that, I use a 3/4" spade on the REAR of the wood, so the body of the switch can sit inside that depression . Then the top of the switch comes through the wood as if the wood were exactly the right width...

Phil Parker said...

Sadly there's only 7cm under the surface so no space for a drill. Otherwise I'd have done it your way!

Planning is a wonderful thing. I must try it one day..

shottsj said...
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shottsj said...

Great Solution! I'm putting in isolated section switches on the side of my layout's baseboard and just realised the 9mm plywood is too fat for the switches. Was going to 'hang' aluminium profile panels below but that would be awkward to get to and restrict access beneath the layout! This is much simpler. The LED toggle switches are fatter than yours (12mm recommended cut-out diameter), but with bigger drill bits - 18mm for the spade I think - I'll be able to adapt the method! Thanks!!

shottsj said...
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