Microswitches

[hostage]

I've installed numerous microswitches in some 3rd party eframes and they were quoted as having a 5g pull, WAS annouced that they had a 25g switch as apossed to the stock 80g. I've been using Radioshack's microswitches for a while, and noticed a difference between some of them that were sapose to be the same (had a difference in the ammount of force). http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F010%5F007%5F005%5F000&product%5Fid=275%2D016

That says it is 5g, but i think it feels heavier than my timmy stock microswitch, which is 80g. There is another switch that they sell, and it has the same ammount of force. I am wonder if they are giving the switch the mechy advantage by having the lever, which I had to remove in order to fit in.

However according to http://www.jameco.com, they have microswitch's w/ levers that require 50g and heavier...hrmm..
-Doron

[Natural Newbie]

You may have already said your answer, about the mechanical advantage. Im not positive on where they measure it, nothing a little research can't fix!

However, check out this site. On the search type micro, then select micro switches, they have a whole selection with all the specs:)
http://www.mcmaster.com/

[FallNAngel]

I was thinking of trying to make my own electronic grip for a cocker (just for the hell of it). I went out and bought a cheap $1-$2 mouse and ripped it apart. 2 buttons and a wheel button = 3 switches. If you open them up, you can shorten the click. Right now I'm down to about 1/2 of a mouseclick. No idea how much force it is, but it might be something to look into.

[flanders]

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F010%5F007%5F005%5F000&product%5Fid=275%2D017 that one?

i may pick it up sooner or later and swap my timmy one for it...who knows

[FallNAngel]

Nah, it has a smaller pull than that, though I do like the roller on that. I'll take a pic or two when I get home and post em for ya.

[Natural Newbie]

The roller is sweet. I would probably have trouble packing that into my Tippmann though. :p. The mouse micro switch is a good idea. You pull could get down to sub .5mm I bet.

[hostage]

I am thinking of more of a contact switch idea, with an adjustable spring, and two set screws.
-Doron

[FallNAngel]

Well, I finally got the pictures.. sorry they're bad quality, but I wanted to get a closeup so you guys could see how small the switch is. It's a regular microswitch you can find out of pretty much any mouse (I got this out of a cheap $1-2 mouse). I opened the switch up and modified it so the actual amount the switch needs to move is down to about 1/2 a mouse click.

http://fallnangel.free.fr/MicroSwitch1.jpg
http://fallnangel.free.fr/MicroSwitch2.jpg

I can tell you from holding the two and looking, the red switch is about 1/2 - 3/4 the height of a penny, and the actual "throw" of the switch is about 1/2 that. Quite short. Even stock that's not bad.

[Natural Newbie]

Nice. How exactly did you modify it. (I have never taken apart a micro switch)

[FallNAngel]

Until I went to modify it, I hadn't either. Here's how I did it:

Tools:
1 Exacto knife or otherwise sharp knife / razor
1 Dremel tool with sanding attachment (adjustable dremels are best)
1 Model glue or other fast curing glue
1 Tweezers
1 Plast bread clip (not the twist tie, the little 'U' shaped piece of plastic)

- Looking at the first picture, what's black is part of the top half. Remove the top at the two tabs on either side.

- This is where the trial and error starts. When you take it off, the red switch should come out as well. It's really just a red piece of plastic that presses down on a metal bar. This is what you'll be working with most.

- Cut off a small piece of the plastic bread clip the same dimension as the bottom of the red switch (you're gonna glue it to the bottom of the switch)

- Using the tweezers, glue the little piece of plastic you just cut to the bottom of the red switch.

- This is where there's a lot of trial and error. You need to use the Dremel tool to start shaving off the plastic piece you just glued on. If you don't sand it down, it either A) Won't fit at all B) Will fit, but just act like you're holding the button down.

- Once the trigger is shaved enough to allow clicking, that's it.. you're done.

Not too hard really. Don't worry if this sounds odd or a bit confusing. Once you open the microswitch up, you should see what I'm talking about. All I'm doing is extending the red switch down so less is needed to throw it. Since the thickness of the bread clip is too much, you trial-and-error sand it down till it works.

[Catch22]

I had a couple of printers that were broken so I smashed them with a sledge and whadda ya know!!! A MICROSWITCH!! I immediately thought, !PAINTBALL! The thing with the force is the "ClicK." You know when you click your mouse and it actually makes that "ClicK" sound? The switch is only activated when it makes that click sound.

Well on FallNAngel's there is only the thing that makes the click. On the rollers or the radioshack one there is a small, flat piece of aluminum or metal or something and it lay's across the top of that switch and it attatched to the end near the clicker. The piece of metal is higher at the un-attatched end and when you push the high end down, (Making the piece of metal level with the switch housing) it has to push the clicker down to become level.

What the piece of metal does it give you leverage.

Lets say for example, that the distance to push in the clicker is .5mm and force is 25g. For the little piece of metal laying across the top, you are only going to use the same 25g force but it is going to be spread across 1 or 2mm. So when you need a full 25g to push in the clicker all at one time, you only need about 5g throughout the entire push of the metal piece down.


I hope you guys can picture this and see what I'm talking about.

I also have intellifeed switch inside my A/C stock slider frame. Works great. If you want complicated ask me about intellifeed on the back block. (Please don't)

[FallNAngel]

Although it is true that you're going to get better leverage with that kind of microswitch, I really don't think it's going to make that much of a difference. It's not like you need a lot of leverage to push a microswitch 1/2 a mouseclicks distance.

[Natural Newbie]

I understand what both of you guys are saying :). I see FallNAngel you basically just shimmed up the button to take out the slop. About the leverage thing, some guns use microswitches with levers (ie. my Tippy) and some just have the trigger hit the button without the lever (ie. black dragun) (im not too familiar with the internals of high end guns :p ). And since the the lever only gives a gram or two (or 20) difference of the force needed, it's still a VERY small amount. you also have to consider the mechanical advantage the trigger has also. Since micro switches arent mounted in the same position on every gun. So a gun with a microswitch without the metel lever, could end up having a lighter pull then a gun with a metel lever on the microswitch. Get it, or am I too confusing ;)

[FallNAngel]

Yea, I see what you're talking about and you're right, all I did was shorten up the trigger. I originally got the idea off a site that used the same method on shortening up a mouse. Go figure =P If I could figure out what solenoid I would need to get it to work, I would work on making a custom electro autococker using this switch. Oh well, busy enough as it is :D