[TheForge] switchplate

Fri Jan 9 10:27:00 2004

George,

Very elegant.

I assume the "precision" was largely due to the need for countersunk
holes at exactly the right places?  If so, maybe a different approach
would be worth considering.

I'm thinking of those towel racks (etc.) that mount by first screwing
mounting plates to the wall, and then affixing the each towel-rack end
onto a mounting plate with  set screw.  Maybe this approach could be
used to good effect for a light switch.

One could take a standard metal switchplate and modify it somehow for
mounting an ornamental plate on top of it.  There are many possible ways
to do this, but the important thing is that there be a degree of
flexibility in the mounting, so as to minimize the precision needed in
the construction of the ornamental plate.

For example, suppose you take the standard switchplate and punch two
half-inch holes above and below the switch hole.  Then mount a split
washer and fender washer on each of two machine screws, and put one of
these screws through each of the two half-inch holes.  (Use a piece of
tape or somethign to keep them in place temporariliy.)  This gives you
two "studs" that can move about 1/4" in any direction.  Drill two
corresponding holes in your ornamental plate, slap the plate on over the
"studs," and fasten in place with acorn nuts or other ornamental
hardware.

Like I said, that's only one possible way of doing it.  I could think
of many more, but so can anyone else.

Bruce
NJ

>>> [email protected] 1/9/2004 9:45:43 AM >>>

Greetings,
Here is a prototype that I did yesterday .........
http://www.artist-blacksmith.org/switchplate.jpg
It is made from 16g sheet metal with a coal-forged texture, linseed oil

finish followed with paste wax.
It is amazing how much precision is required to mate 25 cents worth of

sheet metal to a 79 cent switch......
George Dixon
abana member

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