Flat button?

[Oznog]

Awhile back I saw a flat momentary button used to trigger a laser sight on an Airsoft gun.

I have a need for one of these. A small, simple flat switch on an irregular surface.

IIRC that laser looked like they had part of a pcb keypad there, cut up, and heatshrunk. Now they used to use concave spring metal disks that pressure clicked down onto the PCB (Atari joysticks) but mostly they use conductive rubber buttons over PCB traces now. The disk type probably would be needed for this job.

Where could I get some switches like this?

 

[jbeng]

I googled +"tactile switch" +dome and got this website at the top of the list. I think it's what you're looking for. https://www.snaptron.com/

Jeff

 

[ormo]

I've seen switches similar to this on Maplin (you'll have to Google it, I haven't made enough posts to give the URL)

 

[Externet]

Perhaps one of these ??? :

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[Boncuk]

Try one of those, brand "Schurter" Germany.

The lowest profile is 2mm

Boncuk

 

[Oznog]

OK yeah these Snaptron "domes" are what I was thinking of:

**broken link removed**

But I'd need an off-the-shelf low volume source... maybe even some cheap dollar store item I could rip apart. Wouldn't be the first time!

The DX parts: no, for several reasons. One most of those are latching switches, I'm going with momentary. Two, they're not very flat, even the NDS lite switch. I have a 1.75" cylinder that needs a momentary button on the curved side not the flat ends, and without enough room inside to mount a switch inside the body. Also how the switch is even going to be retained would be a problem. The outside is going to be leather-wrapped and I'd rather not have a button sticking out at all.

So my idea is one of these domes here glued to the outside, a couple of thin wires routing back inside, and leather over that so you just feel for the switch.

 

[Oznog]

Try one of those, brand "Schurter" Germany.

The lowest profile is 2mm

Boncuk

Hmm, actually I HAVE some of those 2mm "LSG" devices on hand! I thought they looked familiar.

Well, I will probably use those for now. But... well, the profile is still a little tall and the part of the button itself that you press is very small. Since I'm actually going to be pressing it through the thin leather, this may present a difficulty actuating it. I'd still like to pursue these flat domes.

Having some of everything on hand, I actually have some Atari joysticks. I took one apart and see they ran the domes over... untinned copper. Wow, no wonder those things stopped working easily. Oddly enough most of that copper is still fairly bright and I see no corrosion. I'd cut up the board if it were thinner, but it's pretty heavy stuff.

Oh even better I found I have some of these they're thinner have have leads to solder wire to. Only thing is they too have a small button area (but larger than the LSG) and are difficult to press directly because the button itself is a little recessed. I'm seeing if I can dab some hotmelt on top of it to fix that.