Colored AV switches

[Lord Canterbury]

Would this switch be one that could just be pressed/glued into place in the existing hole? The wiring side of it isn't much of a concern for me - it's the idea of drilling any of my hilts as I have no experience of doing that with metal, and suspect I'll ruin the hilt I try it on...

I have a similar switch coming in today - will do the install this weekend and let you know how it goes.

I got a v4 Initiate with an Adegan Silver blade as a freebie in the Summer Sale.  Want to put in a stainless latching switch to complete the "all silver" look.

I think any 12 mm switch should fit fine.  My only concern right now is I may need a 12mm bezel to account for how it seats on the rounded portion of the hilt.

Harder to come by and will probably cost more than the switch!   

[JediXIX]

Would this switch be one that could just be pressed/glued into place in the existing hole? The wiring side of it isn't much of a concern for me - it's the idea of drilling any of my hilts as I have no experience of doing that with metal, and suspect I'll ruin the hilt I try it on...

Unfortunately no 

I'm sure this road has been travelled by many before us..... searching for a quick replacement for the standard latching or momentary guarded switches.... but none exist yet, lol....

A standard guarded switch is 11.21mm


A 12mm av is 11.73mm


The standard machined hole in all Ultrasabers is 11.08mm to press fit a standard latching or momentary switch


And a recessed diameter of 16.83mm




And this is what a 12mm av switch looks like in a standard machined recessed area with the hole drilled out with a 12mm drill bit.... A 12mm bezel won't work because they are designed to use on the curved part of a hilt, not the flat recessed area


To fit a 16mm av the switch hole has to be drilled out with a 16mm drill bit to look like this.... The diameter of the top of a 16mm av is about 18mm, and the 16mm bezel is just a tiny bit wider and covers the edges of a drilled out switch hole.... btw, the bezel's that US supply with their switches are nicer IMO as they are lower than others available and this sets the switch closer to the hilt and looks way better, again IMO, and, US throw the bezel in with the switch price, best available IMO.....

[JediXIX]

Some more pics..... 

These are the 16mm illuminated av's US sell and fit to their obsidian sabers optioned with one..... they have the polished look and the stainless steel look (depending on availability i believe)


Here are some switches with bezels..... the left is an US bezel, the middle is the lowest bezel from elsewhere, and the right is a high bezel on a latching 16mm av switch also from elsewhere..... the high bezel has to be used on these because 16mm latching av's are longer and don't fit into US or MHS hilts..... for me, I don't like the look or feel of the switch being higher out of the hilt, and that is why the US switches and bezels look and feel the best IMO....


Also, now that US fit black av's they also supply black anodised bezels...... can't find them anywhere else i believe.....


An US av & bezel covering the switch hole


And a black switch and bezel on a silver hilt

[JediXIX]

Lastly...... here's a comparison pic of that blue av next to an Azure Menace...... the blue colours are slightly different.....

[Lord Canterbury]

Yeah - I can confirm now what Jedi just said over his 32 iPad screen lengths worth of posts. 

My 12mm latching is here & it don't fit so good. 

That said - here is an option for NEW orders depending on what you want.  Bit of a long story . . .

I have a lighting source that sells AV switches with BOTH Latching & Momentary function.  Been using those switches since long before discovering UltraSabers.  They work great.  Press lightly for Momentary - or you can press it all the way in to latch it.

They are long though so they require an extra tall bezel to fit in US.

Anyway - so I could have illuminated AV switches in my Stunts without having to Drill them out myself, I asked Emory if he would mind sending my Stunt orders with a 16mm AV hole hilt and the wiring for the LED & power pack not hooked up yet so I could just pop in my own switch when it arrived and he said they could do that, no problem!

If I can work it out financially for this Raffle - I'm looking at getting v4 Initiate & Dark Initiate stunt Staffs as my Raffle entry - and have them shipped that way so I can have illuminated AVs on Stunts.  Not final yet - but that's where I'm leaning.

PS - +1 appreciation point to "Mr. Digital Caliper" here . . . I was wondering why my 12 mm switch was not fitting and lo & behold, here you were with all the exact details!

[James Casey]

XIX, you've gone above and beyond. Thank you for saving me time and money +1 for you, and probably a couple more as well once the timer resets.

[Groovidad]

Great info!  Thanks guys!  Now, heres the million dollar question:  WHAT is the best way to adust the opening for the switch so the AV will fit without breaking it?  Use a dremmel with a grind stone on low rpms, taking a little bit off? It should press fit snugly but, the plastic switches are maleable making them an easy press.  The metal ones....not so much. (I know you all know that!)  Any suggestions?

[Lord Canterbury]

Great info!  Thanks guys!  Now, heres the million dollar question:  WHAT is the best way to adust the opening for the switch so the AV will fit without breaking it?  Use a dremmel with a grind stone on low rpms, taking a little bit off? It should press fit snugly but, the plastic switches are maleable making them an easy press.  The metal ones....not so much. (I know you all know that!)  Any suggestions?

I drlled my Dom by hand and I won't do that again - aerospace grade aluminum takes a while to get through.

(I wish I took a time lapse video of it for the 1st timers saying they read some review and it said the Hilt "broke" while dueling.  )

It didn't come out as perfect as i'd liked either.

I'd either ask Emory to do it on a new one or break out the Drill Press next time like I should have in the first place!

[Groovidad]

I drlled my Dom by hand and I won't do that again - aerospace grade aluminum takes a while to get through.

(I wish I took a time lapse video of it for the 1st timers saying they read some review and it said the Hilt "broke" while dueling.  )

It didn't come out as perfect as i'd liked either.

I'd either ask Emory to do it on a new one or break out the Drill Press next time like I should have in the first place!

Certainly an option with Emory.  Drill press, not out of reach for me.....drill bits that are between sizes...THAT may be a challenge(?)

[Lord Canterbury]

Certainly an option with Emory.  Drill press, not out of reach for me.....drill bits that are between sizes...THAT may be a challenge(?)

Standard 5/8" bit worked perfectly for going from the plastic latching switch to the 16mm av switch.  Just should have used my press.

[Keyan]

Wait...on an US are the standard buttons plastic or metal?

[JediXIX]

Haha Lord C, I like your sense of humour......  

Thanks for the points James   sometimes its just easier with a few ( um, pages   ) of photos, lol......  

Groovidad....... Wait a minute, while I whip this out......."Mr. Digital Caliper" to the rescue  

A 16mm av is 15.84mm and a 5/8" bit is 15.875mm, a very slim fit....... I actually find using a 16mm bit perfect as it leaves a little room for gluing or even better wrapping the switch with some electrical tape (as Lord C suggested), about 1 and a 1/4 times, this makes for a straightforward "press fit" of the av into the 16mm drilled hole, and it can be removed without much fuss if you want later...... I've done this several times now, and it is my preferred method, works really well.....

Wait...on an US are the standard buttons plastic or metal?

The standard guarded latching switches on US stunt hilts are plastic and mostly the standard guarded momentary switches on sabers with sound are also plastic..... The illuminated and non-illuminated av switches you can option on sabers with sound are metal, now available in silver or black...... cheers  

[JediXIX]

Just another thing........ and I somehow keep forgetting this........ Ultrasabers DO stock and can sell us an Illuminated 16mm latching av switch, in all their av LED colours, as they fit them to the stunt versions of the Graflex, Chosen One & Malice that can be fitted with an activation box, as standard..... The activation box raises the switch height so the latching switch length is not a problem, on those hilts.....

Now, I have heard, but not tried yet, that you may be able to bend over the pegs of the latching av and fit it into an US hilt...... I might try that one day, maybe you could give it a go Lord C and let us know if that works out ok...... Your next stunt saber order ask Emory to drill out the hole for you and add the req changes to order a 16mm latching av and give it a go....... 

[Groovidad]

Just another thing........ and I somehow keep forgetting this........ Ultrasabers DO stock and can sell us an Illuminated 16mm latching av switch, in all their av LED colours, as they fit them to the stunt versions of the Graflex, Chosen One & Malice that can be fitted with an activation box, as standard..... The activation box raises the switch height so the latching switch length is not a problem, on those hilts.....

Now, I have heard, but not tried yet, that you may be able to bend over the pegs of the latching av and fit it into an US hilt...... I might try that one day, maybe you could give it a go Lord C and let us know if that works out ok...... Your next stunt saber order ask Emory to drill out the hole for you and add the req changes to order a 16mm latching av and give it a go....... 

First, and most importantly, thanks to you for the great pics and whipping out your thingy! . Thanks, my Lord, for your valuable input, as well!  Now, I'm getting ready to rebuild my Dominix.  Have all the parts and will begin within the next week and I will be sure to share my exploits!  I must say, there's nothing like having GREAT resources, like you all, to help in the quest for that "perfect" saber!  MTFBWYAMB!  (MB=My Brothers)!