[Guide] Switch Bay

[DannyGlass]

Switch Bay

So you've got some switch buttons hanging about in your case but you want them to be somewhere that will make your case more clear, also you want them to make the case look more stunning than it allready is, well then why not try my switch bay

modification now.

1) The items you will need

First off you will need an Eletric Drill, 19mm Flat Wood Drill Bit, Dremel Drill, Cyclinder Grinding Stone,

3.5" Floppy Blank or 5.2" Drive Blank, Switch/s, Blueprint's, Small Block Of Timber.

2) Marking the Layout

Save the switch bay blueprint's above and print them off, then mark out the single, double, triple or quad button's layout by placing a hole in the correct marked out dots on the blueprint's with the tip of the Drill Bit, then place the blueprint's on the drive blank correctly, celotape it down then push the marker pen lightly on the holes that you've made in the blueprint's, now remove the blueprints from the drive blank.

3) Drilling the holes

Now where you have placed the markouts you need to get the eletric drill with the 19mm drll bit attached in the drill, then put the point of the drill bit on one of the markouts you made earlier with the drive blank on the block of timber, slowly press the trigger until it makes a small hole so you can just see daylight through it, then turn the drive blank around, place it back on the block of wood and drill through the hole you just made until it completely goes through the drive blank and repeat the same for the other markouts you have made.

4) Buffing the holes

Now your drive blank will look like the picture above, now we dont want it all left jagged like that so, get your Dremel drill turned on with the cyclinder grinding stone attached to it and smoothen of all the sharp jagged edges in speed one or speed two which ever you find easier until the circle is completely smooth and round and repeat this for each button's hole.

5) Fixing the buttons

Now get the right amount of buttons you need and slot them one by one into each hole, if they will not fit see why that is and buff down the side you need to for the button to slot right in, i have just put them in without any fixings for certain circumstances but if you want to fix your buttons real securely use some super glue round the edges of button and then put them in.

Guide Source: Xmodding.com

Guide made by DannyGlass, Xmodding? 2005

[Caleo Global Moderator]

Wouldn't it be easier to use just:

- The drill, with the correct sized bit

- A small mill file (something like a quarter inch wide)

- A ruler

- Pencil

- Switches and the bay cover

1. Mark the center of the [floppy] bay cover (read: floppy bay covers are 10cm, so 5cm..), then mark your desired length from that, wether it's 1cm or 2.5 (this will effect how far the switches are from the center, 1.5cm is a good 'centered' look.)

2. Drill the holes (the two marks you made x cm away from the center), they should be like 1/2" diameter or something, haven't really checked the switches latley, so they might be different, just use the according sized wooden drill bit. (If they come out a little messy, ok, just take care of it with some coarse sandpaper)

3. Notch out the little spot on the hole where the notch is on the switch with the mill file, according to how you want to mount it (usually either top or bottom)

4. Install the switch, and bam. You're done.

I really hope that people don't actually need a guide on how to do this, because it's really general knowledge..

[DannyGlass]

A small mill file (something like a quarter inch wide)

Lol you joking? It was hard using the dremel and its quite powerful with a file it would take forever.

1. Mark the center of the [floppy] bay cover (read: floppy bay covers are 10cm, so 5cm..), then mark your desired length from that, wether it's 1cm or 2.5 (this will effect how far the switches are from the center, 1.5cm is a good 'centered' look.)

What if your making four switch holes? It wouldnt be as accurate either.

[Caleo Global Moderator]

Lol you joking? It was hard using the dremel and its quite powerful with a file it would take forever.

586202547[/snapback]

Your holes turned out horribly, I did this to one of my bay covers a while ago and my holes ended up perfectly

I was talking about using a mill file to notch the little slit in the hole that the switch uses to stay oriented.

[DannyGlass]

There smooth and perfectly round so ermm? If you mean after i drilled it that was because i only had a masonery or wood drill bit, if i had a hole saw then it would have been perfect, so it was either shatter the blank or make it a bit messy then sand it down.

[Caleo Global Moderator]

Lol you joking? It was hard using the dremel and its quite powerful with a file it would take forever.

What if your making four switch holes? It wouldnt be as accurate either.

586202547[/snapback]

Measure them out, and they will be... using a paper 'guide' is a hassle, because you have to: Put it together in whatever software, figure out how to print it off the right size, tape it to the thing, then transfer the holes, then drill the holes. With measurements, you can just mark it off with a ruler (and some simple math), then drill. We're not making an engine here, so if you're off by a mm you'll be fine.

Btw, your 'dremel' looks like one of those battery powered black and decker ones, which aren't very powerful at all compared to a real electric dremel..

There smooth and perfectly round so ermm? If you mean after i drilled it that was because i only had a masonery or wood drill bit, if i had a hole saw then it would have been perfect, so it was either shatter the blank or make it a bit messy then sand it down.

586202571[/snapback]

Did you use like a high RPM drill to drill it? because the plastic on your holes looks extremely melted and blown to hell.. I drilled mine with a wood drill bit and they turned out pretty much perfect (aside from a small plastic burr), you just need to use a lower RPM so it doesn't melt the plastic. Btw, did you turn the bay cover over so the flush side was touching the board, and dril the holes from the back?

[DannyGlass]

Its a DeWalt drill is 24v with 2000RPM, i didnt pull the trigger to fast or it would be destroyed and yes i did turn it over :) It has come out perfect before when i had the right size hole saw.