Reproduction mirror switch project

[Rhye]

After a lot of experiments with silicon mould, the result is very close to my definition of perfection. The illuminated area is now only slightly darker than the rest of the switch body while surface grain is almost same.

IMG_20201110_222316394.jpgIMG_20201110_222330721.jpg

It's an old prototype body I used just for a test so the pattern is a bit different and only vertical arrows are filled. The process itself is so tricky that it's very easy to f...k something up - I'm really afraid I'll end up offering 2 switches instead of 4 so I need more time to improve my technology...

[bigmac]

Fantastic work.

It looks great.


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[Rhye]

I've finally made and tested a special jig with silicone mould insert - here's the result:

IMG_20210118_221126331.jpgIMG_20210118_221153243.jpg

The process has become fairly reliable and the surface grain of the backlit area is correct now, but it still looks annoyingly darker, at least to me. I'm going to add a small amount of white pigment to the clear epoxy and make more tests with scrapped switch bodies. If it doesn't help, I'll probably leave it like that and proceed with the 4 promised switches (I know, it's been way too long).

[Mark D]

Awesome work, I think the back lighting is looking great.

Just to confirm, you've got me down for one of these right?

[Rhye]

Just to confirm, you've got me down for one of these right?

Yes, the list looks as follows:

1. Mark D
2. Mark A
3. bigmac
4. D Knigh

However, I ruined my only spare switch body so there's no more room for mistakes - I'll do my best.

[bigmac]

Definitely worth the wait.


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[Mark D]

Agreed. I appreciate all the hard work so far that has gone into designing manufacturing these parts. It's not every day that a NLA part is resurrected from the dead like this. It's been really cool to see how things have progressed so far.

[Rhye]

Good news. 3 switches V1.31 are finally completed, tested, packed and ready to go. Since they're still in a prototype stage and the backlit graphics still has some minor imperfections (see development details below), I'm asking just $170/pc + shipping.
Mark D, Mark A and bigmac - please PM me for details and shipping options (if you're still interested - I fully understand it's not a perfect time to spend some money). In the meantime, I'm preparing a short user manual in PDF.

1.31.jpg

One bad news is that I damaged the body of the 4-th switch beyond repair - made a mistake and my clear epoxy didn't cure fully. I'm awfully sorry for that D Knight - you'll have to wait for the next batch (if you still want one) which is planned for the end of 2021 (after I got enough feedback from users and finish design and assembly of V1.32).

Now some boring details on development. I managed to make the graphics have practically same shade as the rest of the body. It's still slightly visible but only because it's a bit depressed - this is a consequence of the silicon mould pressed hardly against the switch surface to avoid resin leakage. I need to find a method of controlling the pressure precisely. There're also some very tiny air bubbles trapped in the resin (a close look is needed to see them). I'm sure they weren't there when I left the mixture to cure - I always bleed it in vacuum first and check for bubbles with a penscope after pouring. I guess they must have formed when the resin contracted slightly while curing and sucked the air from between the mould and the switch body - this contraction probably also contributed to the former effect of the graphics being depressed slightly.
Anyway, those issues are already on the long list of improvements for the next batch of switches.

[bigmac]

Awesome. I have pm’ed you.


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[Mark D]

Those look fantastic. PM sent.