2. Workshop

Cam-Lock Switch

A small piece designed to resolve a problem with an electronic switch.
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Here's the switch finished with some stain and installed on the organ. It functions perfectly, with only a little bit of stickiness from the polyurethane top coat, and it looks fairly nice too. Now to clean up the tape residue...
4 / 5

Here's the switch finished with some stain and installed on the organ. It functions perfectly, with only a little bit of stickiness from the polyurethane top coat, and it looks fairly nice too. Now to clean up the tape residue...

  • The problem here started when the switch on our church's organ started going out. It would press, but then wouldn't stay activated when released. I took a look at the organ and found that to get inside I'd have to take the whole thing apart and likely cause who knows how much damage trying to get to the switch, so I took an outside approach as a solution instead. I worked up a design, shown here, for a cam-lock mechanical switch holder that could be placed over the existing electrical switch, keeping it pressed without any troublesome weights or duct tape, and such.
  • The first iteration I attempted to cut out with a dremel, which didn't work so well. I then switched to a coping saw (a good excuse to buy a tool) and the work went a lot smoother. My cuts still aren't the straightest, but it got the job done.
  • Here's the components of this switch all cut, sanded, and ready to be stained a nicer color than the raw wood. I tried a bit of boiled linseed oil, but didn't get enough of a color change, so I followed that up with some darker stain and a top coat and got a little closer to what I was thinking of.
  • Here's the switch finished with some stain and installed on the organ. It functions perfectly, with only a little bit of stickiness from the polyurethane top coat, and it looks fairly nice too. Now to clean up the tape residue...
  • Here's the switch finished with some stain and installed on the organ. It functions perfectly, with only a little bit of stickiness from the polyurethane top coat, and it looks fairly nice too. Now to clean up the tape residue...
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