Afternoon aggravation

[Michael Carter]

I've had three Boeing lightplates sitting around for months waiting to be installed onto the overhead to replace my scratch-built acrylic fake plates.

So I decide I finally am going to install these today on my day off. I remove the old plates, the switches, etc., I drill new holes in the backplate for the switches and new screw holes.

Run a quick lamp check after wiring the lightplate into the system and then attach it to the overhead, install the switches and admire my handi-work...

Only to find that now the switch shafts are too short to put the knobs back on.



The Boeing lightplates are twice as thick as what I made.

Time for a hardware store run for some brass tubing.

[Bob Reed]

I have run into that a few times myself! Don't you just hate it??!!

[Michael Carter]

Yeah I do.

I'm back from the store, but they didn't have any brass or aluminum tubing.

Sooooo....

I bought a 1/4" wood dowel and some 1/16" roll pins. I'm going to drill a hole in the end of the shaft, insert a roll pin and do the same for a short section of dowel rod and then JB Weld the two together.

[Bob Reed]

Is all the stuff we builders want really that off the wall?

[Michael Carter]

That worked out very well. I used the Loc-Tite 401 instead of the JB Weld. The pins were pretty tight, so I didn't need the strength of the JB.

I think I'll wait and do the other two tomorrow. I didn't think it would take three hours just to install a light plate!

[AndyT]

I had the same problem on my Cessna MIP. I solved it by using my router to make a shallow depression on the back side for the switch body to sit inside of. That allowed the shaft to stick out further and had the added effect of helping to secure the switch in place.

[Michael Carter]

Great idea.

The problem on a Boeing is that the backing plate is about 20ga. sheet steel spot welded to the overhead framework.

On my scratchbuilt overhead the backing plate for all of the overhead interior and exterior switches was 1/8" plywood.

With the switches mounted in the backing plate, and then the light plates being 3/16" thicker than the originals I made, I got a surprise.

Everything is working fine now and the knobs are mounted to the extended shafts. I guess I'll do the other two tomorrow.

[Michael Carter]

Great idea.

The problem on a Boeing is that the backing plate is about 20ga. sheet steel spot welded to the overhead framework.

On my scratchbuilt overhead the backing plate for all of the overhead interior and exterior switches was 1/8" plywood.

With the switches mounted in the backing plate, and then the light plates being 3/16" thicker than the originals I made, I got a surprise.

Everything is working fine now and the knobs are mounted to the extended shafts. I guess I'll do the other two tomorrow.