Finding Switches for Project

[p.f.sanford]

Hello All,

I have built a wonderful shift light system for my car with microchips. I am wanting to build a nice box for it and want some good switches. I really dont know a darn thing about electronics, more just programming the microchips, so bear with me if my questions are stupid.

Does anyone know of a manufacturer that sells nicely finished (wood, anodized, brass) switches. I am looking for potentiometers that have nice caps, aircraft like toggle switches, and a illuminated push button switch. I dont want to pay $30 bucks a switch, but something less than $10 would be good.

Im not sure if this is stupid or not, but is there some kind of pushbutton switch that will stay depressed when pushed in, but when given signal from microchip will automatically pop back out. If not, how could that be accomplished? That would make my application much nicer.

Would appreciate any input.

Thanks,
Pat

 

[MattyMatt]

Maybe Switchcraft... this link is to their more industrial stuff.... I know the actual switching components are pretty awesome, and you can dig around and see if you can find some knobs that are nice...

http://www.switchcraft.com/Category.aspx?Parent=653

You can also check out their main page and head over to the guitar area, they are mainly for audio components, but their stuff does work really well (have made several replacements for friends and their guitars/basses), and it generally looks pretty nice.

Edit: Also thought of another place... this is specifically the toggle switch page... not sure of all the brands here... but its worth looking around

http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d87.html

For the Brass stuff... I'd look into marine equipment suppliers.... as brass doesn't rust with sea salt.... it just tarnishes

 

[p.f.sanford]

Thanks for the info. I have found what Im going to get.