Thinnest metal switch plate?

[AuthenticDanger]

Anyone have experience with a 0.045in / 1.143mm plate?

My local metal cutter has .045" and .065" and nothing in between so I'm wondering if I can make this work without sacrificing feeling or causing issues for the end user (like switches not clipping into a thicker plate or rattling on a thinner one).

Thanks!

[kurplop]

If .0625 is ideal, I don't think a couple thousands more would hurt. Worst case scenario is that you'd have to sand it down.

[engicoder]

If .0625 is ideal, I don't think a couple thousands more would hurt. Worst case scenario is that you'd have to sand it down.

Agreed. If you put a pair of calipers on an MX switch the gap for the plate appears to be more than 0.065.

[AuthenticDanger]

If .0625 is ideal, I don't think a couple thousands more would hurt. Worst case scenario is that you'd have to sand it down.

Agreed. If you put a pair of calipers on an MX switch the gap for the plate appears to be more than 0.065.

I was going off the MX datasheet so I assumed 0.065 was too thick.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=71550.0;attach=99164;image

I'll have to break out the calipers when I get home and see if it'll work.

Thanks!

[engicoder]

The spec gives Cherry's recommended plate thickness. It does not specify the limits of the switch itself.

[0100010]

What material and gauge is the 0.065 sheet they have?

[AuthenticDanger]

What material and gauge is the 0.065 sheet they have?

They stock a bunch of Aluminum and Steel (not sure what gauge it is, I was just told the thickness). I only care if the switches will sit correctly as I don't want to have slightly skewed switches or have issues with switches wanting to pop out of their mounting holes. I have a 3mm acrylic plate that I'm using as a switch tester and the switches pop out really easily, though I don't know if that would matter as much if the switches were soldered into a PCB.

[0100010]

If it is 16ga stainless steel, should work fine - you see it as 0.06, 0.0625, normally.

[Leslieann]

You can get away .065 on switches to a degree because their solder pins hold them down, the clips simply are just not used.
However, if you use plate mounted stabs, it will need to be sanded for them to get a grip.

There was a round of universal plates done a couple years ago this way, one is in my Filco and I had to grind it to get the plate mounted stabs to work.