Sander and I spent the better part of our lunch a week ago repairing the problem light which got busted awhile ago. But! Not only did we fix the malfunctioning issue from before, we improved the general internal construction.
It works!
Beforehand I had been using one of those rotary switches that you might find on your standard standing lamp. I used glue to attach the turning mechanism to a large washer which could then be turned with the plumbing fitting on the side of the problem light.
The new internals
The new version uses a large G10 block as a spacer (that’s the big green thing). Then there’s a spring which pushes against the knob. The knob is loose, so without this spring it flops around a bit. You’ll note that the spring doesn’t look like a normal spring. This spring is the type used for sealed applications if you want to protect an inner shaft from debris or minor water spray while still providing the push of a spring. Neat huh? This little one was a sample from one of our vendors. I’m glad I was able to put it to good use.
Instead of glue and a rotary connection, Sander found a small little switch which will close the circuit when it’s held down. We attached a squarish cam to the shaft of the knob so that when you turn it, it will click on the light.
close up
I really like this setup. It’s safer, more robust, and just generally more awesome.
lookin’ good!
You should wire in a light dimmer for various states of Problem.
Or you could replace the whole operation with a light dimmer, and connect the knob to that?
Just make sure you don’t have any random thermal exhaust ports unprotected.