Technique to put in fine bolts/switches into dashboards

[A_S]

Hi all - any techniques for getting these into the metal part with holes

 

[Schwarz-Brot]

Good tweezers. Plus widening the holes just enough to accept the switches easily without pressure.

[A_S]

I’m not sure I’ve got fine enough tweezers but good plan on the holes!

[Schwarz-Brot]

With such fine work I highly recommend investing in really good tweezers with a firm but very fine tip. Forget china stuff and forget cheap stuff. Go somewhere where you can see the tip an give it a try. I think this would be in the 20€ / 15Pound segment. I usually get mine at trade fairs, so testing is no problem. Alternatively you can try medical and electronics suppliers. Especially tweezers for SMD electronics work are very fine but come at a price.

 

If you cheap out you'll pay double. Or more if you don't learn.

 

[A_S]

I'll have a look. I managed it, but I lost 6 or 8 in the process (they kept springing out of the tweezers) and now don't have enough to use on the sump guard bits! Luckily i have some brass rod i can use to simulate the bolts on those parts!

Edited March 26, 2020 by A_S

[dragonlanceHR]

Use one of those sticky pencils. I find that in this case the tweezers are just tiny, hand held catapults.

 

[dnl42]

One technique that I've found useful is to start with a much longer length of brass wire. Round off or dress the end as appropriate and then insert the wire from the back side. Secure the wire with a drop of CA on the rear and then clip it flush at the rear. Dress the wire again and repeat.

 

Since you're inserting the wire from the rear, you can do a whole row or block of switches. If a knob is needed at the end, a drop of CA or PVA glue will usually suffice. 

[Aces High]

Make friends with an Ophthalmologist. They use incredibly tiny pointed forceps to handle absurdly small sutures used on eyeballs. Some of these are "single use" ahem...

[Tzulscha]

I chop the end off a toothpick to make it flat.

Touch it to your tongue to dampen it slightly and you can pick up tiny parts pretty easily.