Looking for antique brass toggle light switch

[The Daring Dufas]

Some of those old pushbutton switches had radium inserts so they would glow in the dark. Were yours that type?

TDD

[bud--]

I have seen old, but more familiar, pushbutton switches that look similar. The back of the switch was open and the internal mechanism could be removed. In the picture there are 2 or 4 yellowish plugs on the face. These probably cover screws that can be removed to allow the mechanism to come out.

[dpb]

Perhaps...as I noted previously if they can be taken apart that's certainly an option.

The old push-buttons here can be indeed but the assembly screw are in the rear and are in the corners--the asymmetry of those locations makes me wonder if that is their purpose. Not saying it isn't, just don't know...given the age it is probable they are able to be taken apart; particularly since looking at the picture again I do notice the color difference between the front and the rest of the case--looks like on these maybe only the front is actually ceramic the rest might be another material similar to an early Bakelite, perhaps???

I'd like to have a bunch of 'em, I could probably get away w/ using them whereas swmbo says emphatically "no" to putting the pushbuttons back. :(

[homer]

I think you're going to have a problem with wires. It's that cloth covered rubber insulated stuff. Its a bitch to work with when its that old. The rubber just cracks and falls off. My house was built in the late 50s and every time I open a box up, the insulation falls off the wires.

I hate that stuff!

[dpb]

homer wrote: ...

Who you talkin' to???

The house here was rewired when the pushbutton switches I'm ruing were removed w/ nmc.

OP's pictures do show that, yes, and he's already commented he didn't move the existing switches out of the box for that reason at least until mandatory.

There is a fair amount of cloth wiring still on the place in various locations--I just added a junction in one box in the car garage for an opener. It went ok w/ care but only took pulling two additional 14's in the conduit and connecting them to the existing junction at a box on the ceiling that already fed the light and outlet.

The older rubber is worse than the cloth generally, agreed since it does get so brittle.

--

[homer]

I just saw those pictures of the switches and shuddered. I hate that wire.

My house is filled with it. I've pretty much got heat shrink tubing on every pigtail in every box and am slowly replacing it.

[Nate Nagel]

Hmm, my house was built in the late 40's and the wiring is an early form or romex with a cloth outer cover, but the individual conductors are plastic insulated. It's held up surprisingly well! So apparently the two different styles were produced concurrently for a number of years, not sure why everyone didn't immediately recognize the superiority of plastic insulation immediately?

Now where BX was used, it's cloth covered rubber which hasn't aged as well, but I haven't had issues with that (yet) and those runs are easy to replace when I do (exposed in basement)

If you do go with pushbuttons the cover plates for those are all over the place on eBay, no need to buy expensive reproductions. I've been watching eBay for toggle (normal modern style) switch and receptacle cover plates; I like the old .040" or thicker pressed brass ones with the nice crisp bevels, you can't buy new ones like that unless you pay "reproduction" prices. The ones in your local hardware store are likely brass plated steel, and the edges are all rounded. Unfortunately for me the toggle switch ones are apparently much harder to find.

Now is where I start kicking myself - maybe a year or two ago I was looking through the electrical stuff at an architectural salvage place and picked up a couple cases of spec grade toggle switches, and found cases and cases of the good old brass double toggle switch plates. I looked and looked for the ones I actually needed and didn't find any. In retrospect, I should have bought all of them and put them on eBay three or four at a time, but I just don't think like that (I should learn though...)

nate

[dpb]

Nate Nagel wrote: ...

...

Just maybe it had to do with it's age that's the problem which somehow seems to conflict w/ the idea of "immediately recognize"???? (wry :) )

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[Wayne Boatwright]

On Thu 19 Nov 2009 11:24:46a, Paul told us...

I don't think you'll ever find anything like this in the U.S. However, similar switches are in current use in the U.K. You might be able to modify your mounting to accomodate such a switch(s). They are rated at the U.K.'s higher voltage, so should not be an electrical problem here.

[rodz1105]

Hi Paul . You can contact me on [e-mail] .We sell the switches you are looking for .

[Stormin Mormon]

Nov 2009 -- you think he's still looking?

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

.

[DerbyDad03]

Them brass switches can be tough to find. 4 years and couple of continents away.

[micky]

Of course. He wants them even more now. Do you know what it's like to spend 4 years in the dark?

[Stormin Mormon]

Please delete the signature box, which isn't yours, below your text.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

.

[RobertMacy]

LOL! Thanks I needed that this morning.

[micky]

A great feature of most news readers: If you put a line, at the start of your signature, that starts with 2 hyphens and one blank space, and has nothing else, like so

[krw]

Wrong, you need a after the space.

[Tony944]

Toggle switches are available from industrial suppliers try WW Grainger = or some other electronics suppliers.

I've found antique push-button switches, but

[micky]

Ok, thanks. That's equivalent to pressing Enter after the blank space.

[krw]

But you can't have anything else between the single ' ' and the .