Antique switches needed "jelly mould" design

[bernardgreen]

For the cottage I am renovating I need (some time in the near future) about 10 to 15 old fashioned brass domed wall light switches.

They will be switching about 10 mA at 12 volts as inputs to a PLC type lighting controller so old and worn contacts are not a problem as they can be re-plated.

The normal reclaim yards are charging high prices and the modern look a likes are not really look a likes.

 

[Chri5]

http://www.periodlightingshop.com/shop/index.php?Pid=2&Ct1=8&Clv=2&gclid=CKzL6q7s4bACFUxlfAod5x4k2w

Gosh, they are expensive

 

[bernardgreen]

Thanks Chri5

That is the price I have been finding at most suppliers, less a bit for trade and qauntity from a couple of sources, if it comes to it than I will have to bite the bullet and pay the price.

The down side is the switch has a very modern "feel" and not the old original feel. They also look too new for the walls in this cottage.

Re-claimed switches with original mechanisms would be ideal.

 

[JohnD]

the original ones are unsafe as the dome can come off exposing live terminals.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

12 volts

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They also look too new for the walls in this cottage.

What switches would have been used when the cottage was first built?

 

[securespark]

None, probably, if the cottage was built pre-leccy days!

 

[bernardgreen]

What switches would have been used when the cottage was first built?

They were made of birch.......

A switch is a flexible rod, typically used for corporal punishment of the birching type, called switching after it, especially when using a single branch: multiple branches are rather called a rod, a less flexible single rod is rather called a cane, an inflexible one a stick; a paddle is broader but hard and flattened.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch_(corporal_punishment)

 

[RF Lighting]

I've used these on one job and they were ok, but like you say you can still tell they are modern reproductions of an old article rather than the genuine article.



I take it you've tried the likes of ebay for some actual old ones?

 

[OwainDIYer]

Would a "cottage" really have had electricity early enough for jelly mould switches to be typical?

Some archive digging might show when the area was first electrified and that would give you a clue.

1930s style would me more likely to be bakelite insulated such as theseebay

View media item 47353

 

[RF Lighting]

I've chucked loads of those in the bin over the years. Maybe I should have been saving them all this time

 

[ricicle]

What's wrong with some nice MK Logic Plus in discreet places. What do you intend to do for sockets etc ?

 

[bernardgreen]

I've chucked loads of those in the bin over the years. Maybe I should have been saving them all this time

I have thrown few away but then at the time I never thought I would ever need them.

What do you intend to do for sockets etc ?

should do the job.

 

[RF Lighting]

The flush mount ones are neater

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What switches would have been used when the cottage was first built?

They were made of birch.......

A switch is a flexible rod, typically used for corporal punishment of the birching type, called switching after it, especially when using a single branch: multiple branches are rather called a rod, a less flexible single rod is rather called a cane, an inflexible one a stick; a paddle is broader but hard and flattened.

So basically anything you decide to put there because "it looks right" is likely to be a fabrication.

When whatever was first installed was first installed it would not have "looked right".

It always makes me laugh (or cry) when I see Georgian brass accessories - the Georgians didn't have electricity FCS.

If you like the jelly moulds and there's something about the originals which you prefer over the repro ones, then fine, but basically you must go for what you like, not be constrained by what you think is fitting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch_%28corporal_punishment%29

A Google image search is more fun.