Foot-switch Enclosure

[BigRedX]

I'm making a kill switch foot pedal for my Theremin. I have all the bits but no suitable enclosure to put it in.

Last time I needed to make something like this (in the early 80s) Maplins used to sell a suitable foot-switch style box made of ABS Plastic (or something similar) with a sloping surface for the switch and a heavy duty non-slip rubber surface on the bottom.

Of course now I can't find anything suitable. Anyone know where I can an enclosure of the type described above?

[jwood662]

Does it have to be plastic? Maplin do a metal box I'm using to build a pedal, similar in size to the zvex enclosures that might fit the bill.

[BigRedX]

Can you provide a link? I couldn't see anything foot-switch shaped on the Maplins site.

[jwood662]

[url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1751"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1751[/url]

More specifically it's the LH70 I'm using. The pictures on the maplin site don't do it justice, it looks exactly the same dimensions as the one zvex use

[BigRedX]

That doesn't appear to be very foot-switch shaped? Looks just like a rectangular box to me.

Am I looking at the right thing?

[Al Heeley]

most of my stompboxes are rectangle-shaped, these are the standard enclosures used by home-build pedal makers. Does it HAVE to be sloping?

GU62S is the box I normally use.

Edited July 17, 2010 by Al Heeley

[Mr. Foxen]

Get the cast cover from the side of a motorbike engine, that would be cool.

[BigRedX]

In the days when I used to build my own pedals - late 70s/early 80s there were plenty of sloping enclosures specifically designed to build pedals in.

It seems that these are no longer 'cool'. If I'd wanted a plain rectangular box I had plenty to chose from when I was in Maplins this morning buying all the other bits.

Personally I expect my foot pedal enclosures to be reasonably ergonomic and foot-friendly. Is this a thing of the past?

I find most 'boutique' pedals unbelievably unergonomic and ugly.

[JackLondon]

Will this do :

[url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1681"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1681[/url]

Or this :

[url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1694"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1694[/url]

[BigRedX]

Thanks. The top one would be perfect - except that it's tiny!

I saw the second type when I was in Maplins yesterday. Not bad, except I doubt it would take the battering it would get as a foot switch.

The irritating thing about this is, that if I wanted to build it in an ordinary rectangular box I could have bought one ready made for less than what it would have cost me in time and components...

[JackLondon]

Well, if you can't find what you're looking for readily available then I suggest getting in contact with a workshop that can do that sort of thing for you, it shouldn't cost much and would take no longer than 30 minutes!

[RichardH]

Has [url="http://www.doctortweek.co.uk/"]Doctor Tweek[/url] got what you're after?

EDIT - no it looks like he doesn't (just read your thread properly!)

CPC used to stock loads of those angled enclosures... off to have a look now....

How about [url="http://cpc.farnell.com/_/115p-5/abs-desktop-instrument-enclosure/dp/EN55637"]these[/url]


or [url="http://cpc.farnell.com/_/115-5/abs-desktop-instrument-enclosure/dp/EN55641"]these[/url]

Edited July 20, 2010 by RichardH

[JackLondon]

There's also this but with postage will be a bit steep :

[url="http://www.musikding.de/index.php/cat/c206_Plastics-enclosures.html"]http://www.musikding.de/index.php/cat/c206...enclosures.html[/url]

[Mottlefeeder]

I've also been looking, on the basis that someone must be making the pedal enclosures that the manufacturers use. No joy - googling 'foot pedal' brings up things like industrial foot switches, etc.

One possibility would be to buy two die-cast rectangular enclosures, cut and re-join them to make the shape you want, and use car body filler to smooth over the join

[JackLondon]

Well most manufacturers (big companies) will buy in bulk and have stuff custom made to their spec, the smaller boutique builders will use what the market has or at a push go for custom to be 'different''. The US also has a much better supply of things like that in general, even when it comes to painted rectangular enclosures they have so many more options available...

[Daquifsta]

Just buy a complete footswitch from one of the cheaper amp manufacturers, like this

[url="http://www.dv247.com/amplifiers/epiphone-2-button-amplifier-footswitch--59811"]http://www.dv247.com/amplifiers/epiphone-2...otswitch--59811[/url]

Rework/ repaint as required. (That looks identical to the one that came with my Marshall, in all but name!)

Edit: even cheaper :-)

[url="http://www.dv247.com/amplifiers/marshall-pedl10008-single-footswitch--54660"]http://www.dv247.com/amplifiers/marshall-p...otswitch--54660[/url]

Edited July 22, 2010 by Daquifsta

[BigRedX]

What a brilliant bit of lateral thinking!

There I was not seeing it because I was too focussed on the fact that these boxes used to exist and now they don't seem to.

Off to order the Marshall single footswitch now...

Thanks!