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Toggle switch anti rotation washer install ??

Larry DeCamp

Well Known Member
I assume the little bent tab is captured in a slot or a hole. What is the best way to make the little slot/hole to clock the tab and therefore the switch body?

A file, hacksaw bade, drilled hole in a machined drill bushing ???
 
Most just turn it around and don't use the feature. If you want to, a small drilled hole or spot-faced depression on the backside of the panel to receive the tab. Kind of the same situation as the "D" shape. If laser/waterjet cut or punched, not a big deal, but I just don't have a "D" shaped drill :D

Also, if you want to really do it right, only the nut goes on the front side. Washer (tab), lock washer and backup nut on the backside. Clock the front side uniformly with the others and tighten from the back. I use a special thin wrench, like an ignition wrench.
 

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I’ve always added a plate to the back of my switch locations and drilled through the plate (not the panel) for the anti-rotation hole.
 
I did like Kyle and made a plate, but cut it so that the tabs all landed exactly on the top of the plate.

I did so after drilling all the switch holes, then just measured where the cut needed to be to capture the tab and cut there.
 
������������ That's the way to do it, but you need at least two switches side by side to retain the plate.

V

With ganged switches you're right.

With single switches, you can glue the plate to the panel with proseal, or you can add a countersunk rivet to hold it in place.
 
I used a #40 drill bit to make a shallow indentation, then ground the tab to a v-shape (point) to fit into the indentation. It seems to lock pretty well.
 
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For expediency you can drill a #40 hole right through. Then cover over it with the switch label. That's how Aviat does it in the Huskies and it works great.

The ultimate is when you have your panel laser cut to leave a small indexing "nib" in the hole that aligns with the physical slot in the switch or circuit breaker. I only do this on a full panel design cut. I use the mentioned through-hole method for hand-cut panels. For machine-cut panels you can't do the "nibs" with an NC mill, only a laser cutter as the mill radius requirement negates the nib option. Note that switches have the indexing slot on the bottom side of the hole while circuit breakers have a slot on the top side of the hole. Then the indexing washer isn't needed but can be turned around backwards on the switch to store for future use. See the following drawing showing the indexing "nibs" I am talking about.
 

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