First I will say there are several different size and styles of toggle switches. In this article I will be talking about the standard toggle switch requiring a 1/4-inch-mounting hole. Larger or small switches can be made, just scale up or down the material used.
For a switch you will need 1/16 OD brass or copper tubing, .020 or 1/32 brass or copper rod and a small 2-56 nut.
To me the hardest part of the switch is to drill out the center of the nut with a 1/16 bit. I would recommend picking up a couple extra nuts. I clamped the nut in a small vice or a set of needle nose vice grips and then drilled the threads out to a 1/16-diameter hole. Now with the hole drilled slide a section of tubing into the nut. I let about 1/32 of the tubing on one side of the nut and 1/4 inch or more on the other side.
NOTE: You can take the brass tube and chamfer it from the inside out on the end that extends past the nut 1/32.
For the toggle part of the switch there are a couple different styles.
Round toggle: This is the easiest to make. Take the brass rod and lightly round the end of it. Flat toggle, round to flat toggle, flat to round toggle: Take the brass rod and shape it as needed. I use a grinding wheel on my rotary tool. Only do this 1/4 inch down the rod.
From the toggle end come up about 3/16 to1/4; inch and make a slight bend around 20 deg. Now take this rod and inserted it into the tubing. The 20 deg bend should be on the side of the nut you left 1/32 of the tubing visible on. Try to center the bend in the center of the tube and now crimp the 1/16 tubing on the 1/4 inch side of the nut and trim the rod leaving about 1/8 of an inch pass the tubing. Heat the tubing and rod up on the 1/4 inch side and add a drop of solder to bond the parts together.
Now give it a coat of silver or whatever color paint you want. Drill a small 1/16 hole, and insert switch with a drop of CA to bond it in place.
Any question or comments feel free to email me.
