Buttons - Lit buttons finally available for sale

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What, you couldn't find a song title with Amber in it?

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"taym white" Filener gell; the lightest pink which makes the VFD look pure white.

I'm honored you named that white after me
So, you're using it? Wow! I'm happy I could be of some little help, for one time, even for just such a small thing! I feel I am taking so much from the good old empeg bbs and you all guys, and never returning anything, so... at least enjoy your taym white!

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Can the light be seen around the edges of the buttons and knob at all?

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Let me just comment that these buttons are extremely well done! They are very high quality

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Smooth is the word that comes to mind.

That's exactly right. I'm jealous of how Brian's buttons perfectly duplicated the texture of the originals.

Texture would be cool, but I've fallen in love with how the parts look now. I will definitely experiment with sanding, grinding, and using a Dremel tool to increase the light diffusion. Maybe adding diffusion material to the hollow cores, but I've always felt that traps the light, like on Brian's. Instead, I wanted light to fill the hollow core and light up the thin outside face. Many things to try, let's see if we find one that works!


The texture story, as a random bit of information, if anyone's interested:

The company that produced the Greenlights Lit Buttons call the texture "EDM finish". That is, it has no extra finish beyond how they etched out the steel mold with the EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining). A misunderstanding early on led me to believe that the molding company could add a "light glass bead" texture to the parts. Six months later, I found that I was wrong all along.

At the last minute before production, I was given the option to have the precious steel molds sent to a texture shop to have a frosted texture applied, pretty much my only choice thanks to the small part size. The parts would still be smooth but they may have had better light diffusion.

Texturizing would have cost $1320 extra and an extra week or two to complete. After reviewing the pre-production clear buttons and posting their pictures to the BBS, I decided against the texture. Texturizing would either look really cool or reasonably irreversibly look worse. And since I'd already spent extra time and money in other areas (MKII knob, custom coloration, etc), I couldn't swing the additional cost. Instead, I fell in love with the pre-production samples that I had, and I think you all did too!

The motto for this project was, "If you're going to do it, make it perfect." And I tried, monitoring everything to leave nothing to chance. I even tried to find light diffusion professionals who could help optimize parts; with no luck. But in late March, way past my deadline, with the chance to start production immediately if texturizing was skipped, and having had pushed my molder beyond reason; I couldn't give the texture process the scrutiny that I wanted. So, the devil I had, I knew, and stuck with, and am happy with, and I hope it makes everyone happy! The end.

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the look is very nice and appealing to the eye.

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I find the LED light doesn't spread out (diffuse) as much as with the earlier buttons

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"Declared value: $1.00"

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Declaring something like "Samples - no commercial value; value $1 - customs purposes only"

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I often find on books

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Have you registered a business for the purpose of selling buttons? Will you be declaring the money you make selling them for income tax purposes? Are you charging tax to residents of your state? (you have to be registered to do that anyway).

Then it's not a commercial business and therefore not a commercial sale. No commercial invoice is required.

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I hate to see such hobby projects get so complicated because people get wrapped up in beurocratic "process."

Tman, if the package gets lost in the mail you're likely screwed regardless of the amount declared for customs. Canada post and US Post have an automatic $100 coverage on small packets. The customs value is not the same as the insurance value. It's possible to ship something as a sample that costs $1000. It has that value to the originator even though the recipient may not have paid anything for it (and may have to return it). Incidentally, last I recall this covers breakage only - if it's lost, it's lost and gone. But I could be wrong on this - I've only ever had to make claims with courier serives.

Bruno

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The question I have is are the lights on all the time or can they be controlled by the headlight sense wire ?

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black is a slightly different "shade" of black

In the sunlight, my handle and my fascia are two different shades of black, so...

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I got my black buttons in. They look pretty good.

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emnants of a sprue on the top button

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Can't decide what colours to use but who cares - one for each day of the week.

Five colors, five buttons.
Coincidence? Roy G Biv is knocking on your door!

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Can't decide what colours to use but who cares - one for each day of the week.

Five colors, five buttons.
Coincidence? Roy G Biv is knocking on your door!