For the past couple of years I have been building replicas of educational computer "toys" from the 50's and 60's. One of the challenges I encounter is finding period parts, or at least parts that are similar enough to pass as authentic.

Take my Minivac 601 Replica for example. The panel lights I found for it were not very similar to the original's, but I was able to 3D print "caps" for them that made them look pretty comparable. Finding a close match like that is rare though. Minivac 601 employed a motorized 16 position rotary switch for which I had no option but to design and build my own Mostly 3D Printed Rotary Switch. For a row of push buttons on the machine I used readily available arcade buttons which were the right color, red, but considerably larger than the original's. With the experience of having built a couple of other panel mount components since I made the Minivac (see Mostly 3D Printed Slider Switch and Panel Mount LED Socket), I decided to see if I could have made my own push buttons. Short answer. Yes!

This Thing will show you how to build your own panel mounted push button. The button is almost entirely 3D printed with only a few easy to find additional parts. There is no spring in this button, or any other mechanical mechanism for that matter, yet it has a very satisfying bouncy feel when pushed. How is this possible? Magnets!