Tap size for rugged metal pushbutton

Hello,
I’ve ordered a rugged metal pushbutton and im wondering what the thread size is? im planning to tap the piece im going to mount it in and i would like to know what size tap to get

Hey David,

Sorry but I don’t know what size the thread is and there isn’t one on the shelf for me to be able to check. I don’t want to guess, so you may need to wait until they arrive and check them with a gauge.

Hi , I have used the 16mm 'vandal switches" in a few projects, the thread is really fine, I’m guessing it is probably a “brass thread” , which I think is 26tpi for all diameters
(I’d go and measure one, but I’m moving house and the thread gages went to storage yesterday!)
I don’t know anyone who taps the holes though, it’s fairly difficult to cut a big tapped hole square, and if you don’t, the switch won’t sit square. (Also you still need the countersink edge to seal the O-ring)
The preferred arrangement is to drill the hole 16.0mm, then cut a chamfer on the top surface, I have a special aircraft countersink bit that can be micrometer adjusted, but it can be done by hand, put the bit in a vice, (or vice grips) and rotate the box about two turns., done properly you will have a nice groove for the O-ring, and the switch will pull up metal to metal. The squished up rubber stops the switch body rotating (it moves maybe 15degrees)

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Hey, me again.
I received mine last week-ish and they are an M16x1.0 screw thread.
I already have a tap for this luckily and it came with a lovely smiley face on the box.
smiley

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Thanks for the update David!

That’s a good luck smiley face. Now that you have seen it you will have a lifetime of good luck. You only need to send it on to 1000 of your friends within the next five minutes :slight_smile: