Foot switch
Summary
This is a small foot-switch/pedal made of recycled parts. In this page there is information about making it.
Materials
This pedal is made out of three components:
- A durable normally open switch that will withstand being stepped on
- A female mono jack socket
- A durable casing
The switch was salvaged out of an old heater. It was responsible for cutting the heater's power when it was tilted.
It is located on the bottom side of such heaters so that when they get tipped to the side, the switch opens.
Using safety components such as this switch is a good idea because, unlike other parts, these are always designed to be durable and reliable above all else.
A female mono jack can be bought for cheap on the market.
A durable casing can be made out of wood, acrylic or any strong material. In this case, a few pieces of leftover wood were glued together to make a casing.
Final product
The pieces of wood were clamped and glued together with elmer's glue. The switch was fastened on the wooden case with some screws. Finally, the female jack was fastened in place with its nut.
The casing is very compact and the pedal is light and can be carried easily. It is not nearly as comfortable to use as a commercial sustain pedal but it is robust and gets the job done.
The pedal was used in another project, available here.