Plan or Procedure for Building a Wooden Wall Switch Face Plate

Hi Folks,

I have some spare wood left over from a project that would make really nice wooden wall switch face plates.

I am having trouble getting started ..
Has anyone made one of these ?

I have searched the internet and could not find a plan.

Thanks in advance.

-Fred

 
Hi Fred...not much help for you, having never made one, but if I had to make some I would go to Lowe's or Home Depot and take a look at their wooden switch plates to see what the back looked like and take it from there. My switches are rocker types, so the hole is large and rectangular. I'd probably make a router template of some kind to make more than a few and chisel the corners square, or print out a pattern, paste it on the wood and cut it out with a jig saw. Lots of ways to do it.
 
I made a couple of them a few years ago. A friend wanted them in a different wood species than the choices available. I bought some cheap wooden one to use as a pattern and to scavenge for the metal plates they glue on the inside. I made them on the Router Boss so I didn't need to make a template but a template or two would be a good way to go. How many plates are you planning to make?
 

Hi Dave,
I would like to make one or two every time I have some nice wood leftover. I have some really nice wood leftover from projects, small lengths. I can't throw them out, but the lengths are small. That is how I got the face plate idea.
I think I understand how to use a trim router bit with a template, but I was wondering how to carve out the backside, and is a metal back needed.

It would be nice to come up with a way to make them quickly. then I could give them away to family, friends and our Church which has fund raiser sales.

Thanks,


Fred

 
Fred, I have a template idea for a trim router in my head. Maybe I can make a sketch to show you.

The metal plate will add a lot of strength--there isn't much when you get the plate as thin as it must be. If you tighten the screws down to secure the plate to a switch, it would likely split. There may also be electrical codes that require it. I know that we had to add extensions to the electrical boxes in our finished basement where the birch car siding was installed. The electrician had installed them for sheet rock not wood. It would be worth checking anyway.
 
See if this makes sense for you.

Basically you would have a base to hold the plate which is cut to size. Then a template goes over it to guide a router bit with a bearing on it. Make a different template for each cut but make them so you can swap them quickly. You'll probably also need to make a recess on the front of the plate around the switch bat or it won't stick out enough to be used easily.
 
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so do it dave,, i can remember it well enough to tell someone how you done it if they run into trouble but that whole process and pics you have should get you a new tool for sure go for it..
 
Dave I think your fixture is a winner. However, I do have some possible suggestions.

One of the advantages of ‘designer’ switch plates is that they don’t have to be rectangles. They do, however, have 3 defined holes. (2 screws and the switch toggle.) If you put those holes in first and locate off them rather than off a rectangular recess, your fixture could make any shape plate. The same fixture that makes the 2 screw holes would allow the creation an MDF pattern for making duplicate plates of any profile. The same fixture concept would apply to making receptacle plates.

I see a potential problem. In order to rout the back of the plate, the thickness of the wood needs to be known and consistent.

Just some thoughts I have.
 
Norm,

Of course you're right and depending on the sort of style desired, live edges might be kind of fun. My sketch was only intended as a general idea for how to rout the recess and so on. Obviously you'd have to do something else for different sized plates. when I made the plates I made, I used carpet tape to secure the plate and set stops on the Router Boss to control the size of the recess. It worked very nicely.

As to routing the back of the plate, I was making the assumption that the thickness of the plate is known.
 
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