Did they understand my question?

I wanted a potentiometer and a knob from Maplin, but I could only find potentiometers with 6mm shafts and knobs to fit 6.3mm shafts.

I emailed them to ask if the had matching sizes:

> Dear Customer,

> Thank you for contacting Maplin Technical Support.

> Yes that is correct and they fasten with a grub screw.

Neil

You are now on the roundabout

Enjoy!

Geoff - Waiting in anticipation.

Never trust anyone who claims that 1/4" = 6.3mm

MichaelG.

Years of dismantling scrap electrical devices lifted from skips means I never have to buy that sort of thing - mind, all that stuff takes room to store and index (and most will likely never be used for anything).

I scavenge everything, but I want a nice new knob for a VFD remote, and all the knobs in the scrap box are tatty or look older than me! The 1.7mm runout is REALLY noticeable to me, although I can always make little bush or pop some shim in.

Neil

Do you want one? I'm sure I have some nice collet knobs in a draw. Any colour you like so long as it's black

Edit: Actually, I found some brown ones too - and either yellow or black pointers The flash photo has done them no favours, their condition is pretty good.

Edited By Chris Heapy on 11/06/2013 21:13:28

Thanks Chris,

I want a nice big one with a skirt numbered 0-10 - I have got one but it's a little tatty. I have ordered a 1/4" one and I will shim it.

Thought of 0-11 which would make sense with a VFD if it was set with 55 Hz as the max frequency

One way of making nice knobs is to make a little thing with a screw to fit on the spindle and hot melt a toothpaste or shampoo bottle top on it!

Neil

Hi Neil,

Have you had a look at CPC ? They have free postage on web orders at the moment.

Les.

Blimey, there's a name from the past. I haven't ordered from Maplin for must be 25 odd years. I didn't know they still did components. Useful in the days when Farnell and RS wouldn't sell to you without an account.

Way back when I used to order from Maplin what seemed like every week, as playing with electronics made a change from my mathematical research. But now I do electronics in the day job I don't want to do it in my leisure time as well.

Regards,

Andrew

I made one for my mill, used a Chicken-Head knob for direction (green forward, red reverse), and a numbered skirt on the pot for speed. However I find I never use the numbered skirt but simply judge speed by eye and ear.

I guess you could use a multi-turn pot if you wanted more precise control.

Edited By Chris Heapy on 12/06/2013 11:40:47

I buy a fair amount of stuff...Maplin ok for general consumer bits but CPC sell almost everything - and I can drive there to collect on saturday morning! Maplin is sadly run and manned almost exclusively by inexperienced cheaply paid young people. I remember a few years back that they completely axed all middle managers..the only ones with the experience and know how.

Maplin lost the plot many years ago when they went consumer electronics, but they still have a few useful bits. CPC didn't stock suitable momentary pushbuttons.

I normally use Farnell (same as CPC but more stock) but they have aminium order for free postage, while I think CPC are now free at last.

Maplin are handy when you just want a couple of pretty standard items.

Neil

Hi Neil, they have a selection of 6mm ones here **LINK**

Although you have look as though you've made your choice.

The downside is they charge £12.00 for shipping, unless you make an order of £50.00 or more.

I bought some power diodes of them many years ago to replace the shorted out ones in a welding rectifier add on. I had to buy a minimum of eight to pair them into four to cope with the high amps, but by buying a pack of ten for little or no more money I got them free postage within the 48 hours they specified, but because they came from the US I had to pay the VAT to the courier.

I did have to specify my usage for them before they accepted my order, but that was no problem.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 13/06/2013 00:12:59

I think I'm sorted I was Maplins failure to answer the 'have you got knobs that actually fit your potentiometers question?' response that amused me - perhaps I put the question too politely?

I remeber that as a boy I used to await the publication of a new Radiospares catalogue with great excitement as my dad would then give me the old one. A few passive componenets and any number of free datasheets could be added to his orders, but any big purchase, such as a ZN1040E* had to have a fully worked out purchasing plan!

Neil

*Still working in a second life as a frequency counter and nearly 35 years old!

I use Rapid Electronice - down in Colchester - very helpful and a good website ( no connection, just a satisfied customer ).

Order cam from Maplin yesterday:

• 2 toggle switches
• 1 skirted knob
• 1 potentiometer with skinny shaft
• 1 red push button
• 1 padded hard drive case WITH A STICKER ON SAYING GREEN PUSH BUTTON!

Rang them up and today UPS came and collected the case (no button!)

A picker must have matched the label to the order, as they ticked off 'green push button' on the inventory. Do tehy really not have the brain to spot that the green one should be like the red one (only with a green bit on it) not one hundered times as big and soft and squishy?

I have a horrible feeling that when the replacement 'green push button' arrives it too will be in the shape of a padded case.

Neil