Question How to repair a broken ON/OFF switch of a case?

[prodson]

Hi All,

As you see in the picture below, my ON/OFF switch of my case is broken. I still have the POWER cable going from the motherboard to the top of the case, but these cables are not attached to the switch itself anymore.
I have just made the cables touch the switch as a temporary solution, but anyone of you can give me instructions/ideas on how to repair it to a more permanent basis please?
Do I need an iron soldering kit? thank you

 

[AllanGH]

Soldering: Yup.

You need to de-solder and remove the attached wire fragments, strip-back the lead to the motherboard, and solder the wires to the switch terminals. If you use 0.015" diameter, 62/36/2 solder, it'll flow very quickly, and form a good joint the first time.

Don't bother with lead-free solders, because the final joint is just too brittle to be of much use over the long-haul.

 

[prodson]

@AllanGH First, thanks a lot for your reply.

I know absolutely nothing about soldering.
On Amazon UK, I found a 0.01" one, that was the closest in terms of size. Link HERE. Would it do it please?
As for the soldering kit, would THIS ONE be ok?

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[AllanGH]

For the solder (the dearth of lead-based solder on AMZ-UK is shocking), you can get away with this just fine: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weller-40-25-Electronic-Solder-Resin/dp/B0001P171K if you apply a bit of flux to the joints before applying the iron.

As to the soldering kit...I tend to restrict the power rating to 40W for light-duty electronics use; however, you did link to an adjustable temperature iron, which is advantageous. Just lower the temp and don't dwell on the switch terminals overly long, otherwise you'll ruin the switch.

(I was going to initially link you to this one, instead: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-61478-40W-Soldering-Station/dp/B010823P38 but it appears to be just the bare station, and you might find some utility to the accessories included with the kit you linked to; so, go with your selection, but be mindful of both your temperature setting and the amount of time you spend heating the switch terminals.)

 

[prodson]

Great, very useful advice. Thanks a lot again!!

 

[Math Geek]

i usually just replace the switch. if you have an old case sitting around, then its easy to remove the switch from it and use it on your case. i keep lots of extras i have collected due to them breaking more often that folks expect them to.

but soldering will do the trick as well if you are careful . good luck

 

[USAFRet]

"I know absolutely nothing about soldering. "

Being your first foray into the black arts....practice practice practice.

Find some old wire or otherwise broken parts, and practice on that. Before you potentially screw up the switch on the case.

 

[prodson]

@Math Geek I wish I could just buy a switch but I can't find any that are long enough (I live in the UK)!!! Incredible.
All are 50cm (20") long where I really need at least a 75cm one (30") as my tower (Cooler Master Cosmos SE) is tall. The original cable is 95cm long (37.4") and it's out of stock on CM website.

@USAFRet you're scaring me now lol. Is it really that complicated? Maybe I'm not realising how difficult it is.

 

[USAFRet]

@USAFRet you're scaring me now lol. Is it really that complicated? Maybe I'm not realising how difficult it is.

No, it's not 'that complicated'.
Many people learn this around age 10.

But, for your first time, you do not want to screw up a presumably irreplaceable part.

 

[AllanGH]

Excellent point, USAFRet.

Having soldering as my go-to since I was 12, means that, that passes under my radar.

Is it really that complicated?

No, but you should practice so that you can develop a "feel" for it.

I apologize for not thinking about it, and thank USAFRet for mentioning it. (Soldering really is something that I just do without thinking about it, simply because I've been doing it nearly all my life.)

It's a good idea to look over a few YouTube videos (BigClive is a good one for this) to see the technique in action, and he does describe the process a bit in some of his segments. Then, get some scrap pieces of wire and try it out yourself.

Mainly, your goal is one of developing the sense of how much heat you have to add to the joint to get the solder to flow well, and form a solid mechanical bond.

 

[USAFRet]

It's a learned skill, just like anything else.

Video games, driving, cooking the perfect t-bone steak...you don't expect to get it absolutely perfect the very first time.