Not seen one of these for a while

[littlespark]

This is a disconnected switch in my in laws storage shed. Sorry about the paintwork, it got sprayed when the walls were done.



I never realised it’s just an old toggle switch inside, mounted at an angle.

 

[freddo]

I always wondered who made those, there are quite a few used for outside lighting on local fire stations. They seem to have a very long working life.

 

[snowhead]

Fitted a few of those in the past and the ones with the round brass knob

 

[Lucien Nunes]

The type with the flat brass knurled knob are Simplex. They too have a toggle switch inside but mounted in the normal position. The toggle has a horizontal bar through it that the fork on the inside of the cover negages with.

 

[DPG]

Never realised they had toggle switches inside them. Ingenious!

 

[JBW175]

we used to use them on some of our old landing craft. they were quite hardy but a bugger to get into once the elements had got to them and corrosion had set in. you were either drilling them out, or using a good old fashioned impact driver and hammer with plenty of penetrating oil.

 

[lozarus]

Fondly known as the 'Crabtree Saturn' due to the shape of the external knob/switch. They fetch a few quid on eBay. The the 'saturn' part should polish up to a nice brass

 

[littlespark]

Never ever heard of them being referred to as a Saturn switch.
Didn’t know they were brass either, but I’m cleaning this one up to find out!

 

[littlespark]

You weren’t kidding about the prices on eBay! Bloody hell, people will buy some tat.

I think I’ll keep it and use it as a control switch for my xmas lights

 

[lozarus]

Never ever heard of them being referred to as a Saturn switch.
Didn’t know they were brass either, but I’m cleaning this one up to find out!

Wasn't a term I was familiar with either. In fact I never even clocked that the switch looked like the planet until I saw one listed on eBay - and even then I had to think about it!

 

[Zerax]

Come on Littlespark... stop teasing us... we need to see it all cleaned up and polished !

 

[nicebutdim]

I'd like to see this switch stripped of paint, too.

 

[Micktw68]

Was Loads of them on old London electricity Primary subs (ex CEGB) we ripped them out in the 90s and replaced with the horrible MK masterseal which lasted a fraction of the time. Wish I’d hung onto a few at that money.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

There are quite a few things that have gained new names through eBay sellers parroting each others' listings. I don't know whether the switch was ever called or nicknamed 'Saturn' in its heyday, but it only takes one seller to use a catchy name and everybody picks it up because it's searchable. Once upon a time the firm of J & A Margolin sold record players using the brand name 'Dansette.' Some Dansette record players had legs, but by no means all and they were never called 'Dansette legs.' Now search for Dansette legs! You can even get a Bush record player with 'Dansette legs' which is as bad as a Dyson Hoover.

People also have a habit of stripping off the original finish to reveal brass or whatever, and call it restoration, but I'll stop now before sidetracking the thread into unplated brass bath taps.

 

[Colin Jenkins]

This is a disconnected switch in my in laws storage shed. Sorry about the paintwork, it got sprayed when the walls were done.

View attachment 62511

I never realised it’s just an old toggle switch inside, mounted at an angle.

View attachment 62512

Hello Littlespark.
Nice one! It's a Crabtree outside weather proof light switch. I recall they were all two-way from memory. Note how good the insides of that switch still are! I have a brand-new and unused one of these in my spares box. I stopped using them in the mid-1980s due to touch-voltage calculations, 0.4 sec disconnection times, RCDs etc with the 15th Edition. Not normally an issue in reality, but I went to plastics then which seem to do ok. After all this time in the spares box, it's like an old friend I wouldn't want to sentence to eBay!

 

[freddo]

I have a brand-new and unused one of these in my spares box.

any chance of a photo of it?!

 

[Colin Jenkins]

any chance of a photo of it?!

Hello Freddo.
Will do when I get out to my shed again - hopefully tomorrow.
Regards,
Colin Jenkins.