Need ideas for hidden switches.

[Firefyter-Emt]

They're not common, but how about a vintage Bell 302 model phone with the multi-line buttons at the front? Wire one button, for raise, one for lower.

The problem I see with the phone switches, while they would work great, they just seem to yell out 1960-1970 to me. Heck the 302 would be nice, I am watching for one of them myself to replace the 500.

 

[Vornholt]

Try an Automatic Electric model. Plain Jane black buttons on a nice vintage dial phone. Discreet, yet functional.

 

[Wil Tam]

I couldn't put my finger on it, but

It finally dawned on me that this idea is very cool but it totally loses the coolness factor once it is open ... because the equipment is just plain ... now if you hid a 24" widescreen monitor in that space or a really fancy liquid cooled PC in a clear acrylic cube with neon lights that would make it awesome ... even a vintage style safe would be cool

just sayn' [huh]



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Now playing: Angeline Ball & Maria Doyle - Chain of Fools
via FoxyTunes​

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Yea.... I know, the screen idea would be killer if I wanted to hide all traces of a computer, but where to hide the printer?? I have been debating a liquid cooled PC or even a remote power supply to keep the heat & noise down a bit.. Who knows, case mods would be cool, but the real point is to keep all that junk hidden.

PS.. Here is a photo with the office painted and the photo in place.

And with a hat!

 

[Old School QD]

Nice little office, with or without the hidden alcove. I really like the desk and have been looking for a similar one for myself. I think you need an oak filing cabinet somewhere.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Thanks, it's a great desk and built somewhere in the 1920's - 1940's. I "think" it is an earlier one, because of the shaping on the handles, they are rather fancy. It seems like they became plain as the years went on. It could just be they maker too.

My plans "one of these days" is to bump the wall with the windows out about four or six feet and my office will become 14x12 (or 10). After I do that, I do plan on finding one of those oak file cabinets, an oak coat rack, and a 1930's Philco radio. The radio will be modified so I have RCA outputs so hook my computer into it. I plan to find a radio that is shot or modify it in a way that will not interfere with the original radio. That, and one corner will be topped off with a nice burgundy leather chair near the window. You know, the one that sits in the sun and gets nice and warm all day long... and faces out to the wooded back yard.

PS: I think I found a better motor solution yesterday. Cars that use those auto-seatbelts ran cable motors designed to move 3/32" cable the distance of 42" (more than enough if it will work properly with less cable. It does have possibilities!

 

[Irish4]

I am just a working man with a degree in nothing,but I think you may find some of the supplies you could use for your idea in the decorative lighting section at (you choose what big box ,home improvement store).Those recess lights that mount flush with your ceiling or inside display cases use very low voltage circuits.I think it is in the 6 to 12 volt range.They have all the transformers and inverters and such there.Good luck

 

[Old School QD]

Ah, the burgundy chair. Yes, I have one of those, albeit a modern version. I puchased mine new from Sklar-Pepplar near Toronto. It has a classic feel to it and reclines, but there is not built-in footrest. The back tilts and the seat slides, but there is a separate, matching leather footstool for the feet to rest upon. That also opens for storage, currently for Pixar DVDs.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Well, just an update... I have decided to move the tower to the storage room on the other side of the wall. When I built the "box" I used the extra room on each side of the box to make shelving. The CPU seemed to hold up fine with the fan coming on as often as before, but the noise was starting to bug me. Partly from an older hard drive that is a bit loud, but seeing as I never turn it off, and I have USB support at my monitor, this will work good. The only time I need to access it is to get to the power button, or a disk drive. My DVD burner has been acting up, so I think I will buy an external one and place it next to the printer.

One thing I have noticed, if you take the CPU out of the room you are in, it sure is quiet!~

Still working on the switch, although I did find an inexpensive car remote style 2-relay control box. A remote control fob could be cool in it's own way I guess. I have not decided to go this route, but it has possibilities~!

 

[Pilgrim]

Consider a switch within the wall that will close the contacts when a magnet is passed across it. A strong magnet will do that even through a layer of sheetrock. Use the switch to power a relay that carries the load, so the capacity of the switch is not an issue.

Then just keep a magnet around in the base of some ornamental object, pick up the object and pass it across the area where the switch is concealed.

This concept is often used to trigger hidden ignition override switches in theft-prone cars.

 

[Wil Tam]

Well, just an update... I have decided to move the tower to the storage room on the other side of the wall. When I built the "box" I used the extra room on each side of the box to make shelving. The CPU seemed to hold up fine with the fan coming on as often as before, but the noise was starting to bug me. Partly from an older hard drive that is a bit loud, but seeing as I never turn it off, and I have USB support at my monitor, this will work good. The only time I need to access it is to get to the power button, or a disk drive. My DVD burner has been acting up, so I think I will buy an external one and place it next to the printer.

One thing I have noticed, if you take the CPU out of the room you are in, it sure is quiet!~

Still working on the switch, although I did find an inexpensive car remote style 2-relay control box. A remote control fob could be cool in it's own way I guess. I have not decided to go this route, but it has possibilities~!

why don't you move the printer too & use the space for something slick like a antique safe or a nice wide screen monitor & get a keyboard tray so that you can hide it, to make it look like there is no PC in the room at all

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

LOL.... Well, the CPU was an "add on" as the main use was to be just the printer. I would love to hide it all, but it is not practical to do so. I have to have the laptop, and the docking station connects it to everything else. Because it is a company laptop, I have to keep my desktop for home use.

My work still comes over by fax, so I need to access it daily and I print lots of files to my home printer while in my car to save ink in the printer while I am mobile.