eBay is often your friend when it comes to buying switches cheap. It’s also very useful for buying them in large quantities (although most of these take a long time to be delivered - around 4-6 weeks.)

Try searching there for “square push buttons” and I’m sure you’ll find something. Hope this helps.

Quote from: The14thDr on Dec 22, 2017, 03:44 pm
eBay is often your friend when it comes to buying switches cheap. It's also very useful for buying them in large quantities...

Try searching there for "square push buttons" and I'm sure you'll find something. Hope this helps.

14th is right about eBay. They're great for switches/buttons in bulk and at low prices. The only thing I would add to what 14th said is for your search, you could add either "momentary" if you're looking for buttons like those for doorbells, only making contact when you press them (great for making a light blink manually, or running a sequence of lights through just one cycle, or even making a buzzer sound off... like a doorbell).

If you're looking for "push-push" (also called "push on/push off") buttons which you have to push to turn on and push again to turn off, you could add that to your search words. (The trouble with eBay listers is that sometimes they try to cover every base and list their item under a dozen different descriptions: i.e. "Star Trek Starfleet Insignia Badge Patch Emblem Seal Logo". It's the same with buttons or switches, though with using the word "Button" you're also going to find listings from everyone trying to sell pin-on or sew-on buttons... so I would stick to searching for "Switch".)

I hope some of this was helpful.

Dino.

Thanks for your suggestions Dino and 14th! 

I've found a couple of options on Ebay at a relatively cheap price.

Thanks,
Prof_Badger

I think everything has been covered but an eBay search for old radio parts and radio knobs will yield some of those great cog shaped controls from the early consoles and dials etc.

Does anyone know where I can buy some 'cheap' knife switches?

Thanks,
Prof_Badger

I got one on Amazon that wasn't too pricey.

Update - Arcade game type buttons seem better priced on Amazon than eBay.

These would look good on a MKI console -



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Inline-Dimmer-Switch-High-Quality/dp/B073D9DDBN/ref=sr_1_45?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1520099211&sr=8-45&keywords=rotary+switch&refinements=p_76%3A419158031