Ugly potentiometers! How do I pimp my project?

I'm planning a lamp-project with RGB leds and changing their colors manually. The idea is to do this with turning a knob or something similar. I'm really new to this whole Arduino-/electronics-thing, but the way I've understood my Arduinos (noob-)beginners kit I can use potentiometers for this. I've sort of got it working on a breadboard already.

Problem is, I can't find a potentiometer that does look like crap! every pot i find looks like the one in the link below.
(i weren't allowed to link in my first post, guess i have to do that in a reply or something :))

where can i find a more esthetically looking pot, one that doesn't have this industrial boring look? or can i put some knob or makeup or something on it? :stuck_out_tongue:

there:
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/16-6mm-100K-ohm-Potentiometer-with-1-4-1-5cm-Shaft-New_W0QQitemZ250541827698QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_216?hash=item3a5574e672#ht_3048wt_939

Some makeup might work. A little lipstick and some rouge.

Or put the potentiometer inside the lamp, with just the shaft sticking out, and put a knob on it.

Yeah, just have the knob sticking out of the lamp and find a suitable knob. There are tons of different styles.

where can i find a more esthetically looking pot, one that doesn't have this industrial boring look? or can i put some knob or makeup or something on it? :stuck_out_tongue:

They are designed to be stuck inside the device with the shaft coming through a hole and then you fir your own choice of knob to it.

Mowcius

I can't find a potentiometer that does look like crap!

Which is it, crap or not crap looking? :wink:

How about this beauty: http://cgi.ebay.com/MIRA-VINTAGE-RADIO-RHEOSTAT-250-OHMS-RESISTOR-POT-KNOB_W0QQitemZ350280669110QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518e5ad7b6

Lefty

How about this beauty: http://cgi.ebay.com/MIRA-VINTAGE-RADIO-RHEOSTAT-250-OHMS-RESISTOR-POT-KNOB_W0QQi...

Very retro! I love how you can see the wiper and everything :o!

This listing () has been removed, or this item is not available.

Hmm... Yeah very retro, or maybe it won't show it in the uk for me...

Mowcius

Strange..Here's the picture anyways :).

Could be steampunk worthy...

Bit more brass needed...

Mowcius

Potentiometer shafts are designed to have knobs put on them, and you can find places that sell knobs in all sorts of assorted fancy styles. Here are a few from surplus:

Some equipment is all about how pretty the outsides look (apparently), and you can find knobs that are sort-of arbitrarily beautiful and expensive.

Be careful to match the knob to the pot shaft, since there are several diameters and styles of shaft...

Try digi key.
5K as example.
POT 5K OHM CERM 2W +/-100 PPM - 3683S-1-502
Digi-Key Part Number 3683S-1-502-ND

Richard

I like these guys for cases and knobs, reasonable price (well for basic / small parts) and they sell low quantities

not to mention they have some really cool looking designs

There's been a lot of talk of knobs on this thread :stuck_out_tongue:

Good question. Dressing up a project nicely is quite important, I think.

Lots of people have posted links to off-the-shelf knobs, but it's also not too hard to make them. A great many potentiometers have 1/4" or 6mm shafts, a size it's pretty easy to match at home with a hand drill. Then there's no reason why you shouldn't use polished wood, or acrylic cubes (maybe backlit with surface mount LEDs?), or cogs from scrapped machinery, or whatever suits your aesthetic. Just gluing them to the shafts seems to work well enough, although is probably not totally abuse proof.

Maybe you need to be more imaginative. For a start there is a liner pot and several ways you can dress it up. Then you can make a pot from a zippier and conductive thread.

Then you could make the equivalent of a pot from conductive foam or you can make a pot by placing two objects closer together or further apart.

Lots of options you don't just have to buy.