Finding Low voltage wall plate

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S'mise

S'mise

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Michigan
I've got to fix some cobbled up wiring for a hard wired alarm system. There are three lv switches and three status lights to be mounted. Originally, it had 3 single plates side by side. (one without box)
I wanted to find a 3 gang blank plate the same accent style (steps satin nickel) as the other switch plates and just drill 6 holes in it, but it seems they don't exist.

My second thought is to use a steps 3g decora plate and use those modular blank inserts.
I've seen decora inserts with phone, Lan, cable, etc?
What do you call those things?
Do they make them in satin nickel, or can I just use spray paint that'd match?

Help / advice appreciated.
 
What exactly do you need to mount to this plate?

Here is the actual mfgr of those, and all they plates they make (no 3g blank) https://www.amertac.com/collections/...in-nickel-cast

Is this a high dollar project with a budget to get it right? Or you just need to come up with something that works? Not sure what local resources you have, but one thought would be to get 3 of the 1g blank covers, and have a shop with a waterjet cut them down to fit next to eachother, along with the holes you need in the plates. This would require making cad drawings and some sort of plate to hold the covers during cutting. Around here I would expect to pay a couple to a few hundred for that.

The Decora things you ask about are referred to as Decora Inserts and they hold keystone inserts for Cat5 / catv/ phone / a/v / etc. There are also blank decora inserts that can be drilled to install something else. The decora inserts only exist in the normal plastic colors.

Another option is if you have local sign shops that do vinyl cutting, there are some adhesive vinyls used in signmaking that have metallic finishes. I have a sample book here but no satin nickel plate to compare to. There are a few colors that seem close. You could take the plastic decora inserts and cover them with the metallic sign vinyl. Done right it will look good.

A third option in the same vein as the last would be to have a sign shop cut you decora size pieces of a material called rowmark that is available in metallic finishes with their laser. They could cut the shape and desired holes in it. Then you would need to fashion some sort of bracket to hold these pieces. For example taking a blank decora insert, flip it backwards and epoxy the rowmark pieces to it. Or if its ok that the connections sit recessed into the decora holes you could have one large piece of rowmark attached to the box and install the 3g plate over it. https://www.rowmark.com/products/no-...lus-and-metals


In the event you are able to cobble together something with the 3g toggle switch plate, there are mounting yoke straps that allow mounting of a wallplate designed for a device directly to the box.
 
I re-read your post and see you need 3 switches and 3 lights on the plate. Could you fit the 3 lights interleaved between 3 standard toggle switches and use the 3g toggle switch plate? Are the LV switches SPST or some more elaborate configuration?
 
S'mise said:
My second thought is to use a steps 3g decora plate and use those modular blank inserts.
I've seen decora inserts with phone, Lan, cable, etc?
What do you call those things?
Do they make them in satin nickel, or can I just use spray paint that'd match?
Click to expand...

You said it yourself - Decora Inserts is a good search term. Click on my link and scroll to the bottom of the page for some of the stock colors offered by Leviton for Decora blank inserts.
 
I'm willing to spend about $200 to get it done.
They are spdt push buttons and neon lights designed to mount to 1/4" holes.
It's doubtful I can one custom made for that amount.

Great suggestions.
I think I'm going to either buy a 3g decora plate and use 3 decora blanks and drill out a pair of 1/4" holes in each blank, then spray paint it,
Or, even cut out the inner portion of a plate and fill it in with a piece of pvc and try to bondo the seams.

I know it won't be perfect, but it shouldn't look too bad.
One concern is it needs to be strong enough to withstand repeated button pushes without cracking.

I appreciate the good advice.
 
I believe they are 12vdc.
I thought about fitting them in the opening of a toggle plate but I want to keep same spacing/configuration as the other switches are all over the house.

.... Going to look at the helpful links now.:)
 
S'mise said:
I believe they are 12vdc.
Click to expand...

Here's one suggestion: use standard lighted wall toggle switches, not the kind that light when off (locator) but the kind that light when on (pilot). They usually have one side of the light tied to the switched terminal and the other side of the light to a third terminal to be tied to the circuit's neutral wire.

If the switches control 120v loads, and you want the light to operate independently from the switch, connect the supply to the switched terminal (so one side of the light is always hot), the load to the other switch terminal, and use a small 12v relay to control the light by switching the wire to the neutral.
 

What hard-wired fire alarm system is this for? What is the purpose of the switches? I don't recognize these components.
 
Check out "Keystone" wiring devices. These are generic plates with standardized square holes. Inserts are inserted (!) in the holes, for all sorts of connectors, and I'm sure, lights and buttons.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I believe manufacturers can specially make it but it is expensive
Click to expand...

For your standard wallplates (mulberry is a favorite for custom and odd wallplates) sure, but these plates are a stupid china made decorative BS plate (no offense to whoever chose them) private labeled for a home improvement chain. I doubt anyone is getting a custom plate of this variety. Could probably machine one out of a piece of aluminum and get really close but it would probably be difficult to match the finish.
 
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