I've done exactly as you described. My clear coating is a lamination pocket, one side removed, and ironed* on. Works great. Haven't tried it on a plastic box though.

*EDIT: I also remember using a heat gun. I can't remember which is the right way to go.

Ironing would seem to be preferred as you are actually pressing it flat, but the heat gun with a squeegee of some sort (not plastic!) also sounds like a way to go. Just sometimes my boxes are huge taking more than one 8 1/2 x 11" sheet (multiples are cut and pasted together).

 

Just sometimes my boxes are huge taking more than one 8 1/2 x 11" sheet (multiples are cut and pasted together).

https://www.laminator.com/3-mil-25-...U3OLG6ROKnzUbjfdXmuPIoqV1LL3awpKb6BoClqLw_wcB

 

I've never seen prices like that. Multiple pages worth of Fanuc servo motors for <$100? Hard pressed to find a good used one under $500 on eBay. Smells too good to be true, and I wonder why they don't sell on eBay; maybe because they would have to list everything in "unknown" or "for parts/not working" condition? I imagine everything is acquired in bulk and untested, sold with no guarantee. But still, at those prices, I think it's worth a shot. When I go to build my CNC plasma table maybe I roll out a real servo solution instead of crappy china steppers.

They bid and by out whole businesses, a crew comes in and packs up everything that will sell, or they think someone will buy. Prices start out higher and are down priced every few months. If you buy over ~$50 and ask if they can do better, they usually do, somewhere between 10 and 30% better, depending on how many of the item they have.

A lot of stuff is NOS, or never used spare parts from a factory. They do sell on Ebay from time to time, but don't remember what they call themselves there. What they show online is mostly the new arrivals to them, and just a small fraction of the inventory. The building is an old 1950's GM plant, a few acres under roof. When you go in person, you are allowed to wander around looking for as long as you like, no one bothers you or goes with you.

If you serious about getting servo motors it may pay you to fly up, buy and UPS them back. Make it a mini vacation, see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

On the HGR discussion: these types of businesses are few and far between, but are by far the best place to get incredibly low prices on anything used. It's like a more professional flea market, without the worry of anything being stolen or counterfeit.

The reason the low pricing works is entirely the result of the "high volume / low effort" system, i.e. by having a continually rotating array of parts, they are constantly making sales, while not putting in the effort to get accurate pricing. Nothing gets appraised, little gets listed at all, it's by and large a matter of "dump it, wing a price, sell it". Their entire business is built on giving their sale items next to zero attention, and it works quite well.

That all said, most people and companies tend to buy new stuff over used (in this kind of price range, anyways). Combine that with the financial burden of an advertising campaign, and you've got yourself a perfect setup for a word-of-mouth "diamond in the rough"

(I have no commercial connections to anyone like this by the way, just giving insight into how the business stays afloat.)

 

About the switches, DigiKey's filtering is excellent enough that -- at least for buttons -- I should have zero problem coming to multiple standard sizes and going from there. 22mm is a tad large for the type of thing I am thinking about, but I have seem a ton of sizes between 11mm and 22mm that seem popular. I am expecting Mouser to be similar.

Thank you for the Newark suggestion! (I didn't grab the username of who said that, I'll like the post after I finish this guy). I had totally forgotten about them, and element14 too (both Raspberry Pi suppliers).

 

On the HGR discussion: these types of businesses are few and far between, but are by far the best place to get incredibly low prices on anything used. It's like a more professional flea market, without the worry of anything being stolen or counterfeit.

Far more than you think are out there actually..
Surplus sites, auction sites, industrial used equipment,etc...

At my company we are always looking/purchasing at sites like dovebid, xline assets and numerous other "auction/surplus" sites,etc...
We are getting stuff for pennies on the dollar all the time and a lot of it is barely used or even new in box or just an absolute steal of a price..

Not too long ago we got 60+ large DC power supplies that retail for a couple thousand a piece for $12 for the whole lot.. yes $12 for all 60+ power supplies..
Cost a couple hundred to get it packed up/shipped to us.. Its thousands and thousands of dollars of stuff but no one bid on it and we won..

I see full SMT assembly lines go for dirt cheap.. $50 for a whole wave solder machine..
Quite a few of the bidders are actually "scrap" guys that just buy it just to break it down and sell off the parts/scrap metal,etc...
Tons of test equipment for super cheap all the time on those..
Fanuc robots a few hundred,etc...
TONS OF DEALS to be had..

But yes a factory will close and they contract with these guys to just "take care of the mess" and you can save BIG BUCKS.. purchasing through those if you are willing to wait/bid,etc...