Quoted from zacaj:

Can you post a picture of your existing target switch wiring? Not sure what you mean about grounding the mount. New switches are designed only t be connected to the lugs, not sure any other parts even are electrically connected

Quoted from northvibe:

what kind of solder and iron are you using? do you know the watt and/or temp?

Quoted from zacaj:

Still not sure what that wire going to the base is accomplishing.. Does the switch have three blades instead of two or something? Are all the switches like that?

Quoted from MarkG:

Just sanity checking here but does the new target have two switches behind it? The original does.
[quoted image]
Your photo above looks like the I target with one switch between yellow and white-green wires that fires the I relay and another switch between yellow and white-red to fire the 10 point relay. Rather than two separate switches it's probably built as a double make switch like this:
[quoted image]
Assuming your new switch has either a double make switch or two normally open switches you want the yellow to be common to both switches. Check the new switch with a meter to make sure that the frame is connected to one of the leaf switches like the original.
/Mark

Quoted from newmantjn:

A 40 watt fully heated up Weller is likely running too hot. You may be getting the solder so hot, it just sort of falls off or gets blown away when the rosen core vaporizes.
If it was me, I would drop down to a 25 watt iron. Pre-tin both the wire and the switch. Then let them cool for a brief moment. Stick them together and hit them just long enough with the iron to melt the solder. HOLD them together and count to at least ten. Swear once or twice about your burned fingers, then let go.
Brand new switches should solder very easily.

Quoted from MarkG:

I think what you have is a single normally open switch with a third solder tab to make attaching the diode easier which would be important for solid state games. I suspect that two of the solder tabs are shorted together and that the frame isn't electrically connected to any of the solder tabs. A meter would confirm that. That might also explain why you can't easily solder to the frame - it wasn't intended to be soldered.
If that's the case you can't use this switch as a direct replacement. If you connect the yellow wire to one solder tab and the other two wires to the two solder tabs that are shorted together you'll get the I target any time 10 points are scored. You could just wire up the white-green I relay wire and give up the 10 points in a pinch.

Quoted from northvibe:

PBR sells single components like just a blade or fish paper etc. So you could rebuild your switch. It is cheaper, more labor, but you'll pay a chunk in shipping.

Quoted from newmantjn:

Rather than turn this into a full blown science project, why not just drill out the rivet on the new stand and transfer the target to the old one?