Getting Panels Engraved?

[JohnB]

Hi Henri

Will let everyone know when I get to cut bigger...I would like to go big enough to cut the MIP but that's above my pay grade to make a bed large enough.

I have made the whole set of gauges for the 737 800 including the double ones on the overhead.
here's an example of the prototype Diff press gauge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P816teW8kbo

brake pressure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK-SkqUw7-s

even a "wet compass"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWa9eh_dys0

and the hardest to design and get working, by far
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmkL0cHXK8E

oh except for maybe this panel (its the prototypical so its battered about a bit.but it gives the general idea)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDKEo13U92c

I have around 85% of the pit sorted

more pix if anyone wants them

John

[JohnB]

well it started out as a cheap Chinese lase from ebay.

When I bought it I pretty much knew I would have to change the main control board, fairy soon as, from reviews, they seem to break within anything from 20 mins to 3 months.. So if you are looking at the K40 type laser bank on spending at least £500 on a pro controller...with mine the controller failed (expected) the power supply failed next and in doing so supplied too much current to the tube. However it now means I know the machine inside out LOL. & I am the owner of the worlds most expensive "cheap Chinese Laser"

John

[Henju]

That sounds good, but I am needing the old classic engine egt, n1 epr oil temp and so on gauges... (737-3-500)

Thanks
Henri

(I would love to see some pics!)

[JohnB]

That sounds good, but I am needing the old classic engine egt, n1 epr oil temp and so on gauges... (737-3-500)

Thanks
Henri



(I would love to see some pics!)

Hi Henri

Any gauge can be made the same way I made those...all I need is a GOOD photo and a dimension or two...oh and details of how you would mount it..
other stuff like whether you'd need lenses etc etc

I might start a new thread for pictures of my panels to save flooding your topic.

John

[Jerrymc3]

Henri

I was curious as to what you make your panels out of. My son used to work for a sign company that had a laser and we used it to make panels for my B747-400 Cockpit out of Acrylic and Romark. Unfortunately, he quit before we could get finished. The company said they would finish them but they did a really poor job and forgot the Anti-Ice panel so I wasn't able to do the lettering for it and I cracked my MCP panel when I was drilling into it. (Should have used a stop on my drill bit, made me so mad). I considered getting a laser but I would have to use it to make the money to pay for it. I've just retired because of my health and I'm afraid to take the risk.

JerryIMG_0484.jpgIMG_0483.jpgIMG_0476.jpgIMG_0464.jpg

[Henju]

Acrylic would probably be the most preferable method for the gauges, unless you do steel
Using the white acrylic, painting it the color, and then lasering down to the white layer revealing the engraving. That's how most of the bought panels are done... it gives a very professional look.

The 747 pit is lovely! it is quite the piece, maybe re-furbish it one day!

Henri

[Jerrymc3]

Using the white acrylic, painting it the color, and then lasering down to the white layer revealing the engraving.

Thats how I did mine. Is it how Open Cockpits does theirs. Do you use acrylic or metal?

Jerry

[JohnB]

If you are going to use back lighting, then the better acrylic to use is in fact 'Opal' instead of white as the white i quite opaque..

Or better still is Opal for the very front panel but clear for the rear mounting panel. (same price though)

John

[Henju]

Gosh, I wouldn't have known the difference... I just assumed white is opal!
As you can probably tell I've never build my own panels!

Henri

[Henju]

I found a site called Hispapanels which do custom panels, looking around the 80 EUR mark for an MCP size... has anyone ever used these?

http://www.hispapanels.com/tienda/en...ness-3-mm.html

Henri