How can I make the back lighted letters in a plexiglass panel?

[oal331]

There is no possibility to buy a single panel.Even if I could afford it I prefer to make it my own.
Moreover the panels I want to make are not in sale anyware.

So...... good luck!!!

[Westozy]

Hi Gwyn,

I take it you set the printer to print a grey background and "white" lettering on the "overhead" film/plastic sheet. That would leave clear lettering which turns white when you use a backing sheet of white plastic. Am I correct?

Thanks

Rob

That's it Rob, you got it. The original panel you 'paint' on the PC before printing looks like the finished product. I used images from the Boeing manuals and hand painted them with Microsoft paint and then I added the text in Photoshop 6. I have nearly all the 737NG pics done already, I was planning on giving them to MC.org to sell as a fund raising CD at some stage! It is really easy when you've done a few, I made all the panels for my overhead for about ten bucks!

Gwyn

[Trevor Hale]

Check out these pictures.

http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...php?photo=1710

http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...php?photo=1706

I made all my own backlit panels, using Plexi, High gloss Photo paper, and spray adhesive.

and my ink jet printer.

Trev

[Per Alm]

Hello!

I would like to share our solution on how to make panels. We use a freeware program called front panel designer. You can find it in our link list on our website www.learsim.com under schaeffer. Using this program you can design your own panels and have them engraved in different materials by this company. Not to expensive actually and very professional looks to your panels. In this way you can customize your panels to your needs. You can also look for Front Panel Express situated in the US. We use Black anodized aluminum for our panels so they will not be backlit. However there are many ways to arrange nice lights for your cockpits. We use "micro spotlights" with white bright LEDs and coloured plastic films combined with larger spots as flood light. I also used front panel designer to make lightable buttons in same way Westozy made his panels as mentioned in an earlier thread. See attached pictures.

Regards

Per Alm

[mirrage]

Well I leave in Greece so its not easy to make bussines with a Swedish company.
The problem is the distance.

Trevor Hale
I am processing so many ideas and solutions and each time I see
something that someone saw from a different point of view.
Thanks for your answer.
I am curiοus to know what aircraft you build.

[Trevor Hale]

I am building a Dassault Falcon 900Ex And having fun doing it

Trev

[mirrage]

I am building a Dassault Falcon 900Ex And having fun doing it

Trev

Having fun doing your project is one of the most impresive feelings during this task.Dassault 900Ex?You must be one of a few if not the only who build this cockpit.
Congratulations!Your overhead looks really good for home made.

[Trevor Hale]

Thanks so much for your kind words. I have really tried to work hard on all my panels. I make them all myself. have a look in the photo gallery, you can see all my MIP Panels are home made as well.

Thanks again,

Trev

[Per Alm]

[QUOTE=mirrage;54747]Well I leave in Greece so its not easy to make bussines with a Swedish company.
The problem is the distance.


Actually that company is situated in Germany and you can buy their panels over the internet. You download their software and design the panels. You can see the price of your panel from within the program, and everything is specified in that price. You then order and have the panels delivered in a week. We are lucky to have a friend in our town with an engraving machine that can read front panel docs. However I also have a friend who makes panels for amplifiers and he used Schaeffers services several times and is very satisfied.

Also if you plan to make the panels yourself you can use the Front Panel Designer software. It's freeware and it's easy to use. You can print the panels on plastic films and mount theese on plexiglass in the same way Trevor and Westozy have. I also use the program to make subpanels to get all the switches, buttons and encoders in correct position. I can recommend that program.

I also fully agree with Trevor Hale that it's very pleasing to design/make all your panels yourself. I also made some custom panels, for exemple an ATC-RMU with a small LCD display for ATC text and buttons ("small terminal") to use for "ATC talking".

You can find pictures of some of our panels in the Photo Gallery in the Corporate Aircraft section.There are also pictures on our site. For exemple our speed reference chart is made with Front Panel Designer and printed on plastic film.


/ Per Alm

[mirrage]

This post has been very helpful.It is even calculating the shipping cost!
I will search the Greek market and if I find nothing better than this I will
continue.

In the issue of enjoyment that building offers I have to say that "The journey is sometimes better than the destination".
Don't you agree?
In fact I am thinging that If I finish building I will have to start something else!

Thanks a lot!