My Home made 737 Panels

[JohnB]

Hi All
After chatting here ( and making a couple of members some panels). I thought I would start a topic showing the 737 panels I have made so far.

I have all my panels in bubble wrap awaiting a move to a new house (when I can build my pit finally)

This pic is the basic panels for the FWD Overhead...this was one of my first projects on getting the laser machine...I have never been one to start gently in at the deep end every time!
fwd-ohead02.jpg
This is with a few switches fitted and screwed to the back panels (the back panel is made up from 9 or 10 A4 sheets).


I also made the annunciators
Fwd_ohead annun.jpg

I made one set for a fellow builder.
Here's the finished item
Phil-ohead.jpg

The, working, gauges in it are also my work.

John

[JohnB]

Here's a few more pictures.
The Aileron trim panel mechanism caused much head scratching and quite a few failed attempts But am very pleased with the result (though I do say myself)
Aileron-trim01.jpg

Here's the bare VHF Radio front panel
Bare vhf01.jpg

And the assembled one
finished vhf01.jpg

And alive and being tested

vhf-being tested.jpg


John

[fsaviator]

Very nice job on those panels! Can you tell me more about your laser?

[JohnB]

Hi Warren

Thank you for your kind words

With regards to the machine you may be sorry you asked

Well it started out as a very cheap Chinese K40 machine off Ebay.

I had read reviews about how the control boards pack up and how horrible the software is.
They sell hundreds of these things so you ask yourself 'can they really be that bad?' so I bought one, expecting the worse, well I got what I expected ...the worst!!!!. After a month the controller board went wrong (although while working I was surprised how well the machine worked)..I returned this to the seller as requested and they claimed it never arrived (even with proof of delivery!)
So I bought a 'proper' control board with the necessary drivers for the stepper motors...Then I had to buy a new power supply as the one with the machine was "the wrong type". Add to that some decent quality mirrors and lens (although the supplied one did do the job).

Anyway to cut a long story short I have an expensive cheap Chinese laser but the upgrades do mean I can use the stuff to drive a big machine up to about 120 watts (i think).

All in all I guess it has cost £1100 or so...still cheap for a laser though and now its a decent laser ..Thank God for my credit card.

It is probably the best purchase I have made especially for the sim...as soon as you get used to thinking in flat sheets and 2D then you'd be amazed what you can make
This for example

yw8.jpg...made from LOTS of bits cut on the laser glued together a bit of car body filler and paint.

also the knob on the Aileron panel.

Its capable of very fine work too I get accuracy to about .3mm

Not sure what else to tell about it if you have any questions feel free to ask


John

[JohnB]

Warren
Just checking your site out...way cool !!!!!

I love your excitement of having a real pilot plop in the left seat !!!

John

[fsaviator]

Thanks John. We have an epilog at work for engraving plaques and gifts and I've been itching to buy one for my hobby. I have a CNC and a 3D printer and I can use them fairly well. I guess I just like new tools.

I love my 737 but my ultimate goal is to build my next sim by myself.

I wish I had more time to document my progress. I'm on vacation right now so I was able to kick back in front of the TV and knock out some updates. Plenty of time when I'm away from work and the sim.

Thanks for the info on the laser. I've looked at the ones from China and was hesitant. I guess I'll wait a bit more.

Cheers!

[JohnB]

Hi Warren

If you do go the Chinese route drop me a PM as I have fairly well documented the alterations/connections/setting up as well as having sourced the parts way cheaper than I paid ...*sigh*.

I cant wait to move to the new house I will then have room to assemble my sim.

John

[JohnB]

Ok another panel I made from scratch

Oh BTW a question for the moderators ...should this thread be somewhere else? like in the blog section ????

ok Cargo fire panel

This was bought and built by a guy in Utah.
cargo_fire.jpg
All assembled and lit up

Beware if anyone wants one of these there are around 60-80 parts in the kit..Though I will supply instructions.

and in his pedestal
cargo_fire_Install.jpg

He's made my work look good !!!!


John

[tiburon]

Hi, I've been trying to source a suitable flip cover for the discharge push button. Could you tell me what you used ?
Great job, by the way!

Thanks

Martin

[JohnB]

Hi Martin

Thank you for the kind words.
I made the flap up in two halves and sprayed a thin coat of blue windscreen tint spray.
Its designed to fit with the button boxes I make.
What have you there that you need to hinge onto?
(if you have access to a laser I can send you the drawings)
Having said that though have you seen these?

http://www.geremy.co.uk/shop/article...LB14%252385%26

at £2.99 its worth tearing one apart for the bit you need??


John