richard hutchinson
07-24-2009, 08:05 AM
This will apply to any panel if you are making it yourself.
The panel sections will need to be made from Acrylic perspex (opaque).
Stick with me - it gets better!
Buy some letraset blank sheets from Ebay (come in various sizes). It is very thin and can be directly printed on using a mono laser.
Design your panel layout in a graphics package such as Corel, making the backround grey ( or whatever colour you wish) and the legends and knob markings in white and bring these to the front of the background layer. (remember, anything in white will not get printed out by the laser).
To get rotary switch increments, go to a web site called "scaleomatic) and you can produce an .eps file and add it to your design.
Once you are happy, do a test print on paper and try it on your perspex. If its ok, bung a letraset sheet in and print it out. Alighn it on your perspex, then carefully peel the backing off. This letraset is VERY thin and hardly detectable. Make sure all the air is out as your rub it down.
Now, you will notice that if you hold your panel up to a light source from behind, the legends and lettering all glow nicely and the lettering is sharp. Great for night flights, and it looks impressive.
Now the hard bit -drilling the holes out for switches etc. Make sure that the perspex is tightly clamped down on say a piece of pine wood. Use a cordless hand drill (this tip passed to me by Uncle Ian) and GENTLY let the drill weight do the job. DON'T FORCE IT!! Just before it goes right through, stop the drill, reverse it and gently allow the drill running backwards to finish the hole off.
Any larger holes (for annunciators etc) use a hole saw, ensuring that the perspex is held tight, otherwise it will split, shatter or crack! Remember when drilling perspex - "less pressure the better".
Using Ian's idea of an old ATX power supply, you can easily put some 6v bulbholders behind to light it all up.
Voila! Enjoy
Hope this helps someone.
Regards
Richard
The panel sections will need to be made from Acrylic perspex (opaque).
Stick with me - it gets better!
Buy some letraset blank sheets from Ebay (come in various sizes). It is very thin and can be directly printed on using a mono laser.
Design your panel layout in a graphics package such as Corel, making the backround grey ( or whatever colour you wish) and the legends and knob markings in white and bring these to the front of the background layer. (remember, anything in white will not get printed out by the laser).
To get rotary switch increments, go to a web site called "scaleomatic) and you can produce an .eps file and add it to your design.
Once you are happy, do a test print on paper and try it on your perspex. If its ok, bung a letraset sheet in and print it out. Alighn it on your perspex, then carefully peel the backing off. This letraset is VERY thin and hardly detectable. Make sure all the air is out as your rub it down.
Now, you will notice that if you hold your panel up to a light source from behind, the legends and lettering all glow nicely and the lettering is sharp. Great for night flights, and it looks impressive.
Now the hard bit -drilling the holes out for switches etc. Make sure that the perspex is tightly clamped down on say a piece of pine wood. Use a cordless hand drill (this tip passed to me by Uncle Ian) and GENTLY let the drill weight do the job. DON'T FORCE IT!! Just before it goes right through, stop the drill, reverse it and gently allow the drill running backwards to finish the hole off.
Any larger holes (for annunciators etc) use a hole saw, ensuring that the perspex is held tight, otherwise it will split, shatter or crack! Remember when drilling perspex - "less pressure the better".
Using Ian's idea of an old ATX power supply, you can easily put some 6v bulbholders behind to light it all up.
Voila! Enjoy
Hope this helps someone.
Regards
Richard