Building my 737 Overhead

Hi all,
After finishing my first contract for Trevor Hale I am back working on my own sim and have started building the overhead panel.
http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...php?photo=1052
This picture is the one piece 6mm PVC base panel that all of my overhead 'sub-panels' will eventually be attached to. It took approximately eight hours on the drill and jigsaw to cut the 495 holes. Light will come through these hole to illumnate every word printed on the sub-panels. How I make the backlighting panels is soon to be featured in Computer Pilot magazine. All of the 737 bitmaps I made for printing will soon be available from MyCockpit.org
I will use this thread to document the progress for anyone who wants to follow this method, (OK Bob!) This method is quite labour intensive but I should be able to complete it with switches for about US$400. Engravity Boeing knobs are on the way because I can't make them myself.

Gwyn

Wow mate - that is something else! I only have to go near plastic with a drill or jigsaw and it shatters!

Gwyn,

I was just looking at your beautiful O/h.

Dude I have to ask... Did you ever think when you were almost done what you would have done when you were cutting those close holes together if you had chipped or broken one of the tiny spacers between a couple of the cutouts.

Tragic.

Trev

OMG. I can't imagine cutting that many holes at a time. It looks great Gwyn, but I'm glad I could use Boeing equipment in my overhead.

I would have grew bored in short order with that tedious task.

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Originally Posted by Westozy

Hi all,
After finishing my first contract for Trevor Hale I am back working on my own sim and have started building the overhead panel.
http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...php?photo=1052
This picture is the one piece 6mm PVC base panel that all of my overhead 'sub-panels' will eventually be attached to. It took approximately eight hours on the drill and jigsaw to cut the 495 holes. Light will come through these hole to illumnate every word printed on the sub-panels. How I make the backlighting panels is soon to be featured in Computer Pilot magazine. All of the 737 bitmaps I made for printing will soon be available from MyCockpit.org
I will use this thread to document the progress for anyone who wants to follow this method, (OK Bob!) This method is quite labour intensive but I should be able to complete it with switches for about US$400. Engravity Boeing knobs are on the way because I can't make them myself. (yet!)

Gwyn

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WOW. That looks sweet. Thats alot of holes to cut but man it looks really professional dude!

:D As Radar picks up his jaw from the ground!:roll:

You should have your own company and supply all of us who can not do that beautiful work.

Great stuff Westosy.

:roll: In advance of you having you company,I would like to be your first customer. I need a TQ for a 737NG. under $400.00.

Mike

I wanna be the 2nd customer!

I need a 747 panel with all the buttons, nobs, annunciators the whole works and all I gotta do is plug it in lol. I'm willing to pay $1500 for the thing.:p

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Originally Posted by visualchaosfx

I wanna be the 2nd customer!

I need a 747 panel with all the buttons, nobs, annunciators the whole works and all I gotta do is plug it in lol. I'm willing to pay $1500 for the thing.:p

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Got news for you chaos... LOL that would barely cover the parts, and surely not the amount of Labor Gwyn has spent on this thing. Poor guy probably would have rather spent 1500 on something like that then the amount he has sweat building it.

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Originally Posted by Trevor Hale

Got news for you chaos... LOL that would barely cover the parts, and surely not the amount of Labor Gwyn has spent on this thing. Poor guy probably would have rather spent 1500 on something like that then the amount he has sweat building it.

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Ok ok. How about a 747 Throttle quadrant? Realisticly, how much would someone on here charge to get something like that built?:p

Thanks guys, good feedback is always a buzz and most welcomed.

"Aerosim Solutions" officially opens for business making custom flightsimulator parts in January 2008. (I really want to finish my own sim first and I think it will be reasonably complete by then). I will be looking at providing non available parts for members of MyCockpit when my time is freed up a bit next year, until then.....stay tuned!

Gwyn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Westozy

Thanks guys, good feedback is always a buzz and most welcomed.

"Aerosim Solutions" officially opens for business making custom flightsimulator parts in January 2008. (I really want to finish my own sim first and I think it will be reasonably complete by then). I will be looking at providing non available parts for members of MyCockpit when my time is freed up a bit next year, until then.....stay tuned!

Gwyn

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Sweet. I'll be keeping an eye out:D

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/..._contest_2.gif cool

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Westozy

Thanks guys, good feedback is always a buzz and most welcomed.

"Aerosim Solutions" officially opens for business making custom flightsimulator parts in January 2008. (I really want to finish my own sim first and I think it will be reasonably complete by then). I will be looking at providing non available parts for members of MyCockpit when my time is freed up a bit next year, until then.....stay tuned!

Gwyn

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Yeah and what about your day job???????

I'm going to get in line for a set of Boeing rudder pedals. No fancy linkage required as on a full flight deck, just something that works and looks the part that I can place under my MIP.

Lets see, that makes me third in line now?

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Originally Posted by Westozy's missus

Yeah and what about your day job???????

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I doubt he'll be needing that anymore after word gets out about his craftsmanship and attention to detail.

After a couple of days of "quality family time", I got back on the job this afternoon and finished the panel with all the lighting switches, front of the overhead. I stuck a desklamp behind it for a pic and I'm quite pleased with the result of the basic backlighting. The result of cutting out all those holes with the jigsaw is starting to pay off. I've spent about $100 on it so far and maybe 30-35 hours. Getting there! 2 new pics at------
http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...cat=547&page=6

Gwyn

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Originally Posted by Westozy's missus

Yeah and what about your day job???????

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I'll fit it in somewhere girlie, get back to the wives threads or I'll start talking to you again!

ROFL Gwyn... Your O/H Looks awesome. Can't wait to see it finished.

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Originally Posted by Trevor Hale

ROFL Gwyn... Your O/H Looks awesome. Can't wait to see it finished.

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I would be willing to bet neather can he!!:p

I had a deviation from the O/H build and fitted the new sound package today - http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...php?photo=1104

They are driven by a 130watt RMS powered mixing desk with built in graphic, they go like thunder, wish I'd done it ages ago! I had to do about 20 take-offs just for the buzz, the whole sim vibrates being a steel frame, I'm stoked. (The neighbours probably aren't!)

Back to the O/H now, the Boeing knobs from Engravity arrived today, I'm going to go and paint a couple to see what they turn out like.....

That was my doing wasn't it Gwyn... ROFL. Glad it worked out :)
the way you wanted :)

Engravity knobs arrived and I painted and fitted four of them....
http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...cat=547&page=6
I've drilled and tapped 24 of them for the locking grub screws which was pretty easy, they are a good quality plastic and look quite robust, cheers Rob & Stef. Regular postage only took a week.

Gwyn

I added the fuel panel today and a few other bits. 4 new pics at the end of http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/s...cat=547&page=6

Gwyn

Gwyn

That overhead is looking great. I've got some plexiglass and a dremmel and you are giving me plenty of encouragement to have a go myself.
cheers

Paul