Laser Engraving and material selection

[alaxus]

The biggest thing I found with the laser is that it can turn the white paint a bit yellow (burnt).
At the moment I am building a CNC machine to help make some of the panels.
Anyone got ideas of backlighting? I was thinking of using flatlite http://www.e-lite.com/

[Michael Carter]

The biggest thing I found with the laser is that it can turn the white paint a bit yellow (burnt).
At the moment I am building a CNC machine to help make some of the panels.
Anyone got ideas of backlighting? I was thinking of using flatlite http://www.e-lite.com/

The panel people Boeing contracts to channel the base layer where the lettering is and install grain-of-wheat bulbs wired in parallel.

[Paul G]

I have been thinking about backlighting, and will be having some panels made also. However, I'd never thought of painting them myself and having them engraved. The results look fantastic but it seems a lot of work and the cutting tools have got to be ridiculously accurate.

I was going to build a mock up of a piece of panel, and then approach sign makers hoping that they can accurately print onto some acrylic. One coat would be the light diffusion layer, and the top coat would be opaque in the colour of the bird.

As an alternative (and I'm expecting this would be a lot cheaper and easier), have a sign maker print onto an acetate sheet. I can then lay this onto an acryllic sheet and do the cutting myself (or have another company pre-cut the acrylic).

Anyone have any comments on this approach? I'm asking because I'm sure some of you guys have been here, and just wondering what the pitfalls are.

Out of interest, is it expensive to have an engraver etch out a cockpit panel?

Thanks for your help

Paul

[alaxus]

I have been thinking about backlighting, and will be having some panels made also. However, I'd never thought of painting them myself and having them engraved. The results look fantastic but it seems a lot of work and the cutting tools have got to be ridiculously accurate.

I was going to build a mock up of a piece of panel, and then approach sign makers hoping that they can accurately print onto some acrylic. One coat would be the light diffusion layer, and the top coat would be opaque in the colour of the bird.

As an alternative (and I'm expecting this would be a lot cheaper and easier), have a sign maker print onto an acetate sheet. I can then lay this onto an acryllic sheet and do the cutting myself (or have another company pre-cut the acrylic).

Anyone have any comments on this approach? I'm asking because I'm sure some of you guys have been here, and just wondering what the pitfalls are.

Out of interest, is it expensive to have an engraver etch out a cockpit panel?

Thanks for your help

Paul

Just to put into perspective, the picture I posted in my last post, the front panel cost me $9.00 to get the holes laser cut and the text laser etched. The button placards were about $1.00 ea.
This panel I did has 3 laser cut layers, which increases cost, but I was experimenting. Next panels wont be done this way.

[sbecker777]

Paul,
I've also thought about your approach. Some of the sign/graphic makers I've talked to can print on translucent vinyl, with excellent light blocking ability for the brown/blue/gray main color. They use these for quick backlit signs with incredible saturation and detail.

Since it's pretty easy to make a panel in Illustrator, Photoshop or any other drawing tool, I thought about having the printers print my brown panel with white lettering drawing on translucent white vinyl.

I could then cut out the panel graphic, glue the vinyl over an acrylic or plexi piece and assuming the brown/blue color was fully blocked, I'd have a nice backlight capable panel for cheap. Thoughts?

Steve

[Paul G]

...I thought about having the printers print my brown panel with white lettering drawing on translucent white vinyl

Steve,
If you've not dealt with printers before, make sure they know what effect you're trying to achieve. That's why I'm thinking of taking along prototypes of each bit of panel. The should then be able to suggest the best way of achieving that effect.

FYI, if you are using white lettering over a coloured background colour in an illustration program, make sure that you create the lettering on its own layer and tell the printer this is the 'knockout' layer. This is because I'm guessing that you don't want them to print white over the panel colour, so much as 'not' print panel colour where white appears. Printers refer to this as the knockout layer (I think)

One concern I have about the 'stick on panel' approach, is that the sticky layer will end up detaching at the corners, and suffers more risk of damage than if printed directly onto the acrylic. I think a protective coat (transparent of course) would help increase longevity. Also the edges of the panel would need to be painted in the same colours scheme, so you'd need to be given the colour code or ideally some actual paint.

Good luck

Paul

[HansJansen]

Paul,

You mention "currently in Airbus colors" in your signature. Do you have color numbers, e.g. RAL codes, for these colors? Up to now I haven't been able to find them anywhere...

Thanks a lot,

Hans

[Tomlin]

Check your PMs Phil