Boeing, I hate you! You are too good.

[jmig]

Actually I admire you for you building skills. I spent the entire weekend working on the four warning lights in my cockpit. They work, the Master Caution is even spring loaded to a button that will turn off the light.

Except they look like they were pulled from a crash jet. I tried to duplicate what you did. It sucks. You amaze me with your workmanship and talent.

Here is a picture of the damage. I refused to post a close up shot. I did cut out the two lower panel plates and mount them. Maybe when I put the shroud over the panel it will hide my ugly lights.

[Michael Carter]

Hey! They don't look bad at all. In fact they appear to be about the size of the real thing.

Right color too. What were you having trouble with?

[jmig]

Hey! They don't look bad at all. In fact they appear to be about the size of the real thing.

Right color too. What were you having trouble with?

Up close they look like ....

The bent over edges in from are uneven. The 90 degree angles aren't. I redid the Master Caution three times trying to get it right. It is cockeyed and uneven. Even got a spot of glue on the face paper changing the color.

Other words, they aren't perfect.

[Michael Carter]

Did you use the aluminum flashing that I made mine from?

If you have drawn out the indicator body with the back and sides as one piece and cut with an Exacto knife (you just want to score it heavily, then the cut pieces will snap off like acrylic), use a small block of wood the same size as the back of the indicator to help you fold up the sides.

If your forming block is square and your cuts are true it will fold up nicely.

Try it again if you don't like them. I sometimes have to do things over again too if I don't like how it's turning out the first time.

[jmig]

Did you use the aluminum flashing that I made mine from?

If you have drawn out the indicator body with the back and sides as one piece and cut with an Exacto knife (you just want to score it heavily, then the cut pieces will snap off like acrylic), use a small block of wood the same size as the back of the indicator to help you fold up the sides.

If your forming block is square and your cuts are true it will fold up nicely.

Try it again if you don't like them. I sometimes have to do things over again too if I don't like how it's turning out the first time.

Yes, I used aluminum flashing and cut it with aviation snips. I folded it using the acrylic pieces and a piece of aluminum block to square it with a flat head hammer.

My problem is with the gluing. I had to use a small piece on the inside to provide surface area where the join meets. Too bad they can't be soldered. It was here that I had most of my problems.

I probably will redo them. I might have to make a jig to hold them in position while the epoxy drys.

[Michael Carter]

I used small pieces of aluminum flashing for the inside corners too. No harm in that. But I used Loc-Tite 401 to assemble it and allow it to set, and then used JB Weld to fill in the rest of the corners and re-inforce them.

I do this with a lot of stuff as it speeds assembly, while allowing you to re-inforce or permanently bond materials without the wait.

You can get Loc-Tite 401 from Mouser, McMaster-Carr, and MSC Industrial Supply. Probably others too, but I don't know who. Loc-Tite makes a whole range of cryanoacrylic adhesives with different properties. The 401 is a medium viscocity adhesive with fair fill properties and a minute or two set time. Full cure is 12 hours I believe, but it's handlable after only the set time.

[jmig]

I used small pieces of aluminum flashing for the inside corners too. No harm in that. But I used Loc-Tite 401 to assemble it and allow it to set, and then used JB Weld to fill in the rest of the corners and re-inforce them...

I can't visualize this? I will think on it and try again later.

[Michael Carter]

Just bent small (tiny) strips to 90 degrees to place in the corners and use the adhesive to attach them.

You'll get it.

[jmig]

Just bent small (tiny) strips to 90 degrees to place in the corners and use the adhesive to attach them.

You'll get it.

Do you use them on all four corners? During the night, I thought that I could have the ends meet on one corner. I use one as reinforcement there and use the JB Weld like bondo. Fill in any gaps with it.

[Michael Carter]

I used them where needed. The thin aluminum is slightly springy, but yeah, that's pretty much how I did it.