goyousalukis Posted November 28, 2002 Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 Hello everyone, I want to ask for any tips or tricks for cutting clean - nice looking slots for faders in panels. I have experimented, but haven't had much luck. I don't have much of a shop, just a drill press. Any suggestions?Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LO Posted November 28, 2002 Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 Hithe best way to get nice slots is to have your panels lasercut, can be expensive but if you take your drawing (or .DXF files if you can!) Â in to a local sheetmetal shop and talk nicely to someone, you might be lucky?I got 8 panels lasercut cut for my entire project and it cost a tray of beer! They just programmed it in with a big production job they were doing at the time.Never know your luck ;)If that dont work try getting hold of some sheetmetal punches, this way is a bit fiddly but should turn out OKLO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d2k Posted November 28, 2002 Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 what about panels that have a front, top, and back panel - so it's like a 3 sided sheet...or a box without a bottom and sides...can these places handle this kinda panel or do they have to be flat...i'm guessin it'd be fine as it's a hammond case and these i gather are used quite a bit for instrument projects...I was thinking of using schaeffer-apparatebau in Germany as i heard only positive results from ppl usin them b4...best...dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LO Posted November 28, 2002 Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 yeah flat panels only but most cases are made up of removable flat(ish) panels which you can replace with a lazer cut panel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven_C Posted April 23, 2003 Report Share Posted April 23, 2003 Hi, I cut the slots for my mb64 by drilling 3 small holes in a row, filing them into a slot with a small round file, and then fitting a jigsaw into this hole, and cutting two slits side by side, and finishing with a narrow flat file. It takes a lot of patience though. I still haven't finished the case, though! The front panel is still sitting on two blocks of wood(screwed onto) with all the electronics bolted to the bottom of the panel!!good luck all, from steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_Hurlock Posted April 23, 2003 Report Share Posted April 23, 2003 Steve, your a metal worker ;DI have used those snips,tin snips,shears or whatever, which have a small tongue cutter that protrudesbelow a flat face. You drill a hole and put the protruding part of the snips into the hole. Squeeze the handle and the tongue comes up and cuts against a slot in the flat surface above. These create a nice slotted hole.Do you recall their name or does anyone have a piccie of these things.I think they may be a solution for many on the site.Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven_C Posted April 23, 2003 Report Share Posted April 23, 2003 Yeah! I was kinda thinking that when I posted that! I guess its a learned skill, not really for everyone!! Yeah, its called a nibbling tool, I think a good brand is Adel, but they are expensive, I think! But I think your hand/wrist would be pretty sore after doing 1 or two slots! Maybe a better solution is for one of us to get heaps of modular type panels laser cut.... just a small panel for 8 faders.... if you want 16 faders, you buy 2 panels, which would screw to a front panel, with a big hole cut out by jigsaw... or just screw onto a frame.... then think about how many hobbyists worldwide who would want to avoid cutting slots would want to buy them from you!! And they could be posted in a large envelope, saving money.... an opportunity for someone with a buddy who works at a laser cutter?? I'm a fitter machinist by trade (not an invitation for anyone to ask me to mill slots for them!!!!) maybe I could go and get a job at a laser cutter so I can make free panels for everyone??? (just kidding!!!) bye from Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_Hurlock Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 Well SteveWhile we are going down the laser track maybe if we had a concensus on just what panel form would suit.Ie 100mm fader slot panel for say 8 faders.With enough room surrounding to support the sides.Do you have CAD ? Perhaps you have a design in mind.I will draw up a panel and see what I can get out of a 2400 x 1200 sheet of say electro galv at around 0.6.I'll get a price for lasering the whole sheet..Something around the A4 sheet should suffice....I'll check it out.Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven_C Posted May 4, 2003 Report Share Posted May 4, 2003 QUOTE:"Well Steve While we are going down the laser track maybe if we had a concensus on just what panel form would suit. Ie 100mm fader slot panel for say 8 faders. With enough room surrounding to support the sides. Do you have CAD ? Perhaps you have a design in mind. I will draw up a panel and see what I can get out of a 2400 x 1200 sheet of say electro galv at around 0.6. I'll get a price for lasering the whole sheet.. something around the A4 sheet should suffice....I'll check it out. Ian"very generous of you to check this out, no I've never used CAD, funnily enough! (I just look at other people's drawings!)0.6 would be a bit thin, I would have thought, 1mm steel would be better? Aluminium is easier to deburr, and drill any extra holes in (as you would know) but too expensive (needs to be thicker) steel a good compromise.... be careful... you don't want to make any mistakes on a large sheet like that!! (over and over!)hope your getting on well with your projects!(I'm making a temporary panel by using 2 thin strips of Al, and spacing out the faders between them, which I will lay a sheet of thin plastic or cardboard over, with the slots cut into that! also allows moving around of buttons, etc and trying out different positions before committing my whole panel to metal!! I bought 2 encoders, just to try the circuits out with for the time being.......)bye, from Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_Hurlock Posted May 5, 2003 Report Share Posted May 5, 2003 The laser lads don't seem so keen to cut Ally due to the reflection in the laser.Ok I'll price @ 0.9mm elctro galv. I used this last time I made a box.Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven_C Posted May 5, 2003 Report Share Posted May 5, 2003 Hey Ian, that will be cheaper than Ally! Make sure you will have people who will purchase these panels before you get lots and lots made!! (you don't want to invest all that cash, and get stuck with that stock!!) bye, from Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uclaros Posted May 21, 2003 Report Share Posted May 21, 2003 Hi to all who whant a Cheepo solution for their front panel!You can get very good fader slots with little effort if you are carefull enough!I 've cut 8 fader slots on 1mm alluminium by using the wheel that cuts aluminium (can't find the english word ;D ) of a local aluminium worker.Maybe you can get the same result by using the "metal-cutting-wheel-addon-to-pistoldrills" :oI just read what I wrote and didn't understand a tihng!!!greek-to-english translation doesn't work well for tools!I'll send a few pics to explain better!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest psytron Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 just read what I wrote and didn't understand a tihng!!! greek-to-english translation doesn't work well for tools! I'll send a few pics to explain better!! perhaps you mean a grinder with a cutting wheel on it.most cutting disks look to be about the same size (smaller but it has to be smaller)what you need is some sort of jig or (drill) to hold the grinder straight when u cut the slot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven_C Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 but you can't grind aluminium without coolant (don't try this at home folks, you'll hurt yourself!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d2k Posted September 3, 2003 Report Share Posted September 3, 2003 first time round i used a fibreglass cutting wheel and a dremel - worked, but u get thru a few wheels and the result is not that clean :P 2nd time round, i drilled a row of 2mm holes for each of the fader slots then routed and filled inside to get it all nice n clean - much better results, tho it does take time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dar303 Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 The thing that cuts slots in metal by taking away a small piece at a time is called a "nibbler".Another way to cut slots in Al is to use a good CNC-machine, it should be possible with almost every machine with a sufficiently small milling-bit./d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fx3_hdrive Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 CNC-machine ?is that the thing that has i drill which goes by itself and drills holes were u direct it from PC?if thats it u can easily cut a hole or a strip by cutting around the shape lots of times and each time increase depth ?we at school have one of them and it seams to work (i didnt cut a fader hole on it but cuts everything else !!!takes a lot of water as a coolant and a bit of patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arumblack Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 yeah, thats a cnc. CNC Standsfor "Computer Numeric Control". it works like a standard milling machine, but uses stepper motors under computer controll to position the workpiece.Really good ones (expensive) can automatically switch tools and other crazy stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rigo Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 I offer my services to cut slots and everything you need even the fabrication of the whole enclosure also i offer screen printing and dull crome plating, ionized aluminum, and powder coating services, I have reasonable prices, CNC machined bores and slots, am shipping from EL PASO, Texas USA. thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest psytron Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 has anyone here tried using a router.A router is normaly used for wood but if you are only using aluminium a few router bits should get you a stack of fader slots. plus if you get one with a small bevel on it you can have a beautifull finnish esp for the edge of the button holes and lcd hole.if you set up a nice jig (a few clamps with a few bit of wood) you should end up with avery professional looking board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.