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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 5, 2020 22:58:08 GMT
What I want: a laser cutter. What I have: a laser printer. Guess we'll have to make do. I'm quite pleased to announce that I successfully installed my new (and first) laser printer and it only took three hours and five driver downloads! I'm also quite pleased to share the fruits of this labor: 1:1 scale drawings! Now, I am undefeatable.   A 1:1 scaling was achieved by creating the front panel design on Fusion 360 (quite an easy program to jump into coming from a SOLIDWORKS background) and generating a 2D drawing with a 1:1 scale ratio for the main face projection. My printer gave me accurate results by printing a PDF copy of the drawing at "actual size;" your mileage may vary depending on paper, page, and border drawing settings. Rough cut was glued onto stock with a school glue stick and the main shape was cut before the first photo was taken. I added center marks to the drawing, which assisted the fix to my interim drilling precision issues:  I pre-drilled the 3mm pilot holes above with their own 2mm pilot holes. This is where I began to wish dearly for the other type of laser. Increased accuracy of the pot holes (heh) was achieved by accepting the fact that a 7mm hole won't be big enough no matter what because my assembly, measurement, and drafting techniques simply aren't accurate enough to nail the correct placement of the hole with a 0.5mm margin of error, and just drilling it out to 8mm the first time. All this means that I could actually put the hole where I wanted it to go:  The input/output rectangles were evacuated by means of an x-acto keyhole saw and chisel blade. It was during this process that I wished for a $6,000 windfall so I can transform my kitchen table into a laser cutter station. Well, I have 1/100th of that, so x-acto tools it is! I now realize that I don't have a photo of the peeled board mounted on the module, so bear with me while I find my phone. |
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 5, 2020 23:39:36 GMT
Definitely handmade, and I could use some practice, but it fits:  It would be child's play with a laser cutter... but I digress. Sanding that upper-right corner is also on the to-do list. This 1:1 scale-finding was good practice for my eventual goal of printing PCBs, which will boost the quality of my modules considerably, I think. My laser printer purchase was the most currently useful piece of equipment needed to that end, as well, which is why it was purchased before the rest. Printed PCBs will also eliminate the locational issues I've experienced (ie. pot holes); standardized, repeatable placements for components will make front panel creation and customization a breeze as well. I'm open to color and decoration suggestions. Cheers! yPb |
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Post by MikMo on Apr 6, 2020 6:45:51 GMT
Nice panel!
I did almost exactly the same yesterday.
I used an original blank AE faceplate, designed a somewhat simpler front panel than yours, and drilled out the round holes.
For the rectangular holes for the pin headers i simply used an exacto knife and a steel ruler and slowly cut along the lines, over and over until the blade started to go all the way through. Then i turned the panel and finished from the other side.
For larger round holes i can recommend a step drill, it makes reasonably clean holes.
I use some old software i have especially made for designing frontpanels Abacom Frontdesigner. It works really well, and has built in functions for creating potentiometer scales and many other things.
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Post by robertlanger on Apr 6, 2020 7:33:25 GMT
Hi Guys,
I'm totally happy to see what you are doing! I was always sure that AE could be a great platform for DIY and now I can really SEE it!
More support for AE DIY will come soon!
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Post by martynaudio on Apr 6, 2020 18:28:47 GMT
this is great to see! This is giving me lots of ideas although I too only have a laser printer, no cutter. AND also a lack of electronics knowledge, but it's definitely something to look into!
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 7, 2020 1:48:04 GMT
this is great to see! This is giving me lots of ideas although I too only have a laser printer, no cutter. AND also a lack of electronics knowledge, but it's definitely something to look into! Sounds like me six months ago. I repeated my Intro to Circuits class twice before I bought my first soldering iron, and I'm an amalgamation of diseased genetics, so if I can do it, you can, too! (Most of the practical, silicon-on-the-PCB knowledge and understanding came after I started designing circuits and were thus self-taught--- so I BELIEVE IN YOU.) The main reason I post the more mundane work and processes like this is to inspire; I have personally encountered many an online tutorial and said "wow, that was VERY simple and straightforward and I have no idea why I didn't discover that on my own." Methods that are obvious to me may not be obvious to others and sharing benefits the whole of us. So I'm very glad to have inspired you and hope you share any upcoming projects <3 |
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 7, 2020 1:54:13 GMT
Nice panel! I did almost exactly the same yesterday. I used an original blank AE faceplate, designed a somewhat simpler front panel than yours, and drilled out the round holes. For the rectangular holes for the pin headers i simply used an exacto knife and a steel ruler and slowly cut along the lines, over and over until the blade started to go all the way through. Then i turned the panel and finished from the other side. For larger round holes i can recommend a step drill, it makes reasonably clean holes. I use some old software i have especially made for designing frontpanels Abacom Frontdesigner. It works really well, and has built in functions for creating potentiometer scales and many other things. A step drill would up my freehand-drilling game dramatically. Thanks for the tip. Using Abacom Frontdesigner, how do you transfer the eg. pot scales to the board? I could see printing the final front panel design on paper and gluing it to the panel... Also, I'm super jealous of the functionality; I'm sure I COULD get text wrapping and tic marks around a hole in Fusion 360, but it would likely be a bit of a pain and, at best, force me to use paper as the front panel. As my laser printer is grayscale only, these would likely taste rather bland. |
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Post by MikMo on Apr 7, 2020 6:22:57 GMT
I have not yet used frontdesigner panles wit my AE synth. But what i have done with other devices is this:
I design the panel in Frontdesigner
I print two versions
One used as a drilling template to drill the holes in the frontpanel
The other is laminated in laminating pouches that are "semi matte", the glossy ones are too shiny. I just use a cheap laminator.
After laminating, i use hole punches to make clean holes in the laminated "panel cover".
Finally i use 3M spay glue to stick it to the drilled panel.
I have mostly used this method with aluminum sheet panels, but i can't see why it should not work with other materials.
One note. Frontdesigner might be a bit dated now, i don't know when the last update was issued.
I think there are plugins for the more modern graphics tools that can do a lot these days. But Frontdesigner is cheap, and resonably easy to work with
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Post by rodney on Apr 9, 2020 2:38:36 GMT
These are great! hmmm... step drill is a good idea. I live dangerously close to a hardware store too. :0
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 9, 2020 16:35:08 GMT
The other is laminated in laminating pouches that are "semi matte", the glossy ones are too shiny. I just use a cheap laminator. After laminating, i use hole punches to make clean holes in the laminated "panel cover". Finally i use 3M spay glue to stick it to the drilled panel. I have mostly used this method with aluminum sheet panels, but i can't see why it should not work with other materials. I really dislike having to hand-paint and hand-letter these front panels; this is a great way of both avoiding that task and waterproofing the front panel design. If I'm not mistaken, laminators can be used to transfer laserprinted PCB designs to copper laminate pretty well, which seems like a far cry better than pressing a 24x100mm piece of metal and thin slip of paper onto a hot, barefaced iron. Thanks for the inspiration! |
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Post by MikMo on Apr 9, 2020 19:38:13 GMT
One problem with my laminated design (see one here: forum.aemodular.com/thread/708/joy-stick-controller) is that sometimes the laminate tends to seperate, especially in the corners. The best way to prevent this is to cut the panel design before laminating it. And yes i use the laminator for making PCB's as well. |
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 10, 2020 0:08:15 GMT
I could see why that helps; cutting the panel design before laminating would allow each edge on the front panel to be sealed with the laminate, whereas trimming them after lamination would eliminate that "pocket seal" around the peripheries. Do you have a brand/model recommendation? I'm not sure exactly where in my apartment I'd put it, but I'd make it work if it means not ruining an iron and keeping my paints stored. |
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Post by MikMo on Apr 10, 2020 9:26:27 GMT
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 11, 2020 1:33:26 GMT
Man, I've been searching around the internet for a day and a half now and it feels like there's a similarly obscene number of home laminator models for sale as there are home printers... Not to mention the ample presence of laminator mod tutorials, geez. It's very strange to see such a wild price, quality, and modification intensity spread like this in a machine; some people get perfect results from some $20 laminator purchased (and posted about) 10 years ago, some push models that have been out of production for years or are more than 5x the price as others, some vehemently insist that the ONLY way to get a laminator to transfer toner effectively is to install a damn Atmega reading a 3rd party thermocouple and switching a rebuilt heating system that feeds with precision-tensioned replaced roller springs. It's a madhouse. Oh, and then the oddball fellow that clamps theirs up in aluminum and bakes it in their kitchen oven. Kooky. I thought there'd be some general consistency of opinion for a technique that's been around for so long, but alas. I must sail the Great Material Continuum alone. These are great! hmmm... step drill is a good idea. I live dangerously close to a hardware store too. :0 Step drills are essential goods #quarantine If I lived within walking distance of a hardware store I'd be even more broke than I am now. |
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Post by rodney on Apr 25, 2020 3:41:50 GMT
I love Robert's rubber stamp method for his panel labels.
I am toying with 3D printing molds for silicon rubber stamps for home-made panels.
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Post by young Protoboard on Apr 25, 2020 16:34:05 GMT
I love Robert's rubber stamp method for his panel labels.
I am toying with 3D printing molds for silicon rubber stamps for home-made panels.
I'd love to see it work, if you take a shot at it. I admire the simple production, cut, paint, and stamp, of AEM face plates. Very fast and repestable; good for production. |
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Lugia
Wiki Editors
Ridiculously busy...ish.
Posts: 556 
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Post by Lugia on Apr 25, 2020 22:47:37 GMT
An idea: if you want to get REALLY artsy and still have that inkstamp aesthetic, try BLOCK PRINTING! You'll need...
Some blockprinting carving tools An ink brayer Linoleum or wood blocks Appropriate ink(s) Something that can apply pressure evenly
Plenty of stuff online on how this gets done. Plus, once you have the block(s) carved, they'll work until hell freezes over, pretty much. And if you're wondering about the plurals in the post, yeah, you can actually use MULTIPLE blocks and different ink colors! Grab some tools 'n' git yet Albrecht Durer on!
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