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Cleanly Cutting Metal for CP Under/Overlay?
Necro:
No, nothing large volume. This is basically an overlay template to provide some support to the holes I'm not using in my metal CPs and to facilitate drilling the CP out.
It's going to be real thin and is only 24"x6" so...not a big issue cutting through it. Just want it 'clean' (i.e. straight) more than anything. I can buff/sand down a sharp edge if needed.
I guess I'll try to find a metal shop...no idea even where to look for that.
spystyle:
I made a sheet metal control panel before with all low-tech tools, no lasers or anything space-age
1. A corded jigsaw with appropriate blade can cut the panel out (mine was shaped like a rectangle)
2. Pilot-point drill bits and a corded drill can make the carriage bolt holes
3. A radio chassis punch can cut 1 1/8" holes for buttons and sticks - I used chainsaw lubricant oil when using this.
4. An angle grinder to clean up the edges (maybe)
The punch works like this :
Mine was Greenlee Radio Chassis Punch #730, 1 1/8", I see them on eBay sometimes
(those aren't my pics but mine looked like that)
Working with metal is like 100 times slower than working with wood, but it can be done and it's not hard or expensive :)
--- Quote from: bkenobi on February 26, 2010, 03:28:21 am ---Find a metal shop. They can cut the CP in about 2 seconds and should only charge you a few $ for the effort...
--- End quote ---
Hey that's a good idea :)
Have fun!
Craig
bkenobi:
--- Quote from: spystyle on February 26, 2010, 10:50:49 am ---Hey that's a good idea :)
--- End quote ---
I speak from experience. ;D
I took an old metal CP that had my LS-30's installed in it to a metal shop and had them cut "mounting plates" to use in my MDF CP. Basically, they just cut out the joystick area for each stick. I could have done it myself using the methods listed above, but this cost me ~$10 for 2 plates. It was more than I wanted to pay for the task, but not enough for me to worry about doing myself. Mehhh, done is done! :cheers:
Oh, and I found out my father-in-law had a band saw set up to cut metal one week, so I could have done it myself if I had known. Whatever...