Plastic sheets?

[notbillcosby]

I'm looking for something with a texture similar to Formica laminate, but with greater bendability so i can wrap it around the front of my radius'd control panel lip. Does anyone know of a plastic that would fit the bill?

[harveybirdman]

whats the radius of the bend you're asking it to make?  Have you tried sanding the bend area with a sander to make it thinner and easier to bend?

[PL1]

Not sure what color/texture you are looking for.

If you find a polycarbonate that looks good, it bends fairly easily.


Another great choice is Kydex.



Example of working with it: http://www.defensivecarry.com/forum/defensive-carry-holsters-carry-options/39371-make-your-own-kydex-holster.html

Different colors and thicknesses available: http://www.amazon.com/Kydex-T-Sheet-Thick-Calcutta-Thickness/dp/B004U6TNTE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343299612&sr=8-1&keywords=kydex


Scott

[Slippyblade]

Heatguns are you friend when dealing with almost any polymer.  As long as you heat slowly and evenly you usually wont discolor and you can get any bend you need.

[notbillcosby]

I should say, I haven't tried doing any of this yet, i'm just trying to plan ahead. I cut out blanks for my interchangeable control panels yesterday out of 3/4" plywood and radius'd the front of them, as they will be sort of a lip that sticks out in front. I've never worked with laminate before, but it was quickly brought to my attention by my dad that it would probably crack if i was trying to make a bend that tight. After visiting the hardware store today and holding a piece of laminate in my hand, I figured he was probably right. The internet made it sound like I'd want something with a MUCH larger radius if i planned on bending Formica around it. Which is why I thought some sort of plastic would be nice.

Yep, the stuff shown above looks about right. Black, kinda glossy, with a fine texture. Whatever the X Arcade panel is covered with feels perfect to my hands, and i'd like to use something with that feeling. What kind of store do I buy the stuff you guys posted at? Is that something that'll be in a hardware store like Home Depot or Menards (if anyone here knows what Menards is...) or will I need to go somewhere special? If it IS in the hardware stores, what department? I'm tired of asking their employees where stuff is and getting walked around to a bunch of different departments until someone knows what I'm talking about. Home Depot didn't know T-Nuts the other day. Sigh.

[PL1]

Kydex is a bit specialized, so Lowes, Home Depot, and Menards don't carry it.

I doubt you'll be able to find it in stores, unless you have a specialized reseller or someone making custom gun holsters/knife sheaths in your area.

Second online source to consider:  http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=41_54_136


Scott

[Slippyblade]

Never used kydex myself.  I tend to use simple ABS, though I can only ever find it in 4'x8x sheets.  Look in the phone book under plastic-sheets-rods.

I use it to make body armor for medieval style combat.

[PL1]

Taking a step back to look at the application brings this question to mind:

Are you absolutely certain that you're not looking for textured vinyl laminate like this? http://www.thisoldgame.com/products/36-matt-black-vinyl
It is adhesive and less expensive than the kydex.

Lower quality version here - http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-VL218-BT-Black-Textured-Laminate/dp/B000HKJ2EI


Scott

[sharpfork]

Lower quality version here - http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-VL218-BT-Black-Textured-Laminate/dp/B000HKJ2EI

Is there a medium quality you know of?  One of the two Amazon reviews is brutal.

[PL1]

Lower quality version here - http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-VL218-BT-Black-Textured-Laminate/dp/B000HKJ2EI

Is there a medium quality you know of?  One of the two Amazon reviews is brutal.

I got the oak print version for my portable modular build and am very happy with the results so far, but haven't logged much in the way of rough treatment of it.

Even though I applied directly to raw mdf, so far it is holding well with no curling/separation at the edges. 

The one panel that I had to peel off -- after accidently damaging it with a hole saw -- came off clean leaving very little adhesive.

The reason that the reviewer called it junk was probably that he didn't properly prepare the surface or use a 4" vinyl squeegee to smooth it and ensure proper adhesion.  See the Side Art Install 101 thread for related info.

The version of this that the manufacturer used to make was thicker/higher quality with stronger adhesive according to a different thread, but the new version seems to work just fine.  It's like a Mercedes vs. Toyota comparison -- both work fine, but if you're accustomed to the higher quality . . .

If your cab is likely to see some abuse, spring for the few dollars extra for the TOG version. ($33 + shipping for 3x12 ft. vs $29.49 shipped for 2x18 ft.) 

If not, the slightly less expensive stuff should work fine, especially if you use the t-molding tuck method.


Scott

[alfonzotan]

Try this:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Sheet-Stock-1ZAZ8

HDPE plastic, flexible, and it has a nice tactile feel with just a little "give" as compared to hard laminate.  Used it for the top of my control panel.

[selfie]

I'm in Australia so what materials I can get may differ greatly to what you have available.

ABS is easily formed, cheap and comes with a smooth and a grained/textured side but it is not very durable, easily scratched and will discolour over time.

Polypropylene sheet is the way I would go. It comes with a fine texture and is available in lots of thicknesses and colours. 0.6 and 0.8mm will form without heat. Nothing sticks to it, it won't discolour, it's cheap and durable. It has a slightly waxy feel to it. It can be cut with a knife.

Kydex is an acrylic PVC composite and sound like a good way to go, I've never used this material.

[notbillcosby]

Thanks for all the replies, and sorry for the general absence of me, the OP in this thread. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to dig into any of your suggestions, but I absolutely will. I'll let everyone know what direction I go in.

[notbillcosby]

Taking a step back to look at the application brings this question to mind:

Are you absolutely certain that you're not looking for textured vinyl laminate like this? http://www.thisoldgame.com/products/36-matt-black-vinyl

Actually, that looks awesome. It's still hard, right? Like, I couldn't dig my fingernails into it if i tried...? It looks like it's rolled up into a roll which is pretty promising for tight bends.

[PL1]

Taking a step back to look at the application brings this question to mind:

Are you absolutely certain that you're not looking for textured vinyl laminate like this? http://www.thisoldgame.com/products/36-matt-black-vinyl

Actually, that looks awesome. It's still hard, right? Like, I couldn't dig my fingernails into it if i tried...? It looks like it's rolled up into a roll which is pretty promising for tight bends.

It's 3.5 mil thick 3M vinyl, so it would probably be similar in thickness to the artwork that Rich (rikitiki) applies in the Side Art Install 101 thread, but I'm sure it is plenty tough.  Based on everything I've seen and read, Rich doesn't stock stuff that isn't up to snuff.

If you PM rikitiki, he could answer your questions.  Who knows, if you ask him real nice, he might even mail you a small sample for destructive testing. 

Also, just tried digging my fingernails into the surface of the Dayton Vinyl and no such luck while mounted on either aluminum or MDF, assuming that is what you were asking. 

If you wanted to know if a dent/bump/void under the vinyl would show the answer is YES for any roll-type vinyl -- always ensure surface is smooth and properly prepped before application.


Scott

[notbillcosby]

Thanks! Everyone on here is too damn helpful

[Kiatuthlanna]

On a related note, can you use a flush trim bit to route edges of ABS plastic and these other products people are discussing here?

[PL1]

On a related note, can you use a flush trim bit to route edges of ABS plastic and these other products people are discussing here?

Selfie shares his considerable knowledge and experience in this thread.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,119165.0.html


Scott

[alfonzotan]

On a related note, can you use a flush trim bit to route edges of ABS plastic and these other products people are discussing here?

With HDPE, sure.  You just have to watch out for debris getting under the router plate and gouging out scratches while you're working. 

[selfie]

On a related note, can you use a flush trim bit to route edges of ABS plastic and these other products people are discussing here?

You should have no issues routing ABS. As Alfonzotan mentions with HDPE and most softer plastics, the chips from the cut can damage the workpiece. Double sided taping a piece of the same or softer material base plate on the router can help also.

[Kiatuthlanna]

Thanks for the tips. I ordered a few samples of different materials to experiment with before I commit to anything.

[HaRuMaN]

I thought this was going to be a thread about Dexter...

[PL1]

I thought this was going to be a thread about Dexter...

. . . or Lethal Weapon 2 . . .


Scott

[rikitiki]

I dont think my vinyl is what your looking for.
maybe a pic would help but from your thread it was unclear what you really need it for.
is there not artwork on your control panel?
does it have to be black?
Im sure I have other materials I could recomend if I knew more about your project

[notbillcosby]

Hello! OP reviving an old thread...

I'm finally at the point in my project where I have some (at least temporary) control panels made and an idea how i'd like them to look. Right now they do have a radius at the front like I thought I was doing back when I posted this initially. Now that everyone can see some pictures of how tight the bend is at the front, is there one way or another that seems most logical to lean with this material? I didn't really want to put T-molding across the front because I like the idea of a soft edge there, but maybe I'm just making it tougher on myself.

[PL1]

Do you want smooth plastic (for vinyl art overlays) or textured plastic on your CPs?

Option#2 - Sink the tee-nuts just below flush, Bondo over them, prime the MDF, and use either printed or textured adhesive vinyl.


Scott

[notbillcosby]

I was going for a slight texture; I really like what's on top of the X-Arcade. The folks at XGaming told me it was PVC. I definitely don't hate your bondo/primer/vinyl idea though...

Where do I find adhesive vinyl locally? I'm reluctant to order anything without knowing the texture for sure, but i might just have to plug my nose and jump in.

[PL1]

I was going for a slight texture; I really like what's on top of the X-Arcade. The folks at XGaming told me it was PVC. I definitely don't hate your bondo/primer/vinyl idea though...

Where do I find adhesive vinyl locally? I'm reluctant to order anything without knowing the texture for sure, but i might just have to plug my nose and jump in.

Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone.

CoryBee mentions that he is using black board vinyl at the end of this post.

Order a custom serial plate and ask him if he would send along a test scrap of the vinyl.   


Scott