Pressure Waves in my control panel art

[spratkobasa]

Hi Everyone,

I had everything cut perfectly for my control panel I attached the artwork (its a piece of paper not sticker) and put the plexi on and screwed all the buttons to hold everything together.  So then I start to hammer in my t-molding to finish the job and I see pressure waves forming in my control panel side art!   

I immediately took out the tmolding which removed alot of the pressure wave warping.   Where did I go wrong?  Also what should I do.  This is my first control panel ever and I put so much time into it I don't want it to be messed up.  Right now I am considering removing all 48 buttons and taking the artwork out and hammer in the t-molding with out the glass and then adding it back in.

What should I do?
 

[lilshawn]

take pictures of it so we know what you are talking about....cause i ain't got nothin'

[spratkobasa]

See attached some of the waves.  It's really hard to get a picture of it in real life is is very apparent.  You only see a little in this picture as I bummed a little t-molding to demonstrate.  Basically the paper doesn't stay flat it becomes wavy from me hitting the t-molding with a hammer.  If you need more pictures let me know.

[matt4949]

[spratkobasa]

So it wasn't just me then.  What did you guys do to fix it?  I am flirting with the idea of putting on the t-molding first before the glass and paper artwork.

[lilshawn]

you may need to trim back the overlay a tad. it might JUST be sticking out over the edge of the wood panel by a tiny little bit, but i think its enough to do that once to hammer home the t-moulding and it presses on the overlay.

i usually apply the art, the lexan or plexi then hit the outside edge and then inside the cutouts (like buttons joystick etc.) with a router equiped with a bearing and flush cut bit. that way everything is the same size as the wood panel.

[spratkobasa]

I stupidly took off the plastic protecting my glass so using a router may be out of the cards.  Maybe from the bottom?  Is my other option not going to turn out well?

[lilshawn]

grab yourself some blue/green "painters" tape and tape it up.

it's like making tape but won't leave residue or be a PITA to remove later.

[jdbailey1206]

I know that you have already went with just paper instead of a vinyl application but my question is why didn't you go with the latter?  I can understand why you would do it due to expense but if time is the issue it doesn't seem to matter since you are going to have to remove the buttons, t molding, etc. to put on the new cp artwork.  My suggestion to you also would be to use 3M's Super 77.  Used in moderation this spray can be very effective for the application you are using it for.  Just lay down your CP artwork face down and LIGHTLY spray the back and adhere it to your control panel.  Just spray about 12" above the artwork and let the glue fall onto the artwork itself.  And if you have to sand it when you change your artwork so be it.  A good palm sander and 80 grit sand paper will take up the old artwork in about 5 minutes.  All that sure beats having to look at ugly wrinkles for the life of the artwork.

[spratkobasa]

I didn't want to have a vinyl or glue so that if anything happened I could removed the artwork to do repair on joysticks etc.  If I glue it I wouldn't be able to get my joysticks out of my control panel as it is top mounted.

[PL1]

Trim the art so it is just slightly (~1/32" - 1/16") smaller than the panel/plexi.

Sharpie/black paint around the panel top/edge so that the part not covered by the art blends with the t-molding.


Scott

[jdbailey1206]

I didn't want to have a vinyl or glue so that if anything happened I could removed the artwork to do repair on joysticks etc.  If I glue it I wouldn't be able to get my joysticks out of my control panel as it is top mounted.

Completely understandable.  Most joysticks can be removed from their housing without removing them from the control panel. 

[spratkobasa]

Thanks everyone for your help.  I took my scalpel and did several more passes to get rid of any excess paper going over the edge.  I double clamped the area I was hammering in.  Then declamped and reclamped all the way as I progressed along the edge of the control panel.  Zero pressure waves .