Filling holes in control panel - what to use?

[Lance]

My control panel is riddled with holes and I need to fill them.  I'm planning on using epoxy to hold a piece of sheet metal to the back of the control panel and then using some sort filler/putty to fill the voids and then sand it smooth.

Anyone have suggestions on what is commonly used to do this?  The control panel had a hole or 2 already filled when I got it using this process but I don't know what filler matterial they used.

Here is a picture of my CP so you get an idea of the side of the holes.  I'd really like to fill them all except for a couple of the button holes that line up with my new layout.  


lance

[GroovyTuesdaY]

                   BONDO! lol

[mahuti]

Bondo's what I use on wood and metal fixes. Works great!

[menace]

When i had a metal panel i covered the entire thing with sheet metal (furnace duct material) then drilled my own holes.  Advantages--smooth, hard surface with very little additional thickness and it looked fantastic afterwards--all shiny and new looking.  No cons as far as I was concerned as it was very cheap and easy to do.

If you want particulars on how i did it, just ask.

[Tailgunner]

Bondo works fine for the smaller holes if you countersink them from both sides first. This will "key" the bondo in place so it can't fall out once it's hard. For the bigger holes, I grind fender washers to size and then tack weld them in place. 1/4" fender washers tend to be just a hair over 1 1/8" so it takes very little grinding to get them to fit.  I grind them down by using a 1/4" bolt and nut as a spindle. Chuck the bolt's head up in a drill, and then spin the washer's edge against something abrasive.

I documented this process somewhat in my Dynamo cab thread in Project Announcements.

[SirPeale]

I documented this process somewhat in my Dynamo cab thread in Project Announcements.

This may come in handy for me.  My Dynamo has a JAMMA setup which I would like to put another two buttons on for a Mortal Kombat setup.  On the left player this is easy, all I have to do is add the holes.  The right, OTOH, where I would cut one of the buttons is taken up by the P2 start button.

We've covered filling in the holes, but what about adding new ones? Seems to me that if you drill thru the existing holes you're going to crumble the Bondo.

[menace]

We've covered filling in the holes, but what about adding new ones? Seems to me that if you drill thru the existing holes you're going to crumble the Bondo.

Thats why I went with recovering the panel with low gauge sheet metal--I could cut a completely new control panel without losing any strength--bondo seems like ALOT of work for marginal results IMHO but that's just me.  If i had a welder handy that washer idea would be the thing to do.

[Lance]

hey menace,

So  how exactly did you cover it?  Do you have any pictures?  If you just cover the top part with another sheet, isn't there going to be a seam where the new metal meets the old?  I was thinking of getting a heavy gauge piece of sheet metal welded to the back side and then use bondo to make the top smooth.

Can you explain your method a bit more?  Any pics?

lance

[Tailgunner]

This may come in handy for me.  My Dynamo has a JAMMA setup which I would like to put another two buttons on for a Mortal Kombat setup.  On the left player this is easy, all I have to do is add the holes.  The right, OTOH, where I would cut one of the buttons is taken up by the P2 start button.

We've covered filling in the holes, but what about adding new ones? Seems to me that if you drill thru the existing holes you're going to crumble the Bondo.

I wouldn't drill the holes, I'd punch them instead with a Greenley hole punch.  I'd also wait to bondo the panel till after the new holes were added.

As far as to how much work bondoing a panel is, depends on what you have planned for the panel. I painted my Dynamo panel gloss black, which did mean a few more steps were needed to get it nice and smooth. If you're planning on covering the panel with a vinyl overlay, you can get away with a lot less effort and still get a good result.

[menace]

Ok here's how i did--no seams, no fuss, no muss.  First get your self some leather work gloves then we'll begin.

1.  buy a sheet of sheet metal (the stuff furnace duct is made out of) also a rubber mallet helps as well

2.  measure the total surface area of the front face of your panel (this includes where the controls go as well as the part that hangs down) and add an extra 1/2" to an 1" at the top and bottom-for instructions I will say 1/2"--you can also add extra for the sides but its not necessary if your panel is inset into the machine.

3. cut the sheet metal with a pair of tin snips to the size you measured (to draw lines on sheet metal first mask it with masking tape then use a pen and a straight edge)

4.  Now its just like wrapping presents at christmas!  using your control panel as the straight edge fold a half inch lipunderneath so that it grips your control panel--once you have it lined up on both sides and are happy with the edge use your mallet to fully pinch the control panel in the seem.

5.  now bend the remaing sheet metal to follow the contours of the panel--use your mallet and a square block of wood if you have a bend in the panel that you want to push the metal into.

6. finally finish at the bottom by folding over the remaining 1/2" lip and whacking it tight with your mallet.

It goes very quickly (instructions took almost as long as the process  here's mine (the plexiglass is blue but you can see the metal underneath--sort of.

[SirPeale]

I wouldn't drill the holes, I'd punch them instead with a Greenley hole punch.  I'd also wait to bondo the panel till after the new holes were added.

My problem is I keep thinking of this in terms of the panel that I have, and how I would like to lay it out.

I want to keep the holes mostly as is, but add two more holes per player, and move the P1 and P2 start buttons, as they're in the way.

Since where I want one of the holes there is already a hole there (just not exactly in the right spot) Bondoing the remaining space would prove to be quite tricky.

Well...perhaps not.  Once a metal plate is on the back, and the hole is punched in the proper place, you're going to have an exact shape of where Bondo should be, and where it shouldn't.  Sand and be done with it.

Now I just have to find a right proper metal shop that is not going to charge me $75 an hour with a one hour minimum.

[Lance]

Anyone know where I would pickup a 1-1/8" hole punch for punching out the button holes in a metal control panel?  Are they very expensive?

What about the hole I need for a 2-1/4" Ultimarc trackball, are there punches that big?

lance

[Tailgunner]

Greenlee chassis punches are available from a few places online, Irvan-Smith had the best prices of the places I checked. The 1 1/8" punch runs about $35, the 2 1/4" punch is $95. I'd concider a hole saw for the trackball, that's a bit steep for one hole.

http://www.irvansmith.com/catalog2/parts/greenlee_hole_punches.shtml