Laser Cutting...

[krick]

Just a thought...

Laser cutting a control panel?

http://www.pololu.com/laser_cutting.html

[crashwg]

There's also water-cutting, there's a place right up the road from me called Hydro-Cam, I don't know how much it costs, but I think all you need is the material and a cad drawing.

[crashwg]

the largest piece we can fit in the machine is 24" x 12"

taken directly from the site you linked.  I think most control panels are wider than that.

Note, I'm not sure if HydroCam has a similar size restriction.

[edit]HydroCam has a website www.hydrocam.com (whataya know) and their size restriction is a full 4'x8' sheet of whatever, including what seems to be most metals, glass and plastics[/edit]

[crashwg]

Oooh, imagine the posibilities... maybe a fully lexan or maybe even glass cab.  I know it would be a bit on the pricey side, but I'm sure there's someone out there who would do it.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Lexan waterjet cuts really nicely.
Laser cutting it leaves a bit of discoloration on the edge, but isn't that bad.

The other option is to find someone with a CNC mill.
Given proper tooling, they can even cut your T-molding groove with a CNC.
For the stuff we do at work, it usually shakes out that CNC is cheaper than Waterjet, and Waterjet is cheaper than laser.
That may vary in your area depending on who needs business at the time, so I'd check around.

[SirPeale]

Oooh, imagine the posibilities... maybe a fully lexan or maybe even glass cab.  I know it would be a bit on the pricey side, but I'm sure there's someone out there who would do it.

I saw a picture of a Ms Pacman cabinet that someone had made completely out of either plexi or Lexan.  I looked briefly for a link, but do you know how many entries there are for 'ms pacman cabinet lexan' or plexi?

[OSCAR]

Oooh, imagine the posibilities... maybe a fully lexan or maybe even glass cab.  I know it would be a bit on the pricey side, but I'm sure there's someone out there who would do it.

I saw a picture of a Ms Pacman cabinet that someone had made completely out of either plexi or Lexan.  I looked briefly for a link, but do you know how many entries there are for 'ms pacman cabinet lexan' or plexi?

Do you mean this one?

http://thebrokenjoystick.com/pictures/mspac-mini

[tmasman]

Do you mean this one?

http://thebrokenjoystick.com/pictures/mspac-mini

There was actually an entire Ms Pac Cabinet built from some sort of acrylic... I've seen it too. It's a pretty neat idea, but would be way to easy to scratch... (& finger prints... oh the horor!!!)

[OSCAR]

Oh, I think you are talking about this one.

http://coinop.org/features/coinopmuseum/images/clear.jpg

[SirPeale]

Oscar: Yep, that's it.  There were more pictures of the assembly.

[OSCAR]

Not that I've seen.  I think there is more than one of those cabs, though, and they've made the rounds in the arcade museums like Videotopia.  So I assume there must be more pictures out there, but that is the only pic I've seen of one.


Check this out, rumor is that it is a factory unit, but who knows?

http://tinyurl.com/ytqxs

[Harakiri]

Ok but what are the advantages of cutting wood with a laser, doesn't a table saw fits nicelly for the process?  

Is it cheaper or much faster/cleaner also? Sorry the ignorance!  

[GroovyTuesdaY]

Oh, I think you are talking about this one.

http://coinop.org/features/coinopmuseum/images/clear.jpg

Holy cow!!! That is ugly as sin.  Why would anyone want that in their house?    Might look really kewl if they put some colored neon lights in it or something,but the way its sitting now, i wouldn't want that in my house at all. BLAH **gollum...gollum** lol.  Nasty little cabinets's  heheeh

groovY~

[NoOne=NBA=]

For wood panels, there is also the 3-D router option.
You will usually find those at a sign shop for use in making wood signs.
The nice thing about routing is that it will let you rout/cut holes/shape the cp all at once.
They usually operate off a modified CAD file format that calls out everything layer by layer for the tooling.
I'm not sure what it would run you to have that done because I haven't had the person I know do any for me yet.