How can i reuse\fix\alter an existing metal CP

[Hoagie_one]

got this Birdie king 2 metal Control panel.  It has holes for two atari start buttons, 4 regular buttons and a trackball.  It also has a bend on one side where it looks like someone pulled up on it to pry it off the bolt that held it on the cab.

My question is, how does one repair and seal these holes so that i can reuse this.  Id want to put 2 sticks, 6 buttons each and some admin buttons on it.

Or would i be better off building a new Wood CP?

[Sephroth57]

there was a really good tutorial on this although i dont have the link... im sure someone will

[SirPeale]

http://www.oscarcontrols.com/centipede

[Hoagie_one]

OK, next question, how much do you think it would cost to have a new one fabricated?

[SirPeale]

One MILLION DOLLARS!

[mmmPeanutButter]

OK, next question, how much do you think it would cost to have a new one fabricated?

I looked into getting one for me.  The cost of the metal wasn't cheap.  I ended up getting a slightly thinner piece to lay over the top.  I will bond the two pieces together (somehow).  A little filler at the edge and I'll be in business.  I'll be taking pics and posting the progress.

[Hoagie_one]

looks like im gonna have to repair it, or build wood.  hmmm

[Hoagie_one]

would anyone here be interested in this repair job?

if so, how much would you charge me?

[etumor]

OK, next question, how much do you think it would cost to have a new one fabricated?

I shopped around and found somebody who would cut and bend a new control panel for me for about $45.  I had to drill the holes myself.  I had him do it out of aluminum because it would be easier for me to drill through.  The original was steel.  He told me that it would have been even cheaper to do it with steel.

I still have to attach some mounting brackets to the underside, and I'm going to do that with JB-Weld (it's a metal cement that you can get at automotive stores).

You have to shop around.  The first couple of places I talked to quoted me $150 for the same job.

-Jeff "etumor"

[Hoagie_one]

OK, next question, how much do you think it would cost to have a new one fabricated?

I shopped around and found somebody who would cut and bend a new control panel for me for about $45.  I had to drill the holes myself.  I had him do it out of aluminum because it would be easier for me to drill through.  The original was steel.  He told me that it would have been even cheaper to do it with steel.

I still have to attach some mounting brackets to the underside, and I'm going to do that with JB-Weld (it's a metal cement that you can get at automotive stores).

You have to shop around.  The first couple of places I talked to quoted me $150 for the same job.

-Jeff "etumor"

where does one start looking for such a service?

[etumor]

where does one start looking for such a service?

It isn't easy.  I started by going to http://local.google.com and running searches for "metal workers" and "metal fabricators" and "metal shops" and so forth.  But that isn't where I eventually found the guy.  I would call every single place I found on google and explain to them what I needed done ("I need a 24x18 inch sheet of aluminum bent in three places").  Most of them just told me they couldn't do it (it turned out most of the places I found make custom car parts).  But I kept calling around.  A few said they could do it if I didn't need it to be "precision," (if the angles could be a little off).  A few said they could do it perfectly, but quoted a high price tag.

But some of the places that I called understood what I was looking for and referred me to other places.  This is how I eventually found the guy who quoted me the great price.  I just brought him in the panel I needed, and said "copy that."  He was quick too -- I ordered two of them, and he had them 24 hours later.  Cool guy, was very curious about what I was doing, so I explained it to him.

It wasn't an easy search, but it paid off in the end.  I'm planning on getting several more panels made by the same guy.

-Jeff "etumor"

[Hoagie_one]

i wonder if this guy could do some for me, assuming i cover shipping and whatnot

[etumor]

i wonder if this guy could do some for me, assuming i cover shipping and whatnot

I don't have his contact info handy, but you should probably try to find somebody local anyway, since the cost of shipping him an old control panel and him shipping you back the new ones would end up eating up any savings that you would get by using the same guy that I found.

Don't be afraid to do a little leg work!  What I described before was done during my lunch break on two separate days, with no tools other than a phone and an internet connection.  The hardest part was explaining over and over again what I needed to people who didn't understand.

On the other hand, if "local" to you is Huntington Beach, California, then you may be in business.

-Jeff "etumor"

[Hoagie_one]

OK, thx.

[SoundDoc]

Check your local yellowpages for Sheet Metal Work or Sheet Metal Shops. If you don't find any, check out Heating Contractors, many have their own sheet metal shops. Their your best bet.
Our sister company is a sheet metal/HVAC shop. You should be able to get that piece fabed locally fairly easy. I've had our sister company bend up 1/4" aluminum plate in all kinds of crazy shapes before, yours is a very simple bend.
1/16" steel would be the cheapest and still fairly robust, or even 1/8" alluminum would be nice and easy to work with.

sd

[abrannan]

I had a new control panel made for my Reactor cabinet from a local sheet metal shop.  They used 16 ga. steel, which was much thinner than the 13 ga. steel the original was made from, but it's plenty thick for my purposes.  Cost me $20, but I had to punch the holes myself.

[Hoagie_one]

HOW DID YOU PUNCH THE HOLES IN IT?

[SirPeale]

I'd use a Greenlee hole punch.  Pricey, but worth it.

[Hoagie_one]

how would you use one of those without a press?

[ChadTower]

HOW DID YOU PUNCH THE HOLES IN IT?

Ron Jeremy.

[SoundDoc]

You don't need a press. A greenly hole puch is a 2 part punch with a bolt in the middle, you drill a 3/8 or 1/2" hole in the centre, put the die with the bolt on one side with the bolt through the hole, and the other half the die goes on the other side. Lots of arm twisting later, you have a hole!

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

You can also get imitation GreenLee's for a bit cheaper. Another way, if your only talking 16ga steel is to use a standard hole saw, and cutting oil. The hole saws going to take a beating, but its still cheaper then buying a punch, although 1 1/8" punch is around $30.

sd

[mmmPeanutButter]

although 1 1/8" punch is around $30.

check ebay...  got mine for $16 + $3 for shipping the other day.