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Storing replaceable control panels
Dire Radiant:
Wow, that's a neat solution Doc! If I may hijack this thread for a moment, are you worried about the fit of the dowels on your modular panels becoming sloppy over time?
RTSDaddy2:
I really like that Doc. Do you have any problems with the dowels bending the wires on your CP's (I'm guessing they are spaced far enough apart that this is not a problem)?
RTSDaddy2
Doc-:
Hi,
As far as slop - I have not had any problems with slop yet and the panels have been completed for over a year. Six to eight year old kids regularly change the panels out without adult supervision. If one of the panels were to get excessively loose I would probably either shim it or just cut a new panel out.
So far I have had to replace zero panels. I did have to cover one with vinyl again, but that was only because a visiting kid actually peeled the vinyl off it.
As for replacement panels (when needed). The panels are very easy to make if you have access to a table saw and drill press. You can cut as many as you want in an hour, and then drilling one and fitting it takes perhaps 10-15 minutes. The wiring is probably the most time consuming part, but for a replacement panel I would just unscrew the old control and bolt it onto the new panel.
As for the wiring - no the dowels never intersect with the wiring. The wiring all goes into the space between the two dowel rails, so there is no pulling. The wires are stapled to the bottom of the panels to serve as a strain relief (see any of the close up pictures off the bottom of a panel). The wires are long enough so that you can lift a panel up with one hand and remove it from the modular plugs with your other hand.
You can show a kid how to do it and they will be changing panels in a few minutes.
Cheers!
Doc-
richms:
I was thinking of making the whole front of the cab (coin door and all) become a big drawer that pulls out. I dont know the problems I would have with the draw being so tall and deep, but Im sure its doable. Then, the draw would have space for 4 panels stored lengthways along the cabinet.
patrickl:
I'm planning on a making the coindoor area a big drawer too. I saw some kitchen cabinets that do the same. They have these deep drawers which can be filled pretty heavily. I saw that and thought it would be perfect for holding my CP's.
I'm thinking about storing them vertically in the drawer.