Best way to cut holes in your CP artwork?

[MovingTarget]

So, what's the best way to cut the holes for the buttons, joysticks, trackball, etc. in your artwork for putting on your control panel?

Do you sandwich it between the wood and plexiglass and just drill through it?  Do you spend hours with an exacto knife?

[Veinman]

I used an Xacto knife. I didn't have to be overly precise since the dust washer covers the hole for joysticks, and the button lip covers the button hole.

[mahuti]

Hours with an exacto? no.

Like Veinman said; with the buttons you don't have to be very precise, since the buttons cover the holes by about 1/16" inch on all sides.

What you should do;
1. Apply the art.
2. Cut the holes with an exacto after the art has fully adhesed.

I usually don't even bother cutting a hole, I just make a bunch of line cuts from the center and push the material down into the hole.

Now, for the trackball... that's another story. You have to be detail oriented on that one. You have to make a very precise cut with an exacto since it can't overhang.

[MovingTarget]

What do you use to adhese the artwork on the wood?

[RayB]

Use a very sharp (brand new) Exacto blade. Then get a compass! Put exacto in compass. Cut your circles. Slowly.

But what I want to know is... do you drill holes first or can you drill holes after?

[mahuti]

Here's some notes I made in a recent post. there's some notes I made about applying art, cutting it, and using adhesive.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=46477.msg445049#msg445049

As for drilling holes, before or after. I usually tape the art down into place. THEN, I center my spade bit over the holes and start a guide hole. I do that for all the buttons and then remove the art. I do all of my wood working and then later apply the art.

I have ALSO drilled holes after. I wouldn't recommend it, except in special circumstances. I find it usually causes small ridges in the art that has been cut, and can open the art up to tearing. The only reason I cut holes after was to widen my joystick cutout for a 49way stick.  I only did that after I found that it would work ok with a little patience after testing on some scraps.