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Ideal CP Width and Thickness?

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Frobozz:
Wow, and it's only 1/4" thick?!  Ok, I got a few more questions if you don't mind.  This sounds like some awesome CP stuff.  My big problem is I like tall sticks, and while the Wico stick I got is tall, when mounted under 3/4" plywood, it gets considerably shorter.  

1) Does it splinter, chunk away, etc, anything that would make it hard to make perfectly straight cuts and routs on?  I'm building my control panel similar to jelloslug's modular panel.  One of the things necessary is that when I slide the control module in, that there is very little if any gap between, which mean very straight cuts and edges that'll last a long time.  

2) Where do you get the phenolic?

3) I noticed you cemented it to plywood.  Was this just to provide a stable frame for your panel and ease of attachment to the rest of the box?  What type of cememt did you use?  

Thanks!  Heck, it seems the more I hold off on actually building my cabinet, the more awesome ideas I learn here.  

tellarite:
Phenolic was a bit of an experiment. I'll admit. It was my dad's idea. I haven't seen anyone else use this stuff for a control panel.

for your questions:

1) does it chunk out? In no way. anything that you cut off it makes good straight cuts. Routing is even better, the stuff turns into a kind of powder and leaves a very fine cut. YOU WILL GET DIRTY.. ORANGE DIRTY .. it also doesn't smell too good, but I don't think it's a harmful smell.. though ventilation might be a good plan. I wish that I had had someone else take a picture of me after I was done routing. I was all orange!

2)I got my sheet in Salt Lake City, UT at a place called industrial plastics or something equally as generic. You can get this anywhere that they sell GE (as in General Electric) based polymers. I was lucky, I went in and they had a sheet that was about the right size allready so I just bought it. They should have the facilities for them to cut a big sheet down for you though.

3)I used regular contact cement. The same stuff you use if you were doing a formica counter top. it's a milky white color and is really runny. Works wonders and is really easy to use. You mop the stuff onto any two surfaces.. wait an hour.. and press them together.. instant bonding. However, the cement only sticks to itself.. nothing else. Weird stuff.

As far as the wood underneath? I don't have a good answer for you. I am tempted to say that you would be fine with just the phenolic, but, just having the extra "weight" made the whole panel have a much more solid feel to it. Yes, the phenolic is tough stuff, and is heavier than it looks, but it is still only 1/4 inch thick...

The original idea for the phenolic was so that my buttons could be closer together on my wood control panel. I didn't want my buttons to break the wood because they were too close together. I bought the phenolic to reinforce the wood, not the other way around. The idea never popped into my head to use just the phenolic. I honestly think that it might "bow"  slightly after a few years if left to itself, not sure.

If you got more questions I'd be happy to answer them.

simpleman46:
Has anybody here used 1/2" thick MDF?  Are you happy with it?

Billabong:
A couple of CP's were done with 3/4" MDF, then routered down to 1/2" where the joysticks go. So you get a nice solid panel, and decent stick exposure. I forget which project had it, sorry. :(
I plan on doing it to mine, just been to busy playing. :)

Later,
Billabong

sam:
i used 1/2" plywood. i had similar concerns about joystick height with anything thicker. i have happs supers and they are fine.

i was a bit worried about stability, but it turned out not to be a problem. the plywood is tough. my cp has had some serious playing go on on it and no problems whatsoever.

plywood is really easy to cut and drill. doesn't leave any fine powder like i hear mdf does. which is nice when you need your living room to double as your woodworking area (ha).

just make sure to sand and varnish so you don't get splinters.

just to reiterate, 1/2" plywood is really great. i don't feel like it gets the attention it deserves :-)

good luck

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