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| Perfect Lexan alignment over trackball |
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| BASS!:
one easy way (apart from making a jig) is to get your hole saw out ( I have a couple left from doing some remodel work) and drill a 3" hole in your cp after you drill your button holes. There is a really good post up here somewhere about using the plastic part that comes with the trackball as a guide to put under your mounted trackball plate, but I got easier results doing this. I like to just get my plunge cutter out to rough out the holes in the plexi (REMEMBER TO KEEP THE PROTECTIVE FILM ON YOUR PLEXI WHILE ROUTING) , so that the flush cut bit will fit in the hole. After you have your holes drilled, then mount your plexi on top of the panel and get your flush cut bit out for your router. If your trying to find one just let the hardware store know that you are looking for a laminate flush cutter. Then go to town. after you have your plexi cut and your ready to move on, put that chunk of plexi away and flip your cp over. Grab your trackball and allign it in the hole that you drilled (with your hole saw) and trace the pattern that you are going to cut out with your jig saw, and cut it out. After that you need a pretty long drill bit, a little bit larger then the mounting receptors on the track ball, and drill through the trackball mounting holes. Make sure that in between doing this to put your trackball somewhere that it will not get dust in it. Now your ready to go! If you want to flush the mounting plate in, just put it on top of the cp in the holes you drilled, trace the shape out and route it out. If you have a better way of doing this by all means, I just am telling you what someone, who is not as great of a woodworker does. |
| Tahnok:
Personally, I always drill the wood first and then clamp the plexi to it. I then use a combination of pattern cutting and flush trimming router bits to cut out the button holes, placing a few buttons in the holes early on to help with the clamping. The trackball is usually one of the last things that I dp since it's one of the more complex cuts, but that's because I flush trim my trackball closer than a lot of people do. I prefer to take the bevel all the way to the actual ball, not just the black ring around it. It takes a little longer, but I think the effect is well worth it: |
| clickhea:
where can i buy lexan and whats the thinest i can use for my control panel top? my board is 3/4 so i want the thinest possible for t molding ;| |
| leapinlew:
--- Quote from: clickhea on February 26, 2008, 07:03:23 pm ---where can i buy lexan and whats the thinest i can use for my control panel top? my board is 3/4 so i want the thinest possible for t molding ;| --- End quote --- At the grocery store! |
| brandon:
--- Quote from: leapinlew on February 26, 2008, 07:40:41 pm --- --- Quote from: clickhea on February 26, 2008, 07:03:23 pm ---where can i buy lexan and whats the thinest i can use for my control panel top? my board is 3/4 so i want the thinest possible for t molding ;| --- End quote --- --- End quote --- I can't ever seem to peel the protective film off of that kind.... |
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