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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: hooded_paladin on August 14, 2003, 03:15:53 am

Title: price of melamine? drilling plexiglass?
Post by: hooded_paladin on August 14, 2003, 03:15:53 am

2 questions about control panel construction:

how does the price of melamine compare to MDF and plywood?  And how well does it paint (or, does it come in black?)  I'd like to easily make the sides of my CP nice, unless it'll cost me a fortune.

I'm going to cover the top with plexi (spray painted black on the bottom, plus the little compass arrows around the joysticks)  What's the correct way to drill this stuff?  The way I'm thinking is, clamp it WELL to the top of your (undrilled yet) wood piece, lay your template out, drill small 'pilot holes', then drill through both plexi and wood with a holesaw.  Could I use a spade bit?  Or should I do something else?  I was thinking lexan, but the cost is prohibitive to say the least, so I also can't crack my plexi.

just two more questions on my way to building...

Title: Re:price of melamine? drilling plexiglass?
Post by: kspiff on August 14, 2003, 05:47:03 am

Melamine is like a pre-laminated wood.  It comes in white or you can usually have it ordered in black.  You can leave it bare or cover it with laminate, but painting would probably be crappy.  As far as price I think it is a little more (?) than MDF..

Do you have a router?  If you do, just lay the lexan on the driller CP and flush trim the holes.  If not, I don't personally know what is best.