Front Panel Cavity for Module Racking

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RSRecords

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
320
So I'm looking at a front panel for a couple melcor eqs. Cost aside, I was playing with the idea of having the eq's frontpanel inset into a cavity on the 19" frontpanel. My concern would be that the tolerances would have to be very tight in order for the cavity to not show around the edges.  Does that make since?

Has anybody tried this successfully. My initial thought is that it isn't worth  the effort and cost of machining. But it could be cool looking.

I attached a cross section of what I was thinking.
 

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Take a look at the construction of 19 inch sub-racks by people like Schroff. They use  an aluminium extrusion. This provides the recess for the front panel and also includes a sliding tapped strip that is used to fix them in place.

Cheers

ian
 
ruffrecords said:
Take a look at the construction of 19 inch sub-racks by people like Schroff. They use  an aluminium extrusion. This provides the recess for the front panel and also includes a sliding tapped strip that is used to fix them in place.

Cheers

ian

I've seen these and was thinking about it. My thought however was that 3 rack spaces for for 2 channels of 2 band eq would be an excessive waste of rack real estate.  They should fit on their side in a 1 ru enclosure. The benefit of recessing them would be purely cosmetic I think. It would require a thicker 19" panel and some potentially costly cavity routing.

 

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RSRecords said:
I've seen these and was thinking about it. My thought however was that 3 rack spaces for for 2 channels of 2 band eq would be an excessive waste of rack real estate.  They should fit on their side in a 1 ru enclosure. The benefit of recessing them would be purely cosmetic I think. It would require a thicker 19" panel and some potentially costly cavity routing.

No reason not to use a length of extrusion cut to fit 1U and fitted vertically left and right of each module. Most extrusion have holes that you just tap. Bolt then in from top and bottom and you are done.

Cheers

Ian
 
I am in a similar situation, racking some Sphere 803 EQs. The controls reach the edge of the modules, so I am keen to get a flush finish. Given the investment in modules, transformers, and line receivers (thanks Gary!) I don't mind paying a bit extra for it to be right.

I see two options: Recessing the module, or supporting them on a subframe (similar to Ruffrecords suggestion).

My concern with recessing them, is that on a 4mm frontpanel, there is only about 0.8mm left supporting it. Perhaps someone on forum can say from experience if this is sufficient.

Using a subframe presents it's own set of challenges with alignment. Using a 3 or 4mm frontpanel, then spacers are needed to get the module's 1/8" faceplate to sit flush. Maybe I am overthinking the ~0.2mm difference that would exist with a 3mm frontpanel.








 

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I think recessing a 4mm thick panel in the way you have show be problematic. There does not seem to be enough 0.8mm thick real estate, especially along the top and bottom edges, to provide sufficient strength. Is the front panel really 4mm thick? It seems unusually thick to me.. I see mostly 2.5mm and some 3mm but nothing else.

Cheers

Ian
 
RSRecords said:
I attached a cross section of what I was thinking.
Sounds like a two-piece thing.

Either a crossbar for each screw as below, or a rectangular ring for each module.

Gene

PS: your first drawing has left-hand 4-40 screws. ;D
 

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