DIY Front Panel

[jonasnoble]

Hey everybody, is anyone here milling their own front panels? I just ordered a low cost CNC, arriving just this week, and may have some questions getting started.

I'm sure there will be a learning curve, and it's not like I have a shortage of things to learn, but my brain won't sit still.

 

[Disco Volante]

The steepest learning curve to me was getting the CAD way of thinking down. I use FreeCAD.
Congrats on your buy!
V!

 

[KIDVOX]

i use candle, the stuff that came with mine. the code is quite easy to learn and understand, all saved as .txt files code for stright lines is easy but code for cutting letters can take a while to write. i use mine for cutting mother of pearl inlay blocks for guitar building.

 

[jonasnoble]

Man, that looks great!

 

[jonasnoble]

Mine is also coming with candle, so I will reach out if I get stuck. I'm really just lightly engraving faceplate for my projects at first, but I'm sure there are uses I haven't considered yet.

 

[KIDVOX]

Mine is also coming with candle, so I will reach out if I get stuck. I'm really just lightly engraving faceplate for my projects at first, but I'm sure there are uses I haven't considered yet.

get a few very fine carbide burrs for doing the engraving. get a list of common Gcodes. they all use the same language make sure that all screws are secure especialy on the motor mount. fit some qualty 6mm ply to the work surface and you wont have any problem

 

[ruffrecords]

Most low cost CNC machines are OK for engraving but for milling holes and cutouts they are a PITA. You really need to have a lubrication sytem in place and you will have to invest in high quality (=expensive) bits and you will still break a few before you get the feed rates and cut depths right.

Cheers

Ian

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Most low cost CNC machines are OK for engraving but for milling holes and cutouts they are a PITA. You really need to have a lubrication sytem in place and you will have to invest in high quality (=expensive) bits and you will still break a few before you get the feed rates and cut depths right.

I can confirm that. I have a 9060 machine with a 2.2kW spindle and mist cooling. The biggest issue is getting aluminium not sticking to the bit. After more than 2 years of experimentation, I can't guarantee success. A very important part of the job is proper workholding/clamping. Milling usually results in pulling up stock, if it's flexible it makes the bit engage, which results in overheating and aluminium sticking to the tool, creating a larger cut than expected at best, or breaking the bit and deform stock at worst.
The problem is that clamps interfere with tool path. Unless you have the dough to invest in a vacuum clamp system, you have to be clever.
I clamp stock on a piece of controlled-thickness waterproof particle board with 4 clamps and two-sided adhesive tape. i start with an initial drilling path, drilling the smaller holes and then put screws in these holes to counter bending.
Of course, thorough calculation of spindle speed, feed/plunge rate, ... is essential.

 

[ruffrecords]

And they are extremely noisy so you probably also want to invest in a soundproof enclosure.

Cheers

Ian

 

[boji]

I bought a small CNC years ago for engraving and used a jewelry plot calculator and MACH3. Abby & Ian's not kidding that a flat work area and speeds and feeds are essential. I planed out some hardwood to true up the z axis, but I didn't have the patience to get consistent results. For engraving, I ended up 'cheating' by using a spring loaded drag bit over anodized aluminum.

All I can recommend is take whatever quantity of carbide bits you think you'll need and multiply that by ten for sake of learning curve. YMMV

 

[MidnightArrakis]

Hey everybody, is anyone here milling their own front panels? I just ordered a low cost CNC, arriving just this week, and may have some questions getting started.

I'm sure there will be a learning curve, and it's not like I have a shortage of things to learn, but my brain won't sit still.

[is anyone here milling their own front panels?] -- I personally just find it more tremendously easier to design my front-panels using my 3D Mechanical Design CAD-software and then simply e-mail my CAD-file over to a "prototype/low-volume" sheet-metal fabricator and let them make it for me!!! This way, I absolutely KNOW that everything will be done correctly and within a 0.005-inch tolerance.

While using a sheet-metal shop may not be as much "fun" as milling a front-panel in your basement, I'm not looking for "fun" as much as I am in getting things made correctly. But.....that's just me!!!



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[abbey road d enfer]

[is anyone here milling their own front panels?] -- I personally just find it more tremendously easier to design my front-panels using my 3D Mechanical Design CAD-software and then simply e-mail my CAD-file over to a "prototype/low-volume" sheet-metal fabricator and let them make it for me!!! This way, I absolutely KNOW that everything will be done correctly and within a 0.005-inch tolerance.

While using a sheet-metal shop may not be as much "fun" as milling a front-panel in your basement, I'm not looking for "fun" as much as I am in getting things made correctly. But.....that's just me!!!

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What is the cost for a one-off such as the picture?
I'm very familiar with ordering prototypes and in my area the cost is typically $100-200.
Trying to make our own enclosures is not only motivated by "fun", it is essentially motivated by thrift, which is a very strong motivation for DIY.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

And they are extremely noisy so you probably also want to invest in a soundproof enclosure.

Cheers

Ian

Alternatively you can buy earmuffs, or ask a hard-rock singer friend of yours to proceed.

 

[ruffrecords]

Alternatively you can buy earmuffs, or ask a hard-rock singer friend of yours to proceed.

Unfortunately not a practical alternative for a married man. Yes, your ears will be protected but the inability to hear your better halff is a severe disadvantage.

Cheers

Ian

 

[jonasnoble]

All these are good points. But for me it's more about the thrill of creating something all my own. I've built ~1500 guitar amps using off the shelf transformers/chassis/cabinets, but I want to learn how to do all of it. From scratch.

Right now it's front panels. Next will be transformers (I have things on the way), then maybe cutting and bending my own chassis.

If I ever do more than 3 of something, I would likely go to a fabricator, but one off prototypes, I want to be mine. Even if they're less than perfect.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Actually, there are two different aspects in front panels: dilling and nomenclature.
Most of the holes are round, so require only a simple drill. Rectangular holes are more difficult but can be done with a help of a Dremel and some patience. There are a few cases where a mill maybe necessary, like fader or bargraph slits. Check member DaveP for examples of beautiful chssis made with a surprizingly small number of tools.
Regarding nomenclature, the only decent DIY solution seems to be engraving, which, IMO does not give a nice finish. It does not offer the density and accuracy of a silk-screen.
After having tried a few solutions, I came to the conclusion that a proper DIY solution would be based on the use of a flatbed UV printer. However, the cost of such a machine is hardly compatible with DIY.
It seems that the price of such equipment is quite stable, at about $3k for an A3+ machine (size necessary for 19" panels).
For smaller panels, an A4 printer at $1200 dose not seem out of reach.

 

[totoxraymond]

Hi!

I've built my own CNC in order to make my own front panels. It's been a steep learning curve. i actually had to build 2 machines since the first one (bought a kit) had structural problems and gave inconsistent results.

I also had to try a lot of different software for CAD/CAM. I'm now using QCad for 2d design, then freeCAD for CAM export. Then into bCNC to manage the CNC. All of these software are free and open source which is quite a limitation but saves quite a lot of money too.

For engraving paths i use a demo version of CamBam which is not free. Mostly because i could not import my engraving paths properly in freeCAD.

Apart from bits, you will also waste a good pile of material, so make sure you don't use the expensive stuff before you are sure everything is ok.

As for feedrates and spindle speeds, there are some formulas available online to calculate them based on your material, bit, number of tooth... The one I used gave pretty good results. I could share them if needed.


Good luck!

Thomas

 

[jonasnoble]

I didn't realize there were this many of us who've already gone down this route. The reason I had this idea was somebody from my work. I work in aviation and we send all the faceplates from the cockpits to an outside vendor for refinishing/labeling. We hired a new guy this year, and I heard about what he was doing in his shop down the hall. The company bought him a really nice laser engraver and he has learned how to refinish our control panels in-house. Watching him experiment, I think I could get decent results with either a router or laser.

I know I said "milling" in my original post, but I'm mostly concerned with the marking/lettering. I would still drill most things on the press with a stepper bit. Then once I learn a little about what I'm doing and the capabilities of my equipment, I may try to move into the actual milling.

 

[totoxraymond]

Milling with a low-cost CNC can be hard and frustrating, but in Al an acrylic, i managed good results so far. Feed rate is really important and slower doesn't mean better.

For small-ish round holes, i like to pre-drill with the CNC with 0.8/1mm drill bit. Then i use the drill press to drill at final diameter.

For engravings, flatness or good probing of the surface is the key. the slightest warp can ruin everything.

Thomas

 

[jonasnoble]

Milling with a low-cost CNC can be hard and frustrating, but in Al an acrylic, i managed good results so far. Feed rate is really important and slower doesn't mean better.

I'm definitely sticking with the softer stuff for awhile.

For engravings, flatness or good probing of the surface is the key. the slightest warp can ruin everything.

Are you saying with a probe, it's possible to map the flatness of the surface, so the router knows how deep to go throughout the cut?