Neat Legend on a Plastic Box

[grid_stopper]

That is a brilliant idea and a decent excuse for buying a 3D printer . You could make the base in one colour and then change filaments and add the legend on top. Very novel. Thanks for that.

Cheers

Ian

what i like two do is 2 different stl's(the file that contains the 3d object. one contains the actual faceplate shape, the other contains whatever text or graphic you want inside the faceplate. print the text/graphical element first, leave it on the bed, and print the second part over top. for the best result, you should create a 1 layer thick cutout in shape of your text/graphics on the first layer of the faceplate object, so the extruder wont peel up the text you previously printed.

a little bit more effort, but the results are fantastic, and it truly doesnt take long at all, as your only printing a couple layers. most of the work is in creating the two separate objects.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

this is no longer the truth. the market has changed quite a bit in the last couple years. many options for not nearly that much money!

True! The transition comes at 500mm, but 420x420 or 450x450 are adequate for most 19" panels.

 

[Script]

create a 1 layer thick cutout in shape of your text/graphics

Could you show an example of a plate?

Would printing as if engraved, with text/graphics layer on top printed last, also work neatly and then fill 'engraving' with color?

 

[grid_stopper]

Could you show an example of a plate?

Would printing as if engraved, with text/graphics layer on top printed last, also work neatly and then fill 'engraving' with color?

No problem, I can post an example next time im at my workshop computer in the morning.

you can do it in reverse, with the engraving on the top layer. this might actually be preferable if you have a very uneven bed/struggle to get consistent first layers. however, you will definitely want to have ironing enabled in your slicer, and you will need to have the ironing settings pretty dialed in to make it clean. not at all impossible, but definitely something to be aware of.

 

[Script]

Thanks.

 

[ruffrecords]

Affordable large 3D printers come only in 300x300mm. And they are painly slow compared to the smaller (235x235mm) ones.
For a 19" capability, you need an industrial printer $8+k

Fortunately I do not need 19 inch capability. Even if I did I reckon it would be both practical and aesthetically pleasing to divide the front panel legend into two or more physically separate areas so making a regular 3D printer a practical possibility.

Does anyone have any pics of 3D printed front panel legends?

Cheers

Ian

 

[ach]

If you’re willing to buy a new machine, there are also several relatively affordable desktop cnc and laser engravers that would work on most materials. I have the Creality Falcon 22w laser cutter and it does a great job on anodized aluminum, opaque acrylic, and stainless steel (where it can do colour based on temper!). I also have a genmitsu 3020 desktop cnc that is amazing for small panels and boxes of any material. Both of these produce production quality results.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Could you show an example of a plate?

Would printing as if engraved, with text/graphics layer on top printed last, also work neatly and then fill 'engraving' with color?

If you want to go that route, you just need the plate with the text embossed. Only one stl is needed.

 

[Script]

'As if embossed' -- yes, that's the right word.

Am slowly reading up on printers. Handling two stl files sounds difficult for a still non-owner. It probably isn't.
Anyway, I was wondering how printing it face down (text printed first) would look different from face up (text printed last on top).

Is face or text down easier/cleaner, because the bed itself yields an overall smoother surface?

 

[abbey road d enfer]

I wonder how the text can be printed before the substrate. Usually, the part that becomes the "roof" has to be supported. Supports are created using very thin beams that one has to detach after. It usually leaves scratches and marks.
I'm curious to see how grid_stopper solved the issue.

 

[Script]

Had to look it up.

There's emboss and deboss. And then there's debossing around letters.

Maybe it's the latter. And (when printing hot enough?) the second layer without support 'drops' into the fine gaps... hmm

 

[ccaudle]

There's emboss and deboss.

I was not familiar with the term "deboss," but I made a label tag once with the second style shown as "Debossed" in the picture, and then after printing I went over the letters with a fine brush and model paint.

 

[sahib]

Ian,

On our products we have a second layer of laser cut/engraved plastic based facia with self adhesive back. The material is 0.8mm thick. Available colours are obviously limited. We use black and grey surface with white legending.

Particularly for a prototype I would not look further. If you have the artwork in pdf I can pass you my friend's details who has been doing it for me for over 25 years now.

As a general info, we also used to use dry transfers and vinyl cut on conventional plotter but for small/fine lettering it may not be suitable.

Here is an example of both vinyl and dry transfer application on a prototype (nearly 30 years ago).

 

[ruffrecords]

Ian,

On our products we have a second layer of laser cut/engraved plastic based facia with self adhesive back. The material is 0.8mm thick. Available colours are obviously limited. We use black and grey surface with white legending.

Particularly for a prototype I would not look further. If you have the artwork in pdf I can pass you my friend's details who has been doing it for me for over 25 years now.

As a general info, we also used to use dry transfers and vinyl cut on conventional plotter but for small/fine lettering it may not be suitable.

Here is an example of a vinyl application on a prototype (nearly 30 years ago).

View attachment 134190View attachment 134191

I may take you up on that for the next iteration. I have used some printable vinyl paper for the prototype. Not very durable as it turns out but OK for a first off.




If I use this method I think I might also need a vinyl cutter because 74 year old hands plus scissors are not as neat as I would like.

Cheers

Ian

 

[sahib]

........
If I use this method I think I might also need a vinyl cutter because 74 year old hands plus scissors are not as neat as I would like.

Cheers

Ian

Not bad for 74 year old hands.
Also loved that the volumes go up to 11.
Nigel Tufnel?

 

[ruffrecords]

Not bad for 74 year old hands.

Thank you!

Also loved that the volumes go up to 11.

Don't they all

Nigel Tufnel?

Indeed.

Cheers

Ian

 

[grid_stopper]

i took some screen caps to (hopefully) illustrate my process in a somewhat sequential way, as well as a picture of the end result. there is unfortunately one blob in the bottom right corner on the letter H, but thats mostly due to me using a new filament i havent tuned yet. just a quick proof of concept!

I like to print with the text on the bed, as i have a textured bed, which i think gives a nice surface finish.

 

[Tubetec]

Theres an old story about Jimi Hendrix and a certain US amp maker who offered to support one of the later tours ,and so a deal was done behind the scenes .
The techs knew well Jimi would turn everything up to full on the amps
so they wired in attenuators to make sure all hell didnt break loose and Jimi blow up the amps on stage .
Jimi smelt a rat right away when his trademark howl-round wasnt tingling his his testicals in the usual way .

 

[sahib]

Theres an old story about Jimi Hendrix and a certain US amp maker who offered to support one of the later tours ,and so a deal was done behind the scenes .
The techs knew well Jimi would turn everything up to full on the amps
so they wired in attenuators to make sure all hell didnt break loose and Jimi blow up the amps on stage .
Jimi smelt a rat right away when his trademark howl-round wasnt tingling his his testicals in the usual way .

I have a scan of an interview with Jim Marshall in which he talks about their association with Jimmy Hendrix. He apparently received no discount and paid in full for the amps. But his condition was that he would receive full service. If they let him down once then the deal would be off.

 

[Tubetec]

https://www.groundguitar.com/jimi-hendrix-gear/jimi-hendrixs-sunn-100s/