designing a faceplate from already drilled chassis (allen)

[Heisenberg]

Long time listener, first time caller here

I bought an amp chassis on ebay that I think is an allan accomplice amp chassis. I was so excited with the purchase that I didn't even think about a faceplate Does anyone know of a method or better yet have a drill template for the allan?

[Firestorm]

How ' bout sending an email to Allen. He's a good guy (I can vouch for that). But you can also just put a ruler across the tops of the holes.

[xtian]

The faceplate I designed and ordered from Panel Craft was about $30 including shipping. Measure carefully and you'll get what you spec.

[labb]

get some paint tape (the tape you tape off with to paint) that is a little wider than the chassis. Put it over the front of the chassis. Take a lead pencil and rub over the holes. This will transfer the holes to the paint tape. Rub over the edges. Now you have the punched front of the chassis transferred to the tape..You will have to find the center of the holes..Put the tape on the material you are using for the face plate and use it as the drill guide. Drill the holes a little over sized than the face plate to make up for errors in finding the center of the holes.

[Milkmansound]

print it out on paper first and cut out the holes to make sure they are where you want them to be - cheaper that way!

[davent]

Is it of a size that you could scan it and then open the scan in a drawing program? I've done this with predrilled pedal enclosures then used Inkscape to design the face.

dave

[da Geezer]

http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

I use this program.....free and you don't have to get the plates from them, just print the panel on your own printer and have it laminated.
Allows precision measurements and gives several choices of colors. Short learning curve, but once you get it, it's a very effective system.

I can have a front & back panel printed for a drill guide (sacrificial), and front & back panels printed on heavy card stock and heavy duty laminated for ~$15 total at Kinkos/FedEx

Here are some examples I worked up in a few minutes....

[Heisenberg]

more complicated than i thought. looks like I am sending an email off to allen. thanks guys.

[rp]

just print the panel on your own printer and have it laminated...I can have a front & back panel printed for a drill guide (sacrificial), and front & back panels printed on heavy card stock and heavy duty laminated for ~$15 total at Kinkos/FedEx

In 20 years of DIY amps and faceplates I never thought of that. Thanks for the duh-slap, and I deserve a couple more!

[labb]

So da Geezer,,How long of a face plate can you print on your printer and how do you cut the holes..Hole punch maybe?

[da Geezer]

So da Geezer,,How long of a face plate can you print on your printer and how do you cut the holes..Hole punch maybe?

17" (11x17) is the max size of heavy card stock my local printer carries, but I have used the white "poster board" that you can get at any retailer (Walmart, Michaels, etc) & cut it down to longer lengths that printers with larger format printing units can do.

As for cutting out the holes, I just leave a small "dot" of a hole on the final plate as a drill guide. Like I said, I use a "sacrificial" copy to drill the holes. The I use double sided tape to affix the final laminated copy to the chassis, being careful to align the hole markers to the center of the drilled holes, and use a single-edged razor to cut out the openings. It's a little tedious, and the cutouts aren't always perfect (sometimes ragged edges) but the washers cover up any imperfections, and the final product is very professional looking.

Here's a pic of an actual amp.....

G

[rp]

.. and use a single-edged razor to cut out the openings. It's a little tedious, and the cutouts aren't always perfect (sometimes ragged edges)...G

Leather punches should do it. It's what I use to get clean cutouts on my paper faceplates that I put plexi over. Should handle laminated stuff, maybe best buy one, 3/8", to test.

[davent]

I use an Olfa paper Circle cutter when i need round holes in paper and transparency sheets.

http://www.michaels.com/OLFA-Paper-Circ ... lt,pd.html

There is a heavier duty version but i don't think it will do as small of diameter holes as the one linked.

[labb]

da Geezer thanks for the info on the panel design program. Been playing with it and it very easy to use. Even for a computer dummy like me..One question--Do you design the panel, save it to a flash drive and then take the flash drive to a print shop for them to use to print the panel..Like I said, I am a computer dummy.

[M Fowler]

To get the printer to do longer plates you layout the faceplate to print diagonal on the 11 x 17 paper, well that is what I did and it worked.

Mark