[simpits-tech] Laser engraving and Nice Shop

[KD]

OK, here's the way I imagine certain simulator manufacturers do the 
panels (just so you guys know. I'm not saying it's the best, but it is 
reasonably inexpensive except for the EL lighting. Those are about $120 
each, and you have to design them then buy them in 5's. Runs out to 
about 2 grand a cockpit PLUS inverters) Some sim makers use PhotoEtch or 
AMI to do the panels. That runs a few thousand per panel.

Start with white TRANSLUCENT acrylic sheet, and clear acrylic sheet 
1/16" thick. The laser engravable signing material is too opaque, and 
too thin, and too shiny, and the black layer is too thick to look right. 
Cut out the shape of the panel in both the clear and translucent. Cut a 
ring, the same size as the outside of the panel, and about 1/16" wide. 
Stack the 3 pieces and glue them together (as in laminate them so that 
the glue is spread evenly throughout the panel.) Sand the edges nice and 
smooth after the glue has dried, then paint them with a semi-flat black 
paint. The ones I have seen specify a Sherwin Williams paint, but they 
smell like Krylon. It would be worth a piece of plastic and a can of 
Krylon to see if it works. After the paint is dry, the panel goes into 
the laser, which is set to etch just through the paint and into the 
plastic a little to make sure it's even. The paint should be at least 2 
coats, and check it in the sun before you engrave, to make sure it is 
opaque.

Light from behind, either with EL sheet cut out from the EL sheet place 
I liked to a while back, or mount onto a metal panel with windows where 
the text is, and light it from behind. Using LEDs makes hotspots unless 
you do it the way the type IV VII, whatevers have them with little 
silver cones in the bores, and 15 lights per panel, little light pipes 
machined into the panels, and probably 3 passes through the 
silkscreener, one silver, one white and one black.

While writing this though, I wondered. I wondered if there is a paint 
that can be masked and etched chemically like the way circuit boards are 
done.

See, now everyone is going to be bugging Gene to try it out :D

*obligatory "OOooooooohhhhhhhssss and AAAAAHHhhhhhhhs" for the new shop* 
VERY nice. The only real answer to the floor problem is Self-Leveling 
Epoxy Flooring. mmmmmmmm, nice. Too bad about the ceiling. The words 
"back charge" comes to mind followed by "small claims court" rapidly 
followed by "no vacation left" and "Lawyers are HOW much an hour?"

Ugh that was too long. I should be DOING something. Like making sure the 
garage isn't leaking as bad as the house..

K