Hi Spehro!
Hi, Don:-
Protocase does this sort of thing at a fairly reasonable price-
they'll put markings on too. I think frontpanelexpress.com as well,
but never tried them. They use CNC punching so you get almost smooth
edges (a bit of a burr where the successive punch hits overlap, which
could be smoothed off with a file, but is usually unnecessary).
Ah, so they sort of tackle it like an oversized "nibbler"?
You could also make a relatively crappy panel with a scroll saw and
file (lots of light, magnifier lamp or safety glasses up close, and
clear the chips often), and cover it with a (eg. plastic) bezel that
is thin enough to cut with an Xacto(tm) knife.
Yes. I think this is the right approach. Separate the cosmetic from
the structural/functional.
In my case, I can take a pair of panels and cut each slightly beyond the
halfway point. E.g., given something LIKE:
<
http://www.genesistems.com/office/pics/PatchPanel.JPG>
imagine cutting vertically, halfway between the "13" and "14"
markers. So, you end up with as much "panel" extending to the
right of the 12th (and 36th and 60th) connectors as you do to
the left of the *1st* connector. This acts as an "ear" with
which the panel can be mounted to <whatever>.
[You must cut *outside* the "black dots" that mark the locations
of the studs/standoffs/bosses onto which the PCB *behind* the
panel is fastened. And, still leave enough material to provide
a mounting surface]
But, cutting at the 13-14 point leaves you with a real mess!
I.e., the right edge of this new panel now has these big cutouts
into it (for connectors #13, #37, #61, #85).
If, however, you can apply some thin sheet of plastic (0.062")
over the whole thing, it *appears* to be a much finer product.
[The connectors can be coaxed into protruding further through
the panel -- to align with the outer surface of this plastic
overlay -- by trimming down the standoffs on the rear of the
panel]
I assume you're using
something like 3mm hard Al so hand punching or pneumatic nibbling
would be a bear.
Exactly. Trying to "machine" it turns it into a project of its
own! (sort of like making your own spark plugs *before* you
start on that tune-up!)
Oh, and use appropriate file sizes and the type with
no teeth on the sides so as to get sharp corners. A skilled person can
do wonders with a file. ;-) Supposedly one 'hiring' test for
machinists was to make a square peg and square hole with nothing more
than a file and a hacksaw. Had to fit within a thou or two to pass.
I'd rather come up with a solution that lets more folks achieve
"acceptable" results than require people to expend a lot of effort in
something as "unimportant" (?) as a "device to hold connectors". I
think the more you can do to cause "good" results encourages people to
undertake projects that by which they might otherwise be intimidated.
E.g., the "Photoshop overlay" lets folks feel like they've done
something completely unique -- without having to understand some
other (more important!) detail...
This also lets folks adapt the solution to their particular needs
and the materials that they have available to them. E.g., I also
have a bunch of 12-port panels intended for vertical orientation.
Rotate them 90 degrees and slap something on top and no one knows
that the *obscured* legend is now "sideways".
Keep cool! Regards to wife.
--don