TW Faceplate?

[rfgordon]

If you want really sturdy faceplaces in something other than wood, I highly recommend FrontPanelExpress. I've used their stuff on 5 amps now, and it's all been great.

You download an editor from their website and lay out your faceplate, logos, whatever, in it. You can even print it out full size to try the fit. The editor allows you to add holes and other features. When you're done, you order with the program, and a coupla weeks later it shows up, all the way from Seattle, Washington.

I've had mine done in anodized aluminum, both red and black. The lettering is machine engraved. You can have the engraving in-filled with colors, too. They also do engraved and in-filled plexi (perspex). I use 1.5 mm thick aluminum. For long faceplates, the program defaults to 2mm thick, so just contact them (Joe) and let them know what you want. The 2mm thick can create fit problems with pots, etc.

The panels aren't cheap, but they are super quality pieces. Their website is www.frontpanelexpress.com.

[Lonely Raven]

I've used them before for projects, but that's not going to help people here who might want grain matched exotic wood faceplates for their Trainwreck clones wrapped in exotic wood cabinets. Not to mention custom engraving of an animal of choice ala Kennith Fisher faceplates.

Since I have this fantastic $22,000 35 watt laser etcher/cutter, I figured I'd help out the TW building community by working this out and offering it up to some peeps.

Thanks for the reminder of that page though. I might need it for another amp build I'm finishing up (in the next few weeks, months, or possibly years. e.g. when I get off my butt).

[Lonely Raven]

This will work. I just need to make some aesthetic and technical adjustments and I'll be able to provide custom faceplates for the masses.

[img731]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p400933619-5.jpg[/img]

I'll run a few more of these tomorrow and see what comes up!

[drhulsey]

... I have this fantastic $22,000 35 watt laser etcher/cutter...

Boy Was Santa good to you
The faceplate looks great. It harkens back to the woodburned KF faceplates

[BBQLS1]

This will work. I just need to make some aesthetic and technical adjustments and I'll be able to provide custom faceplates for the masses.

[img731]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p400933619-5.jpg[/img]

I'll run a few more of these tomorrow and see what comes up!

Looks nice. Any chance that you will offer something besides wood?

[Richie]

sounds great.. i know i seem to booger a few plates ,and it would be a life saver to have them pre cut etc..

if you look online.. they have other things that would probably woork real good.. formica..they have it that looks like wood to what ever..thousands of colors and types for wood
http://www.formica.com/publish/site/na/ ... neers.html
also some places online sell 1/16" wood sheets 2" by 24"
http://www.hobbyworldinc.com/wood.html

there are alot more places to choose from

something else that might be cool is to get pickguard material,lots of cool colors,swirl etc..

[Lonely Raven]

... I have this fantastic $22,000 35 watt laser etcher/cutter...

Boy Was Santa good to you
The faceplate looks great. It harkens back to the woodburned KF faceplates

It's not mine, it's my works. Believe it or not, they got it for making name badges and maybe some signs! Since I'm the IT manager, a highly certified printer tech, and a competent wood worker in a previous career...I was the one that figured out how the machine works and I'm training a few others on how to use it.

Richie.

Thanks for those links. But unfortunately, laser etchers can only work on certain materials, and something like Formica might be too hard of a surface for a 35watt laser to go through. It's basically the bottom end of the Class 3 laser category. I can cut through up to 1/4" wood material, maybe even thicker if I do multiple passes. It can cut through some plastics and acrylics, but balancing the speed and power of the laser are important so I don't wreck the material.

That link for the 1/16" wood looks good. I'm hoping Distortion or someone else around here might be able to provide me with better base material.

Anywho, I've made some adjustments to the Corel Draw file I made up today. I'm going to try counter sinking the washers and nuts on the pots, and I'm going enlarge the hole for the pilot so one of Nik's typical pilots will poke through (it's a PITA to get the pilot light in and out of that tight space). I've also made some adjustments to the font and radius of the numbers on the dials.

I'll be ordering up some plastic and aluminum type materials later this week, once I get my template 100%.

[rfgordon]

The laser engraved wood looks super! There's a sign shop in town that uses a laser to make signs and such out of various kinds of plastics, but they won't do wood. I stopped using them because it took so many iterations for them to get the things right. They just didn't "get it." So I turned to Frontpanelexpress since I could lay it out myself and test fit.

But you have a great advantage over most sign places--you understand amps! You could be a real asset to the DIY amp community!

[Lonely Raven]

The laser engraved wood looks super! There's a sign shop in town that uses a laser to make signs and such out of various kinds of plastics, but they won't do wood. I stopped using them because it took so many iterations for them to get the things right. They just didn't "get it." So I turned to Frontpanelexpress since I could lay it out myself and test fit.

But you have a great advantage over most sign places--you understand amps! You could be a real asset to the DIY amp community!

The sad thing is...any shop that's worth there salt should be able to make you good pieces. They shouldn't need to understand amps to be able to make a faceplate.

Anywho, after I run some errands this morning, I'm going to see if I can swing by my work with some 1/8" cherry stock I picked up locally and see if I can make some better product using my revised template. If all works out well, I might have a couple faceplates up for sale in the Sale section later tonight!

[drhulsey]

... I'm going to try counter sinking the washers and nuts on the pots, and I'm going enlarge the hole for the pilot...

I enlarged the holes for the pots and the pilot lamp on my 1/8" aluminum faceplate to accommodate the nuts. It worked great, although I'll use 1/16" next time.

[Lonely Raven]

Hey Doc. Your amp just looks to METAL!

I happen to be at work now...people think I'm nuts, but whatever. I'm working on the counter sunk version of this layouton 1/8" material. Lookin' really good so far with my larger fonts, and some slight adjustments to the size of the holes, plus counter sunk nuts.

If this one that I'm burning now works out, I'm going to cut 3 or 4 more and put them in the for sale section.

Anyone have any requests as to what animal or image they want in place of the Zebra?

~Eric~

[rfgordon]

"Anyone have any requests as to what animal or image they want in place of the Zebra?"

Well, since Ken Fischer was like the Amp Jedi Master, how about Yoda?

[Lonely Raven]

Ok, I have a good image for that...I just ran out of wood!

I'll take photos of what I got done tonight when I get home. This last image I'm burning is going to take over 35 minutes...I'm starting to get hungry!

I'll post results later!

[Lonely Raven]

Photos from tonights work. I ran out of good stock and had to use the ragged edge of the board. I need to stock up on some more exotic woods. I've not sanded these yet. The big burn marks are actually from the smoke, and the natural sugars in the wood carmalizing from the laser burning out the sugar.

Tell me what you think!

[img731]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p818727500-5.jpg[/img]


[img731]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v3/ ... 7986-5.jpg[/img]


[img731]http://lonelyraven.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p968079161-5.jpg[/img]

[drhulsey]

... Your amp just looks to METAL!

The cab tones the aluminum down a great deal. I just wanted to try something different. Aluminum was also the only thing I had 1/8" thick
Your face plates look great