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Blog Front Panels! How to Label them
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Engagement
  • Author Author: shabaz
  • Date Created: 27 Mar 2015 4:19 PM Date Created
  • Views 4310 views
  • Likes 9 likes
  • Comments 29 comments
  • labelling
  • metal_enclosures
  • enclosures
  • front_panel
  • hammond
Related
Recommended

Front Panels! How to Label them

shabaz
shabaz
27 Mar 2015

Front panels can cost a lot. As an alternative I had a theory that I put to the test this week, and it worked out well. The theory was that for home-built projects, surely trophy/jewellery type engraving could be used for labels.

 

It turns out that it can be done on enclosures in most high streets/malls as a same-day service - just using the engraving services of a key cutting or jewellers store : )

In the UK, the chain 'Timpson' was used here, on this aluminium enclosurethis aluminium enclosure (these Hammond aluminium enclosures are really great - simple, with a nice finish):

image

 

image

It was very efficient. I just told them the text I wanted and where, just written on a piece of paper along with a quick 30-second pencil sketch.

They figured out how to center it, the font size, etc., based on their experience with their tools.

I think they did an awesome job!! I'll be going back to Timpson for future projects.

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Top Comments

  • jw0752
    jw0752 over 10 years ago in reply to shabaz +2
    Beautiful final result. John Different subject but the "RF Circuit Design" by Chris Bowick has arrived and I am really enjoying reading it. Thanks for your recommendation. John
  • fvan
    fvan over 11 years ago +1
    That's an excellent idea, the result looks great!
  • jw0752
    jw0752 over 11 years ago +1
    Another great idea from the workbench of Shabaz. Thanks for sharing. John
  • jw0752
    jw0752 over 10 years ago in reply to shabaz

    Beautiful final result.

    John

     

    Different subject but the "RF Circuit Design" by Chris Bowick has arrived and I am really enjoying reading it. Thanks for your recommendation.

    John

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  • shabaz
    shabaz over 10 years ago

    This was the final, assembled result:

    image

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  • D_Hersey
    D_Hersey over 11 years ago

    Righto, that's how you do it!  As long as you are not using acrylic paint, you can dab on some drying paint (then it goes on thickly) and wipe it off a little later on the outside with a cotton rag lightly moistened with your paint's solvent.  Rub frequently rather than hard.

     

    In paint world they use the terms 'pigment' and 'vehicle.'

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  • shabaz
    shabaz over 11 years ago in reply to 4ringfan

    Hi Mike,

     

    This sounds totally perfect!! Very nice idea. I shall test it out on some aluminium with the nearest equivalent I can find at the local car maintenance store.

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  • 4ringfan
    4ringfan over 11 years ago

    shabaz I may have a perfect solution for filling in the engraved lettering.  I'm kind of an Audi car fanatic.  I literally own like five of them.  In addition to that, I take great pride in a full detail of said cars.  There is a company called Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Kit - Dr. ColorChip: Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems

    Let's say your nice Audi sustains a paint chip.  This company supplies a correct paint match for your car.  You brush it on liberally not being at all careful where the paint goes.  You let it dry.  Then you come back with their special cleaner and a white rag and it literally wipes away anything that is not down in the grooves of the chip.  I would assume that you could brush this over your engraved lettering, let it dry, then wipe off excess using the cleaner.

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