Switch Panel

[tobble]

I came by a pile of circuit breakers a while ago and was hoping to put them in some sort of switch panel. thought it would be nice to have something professional looking, so knocked up a design and asked a local signmaker, they quoted £140 for a piece of acrylic A4 size (admitedly with some vinyl printing and cut out holes)!

Does anyone know where I could get something done for rather less money?! I may end updoing it myself, but thought a well-finished thing might be worth paying 20 - 30 quid.

Am I being unrealistic?

 

[bazobeleza]

When I need a similar panel I printed the design and lettering I wanted on my colour printer onto a piece of easily obtainable inkjet film (OHP stuff) and sandwiched it between two pieces of a4 1.5mm acrylic, cadged as scrap from a big laminates supplier in liverpool, (its helps to have a bit of cheek) top one coloured a nice light blue, drilled the holes I needed installed switches and backlighting and installed in a frame and it looked like a professional job

 

[savageseadog]

I personally don't like thermoplastic around power circuits. I would suggest a nice piece of anodised aluminium with signwriting. Send me what you want cut in vinyl and I'll quote you.

 

[tobble]

savage; see pm... but for the public record, what's the issue with thermoplastic? is it just about melting? surely a metal has earthing issues?

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Here is a pannel I made from a peice of arcrylic that only cost me a tenner in a local plastics place, and I marked and cut out all the apertures myself with a fine blade in a slow running jigsaw, after taping all the good face so as not to mark it.
Not much point in making one yourself if it is going to cost you a fortune for the materials, I mounted this on to a plywood backing to give it some strength as it would be quite weak when all the apertures are cut out.
I did try one in polypropelene before but it was a pig to work with, and marks very very easy, so avoid that if you can.
Good luck, and remember, "With time and perseverence a man can pee through a stone" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Dipper]

I made my own in the same way as you are proposing.

My panel is probably slightly smaller but has enough room for 14 switches and circuit breakers. I made a template on my computer with detailed measurements and a local sign maker engraved a piece of black acrylic? with labels for each switch and the name of the boat maker for £40 cash (three years ago). I drilled all the holes with a bench mounted pillar drill and fitted the switches and circuit breakers myself.

This picture is a bit small but gives you some idea as to what it is like.

 

[savageseadog]

[ QUOTE ]
what's the issue with thermoplastic? is it just about melting? surely a metal has earthing issues?

[/ QUOTE ] Yes melting and fire potential. If you examine any electrical fitting low or high voltage it will be made from a non flammable thermosetting plastic such as the phenolics. An acrylic panel will probably never melt or catch fire but why risk it when there are better materials. Earthing is not an issue on 12/24V DC systems but on shore power it would be in which case you would earth it.
Aluminium is more dimensionally stable and works (drills and cuts) better for panels in my opinion. There are specialist panel engravers who use the correct type of plastic for electrical work. This is one I know well:



Computerised Engraving Ltd.
Victoria House
Croft Street
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 0NQ

Tel: 0151-420-4590

 

[PBooth]

Try Logograph, (they have a website). They will engrave and cut any size and shape of 'traffolite' this is a laminate of three layers of a hard plastic, engraving through the top layer shows the contrasting colour of the middle layer. Quite a reasonable cost and very professional result. Good firm to deal with.

 

[tobble]

Dipper and PBooth, this is exactly what I had in mind! £40 is more reasonable - the firm I tried didn't seem to think it was possible to use a small enough bit to get the lettering neat, which I thought was odd, but you have proved it's possible and I'm not being silly!

I'll investigate the alu route as well, thanks for the tips chaps.