Thoughts on faceplate material? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Uncle Bulgaria · 13th Mar 2020, 5:48 pm

I'm making a switch panel to go in a boat and wondered if anyone here has good thoughts on materials for the same. It will be replacing one made from hardboard. The new rocker switches are the clip-in type so I don't think hardboard will be the best option.

Steel would be all right apart from the rust in the marine environment, and stainless would be a bit awkward to machine. I was considering Paxolin, but I haven't any experience of it in sheets (approximately 300mm x 220mm) so don't know if it would be rigid enough if only ~2mm thick, which I think is the biggest the switches can deal with.

Brass might be suitable nautical...

barrymagrec · 13th Mar 2020, 5:55 pm

2mm paxolin is fairly rigid in that size, depending to some extent on how many switch holes you machine into it, certainly more rigid than damp hardboard.....

G6Tanuki · 13th Mar 2020, 6:02 pm

What about Traffolyte(TM) ??

It would have the advantage that you could also have it nicely engraved with the controls' functions, just like the control-panels in last-century power-stations, nuclear reactors etc.

[Search for a local sports-trophy-engravers: they do Traffolyte engraving - my local one is surprisingly cheap too]

You may need to provide some reinforcement to the rear of typical 2mm Traffolyte, as it's not really designed for 'structural' applications.

13th Mar 2020, 6:19 pm

Traffolyte engravers can also cut the holes for you too.

Uncle Bulgaria · 13th Mar 2020, 11:41 pm

Thank you - Traffolyte is an excellent idea and well worth pursuing. I never knew it was called that, though of course I recognised the material as soon as I did a search!

I'll follow that up as it's probably better than the Dymo effect I was going for. A little more difficult to re-label if the panel changes, but I'll see what the engraving cost is before worrying whether that's a problem or not.

Scimitar · 14th Mar 2020, 8:14 am

Foamex.

Silicon · 14th Mar 2020, 10:53 am

Composite sheets made from a plastic core covered with an aluminium foil are another option.

Brands such as Alupanel and Dibond are available. Offcuts might be available in skips on industrial estates.

valveaudio · 14th Mar 2020, 1:30 pm

Brass would be nice for a boat but maybe too expensive.

Trevor

OscarFoxtrot · 14th Mar 2020, 6:44 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Bulgaria

I'll follow that up as it's probably better than the Dymo effect I was going for. A little more difficult to re-label if the panel changes,

If you are going to be moving clip-in switches about, you could put a 'designation strip' below each row of switches and slide a laminated paper label into that whenever needs change.

Some desi strips might even take dymo, which might look ok if it's one long strip rather than individual labels per switch.

https://www.vdctrading.com/shop/netw...gnation-strip/

https://www.canford.co.uk/Designation-strips

the ones on the left are the traditional metal drilled style

Scimitar · 14th Mar 2020, 8:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by valveaudio

Brass would be nice for a boat but maybe too expensive.

Trevor

Brass shim is available and could be used as a veneer.

llama · 15th Mar 2020, 2:18 pm

PCB? - copper out.
Graham

13th Mar 2020, 5:48 pm	#1
Uncle Bulgaria Nonode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,335	Thoughts on faceplate material? I'm making a switch panel to go in a boat and wondered if anyone here has good thoughts on materials for the same. It will be replacing one made from hardboard. The new rocker switches are the clip-in type so I don't think hardboard will be the best option. Steel would be all right apart from the rust in the marine environment, and stainless would be a bit awkward to machine. I was considering Paxolin, but I haven't any experience of it in sheets (approximately 300mm x 220mm) so don't know if it would be rigid enough if only ~2mm thick, which I think is the biggest the switches can deal with. Brass might be suitable nautical...

13th Mar 2020, 5:55 pm	#2
barrymagrec Octode Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Morden, Surrey, UK. Posts: 1,559	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? 2mm paxolin is fairly rigid in that size, depending to some extent on how many switch holes you machine into it, certainly more rigid than damp hardboard.....

13th Mar 2020, 6:02 pm	#3
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,998	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? What about Traffolyte(TM) ?? It would have the advantage that you could also have it nicely engraved with the controls' functions, just like the control-panels in last-century power-stations, nuclear reactors etc. [Search for a local sports-trophy-engravers: they do Traffolyte engraving - my local one is surprisingly cheap too] You may need to provide some reinforcement to the rear of typical 2mm Traffolyte, as it's not really designed for 'structural' applications.

13th Mar 2020, 6:19 pm	#4
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? Traffolyte engravers can also cut the holes for you too.

13th Mar 2020, 11:41 pm	#5
Uncle Bulgaria Nonode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,335	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? Thank you - Traffolyte is an excellent idea and well worth pursuing. I never knew it was called that, though of course I recognised the material as soon as I did a search! I'll follow that up as it's probably better than the Dymo effect I was going for. A little more difficult to re-label if the panel changes, but I'll see what the engraving cost is before worrying whether that's a problem or not.

14th Mar 2020, 8:14 am	#6
Scimitar Heptode Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 720	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? Foamex.

14th Mar 2020, 10:53 am	#7
Silicon Nonode Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coulsdon, London, UK. Posts: 2,165	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? Composite sheets made from a plastic core covered with an aluminium foil are another option. Brands such as Alupanel and Dibond are available. Offcuts might be available in skips on industrial estates.

14th Mar 2020, 1:30 pm	#8
valveaudio Hexode Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Diss, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 386	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? Brass would be nice for a boat but maybe too expensive. Trevor

15th Mar 2020, 2:18 pm	#11
llama Octode Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Osyth, Nr Clacton, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,482	Re: Thoughts on faceplate material? PCB? - copper out. Graham __________________ Half my stuff is junk - trouble is, I don't know which half!