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Vintage threads from the first ten years

Control Panel Lettering

11/27/2005 5:23 PM
cwoodall	Control Panel Lettering Hi, I just thought I'd cast a line out here and see if I get any bites. I'm wanting to be able to label the controls (Volume, Bass, Mid, etc...)on my homebrew amps and other projects. I want it took look neat and as professional as possible, but I don't want to be at the mercy of farming the task out. So, I'm wondering what the neat, clever, trick ways are that everybody is using to get lettering on the control plates.......I'm just not satisfied with a Sharpie....... Thanks to all, Curtis

11/27/2005 5:23 PM

cwoodall

Control Panel Lettering

Hi,

I just thought I'd cast a line out here and see if I get any bites. I'm wanting to be able to label the controls (Volume, Bass, Mid, etc...)on my homebrew amps and other projects. I want it took look neat and as professional as possible, but I don't want to be at the mercy of farming the task out. So, I'm wondering what the neat, clever, trick ways are that everybody is using to get lettering on the control plates.......I'm just not satisfied with a Sharpie.......

Thanks to all,

Curtis

11/27/2005 6:08 PM
Enzo	There are plenty guys here who will know more about it than I, but here are a couple easy ones. Dry transfer letters - can be had at office supply ot art/craft stores - rub into place on the panel. They will need a protective coating such as a clear coat or a plexi panel overlay For that matter you can print a whole panel or just control labels and glue them in place with a prtective layer of clear plexi. There are companies that will make a metal or tough plastic overlay you can add to your panel, they will print to order from your art. Many many commercial amps use plastic overlays.

11/27/2005 6:08 PM

Enzo

There are plenty guys here who will know more about it than I, but here are a couple easy ones.

Dry transfer letters - can be had at office supply ot art/craft stores - rub into place on the panel. They will need a protective coating such as a clear coat or a plexi panel overlay

For that matter you can print a whole panel or just control labels and glue them in place with a prtective layer of clear plexi.

There are companies that will make a metal or tough plastic overlay you can add to your panel, they will print to order from your art. Many many commercial amps use plastic overlays.

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11/27/2005 6:14 PM
Mark Lavelle	This" target="_blank">http://www.harmonicappliances.com/verberator/verb_w_pods_btdtmv_50pct.jpg">This is several coats of flat black paint, press-on lettering (Letraset, IIRC), and then a couple of coats of a clear satin protective finish. The only real trick (besides getting the letters on straight!) is that you have to go really light with the clear coats or you can "melt" the letters...

11/27/2005 6:14 PM

Mark Lavelle
email

This" target="_blank">http://www.harmonicappliances.com/verberator/verb_w_pods_btdtmv_50pct.jpg">This is several coats of flat black paint, press-on lettering (Letraset, IIRC), and then a couple of coats of a clear satin protective finish.

The only real trick (besides getting the letters on straight!) is that you have to go *really* light with the clear coats or you can "melt" the letters...

11/27/2005 6:15 PM
Mark Lavelle	This is several coats of flat black paint, press-on lettering (Letraset, IIRC), and then a couple of coats of a clear satin protective finish. The only real trick (besides getting the letters on straight!) is that you have to go really light with the clear coats or you can "melt" the letters...

11/27/2005 6:25 PM
cwoodall	I like that black panel with white letters. Seems I read somewhere about printing an overlay on clear adhesive overlay sheets. Anybody have experience with that? I reckon you'd want to clearcoat it with something that wouldn't melt the overlay material. I use AutoCAD all the time so making a layout with control labels, arrows, boxes, lines, etc wouldn't be a problem. I just wonder about durability and such. How about clear adhesive sheet over the natural aluminum (polished of course)....I a SATA Minijet IV spray rig.....hmmm....back to the lab to experiment I spose.......THANKS!

11/27/2005 6:25 PM

cwoodall

I like that black panel with white letters. Seems I read somewhere about printing an overlay on clear adhesive overlay sheets. Anybody have experience with that? I reckon you'd want to clearcoat it with something that wouldn't melt the overlay material. I use AutoCAD all the time so making a layout with control labels, arrows, boxes, lines, etc wouldn't be a problem. I just wonder about durability and such. How about clear adhesive sheet over the natural aluminum (polished of course)....I a SATA Minijet IV spray rig.....hmmm....back to the lab to experiment I spose.......THANKS!

11/28/2005 3:06 AM
Tommy Dale	I haven't tried this yet, but talked to a guy who did, and it worked ok. He made the front panel in a picture editing program, like Adobe Photoshop. Printed it on photo paper, since photo paper is thick and glossy. Then he laminated it. Then cut the holes, and glued it in place... Tommy

11/29/2005 1:11 PM
BobW	I've used this same method but in VISIO. Once the layout was plotted to full size, it was laminated, then a thin clear lexan cover was made to fit over the jack and pot locations. The lexan took a lot of time to fabricate, but it gave the amp a nice finish, w/o using glue.

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