Pedal assembly jig

[giovanni]

This is what we use:

RTape ApliTape 4000 Low-Tack Tape - 50 Yd. Roll

RTape ApliTape 4000 is a standard paper application tape with a low tack rubber adhesive. It's easy to unroll and apply by either hand or machine. RTape ApliTape 4000 releases, tears, and cuts cleanly with no build up of tackiness over time.

www.specialty-graphics.com

We usually keep it in widths from 6 inches to 24 inches. It is low tack, so it's not a struggle pulling it off. If you are careful applying it, is also works very well (after laser scoring) as a pattern masking for spraying finishes, (not super pedal applicable, but I do this sometimes). Masking tape will work, obviously a nice wide roll is easier to deal with. The basic caveat—do a test run with whatever you're planning to use, just to make sure there are no "surprises."

Yeah, big cost difference between extruded and cel cast. There's some "in-between" type, called "continuous casted" that really is closer to extruded. Besides cost, the other advantage extruded has is that it is closer tolerances thickness. Cell cast is all over the place, which if you're building with it can be a real problem. But there are so many issues working with extruded, that it just wasn't cost effective for the processes that we use mostly (machining, laser cutting, heat forming).

Forgot to ask: if you are doing both engraving and cutting, do you just tape the parts that need to get cut? When I tried engraving acrylic with the protective plastic on the result was pretty ugly.

 

[Alan W]

Forgot to ask: if you are doing both engraving and cutting, do you just tape the parts that need to get cut? When I tried engraving acrylic with the protective plastic on the result was pretty ugly.

As you found out, you don’t want to keep the plastic masking on. Paper masking should be fine — but again, always experiment on some scraps. For cell cast acrylic, if you’re scoring or raster scanning, you shouldn’t get any smoke damage, and removing all the masking between the score lines is time consuming, so we generally unmask before scoring.

Another option for masking that may work and doesn’t require sourcing specialist materials would be to try a light mist of “repositional” spray adhesive on the back of some paper, and pressing that on the unmasked surface.

Another thing to try is scoring on the back side—I almost always prefer the way this looks. You need to “mirror image” your art to do this. (Back side scoring doesn’t affect the whole smoke damage issue, it’s just a different look.)

 

[giovanni]

As you found out, you don’t want to keep the plastic masking on. Paper masking should be fine — but again, always experiment on some scraps. For cell cast acrylic, if you’re scoring or raster scanning, you shouldn’t get any smoke damage, and removing all the masking between the score lines is time consuming, so we generally unmask before scoring.

Another option for masking that may work and doesn’t require sourcing specialist materials would be to try a light mist of “repositional” spray adhesive on the back of some paper, and pressing that on the unmasked surface.

Another thing to try is scoring on the back side—I almost always prefer the way this looks. You need to “mirror image” your art to do this. (Back side scoring doesn’t affect the whole smoke damage issue, it’s just a different look.)

Thanks so much for the tips! I’m using this material to make faceplates and it behaves a bit differently than the clear acrylic I got from Home Depot. Any tips specific to it?

 

[music6000]

3 125B Enclosures are cheap enough, Just drill 3 Hole, 4 Hole & 6 Hole enclosures with reverse toggle positions, mount everything from the top!

 

[giovanni]

3 125B Enclosures are cheap enough, Just drill 3 Hole, 4 Hole & 6 Hole enclosures with reverse toggle positions, mount everything from the top!

Well, that’s not as much fun as making a jig though!

 

[Alan W]

Thanks so much for the tips! I’m using this material to make faceplates and it behaves a bit differently than the clear acrylic I got from Home Depot. Any tips specific to it?

The material that we used for this is made by Rowmark,

Home

With over 30 years experience Rowmark is the premier sign plastic manufacturer in the world. Manufactured with you in mind. Tough. Tested. Trusted.

www.rowmark.com

and I’m not sure how similar your material is, so I can’t really make any suggestions.

In the link you sent, someone wrote in with several suggestions—masking off, engrave from the bottom of the cut up, and turn off air. I can’t stress enough that trying out different settings, and different masking materials, etc. is pretty much the way to improve output. Same with 3d printing. Your samples can be small, but it does take time to try the different pulsing, speeds, etc. Keep notes; no matter how sure I’ve been that I’ll remember what worked best for a given situation, I seem to always have a foggy recognition later on. One good thing about experimenting like this is that you’ll get some awful failures that might lead to great results (but for some other effect than the one you were aiming for).

 

[allsmoke]

Can you share the svg please

 

[giovanni]

Can you share the svg please

Here's a link to the file!

 

[finebyfine]

3 125B Enclosures are cheap enough, Just drill 3 Hole, 4 Hole & 6 Hole enclosures with reverse toggle positions, mount everything from the top!

Overlap the 4 and 6 hole positions and you can get away with just one enclosure

 

[Barry]

3 125B Enclosures are cheap enough, Just drill 3 Hole, 4 Hole & 6 Hole enclosures with reverse toggle positions, mount everything from the top!

I just use the top of the enclosure of the build I'm doing.

 

[giovanni]

The material that we used for this is made by Rowmark,

Home

With over 30 years experience Rowmark is the premier sign plastic manufacturer in the world. Manufactured with you in mind. Tough. Tested. Trusted.

www.rowmark.com

and I’m not sure how similar your material is, so I can’t really make any suggestions.

In the link you sent, someone wrote in with several suggestions—masking off, engrave from the bottom of the cut up, and turn off air. I can’t stress enough that trying out different settings, and different masking materials, etc. is pretty much the way to improve output. Same with 3d printing. Your samples can be small, but it does take time to try the different pulsing, speeds, etc. Keep notes; no matter how sure I’ve been that I’ll remember what worked best for a given situation, I seem to always have a foggy recognition later on. One good thing about experimenting like this is that you’ll get some awful failures that might lead to great results (but for some other effect than the one you were aiming for).

Finally found some Rowmark sheets. I’m gonna get a few, test them out and report back. Thanks for the tip!

 

[HamishR]

It never occurred to me to make a jig. And I still probably won't! I use the burnt finger approach and it works fine for me. The burns are rarely 3rd degree.

 

[Feral Feline]

Here's a link to the file!

The Jig is up!


Thank you for sharing that.

 

[jimilee]

The Jig is up!


Thank you for sharing that.

And gone!

 

[BuddytheReow]

So, I printed out the template and was going to try to cut and drill on a spare sheet of acrylic. Then I thought this wouldn't work out so well since I'd have to hand drill everything. I looked around in my inventory to see what I could use instead.

Then it hit me. I've got a cover from a 1032L enclosure. I used the main enclosure for my BuddyBoard project late last year and the cover has been sitting on my bench since then. I really only needed the jig in the OP for mounting pots. Can I install pots on a board without a jig? Yes, and I have many times. Having something predrilled to populate the pots makes sure they're a good fit and I can just slip it in an enclosure when ready.

This has been drilled for 3 knob, 4 knob, and 6 knob projects. Was this a waste of material? Who knows. I'm glad this is getting some use after sitting around for about a year. I'm sure at some point down the road I'll have second thoughts.