Aluminum Front Panel
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Aluminum Front Panel
I want to use my Express to play gigs. If I put it in something as beautiful as Larry Mann's (Distortion's) cabs, I'd be afraid to take it out of the house 
 My first goal was to make a rugged front panel, so I decided to make it out of aluminum. I used a 1/8" x 2" x 17 1/8" piece. None of the pots were threaded long enough, so I had to countersink them behind the panel. I will likely use  1/16" stock for the next one. I used steel lettering stamps to label it. It just seemed to be in the spirit of the wood-burned labels on the originals. I put a machine-turned finish on it to turn it into "figured aluminum" and engraved the name (Cynthia). It lacks the nobility of figured Kauri, but it should be rugged 
			
			
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									Tim
In case the NSA is listening, KMA!
						In case the NSA is listening, KMA!
- LeftyStrat
 - Posts: 3117
 - Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 6:58 pm
 - Location: Marietta, SC, but my heart and two of my kids are in Seattle, WA
 
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
Looks great.
Couple of questions. How did you engrave the Cynthia part? I have a little hand engraving tool that doesn't seem to make much of a dent in the die cast aluminum box I tried to use it on.
Where can I get those steel lettering stamps? Are those something I might be able to find locally, or would I have to order them?
			
			
									
									
						Couple of questions. How did you engrave the Cynthia part? I have a little hand engraving tool that doesn't seem to make much of a dent in the die cast aluminum box I tried to use it on.
Where can I get those steel lettering stamps? Are those something I might be able to find locally, or would I have to order them?
- 
				CaseyJones
 - Posts: 856
 - Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:29 pm
 
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INLMK3?PMK0NO=859423
The classic pre-BNP solution for control panels was to use your local trophy shop.
			
			
									
									
						The classic pre-BNP solution for control panels was to use your local trophy shop.
- LeftyStrat
 - Posts: 3117
 - Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 6:58 pm
 - Location: Marietta, SC, but my heart and two of my kids are in Seattle, WA
 
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
Yikes, those stamps aren't cheap. I think I'll keep saving for that CNC mill I want.CaseyJones wrote:http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INLMK3?PMK0NO=859423
The classic pre-BNP solution for control panels was to use your local trophy shop.
- 
				Distortion
 - Posts: 159
 - Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 4:15 am
 - Location: Knoxville, TN.
 - Contact:
 
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
drhulsey wrote:I want to use my Express to play gigs. If I put it in something as beautiful as Larry Mann's (Distortion's) cabs, I'd be afraid to take it out of the house![]()
Chicken
Just kidding.. I actually like the aluminum faceplate..
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
The stamps I used were from Harbor Freight:LeftyStrat wrote: Couple of questions.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=90125
I hope I don't disappoint you by telling you they were $12.99
The engraving was done with a tiny dremel cutting bit called an... engraver (#108 Engraving cutter). The head is a truncated cone and flat on the tip. The tip is about 1 mm. This aluminum came from Home Depot and seemed soft enough to have used a real engraver's tool. I didn't have one.
You d*mn betchaDistortion wrote: Chicken
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									Tim
In case the NSA is listening, KMA!
						In case the NSA is listening, KMA!
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
12.99$
That's it! I'm ordering!!:roll:
Thanks for the tip!!!
			
			
									
									
						That's it! I'm ordering!!:roll:
Thanks for the tip!!!
Re: Aluminum Front Panel
Although it might futz with the tempering a bit, you can also heat em up and use for burning on a wreck wood faceplate.
			
			
									
									
						Re: Aluminum Front Panel
I'll have nice gig worthy tolex 'Wreck cabinets ready towards the middle of the month. Even if you have an authentic cherry cabinet already you may want to consider one so you can gig your 'Wreck.drhulsey wrote:The stamps I used were from Harbor Freight:LeftyStrat wrote: Couple of questions.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=90125
I hope I don't disappoint you by telling you they were $12.99I'm reasonably sure they weren't individually had engraved by German craftsman
They have 1/8" and 1/4" size. I used the 1/4".
The engraving was done with a tiny dremel cutting bit called an... engraver (#108 Engraving cutter). The head is a truncated cone and flat on the tip. The tip is about 1 mm. This aluminum came from Home Depot and seemed soft enough to have used a real engraver's tool. I didn't have one.You d*mn betchaDistortion wrote: ChickenThat last Kauri cab you posted made me swoon
If one of my band mates put a ding in that, I might be headed for jail