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Building an Accelerometer - a Photo Essay


Warhog

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To the great unwashed it is called the G-meter. I have posted below a link to how I built the G-meter below.

 

A10C Accelerometer

 

It starts with the use of the duel shaft VID 28 motor and how you make use of both shafts with some aluminum and brass tubing. It then proceeds to illustrate the use of acrylic for the meter and the use of white styrene plastic for the housing.

 

The installation of the motor involves the fabrication of two (2) PCB's that basically sandwich the motor between them. This is mostly due to the way the motor pins appear on the front of the motor housing. Jumper pins between each PCB connects the motors to the rear PCB which supports two (2) Easy Driver boards that run each of the motors inside the VID28.

 

I think the progression of pictures on the Flickr site are pretty much self explanatory. If not, I would be happy to answer any questions.

 

I hope you enjoy them.:)

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

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Thanks John, Excellent job there and a host of useable information to boot.

Windows 7 64 Home Premium, i5 3570K (3.4 @ 4.4GHz), Asus P8Z77-V LX, 16GB dual channel 1600 ram, EVGA Nvidia GTX980ti, 240 GB OCZ SSD, 3 TB Raptor, Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas and Throttle, Saitek Pro Combat Rudder pedals.

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great work John, did you make the case as well or is it an of the shelf purchase?

cheers

 

Peter

 

 

Peter, I made everything but the motor and the Easy Driver board. The case is made from .06" thick styrene plastic sheet. I have been trying to push people towards using this white styrene plastic for some of the cockpit components. The model railroad guys use this stuff for everything they build. Its basically a staple for model builders. But its most celebrated quality is the ease in which you can make nice looking stuff with a minimum selection of hand tools.

 

I use my CNC mill to cut it because it's easier on my hands which now have some major arthritis in them. But most people use a sharp hobby knife, a steel rule and digital calipers to measure cut lines. Oh yes, and a supply of model glue. Tamiya has a great plastic cement and thats what I use.

 

This is the product: http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/

 

I believe its available world wide.:thumbup:

 

To show you what it can be used for I offer the following:

 

IMG_0548.jpg

The backing for the panel is .06" styrene just thrown together quick and dirty since its the back. The three switch levers (red, grey and green) are made from three layers of .06" thick styrene. They are glued together, wait a couple of hours and then cut them out. So one sheet of 0.06" styrene can offer many possibilities.

 

My fire pulls are also made from this plastic:

 

IMG_0486.jpg

 

IMG_0487.jpg

 

IMG_0492.jpg

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

WIN 10 Pro, i8-8700k @ 5.0ghz, ASUS Maximus x Code, 16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum Ram,



AIO Water Cooler, M.2 512GB NVMe,

500gb SSD, EVGA GTX 1080 ti (11gb), Sony 65” 4K Display

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Ive ordered a couple of small sheets to evaluate John. This is from ebay uk.

I honestly don't know how they will laser until I have tried them:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR5.TRC2.A0.H0.Xstyrene+sheets.TRS0&_nkw=styrene+sheets&_sacat=0

Windows 7 64 Home Premium, i5 3570K (3.4 @ 4.4GHz), Asus P8Z77-V LX, 16GB dual channel 1600 ram, EVGA Nvidia GTX980ti, 240 GB OCZ SSD, 3 TB Raptor, Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas and Throttle, Saitek Pro Combat Rudder pedals.

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Ive ordered a couple of small sheets to evaluate John. This is from ebay uk.

I honestly don't know how they will laser until I have tried them:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR5.TRC2.A0.H0.Xstyrene+sheets.TRS0&_nkw=styrene+sheets&_sacat=0

 

Was it an Evergreen product Gordy? The .06" sheets?

 

Even if it comes out of the laser like 'insert vulgar slang here" you can always cut it by hand. Many of my projects were cut by hand. its very easy to work with.:thumbup:

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

WIN 10 Pro, i8-8700k @ 5.0ghz, ASUS Maximus x Code, 16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum Ram,



AIO Water Cooler, M.2 512GB NVMe,

500gb SSD, EVGA GTX 1080 ti (11gb), Sony 65” 4K Display

VPC MongoosT-50, TM Warthog Throttle, TRK IR 5.0, Slaw Viper Pedals

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You know John, I will soon have to send you my bill for the dentist as I keep dropping the jaw :surprise:

Beautiful work as always :thumbup:

 

Small question. How strong is this styrene? The fire pull handles looks really good but without being disrespectful how sturdy are they? I ask as I have never worked with styrene :cry:

 

Cheers

Hans

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John, thank you very much for sharing this with us. It is really insightful. I like the box made of styrene for the panels. It allows you to use LED strips taped to the bottom and the light can be difussed better as it bounces off the walls. The best is that with a very nice finish and mounts these panels can be sold as desktop mountables for more simple cockpit builds

Good one!

My rig specs:

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Peter, I made everything but the motor and the Easy Driver board. The case is made from .06" thick styrene plastic sheet. I have been trying to push people towards using this white styrene plastic for some of the cockpit components. The model railroad guys use this stuff for everything they build. Its basically a staple for model builders. But its most celebrated quality is the ease in which you can make nice looking stuff with a minimum selection of hand tools.

 

I use my CNC mill to cut it because it's easier on my hands which now have some major arthritis in them. But most people use a sharp hobby knife, a steel rule and digital calipers to measure cut lines. Oh yes, and a supply of model glue. Tamiya has a great plastic cement and thats what I use.

 

This is the product: http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/

 

I believe its available world wide.:thumbup:

 

To show you what it can be used for I offer the following:

 

IMG_0548.jpg

The backing for the panel is .06" styrene just thrown together quick and dirty since its the back. The three switch levers (red, grey and green) are made from three layers of .06" thick styrene. They are glued together, wait a couple of hours and then cut them out. So one sheet of 0.06" styrene can offer many possibilities.

 

My fire pulls are also made from this plastic:

 

IMG_0486.jpg

 

IMG_0487.jpg

 

IMG_0492.jpg

 

Damm - they look great - nice work!

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Ive ordered a couple of small sheets to evaluate John. This is from ebay uk.

I honestly don't know how they will laser until I have tried them:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR5.TRC2.A0.H0.Xstyrene+sheets.TRS0&_nkw=styrene+sheets&_sacat=0

 

Be a little careful with the laser - some materials put out nasty fumes that can be bad for both the laser and you

 

Cheers

 

Peter

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You know John, I will soon have to send you my bill for the dentist as I keep dropping the jaw :surprise:

Beautiful work as always :thumbup:

 

Small question. How strong is this styrene? The fire pull handles looks really good but without being disrespectful how sturdy are they? I ask as I have never worked with styrene :cry:

 

Cheers

Hans

 

Once I glue it all together Hans, you would be hard pressed to break anything without the use of a hammer or similar type tool. But it also depends on what you are building and how you design it structurally. I guess its all in getting to know what the limits of this material are.

 

Another point I failed to mention is that I frequently drill and tap this material so I can eliminate the need for backing nuts. In those situations I always under drill the hole before I tap it. The threads are gripped much better that way. Just try and pull a machine screw out after doing that...impossible:smilewink:.

 

I would not use anything thinner than.06". If I need it a bit stronger I will double up, sandwiching two pieces together with glue.

 

The other thing I try and always keep in mind is that I'm not taking this to war so it doesn't require the degree of strength we see in most real parts.

 

I offer this as an alternative to other more difficult to fabricate materials. It just makes it more fun this way.

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

WIN 10 Pro, i8-8700k @ 5.0ghz, ASUS Maximus x Code, 16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum Ram,



AIO Water Cooler, M.2 512GB NVMe,

500gb SSD, EVGA GTX 1080 ti (11gb), Sony 65” 4K Display

VPC MongoosT-50, TM Warthog Throttle, TRK IR 5.0, Slaw Viper Pedals

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Warhog; Sorry for posting this here, but could you please tell me what color code on the paint you are using on your panels?

My plan is to paint white acrylic and then cut it.

 

-Lars

 

Bad idea Lars. See email I just sent you. Thats not the professional way to create panels. You use engraving plastic.

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

WIN 10 Pro, i8-8700k @ 5.0ghz, ASUS Maximus x Code, 16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum Ram,



AIO Water Cooler, M.2 512GB NVMe,

500gb SSD, EVGA GTX 1080 ti (11gb), Sony 65” 4K Display

VPC MongoosT-50, TM Warthog Throttle, TRK IR 5.0, Slaw Viper Pedals

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Take it easy Deadman.

I asked him and he answered me with his experience on the subject.

Kinda what I asked for.

I have searched for some acrylic plastic and looked for a type with the same surface structure and color-tone that are on the original panels but couldn't find a close match.

Have you tried sanding white acrylic,spray paint and then cut?

 

-Lars

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Come on John let him do it his way.

 

Please keep your posts relevant to the subject matter of this thread.:)

 

Thank you for your consideration.

 

John

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

WIN 10 Pro, i8-8700k @ 5.0ghz, ASUS Maximus x Code, 16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum Ram,



AIO Water Cooler, M.2 512GB NVMe,

500gb SSD, EVGA GTX 1080 ti (11gb), Sony 65” 4K Display

VPC MongoosT-50, TM Warthog Throttle, TRK IR 5.0, Slaw Viper Pedals

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I have searched for some acrylic plastic and looked for a type with the same surface structure and color-tone that are on the original panels but couldn't find a close match.

Have you tried sanding white acrylic,spray paint and then cut?

 

-Lars

 

Lars, here is a sample of what I was referring to:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Laser-Rotary-Engravable-Sheet-of-Plastic-Stock-/161608087164

 

I buy virtually that same material from a company called Romark. Now once you have engraved and cut everything you still need to paint the edges black. I use a paint from Model Masters called "Aircraft Interior Black". Its a very close match to the engraving plastic. Its also not that dark black, its a slightly lighter shade if you can envision that.

 

Yes I tried the painted acrylic except I use clear acrylic and paint the back of it black and then I engrave a mirror image of the letters on the backside. I do this for indicators like the Gun Ready light. The end result is a nice glossy surface with no real indication of what the lettering is until it lights up and then it really stands out. This is a good example of what I am referring to. Also, note the use of styrene for the housing.

 

IMG_0442.jpg

 

When you paint the inside of the housing black, which I haven't done in this pic yet, you don't really see the lettering until its lit.

 

And this is what you get when its lit.

 

IMG_0447.jpg

 

But I think you were asking, have I done it the other way you were talking about. No. Its not a great way to do it as the acrylic doesn't engrave as well as a material that is made specifically for rotary engraving. I also see lots of issues with that method such as creating a uniformly even thickness of paint and then just cutting through that surface and no further. There is no room for error and I would think it would cause you to be trashing quite a few panels due to cutting to deep.

 

One more point, I have ta real ADI and a real HSI. When I place my work beside it there is very little difference in shades of black. It is certainly not noticeable.

Regards

John W

aka WarHog.

 

My Cockpit Build Pictures...



John Wall

 

My Arduino Sketches ... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Dc0Wd9C5l3uY-cPj1iQD3iAEHY6EuHg?usp=sharing

 

 

WIN 10 Pro, i8-8700k @ 5.0ghz, ASUS Maximus x Code, 16GB Corsair Dominator Platinum Ram,



AIO Water Cooler, M.2 512GB NVMe,

500gb SSD, EVGA GTX 1080 ti (11gb), Sony 65” 4K Display

VPC MongoosT-50, TM Warthog Throttle, TRK IR 5.0, Slaw Viper Pedals

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material dedicated to engraving will obviously be better. but if white acrylic is prepared and painted properly (not a trivial task), i don't see anything that much wrong with it either. the only thing is engraved letters come out not as white and the contrast of resulting panel is low - not at all problem when panel is lit. but all in all i don't see why use it unless in some special situations where low contrast can be used to advantage - individual text is near invisible when behind filter which makes for perfect annunicators i think .

 

 

 

CIMG1738-vi.jpg

 

panel itself is painted acrylic

 

 

 

 

BTW, judging by the after-smell lasermax material is actually a painted styrene sheet.

 

 

Now once you have engraved and cut everything you still need to paint the edges black. I use a paint from Model Masters called "Aircraft Interior Black". Its a very close match to the engraving plastic. Its also not that dark black, its a slightly lighter shade if you can envision that.

 

to make things uniform i cut the outline first, spray edges and the entire face with MM flat black (for the life of me i cannot distinguish that shade black from the interior one you mentioned) and then engrave. also takes care of the glossy sheen of the material.


Edited by agrasyuk

Anton.

 

My pit build thread .

Simple and cheap UFC project

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Be a little careful with the laser - some materials put out nasty fumes that can be bad for both the laser and you

 

Cheers

 

Peter

 

 

Cheers Pete.

 

I have full protection and air vents. I was a commercial diver for years in between the Marines and the Police so I have adapted a simple positive pressure rig. But yeah heads up m8, appreciated, maybe help some others. :thumbup:

Windows 7 64 Home Premium, i5 3570K (3.4 @ 4.4GHz), Asus P8Z77-V LX, 16GB dual channel 1600 ram, EVGA Nvidia GTX980ti, 240 GB OCZ SSD, 3 TB Raptor, Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas and Throttle, Saitek Pro Combat Rudder pedals.

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material dedicated to engraving will obviously be better. but if white acrylic is prepared and painted properly (not a trivial task), i don't see anything that much wrong with it either. the only thing is engraved letters come out not as white and the contrast of resulting panel is low - not at all problem when panel is lit. but all in all i don't see why use it unless in some special situations where low contrast can be used to advantage - individual text is near invisible when behind filter which makes for perfect annunicators i think .

 

 

 

CIMG1738-vi.jpg

 

panel itself is painted acrylic

 

 

I have my panels done this way too but John is right. I screwed up many when laser engraving due mostly to the paint not being entirely even across the surface giving me white and gray lettering where the paint was thicker. Besides, fresh paint is a magnet to small particles and will ruin your panel appearance in a level not tolerable for many. In your photo is noticeable a thread or a paint clot in the lower left corner of the panel.

And other problems is that after some use we'll have scratched and fade out panels..

Definitively not a for a commercial end user product

My rig specs:

Intel Core i7 4770 @3.4Ghz // Corsair 16GB DDR3 // MoBo Asus Z87K // HDD 1TB 7200RPM // eVGA Nvidia GTX 760GT 2GB DDR5 // LG 3D 47" 1920x1080 // Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS // Saitek Combat Pro Pedals // Thrustmaster MFD Cougar pack // PS3 Eye + FTNOIR

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I have my panels done this way too but John is right. I screwed up many when laser engraving due mostly to the paint not being entirely even across the surface giving me white and gray lettering where the paint was thicker. Besides, fresh paint is a magnet to small particles and will ruin your panel appearance in a level not tolerable for many. In your photo is noticeable a thread or a paint clot in the lower left corner of the panel.

And other problems is that after some use we'll have scratched and fade out panels..

Definitively not a for a commercial end user product

 

Can I ask a question Ztrooper?

 

What are you using as your panel fascia, are u using the black premade stuff with the white background? It's only 0.6mm is that the stuff.? I take it you are using air assist/blower to remove the shit before it settles.

Windows 7 64 Home Premium, i5 3570K (3.4 @ 4.4GHz), Asus P8Z77-V LX, 16GB dual channel 1600 ram, EVGA Nvidia GTX980ti, 240 GB OCZ SSD, 3 TB Raptor, Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas and Throttle, Saitek Pro Combat Rudder pedals.

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I have my panels done this way too but John is right. I screwed up many when laser engraving due mostly to the paint not being entirely even across the surface giving me white and gray lettering where the paint was thicker. Besides, fresh paint is a magnet to small particles and will ruin your panel appearance in a level not tolerable for many. In your photo is noticeable a thread or a paint clot in the lower left corner of the panel.

And other problems is that after some use we'll have scratched and fade out panels..

Definitively not a for a commercial end user product

 

You know something, it doesn't look as bad as you think. Everybody starts somewhere. Laserwise speak to Anton, he helped me immensely. He is a hive of knowledge. I really only finished upgrading my laser 2 months ago and I am experimenting and making so many fcuk-ups but it is the only way to learn. I had an issue with it not cutting some corners and no matter what I did aligning the mirrors. It was tube from China, they had set it up not horizontal so it was never going to track properly 300mm on the Y.

Properly set up a Chinese 40 is like 37 but I can engrave glass using a 50.2, the lightobject air assist and lens upped the z table to 40.3 using the outside of the lens carrier. If that makes sense.

 

Iv'e

Windows 7 64 Home Premium, i5 3570K (3.4 @ 4.4GHz), Asus P8Z77-V LX, 16GB dual channel 1600 ram, EVGA Nvidia GTX980ti, 240 GB OCZ SSD, 3 TB Raptor, Thrustmaster Warthog Hotas and Throttle, Saitek Pro Combat Rudder pedals.

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