lerxster Posted April 3, 2013 Posted April 3, 2013 (edited) I've started a project to make the Up Front Controller. Before starting this little adventure I had zero CAD skills, no electronics experience and some rudimentary design and manufacturing knowledge. I am a little stuck at the keypad stage. I would like to make a silicone rubber keypad but manufacturing companies are reluctant to help! Not least as it can cost several hundred £££ to tool up as design. Any ideas? Take a look: http://lerxster.wordpress.com/ The blog is mostly to help me catalogue what I've done and where I bought stuff from... not really that comfortable blogging! :D Edited April 3, 2013 by lerxster
Hansolo Posted April 6, 2013 Posted April 6, 2013 Looks like a good place to start. Can't help you with the silicone rubber buttons though. I make mine from painted plexiglas and it works ok. If you don't have use for the analogue inputs on the BU0836X then I suggest the BBI-32. It also works absolutely great and you can get cheaper because it doesn't come with analogue inputs. Enjoy you panel building Cheers Hans 132nd Virtual Wing homepage & 132nd Virtual Wing YouTube channel My DCS-BIOS sketches & Cockpit Album
lerxster Posted April 8, 2013 Author Posted April 8, 2013 Thanks for the tip re controller. Looks like I bought the wrong one. However I may turn that into a tank controller for Steel Beasts sometime! Plexiglass sounds like a good route too. Currently I think I either make a mould and vacuum form acrylic then pour my own silicone rubber..... or buy off the shelf switches and caps and custom make the rockers... All good fun either way :)
Hansolo Posted April 8, 2013 Posted April 8, 2013 Nah the BU0836X controller is great... Once you have done the UFC you probably want to do more and then eventually you run into the need for potentiometers :music_whistling: That vacuum forming acrylic sound interesting. Looking forward to seeing the result :smilewink: 132nd Virtual Wing homepage & 132nd Virtual Wing YouTube channel My DCS-BIOS sketches & Cockpit Album
Duckling Posted April 8, 2013 Posted April 8, 2013 I've started a project to make the Up Front Controller. Before starting this little adventure I had zero CAD skills, no electronics experience and some rudimentary design and manufacturing knowledge. I am a little stuck at the keypad stage. I would like to make a silicone rubber keypad but manufacturing companies are reluctant to help! Not least as it can cost several hundred £££ to tool up as design. Any ideas? Take a look: http://lerxster.wordpress.com/ The blog is mostly to help me catalogue what I've done and where I bought stuff from... not really that comfortable blogging! :D Might be a longshoot but this company http://www.aluscreen.se/tjanster/tangentbord is located near my office (Sweden). Can't tell about prices on keytops etc but they helped me out cutting Alu some times. They produce a larger number of products, they fast and serviceminded. English shouldn't be a problem but if you need a translator send me a PM with info and I could pop'in next time passing by. - - - -
Waxi Posted April 8, 2013 Posted April 8, 2013 There is also a company in Berlin that laser-cuts Plexiglas with high precision according to your plans at a very affordable price. I ordered the parts of my CDU (backplate, lightplate, buttons*) from them and I am quite happy with the results. All parts matched perfectly. However I do not know whether they deliver to the UK. * I made the buttons myself from three layers of transparent Plexiglas glued together. I may post photos later.
lerxster Posted April 9, 2013 Author Posted April 9, 2013 Excellent links thank you. Will take a good look when at home!
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