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UFC Project


lerxster

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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 by lerxster
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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

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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 :)

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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:

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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.

- - - -

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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.

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