slk23 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 I used a PCB company to make a switch panel and some placards for my airplane. They came out really well for cheap. A fair amount of time learning the software (Fusion 360 and KiCad) and designing on my side but developing new skills is part of the fun 😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upali Posted May 17, 2022 Share Posted May 17, 2022 Looks nice! Hopefully the lettering is durable against frequent use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thseng Posted May 17, 2022 Share Posted May 17, 2022 Nice. That gives me a further idea. The PCB material is sorta translucent... It would take some experimentation but perhaps you could backlight the text by creating openings in the black solder mask corresponding to the text. I don't know if the white silk screen print is opaque or not. The registration with the solder mask might be hit or miss, since this is not the intended application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slk23 Posted May 17, 2022 Author Share Posted May 17, 2022 3 hours ago, Upali said: Looks nice! Hopefully the lettering is durable against frequent use. I'm putting a few layers of matte clear coat on the panels, especially the switch panel. So far the most vulnerable area appears to be at the edges; the black paint can chip there. Hopefully the clear coat will minimize that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slk23 Posted May 17, 2022 Author Share Posted May 17, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, thseng said: Nice. That gives me a further idea. The PCB material is sorta translucent... It would take some experimentation but perhaps you could backlight the text by creating openings in the black solder mask corresponding to the text. I don't know if the white silk screen print is opaque or not. The registration with the solder mask might be hit or miss, since this is not the intended application. That technique is used and if you do a web search you'll find examples. Another good place to learn about PCB front panels is the modwiggler website (devoted to DIY synthesizers). Edited May 17, 2022 by slk23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thseng Posted May 19, 2022 Share Posted May 19, 2022 Thanks, this seems to be the mother-of-all-threads on this topic: https://modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=180347 I like how they used a copper pour pattern to create texture on this one: https://modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3226334#p3226334 It also has bare sections for LED indicators to shine through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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