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Thread: Looking for Ideas - Cutting Lexan Disks

  1. #11

  2. #12
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CraigCantwell View Post
    Ha! Might be worth it. Cost isn't that bad, especially the ones on Amazon.

    I thought it was too big (my glass specs at about 2.9"), but it made me think about my design. I'd completely forgotten the instrument hole is 3 1/8"; I need to enlarge my design slightly, at which point an even 3" diameter glass disk would probably be right.

    I need to rework the design anyway, some instruments are installed from the pilot side of the panel, and my outline is wrong for that.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Last edited by rwanttaja; 05-10-2021 at 09:56 AM.

  3. #13
    Dana's Avatar
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    Remember that a 3" holesaw will cut a disk about 2.875" diameter, allowing for a 1/16" kerf, there's your 2.9".

    There are also 3-blade adjustable holesaws that might work better without a pilot than a 1- or 2-blade flycutter. I have an old Craftsman one but they're still made today by other companies.

  4. #14

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    The pre-cut disks look reasonably priced, but since you're rolling your own bezels via 3d print, why not design the bezel to take a square lens? Or find a community college nearby with a tech lab, or a 'maker space', and use their LASER to cut your own discs?

  5. #15

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    1/16" Lexan can be cut easily with sheet metal snips if you want it quickly by hand.

  6. #16
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Thanks much for the advice. If I were building a 4" instrument, I'd probably use a router. But I bought the Amazon 3" disks, because if I build any more instruments, most are probably going to be three inches.

    A quick slap-together of the final product. It's not actually bolted to this old Warwick Bantam instrument panel, so it's not lined up.
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    Instrument face is just printed on plain paper with a standard ink-jet. I have a small sublimation printer that'll put some gloss on it; may give it a shot.

    Learned quite a bit on this one, will come in useful if I end up making any more.

    Ron Wanttaja

  7. #17

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    Didn't know the Bantam was that fast....

  8. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by CraigCantwell View Post
    If you have access to a lathe, make 2 wood templates to actual size. Clamp oversize Lexan between wood templates in headstock and tailstock and turn lexan to size.

    Bob
    WB8NQW

  9. #19
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CraigCantwell View Post
    Didn't know the Bantam was that fast....
    Of course! "Bantam" is an anagram for "Batman", you know.... :-)

    Actually, my model was a P-51 airspeed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Willman View Post
    If you have access to a lathe, make 2 wood templates to actual size. Clamp oversize Lexan between wood templates in headstock and tailstock and turn lexan to size.
    That's an interesting idea. I guess one could use carpet tape to really tie down the Lexan. I may give it a try, if only as an excuse to run my lathe.

    Ron Wanttaja

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by rwanttaja View Post
    I'm trying to come up with a way to easily cut out disks of Lexan to a given diameter.

    Any other ideas?
    Stack them in a lathe between centers and turn them. I have done this before and it works very well, the OD can be turned to +/- .005" without too much effort.

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