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Casing Discussion for your project

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HSter

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Hi Guys,
what are the designs for nice casings for the projects we make. using any material, wood, aluminium, plastic, etc. :rolleyes:
what are the fabrication methods & problems in each case.
in general pros & cons for all types/ideas.
 
The case I end up using depends on what I am making and where it will ultimatly go. I have several projects in watertight boxes (NEMA 4) and others in plain ole' project enclosures.
 
I've used a lot of old metal A-B video/serial/printer switch cases our IT department was tossing. I either made new front and rear panels, or just filled the holes in the originals panels with J-B Weld. Scotch tape over the hole on the outside, lay flat on a table, and pour in the epoxy from the back. Lettering can be done in a CAD or graphics program, printed on transparency film, glued with 3M-77 spray adhesive to the panel, and trimmed to size.

I'm from Minnesota...I'm required to use 3M products. ;)

Ken
 

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I've never tried it but you might be able to use the toner transfer method on some materials. Obviously you'll need to cover the print with a protective varnish or lacquer to stop it from rubbing off.
 
If I have a design and absolutely no suitable enclosure I make one using double sided copper layer PCB material (FR4). The (accurate) pieces can be soldered together inside the enclosure. The lid will be at the bottom fixed with 2mm screws.

When everything is done I use a rotating brass brush to polish the outside and then spray with clear laquer.

Boncuk
 
If anyone wants to do top notch graphics check out the decalpro system from pulsarProFx.com. It starts out your laser printer and uses various foils & colors etc to produce execlent work. I have the kit but have not used it. The image is from their website.

The cool part is that the transfer paper and the laminator are also used to make PCB's. As are some of the foils.

**broken link removed**

I've never tried it but you might be able to use the toner transfer method on some materials. Obviously you'll need to cover the print with a protective varnish or lacquer to stop it from rubbing off.
 
If I have a design and absolutely no suitable enclosure I make one using double sided copper layer PCB material (FR4). The (accurate) pieces can be soldered together inside the enclosure. The lid will be at the bottom fixed with 2mm screws.

Me too. The strength when the pieces are soldered to each other on both sides is very good and the enclosure gives good Faraday shielding. With very little practice, the solder welds are very smooth and uniform. All you need is a good hacksaw. The solder covers for small imperfections from the cutting operation by filling in the gaps. Once the four sides are soldered to each other and to the fifth side, the edges can be easily sanded, or filed, to square and smooth them up. Standoffs secured in the corners allow the sixth side to be removable. Easier to work with than metal. Large enclosures would require ribbing pieces soldered on the inside to give good strength, but I usually go to the purchased enclosures for those. Takes paint very well, and looks nice when finished.
 
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