Front panels for stuff

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

I recently ran across a supplier that may be of interest to those of you 
building fancy (or not so fancy) control panels, etc.  I haven't used them, 
but it looks real slick.

http://www.frontpanelexpress-dot-com/ is a company that you download a little 
design program which lets you specify the height and width and thickness of 
an aluminum panel, and draw holes, machined outlines, engraved text, canned 
outlines (Like XLR or D-sub connectors), etc.  You then send the file to 
them, they machine the panel and send it back to you.


I played around with the software and laid out a 7 inch (4 U) high 19" 
panel, 4mm thick, with a dozen DB-25 holes, some XLRs and BNCs, with a few 
legends, estimates out at about $50 (+tax and shipping). (Each D-sub was 
$0.83.. try that with a chassis punch or a drill, file, and dremel tool)

They can make almost every size imaginable.

Very slick.

I grant it's not going to be perfect for everyone, but it sure is a nice 
resource.