Hello Guys!
Appeal for missing information:
As you know I make front panels for PDP-8's and 11's.
I have all the information I can find. Full drawing sets photos etc.
However there are no detail drawings of the
individual panels by themselves. For each panel there should be sets of
drawings of the base panel with its cutouts, and
the artwork for each layer.
So for an 8/e you would have a drawing of the plexiglass blank (18.5" x
8.25") with dimensions and positions of the cutouts,
One artwork for each of the Black, White, Terracotta and Amber layers.
Also manufacturing instructions and a parts list.
Although they are shown as part of an assembly in the drawing sets of
the systems there has to be more detail or they could not have been
made. The information must be out there. Has anybody got or seen the
lost data?
Making new types of panel:
Having lost for now a way of getting panels made and looking to those I
have not done I analyzed the process by which they had been made.
I also took into account I only need one offs and time is not really a
problem.
Firstly panels are made from only a small number of basic size of blanks.
Secondly the range of colors is quite small.
The big problem is registration - printing to cut-outs and one color
layer to another.
So I did what all engineers do with this kind of thing - designed a jig.
I'm going to use a bit of 1/4" (6mm) very flat steel plate about 3'
square as the base.
There will be a hole in the exact centre of the sheet (you have to guess
what that's for)
Next on top a 3mm sheet (one per blank shape) on steel dowels with a
cutout the same size as a standard DEC blank for example (18.5 x 8.25)
Four pieces of aluminum angle to locate the aluminum printing frames and
there you go.
Put blank in blank shaped hole.
Place frame on guides, print, remove frame and dry (lamp) or wait.
Go get next frame, print - wait etc.
Nothing moves and the frames get lined up by the guides.
Frames are all the same size.
Comments please
Rod
--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darkness and light
