What to buy at OSH this year?

You got a blueprint or other design with dimensions, I can probably cut it
on one of our CNC machines...make it as fancy as you want.

Wow -- thanks. That really would solve a lot of problems.

Of course, I have NO idea how to tell you the precise dimensions. It looks
like this:

http://www.narco-avionics.com/cp136picbody.htm

Without the silly white rectangular labels under each button. (The labels
are printed on the black background on every CP-136 I've ever seen.)

Of course, this tells you NOTHING about thickness, and what's inside...

:-(

How do you go about duplicating a part?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay -- it is really quite simple. You take the faceplate off, you measure
all the dimensions relative to a common point (most of us like the lower
left hand corner of the beast), you put those dimensions into a computer
program, load a blank of aluminum into the machine, push "go" and out the
other end comes an exact duplicate.

John -- I don't see any mounting hardware on the faceplate itself, so there
must be a couple of tapped mounting bosses inside the panel. Since I don't
have one in my hand, I can't take those dimensions. If anybody out there
has a cracked or otherwise junk 136 faceplate they would be willing to loan
either John or I to do the dimensioning, I'd really appreciate it.

Jay -- since this is an "owner produced part" for a certificated airplane,
are you sure you want to get into the middle of that excruciatingly long
thread in public? {;-)

Jim


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:xcUwe.104658$_o.22298@attbi_s71...
You got a blueprint or other design with dimensions, I can probably cut
it on one of our CNC machines...make it as fancy as you want.

Wow -- thanks. That really would solve a lot of problems.

Jay -- it is really quite simple. You take the faceplate off, you measure
all the dimensions relative to a common point (most of us like the lower
left hand corner of the beast), you put those dimensions into a computer
program, load a blank of aluminum into the machine, push "go" and out the
other end comes an exact duplicate.

How come every time you say "It's really quite simple" it always seems to be
something incredibly complex?

Must be that Apollo Program experience...

;-)

John -- I don't see any mounting hardware on the faceplate itself, so
there must be a couple of tapped mounting bosses inside the panel. Since
I don't have one in my hand, I can't take those dimensions. If anybody
out there has a cracked or otherwise junk 136 faceplate they would be
willing to loan either John or I to do the dimensioning, I'd really
appreciate it.

Well, therein lies the rub. If I take the faceplate off, all the little
buttons go "boing!" all over the cockpit. Otherwise I'd just mail it to you
tomorrow!

It's not the best design. The buttons are smaller than your fingers, and
when you push them in, especially in turbulence, you tend to push the
faceplate, too. This, of course, puts lots of stress on the four
screw-holes that are in the sides of the faceplate (2 on each side), which
eventually cracks it.

Jay -- since this is an "owner produced part" for a certificated airplane,
are you sure you want to get into the middle of that excruciatingly long
thread in public? {;-)

Hmm. Sure sounds legal to me. What's the big deal?

It's not like it's a prop governor or sumpin'...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Well, a couple of options for getting the dimensions of your face plate
would be A) send me the faceplate, and I'll bring it back to you at
Oshkosh, or B) I could take measurements of it at at Oshkosh and send
you a new one in aluminum.

John

Well, a couple of options for getting the dimensions of your face plate
would be A) send me the faceplate, and I'll bring it back to you at
Oshkosh, or B) I could take measurements of it at at Oshkosh and send you
a new one in aluminum.

Thanks, John. When I take the faceplate off all the pushbuttons fall off,
so I really can't mail it to you.

Are you coming to the North 40 cookout on Wednesday night? We could try to
do it there, hopefully before the adult beverages take their toll...

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
Well, a couple of options for getting the dimensions of your face plate
would be A) send me the faceplate, and I'll bring it back to you at
Oshkosh, or B) I could take measurements of it at at Oshkosh and send you
a new one in aluminum.


Thanks, John. When I take the faceplate off all the pushbuttons fall off,
so I really can't mail it to you.

Are you coming to the North 40 cookout on Wednesday night? We could try to
do it there, hopefully before the adult beverages take their toll...

Not sure whether this is practical, but what about putting the faceplate
face-down on a scanner/copier next to a scale (ruler). Then you can mail/fax
(whatever) the copy?

Dave

Yes, I'm going to try to make the cookout. You gotta understand though,
that the faceplate will have to come off for accurate measurements. Is
that a "risk" you want to take in the field.

Of course, we could always arrange to get together another time.

John

Yes, I'm going to try to make the cookout. You gotta understand though,
that the faceplate will have to come off for accurate measurements. Is
that a "risk" you want to take in the field.

Of course, we could always arrange to get together another time.

Or, I could just buy a new PS Engineering audio panel!

But, of course, I suspect your solution is cheaper, if not easier. :-)

Given the fact that this thing has three different colored plastic lenses,
highly detailed labels, and at least four precisely place side mounting
screws on this thing, are you *really* sure you can duplicate it in
aluminum?

How the heck (for example) can you incorporate/fabricate the different
colored lenses for the marker beacons into an aluminum faceplate?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

jay, Jay, JAY, don't start questioning those of who profess the engineering
trade to be taking on a trivial job like this unless you want us to start
questioning how you get the sport spots off the sheets in our rooms.

The fabrication is trivial once you have the dimensions.

{;-)

Jim


Given the fact that this thing has three different colored plastic lenses,
highly detailed labels, and at least four precisely place side mounting
screws on this thing, are you *really* sure you can duplicate it in
aluminum?

How the heck (for example) can you incorporate/fabricate the different
colored lenses for the marker beacons into an aluminum faceplate?

How the heck (for example) can you incorporate/fabricate the different
colored lenses for the marker beacons into an aluminum faceplate?

jay, Jay, JAY, don't start questioning those of who profess the
engineering trade to be taking on a trivial job like this unless you want
us to start questioning how you get the sport spots off the sheets in our
rooms.

The fabrication is trivial once you have the dimensions.

Ok, okay, OKAY!

I'll just sit back and be amazed, as always...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"