Flight Simulator Cockpits

I received the acrylic panels in the mail yesterday. I made the mistake of ordering white acrylic with 40-50% light transmission, and find that it transfers TOO MUCH light. I have placed another order last night, but for a white acrylic with about a 20% light transmission. That should allow the paint to stop the rest of the light. I will then use a pantograph engraver to cut away the paint for the letters. I found a used panto-engraver on e-bay for $350. You can also build one very easily...just go to the instructables.com website for the instructions. They show how to build one out of yardsticks, and mount a cutting laser on it.

Interestingly, they have plans for building a laser pantograph. And where can you buy that high powered cutting and engraving laser???? Get a DVD burner with LigjhtScribe, and remove the laser diode ($35 usd). You will also need a good heatsink and lense to focus the laser, but you can pick that up fairly cheaply from a laser distributer (all listed on instructables). Think about it. For lightscribe to work, the DVD burner needs to engrave the disk while it spins at hundreds of RPMs. The laser should be strong enough to engrave or even to cut plastic, and possibly metal if you move it slow enough. Just BE CAREFUL with it. Wear EYE PROTECTION (Laser Eye Protection)

JimB

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