Build Your Own Clone Message Board

First post...Hi to the group. Have been thinking about building a CJ for a friend and was curious about the lead time on the finished enclosure. Props to some of the hand painted ones I saw on the forum. If they're going to be nearly unobtanium then maybe I'll have look for alternatives. Most of it is just text placement in my graphics sw...got an old copy of Illustrator. But the finished item would be preferable at first. Thanks in advance.

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My buttons push themselves....

Here is the one I laid out in photoshop that I used for mine if you are interested. Private message me your email address and I'll send you the .pdf file for it. I can't post a .pdf file on this board.

-=Steve)

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“To know, and not to do, is not to know”

That would be cool. How did you print that and apply it?

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My buttons push themselves....

We can't get these particular enclosures painted/printed at the moment, so there is no eta/lead time.

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*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Waterslide decal paper (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FSF69RM?re ... tails&th=1) and a laser printer. You can do the same thing with an inkjet printer but you have to have the paper for an ink jet printer. When using an inkjet printer you have to spray a light coat of clear lacquer or enamel on it (then let it completely dry) before applying it. The upside about a laser printer is that the decal is ready to apply several minutes after printing. Another thing to consider is that if you are applying over a darker paint the clear waterslide ink will blend into the base color changing of color of the graphics. For a darker base coat I'd recommend using the white decal paper (see attached). One more thing when using the laser version, I'd recommend letting the decal set for 24 hours then spraying a clear coat over it for protection. If you do a search for 'waterslide' on this forum, you'll find that there is a lot of good information and ideas for finishing your enclosure.

-=SteveO

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“To know, and not to do, is not to know”

The decal method looks to be the simplest for sure. Looks like the thing to do would be to mask the area for the decal before painting the rest of the enclosure. Are the decals sensitive to any types or brands of clear coat or is this not an issue? Again, thanks for the help here.

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My buttons push themselves....

I would not recommend masking the decal area. I think it will be harder to get clean edges between the painted parts and the unpainted part with a decal than it would be to paint the whole thing and apply the decal over the paint. You just have to account for the paint color somehow. If you use clear decal stock, the color will obviously show through. This can work great with lighter colors. If you use white decal stock, you can make a full color design or leave some areas white. It's a tradeoff.

For paint and clear coat brands, the only rule I know of, and I've seen repeated many times, is use the same brand for top coat as you do for paint; otherwise, they may interact badly and wrinkly the paint, ruining the decal in the process. I use Rustoleum, but lots of folks have good luck with Krylon or other brands.

Lastly, if/when you end up making your own builds (i.e., not kits that have pre-drilled enclosures), consider sourcing powder coated enclosures. Love My Switches has some, and so does Tayda. In my opinion, this is worth the small extra cost for the work it saves. Like, by a mile.

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Scott

My band, Austin Hollow

Thanks Scott and Steve...got a couple different approaches to this now...and just ran across another. Found a small business just around the corner that prints and engraves with a laser. She can do full color printing from a file..I'll have to get in touch and see if this could be a workable option. If so, I'll try to get info about the process on here. This is just the kind small business that can pop up because of the versatility of the process. And I believe the process allows for easy set up which would encourage one off production with no minimums. We'll see. Thanks again guys.

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My buttons push themselves....

If you need the .AI or print quality PDF artwork for the Crown Jewel, email me.

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*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Went over to the local engraver/printer and while she couldn't print directly onto the enclosure, she could print in color onto a thin layer of plastic. I can either drill out holes or maybe have her cut them...probably need hole centers one way or the other. Thinking this is how I'll go.

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My buttons push themselves....

Check out water slide decals too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Pedal building is like the opposite of sex. All the fun stuff happens before you get in the box.

One last possibility that could be the Cadillac approach would be Front Panel Express. I tried toying around with this idea back a few years ago but the project got shelved. Could get them to create a 1.5mm thick panel that would fit in place with all holes drilled and options of anodizing, powder coating, UV printing, engraving. These guys do a lot of work for the small to medium quantity high end audio makers, so the quality is good. I'll have to download the latest software and get a price. The design program gives you prices as you work on the design.

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My buttons push themselves....