Inspired by Hoss's console I have been planning my own for a couple of months.

Mine will be portable and will be used on my X3 as well as a couple of gantry routers I have built.

It has taken about a month of research and trial and error on a few components but I am confident I have a handle on some of this mumbo jumbo electronics for the console.

I have a Hagstrom Keyboard encoder and this will send multiple keystrokes from a switch. It has the capacity to hook up 72 switches which is more than I will ever use.

I folded up some galvanised iron for the case and the front has two slopes - one for the switches and monitor and the lower one for the keyboard and touch pad. I got a 12 inch touchscreen for the monitor.

The case will house a 3.2ghz dual core computer with 2 gig of ram. Plenty for CAM and design software. With the 12 inch screen I don't think I will do a lot of design on it though.

I have cut up the mountings of a computer and arranged and installed them in the case. There are three 80 mm fans plus the power supply fan in the case so there should be plenty of air flow.

I have put a couple of photos of the case and a protoype switch panel so you get an idea of how it fits together. The protoype panel will be scrapped and a new panel made to fit this case. The switches are momentary and have a LED built in.

More later......

Very nice, I will be watching this thread with great interest. Your sheet metal work is always so clean and perfect. What equipment do you use for it?

Thanks cjdavis618

Prior to this project I used to cut with tin snips and then clamp steel on the fold line and then use a piece of heavy steel to form the bend. I would then hammer the fold against the steel to make the bend tight. It's not foolproof but if you are careful it works well.

On this job I spoilt myself and got one of those 3 in one machines. It can cut and fold 760mm by 1mm. It is a handy thing to have in the workshop and wish I had got one years ago.

I have seen them, but I always wondered if they were wide enough? I think I'll look into one myself and see if I can find one that fits.

Right now, I just use a break that mounts on vice jaws.

Looking pretty swell there Rod! I'm in the same process myself. I've got a running machine but wanted to upgrade and there just isn't enough room in the current console. I've pain-stakingly layed out every component and even the wire runs in 3D and made sure everything fits. I'm putting my PC on it's own back plane inside the box, however I'm liking your idea of just using a cut down case.. I might have to give that a whirl..

Keep us posted on your progress!
J

cjdavis618,
I still have to break down a sheet with snips to use the machine so a wider unit would be better.

JerryFlyGuy
I wish I had your discipline in designing. I just made the box pretty much on the fly and spent a night with the bits working out the best way to fit them all in.

Looking awesome mate.:cheers:
Hoss

JerryFlyGuy
I wish I had your discipline in designing. I just made the box pretty much on the fly and spent a night with the bits working out the best way to fit them all in.

It comes from doing it 9 to 5.. [or in my case 7-6 :)]

I decided I wanted the cleanest console I could build, which had high voltage seperated as far as possible from the low stuff, was compact.. and looked like a pro had done it all.. We'll see how that last part turns out :)

It doesn't help that I'm a perfectionist either.. Drives me' wife NUTS..

Pic show's the basic layout..

J

Thanks Hoss
The electronics is a bit out of my depth but I will keep plugging away and re-visit your thread and videos from time to time to learn how to do it.

JerryFlyGuy
That drawing would take me longer to do that make this console. :eek:
Nice work
Mine is a lot simpler because the driver board stays with the machine and I will run a parallel cable and USB (video camera) from the console to the driver box.

This is great looking! I first need too get my machine working but In the end hope too make a nice console.

Very sweet looking!


-Jason

Looking pretty swell there Rod! I'm in the same process myself. I've got a running machine but wanted to upgrade and there just isn't enough room in the current console. I've pain-stakingly layed out every component and even the wire runs in 3D and made sure everything fits. I'm putting my PC on it's own back plane inside the box, however I'm liking your idea of just using a cut down case.. I might have to give that a whirl..

Keep us posted on your progress!
J

btw, if you don't have any cases lying around then-
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=314&products_id=3387

Looks fantastic rod!

Thanks Jason and Teyber

A little more progress yesterday. Have cut all the case external holes for the hardware and installed the fans, motherboard, CD drive and hard drive and a couple of switches on the front. Also ran some tophat to strengthen the case so the motherboard was fixed secure.
I will start work on the panel facias and the couple hundred soldered wires to the switches.

Looking beautiful, Rod :cheers:

How is the case fan direction setup? One side intake and one side exhaust?

Howdy Rod,

I'm so jealous, you do beautiful work!

Did I mention, I'm Jealous! Keep up the great work,
Jack

Thanks all,

Yes the air is pulled in on the power supply side and blown out the opposite end.

Hi Rod,

Nice concept & excellent execution!!!
Can I copy your idea? I've got 3 machines & it's silly to duplicate
all that electronics.
BTY: I recently bought a 3 in 1 also....Had to put a 1 inch Dia
bar between the 2 handles to get more leverage, I'm old & weak!

Keep up the good work........W. Smith

Hi CNCfun&games
Feel free to take from this thread what you need. In fact I'll do you a deal - I'll pinch your idea of the 1 inch cross bar for the bender in exchange. :cheers:

Rod,

That is an offer I can't refuse!
Enclosed are some photo's.

OFF TOPIC:
I would appreciate your assessment of my new column proposal.
Particularly since you are so familiar with the X3 column.
Will post the revised design tomorrow.

Thanks....W. Smith

Thanks for the photos and I will definately do the modification.

I will certainly look at your X3 column proposal but I don't feel qualified to give you an informed reply.
I have some 200mm square RHS to fit to my column but I haven't got around to fitting it yet.
Look forward to your post tomorrow.

i think you stated, but a quick search isn't showing up- what gauge steel is that? guessing 16?

nice update

It is 0.54mm galvanised iron sheet which I think is about 24 gauge in your language. :)
I chose the lighter material for less weight as I want to be able to carry this from machine to machine.

Excellent, Rod, looks like it's going to work like a champ- :)

I got the computer working and loaded a fresh versions of XP and Mach3.

I did the facia for the console and a quick mock up of it assembled. Note it is held together with tape and there are wires between the facias and box.

I cut the main facia on my gantry router and did all the switch engraving at the same time - you get to love these CNC machines.
There are forty switches in the panel and I could easily have added many more functions but that is enough soldering for me. :) The switches have LED's and I can power them through the computer power supply.

I have also been playing around modifying my Mach3 screen to make it easier for the touchscreen. I now have the option of using the touchsceen, keyboard and touchpad, MPG or switches to control the machine. I chose the touchpad over a mouse as it works better static verses chasing the mouse each time it rolls off the sloped panel. :)

Have attached progress shots and sorry about the quality of the photos as photography is not one of my interests.

Very SHARP there Rod.. very nice.. I just may have to add Jog buttons to my console.. I've got the full keyboard.. but jog buttons might be alot nicer :)

J

I hear ya on the 'enough soldering'.
It got boring real quick on mine.
Probably why I drug my feet finishing it.
You are making quick work of yours though, good on ya.
Hoss

Hi Hoss,
I can imagine the amount of work in your console as this one has only part of the functions you have built in.

Well a couple of days on and off and all the buttons are soldered. 240 soldered joints in all and the majority of them just to get the built in LED's buttons to work.
A couple of photos showing the facia soldered. I ran out of mounting room so I added a little panel to the back of the facia and shifted a couple of things around in the box to make it all fit.
The box now has the key emulator and a breakout board for the MPG. Should be easy to finish off now. Oh yeah I put a timber trim around the box so I could screw the facia down, added speakers and a USB port to the facia. It is getting busy inside the box but I still have a little room in there if I want to expand later.
Hopefully the next photo will be it all finished and up and running.

...you and your homemade panel are an inspiration to us all...lol and we're starving for more...lol.

Hey, what's up Hoss I sent you a yahoo email.

It's all back together and to my surprise everything worked.
The key emulator is a very easy way to do this project if you are like me and not inclined towards the electronic side. The MPG is a fun thing to have as well.
I can see myself wasting time just pressing buttons and playing with controls until the novelty wears off.
If I get keen later on I will paint the case but for now it is finished. :)
Last photo shows the speakers on the side and the USB port in the keyboard panel.

Omg, too freaking awesome! Such a nice system!


-Jason

Thanks Jason
Glad it is finished at the moment. :)

Man that was quick, great job!
Wish mine went as fast but it's great to be running again.
I might be guilty of just wanting to play with the buttons too.:)
So much nicer than before.
Now you just have to start selling kits.;)


Edwin, what yahoo email?

Very very impressive, Rod, that's an excellent looking console - :cheers: