Quote:
Originally Posted by in_vino_vomitus
The base is foam board, the transparent parts are printed on inkjet OHP transparencies and the other bits are printed on card. I used contact adhesive to stick several thicknesses of card together [after printing] for the moveable wheels - the bases get enough rigidity from the foam board. All the parts get laminated with self adhesive laminating film, but the transparencies get more - I think I gave them about five layers in all. I glued the first base scale to the board and then cut it to shape. I stuck a pin through the centre and used that as a guide for sticking the second base scale to the other side. Not everyone will find this as tricky as I did, but be aware that if you're using contact adhesive it grabs as soon as it touches - hence its name. I forgot this obvious point and ended up with the reverse scale at 45 degrees to the first. Not difficult to stick another one over it, but one does feel a bit of an idiot doing it  A slower-drying adhesive might be better for that one operation.... My big problem was making the holes the same size and perfectly central. - I tried cutting them first and the result was OK - but not best. I ended up buying a cheap hole punch and dismantling it, then using one of the cutters to punch the centre holes. A nut and bolt holds it all together. pretty much everything came from the office supplies shop in the shopping centre.
It is brilliant - I wish I'd thought of it. Huge respect to everyone who did what it took to get this out of the museum and into my hot sweaty hands. Shame I'll never meet any of you in a bar - This is definitely worth beers |
Thanks, IVV. I used very similar techniques for mine. Except I could never figure out how to make the transparent parts. I tried printing on the heaviest transparency film I could buy, but the resulting pieces were just not stiff enough. (Let us consider the obvious remarks to have been posted, please, and just move on.) I tried to glue the film onto .040' transparent acrylic stock, but I used 3M spray adhesive, and the result was translucent, but not clear. I also tried printing on self-adhesive laminate, but ink-jet ink doesn't adhere to it. I never thought of using multiple layers of laminating material for support. And I make the opaque parts out of multiple layers of card stock. Just never made the connection! Thanks again! I'm going to get some laminating sheets and try it.
BTW, the other face of my wheel is Cap'n Scurvy's AOB Calculator.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=3347. It doesn't have the little "bow" and "stern" protrusions. Instead, the zero bearing is prominently marked. That eliminates the alignment problem between the two faces.
I was concerned about accurately punching the center holes so the disks would align. Instead of using a nut and bolt for the pivot, I stack all the layers on a large carpet tack as I fab them. Then, after the last layer, I glop the protruding point of the tack with Crazy Glue and press a small (1/4") piece of thin foamcore onto the tack and down onto the topmost layer. Then I clip off the protruding point. It is easy to center all the layers on the tack, there is very little runout, and the CA grips the tack well enough to keep it anchored in place. I've used the wheel for about two years and it hasn't tried to come apart.
But now I'm going to have to make another one with transparent index disks!