[cctalk] Re: PDP 8a front panel hardware

On Tue, Oct 11, 2022 at 1:17 PM Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: As a 3D Printed part, looks good. Strength isn't the only parameter here. A plastic block is plenty strong enough unless you routinely pull down on your front panel when you are standing up. I _am_ a fan of small machine shops, but even though I have access to a very nice one at our Makerspace, it doesn't take me that long to download a part file and press "print". Yep. I have mine right here. My micrometer is elsewhere, but looks like it's made from 1/8" steel flat stock (with anti-corrosion plating), and has 3 bends (apex and two ends), a clip-nut for the machine screw in the cast face, and two mounting holes. Not hard to make with a mill (or a file) and a break. The clip nut is 10-32, BTW. I just checked. No more difficult to source tooling than 6-32 If you made it from metal. you could skip the clip nut and tap the bracket itself, but if you removed the face often, I could see that eventually stripping-out. Agreed. I know lots of people with 3D Printers that cost $300 USD or less, and they are much easier to learn to use than learning how to run a mill (safely). There's absolutely nothing about this part that you couldn't make on a 10-year-old tiny hobby 3D Printer. It's not detailed and can easily be made from ABS or PLA (the most common plastics). If you printed it on its side (with the notch facing "up"), with unbroken filament going around the perimeter, it would be a lot stronger than printing it "point up" in layers. Your mounting holes might be a little more ragged but they are covered up anyway. I haven't printed Vince's parts but on the surface, they look good. One possible improvement could be to design in a pocket for a 10-32 nut. There are ways to print parts and pause the printing to install metal hardware and overprint for retention. It's not a beginner's technique, and heat-staked inserts are easier to apply, but a captured nut can be made to float. -ethan