On 10/23/2015 6:43 PM, Mike Ross wrote: If you mean the plexiglass for the console, I might be able to help with that. I thought at one point I was going to get an entire PDP-12 from U. Wisconsin Comm. Arts, but when I showed up on the appointed day, it had been dismantled - but I did get the backplanes with cards, and the console, more or less intact, and the VR14 - just no racks or power supply, RK05's (including their controller) or TU56. [I later obtained and still have an entire PDP-12]. Unlike sending a DG terminal to NZ or OZ, I suspect this would be more manageable. The IBM 1401 and 1410 and many other machines had plastic display panels at various places - and even the main console - that allowed a lamp to shine through at the desired places in front of lights, not unlike what DEC did. JRJ

Er.. Wow! Ok the process mimics the original production system. I draw the panel using Inkscape because it runs on windows and Linux, produces .svg (scalable vector graphics) files and its free!! As sources I use photographs, Scans (The best way because there are no lens errors) and drawings from print sets. There?s usually a dominant layer or color. For example pdp8's often have lines and text in white. So what I do is to draw all the layers one per color. As these will become the positives for the silk screens they are always black. To do check prints I have a HP DesignJet T120 (24" wide roll feed) Printing on reproduction clear film would generate the master positives. However the girls like to be able to tweak things so they get the .svg files. They have a printer all set up with repro film anyway. I also have a plastics supplier who will not only laser cut the blanks to size but do holes and cut outs as well. So armed with my drawing files on disk and a pile of blanks its off to my silk screen printers. If its a repeat order then they go and get the ready made screens. I own them and they keep them for me. If its a new job then they make the screens. The screen on its frame gets hand coated with a photo sensitive liquid which dries in a short time. The coated and dried screens are then exposed through my masters. Where the black lines where can be washed off with water and hence let the ink through when printing. The only real skill so far is getting the right amount of resist on the screen. Now for the skilled bit. The place is run by two very nice girls age about mid twenties. They both have art degrees and are qualified colourists. Getting the colors matched and getting the right mesh size saw them sit down with their ink and screen rep and after about an hour I'm told came up with the answers. They can match way beyond a just noticeable difference and being female (and there's no doubt about that) don't suffer from color blindness (which I do) The final stage is the actual printing. They use vacuum printing tables. They are about five feet square and about a foot deep. Also very heavy. There?s a pattern of holes in the bottom and a domestic vacuum cleaner is used as an exhaust pump. They also set up corner references to get each panel in the same position. The screens are mounted on a sliding bar arrangement . Getting this lot to register is a highly skilled job and not for the amateur. I can duplicate most panels (metal as well) but as they say in the USA "custom costs" I'm setting up for my next run now. (artworks done) Its for PDP8/e (two types) 8/f and 8/m I'm in the drawing stage for 11/45 11/55 11/70 (common blank size) So given a scan and measurements and a panel that's not too big (max to fit on a 19" rack box) I can have a go at most types of panel. Now we need a bezel production person/group, switches source and lamp panel producer. 3D printing for the switches possibly? For one off panels I'm looking at flat bed printers. So far way to expensive. I hope this sets out what can be done. Rod Smallwood "If you take and do not give then soon there will be nothing more to take" On 24/10/15 00:43, Mike Ross wrote:

Hello Tony Well like a lot of things its not always simple. Lets deal with the GT40 first. Well I know why I picked the car as opposed to the display. In the late 1960's I did what was called a sandwich course. Part of the time at work and part at college. I worked in the test lab of a local cable manufacturer The guy I worked for was in his sixties and would retire soon. He had been a racing driver prewar and knew everybody in car racing. So well as having a test lab with every kind of electronic test equipment you could ever want. I spent a lot of time at race tracks. At nineteen what more could you want. Anyway one day I came back from lunch to find a GT40 parked outside the lab. It was very sparse inside just bare fiber glass, wiring and a small passenger seat. My boss said oh you have seen it then? Want a ride? Dave will take you. I said it was a bit spartan inside. Oh yes its just raced at LeMans ( can't remember if they won that year) we have to keep the weight down I'm 5'7" and weighed about 130 pounds in those days and I could get in. My boss could not! Suffice to say off we went and headed up to Maidenhead where the M4 began in those days. It was unrestricted and what followed was a blur, the vibration , the noise. No speedometer just a large rev counter. When we got back there was my boss with a big grin on his face. The driver stayed in the car and we waved him off. Bill (the boss) took me in his office and poured me a small scotch from his private supply. I said I was a bit shook up. He said he was not surprised as 180 mph in a GT40 would do that. Happy Days oh yes! Rod On 24/10/15 12:19, tony duell wrote: