Oscar,
I am very excited to hear about your PiDP-11 project. I also would urge you to go to
1:1 scale for the PDP-11/70 panel and also utilize the classic Purple and Pink color
scheme.
I saw Henk's PDP-11/70 reanimation and dreamed of doing one some day, and then saw
Jorge Hoppe's work and contacted him when I finally was able to obtain a PDP-11/70
front panel. It was one of the later DECsystem 570 styles in Blue, light Blue and White.
My project is detailed on Jorg's website as well as his projects which not only
include a PDP-11/70 but also a KI-10!! Anyway interested is learning about these projects
or just want to see a virtual PDP-11/70 running RSX11M+ on their Windows or Linux PCs
should check out:
http://retrocmp.com/projects/pdp-11-70-panel-on-blinkenbone/243-simulated-p…
http://retrocmp.com/projects/pdp-11-70-panel-on-blinkenbone/189-pdp-11-70-c…
You hit upon one of the key needs for these projects, a good replica bezel. In my
project I had to have a plexiglass bezel laser cut then used white plastic to frame that
bezel. It works but I would love to have a replica bezel.
So I have thought about two other approaches to thermoforming. One is to make a
silicone mold which then can be used to make new bezels from polyurethane. A video about
that approach uses a 3D printed part to create a silicone mold which is then cut in half
and the silicone is now the mold for more rigid polyurethane which is poured into the mold
sealed allowed to cure then the part is removed and a new part is cast. It's not
extremely fast like injection molding, but it could be used to make a mold from an
original part if necessary.
see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7bNFT4Dcs4
The second approach is something I used many years ago to produce some solvent
resistant two holed stoppers for a lab instrument. I found some PVC stoppers that worked
very well but the lab supply house quit selling them. I have a M.S. in Polymer Chemistry
and was familiar with PVC plastisol that when heated to about 180 C then cooled makes a
tough somewhat flexible rubber like material. If you were a child in the 1960s you may
have done this with a "Thingmaker"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creepy_Crawlers
The "Plasticgoop" is the PVC plasticsol and it can be made with a wide range
of hardnesses and pigmented to any color as the PVC plasticsol is clear (It is what Tygon
tubing is made from). To use this approach you would need a metal mold but it would not
need to hold pressure like an injection molding machine. The heating can be done on a hot
plate and monitored with an IR thermometer. In the day we could get a part from the mold
about every 8 to 10 minutes by quenching with cold water.
One other comment I would make is that it would be great to modified the SImh V4.0 to
work with the PDP-11 front panel. Most of the code supporting the panels are either
V3.8 or V3.9. These front panel reanimations should be part of the Simh development.
Also, thanks for your wonderful PiDP-8 !! i would never have been able to afford a real
PDP-8 to learn about them
Mark
Hi,
> Oscar is already working on another very promising
product.
> [..]He will
also pay a visit to my "museum" to take a few
measurements.
Sorry, can't say more
> I'll leave that up to Oscar. Perhaps he
want to stay "below the radar" until that project is finished ...
Thanks for the kind words on my strange replica mania! We all need to do silly things at
some point in our lives.
No secret... I'd love to do an "Open Source Hardware" PDP-11/70 replica (or
remake - whatever choice of words is preferred). Electronically, it would a simple
variation on the PiDP-8 (i.e., simh brains on a Raspberry Pi, hiding behind a front panel
PCB). It's just a different emulator from the simh stable with less LEDs.
But a 11/70 replica needs two physical 'cosmetic elements': proper switches, and
the white bezel/frame. The switches *seem* to be feasible to produce cheaply (I will know
in a month with PDP-8/I switches...). The white bezel though brings me into unknown
territory. 3D CAD (based on Museum Measurements), then injection molding or vacuum
forming. Or any technique to produce a plastic object in medium quantities. All I know so
far is that it's very feasible - and much cheaper to do than just a few years ago.
If anyone here *does* have know-how in this field, I'd love any advice. I got some
preliminary quotes and recommendations on making a case replica using vacuum forming.
Which is relatively cheap. Not perfect, but low cost is very important for such a gadget.
Kind regards,
Oscar.