WB0SMX

  MMR40 Front Panel (Cont’) Filed in homebrew on Feb.20, 2010 I found a piece of red acetate for the Digital Dial Display.  It was the tab on a notebook with dividers that I picked up at Target. After gluing this in place over the display hole, I applied glue to the faceplate and the laminated photo cover.  First, I tried Gorilla Glue, thinking that it worked kind of like contact cement.  You apply thin layers to both objects to be joined, then let them sit for 10 minute of so before pressing them together for a couple of hours.  I let this project sit overnight, but found that the glue just didn’t stick well to the laminate on the back of the overlay.     Next, I tried silicone glue (the kind that smells like vinegar.)  This worked better, but still did not hold all that well.   The product at this point looked kind of OK, but I thought I could do better…   The faceplates were re-designed without the black band around the holes. Then the photo was cut to size, and place

  MMR40 Front Panel Filed in homebrew on Feb.20, 2010 I used Visio to create a front panel image for the MMR-40.  I did a rough drawing first with the holes in the approximately correct places, then printed it several times on my laser printer.  By making slight adjustments each time, I ended up with a panel overlay that should fit pretty good (With 4 colors to choose from!). The idea of the design was to put black lines around the cutouts and holes, so that if the holes were cut a little crooked, it wouldn’t show up as much.  I changed my mind later, but it might still be a valid thought in some situations.   I used Walmart.com to print 2 copies on 8×10 stock.  It cost about $6.00 for two copies. These were carried over to Staples Office Supply in the same shopping center.  They provide lamination services, but the clerk wasn’t certain it would work.  She ran one copy through, and sure enough, there were problems.  Apparently the type of ink that Walmart uses in their 1-