Thread: Wooden face panels for electrical

Interresting project. I wonder how veneer would go. Just stick it over the existing face plate (getting all the cutouts for the buttons and screens would be a bit of a nightmare). Then there would be warranty hassles. The usual way to hide the mess is to put it all in a cupboard and use a remote control repeater so the remotes still work. Then there was the wooden laptop computer in a movie I saw the other week (The Final Cut), that looked pretty cool.

Its quite possible, the hard part will be the labeling of the controls and the thickness of the plate you make will have to be very thin otherwise knobs and buttons wont fit or be hard to use(buttons).
Like Dan said veneering over the metal may be the best bet. Could it be possible to photocopy/print the markings/numbers onto the veneer before applying?

Modern audio video appliances are very complicated in the front mouldings andoften quite thin.
I'm not saying it would be imposible but you would have to be keen and able to work very accurately.

Yeah good points...

Veneer would be an option for sure. Id like to have a go at carving too.

I was thinking about moding the buttons, cutting them free (or extending them with wood.) The LCD's might be a hassle but Im sure they could be cut and extended to fit into the new panel (whats a bit of wiring...)

Warrantee is not a drama. They'll be out of it by that time

There is already a company manufacturing top end sound equipment with a redgum front panel, they are called redgum
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/redg...15_hthifi.html

Where is the fun in buying ready made? Looks a bit um plain jane if you ask me. I wouldnt buy it..

Originally Posted by Woodlice

Where is the fun in buying ready made? Looks a bit um plain jane if you ask me. I wouldnt buy it..

All my gear is NAD, simply plain and black but great to listen to, I am not one of the 'flashing lights' brigade.
Redgum has some interesting parameters too and I would seriously consider it, getting off topic now.

The best option is to take off the existing panel and machine up one just like it in wood.
Anything with a plastic front panel will depend on the panel & its fittings not only to hold the front panel displays & controlls but also to hold the case together.
This way all the standard fixings would be used & no mods would be required.
In the no too distant past the prototype (& probably the moulding patern) would have been been made of wood oor something similar.

If its older type gear with a metal front panel most of the gear would have a metal chasis & a metal sub panel actualy supporting the controlls. The actual front panel Is just a veneer. Not too dificult at all.
I have seen a couple of guitar amps with timber front panels and turned timber knobs. They look realy "organic".
cheers