Another word on front panels

[Bob.Schrum at harpercollins.com]

     A route I've taken for projects that have to look great is... plastic. 
     
     No, not those cheapo Radio Shack boxes.  There are shops that make 
     custom panels out of 1/8" plastic that has a colored surface 
     lamination (wide selection of color) usually over a white core.  They 
     cut and drill to your specification, and engrave lettering, dial 
     markings and even logos, revealing the white substrate in the engraved 
     areas.  The markings can also be colorized by rubbing enamel paint 
     into the engravings.  The unengraved surface is sometimes texturized, 
     which keeps the panel free of unsightly fingerprints.
     
     The pots, jacks and controls can be mounted on metal just behind the 
     panel.  You'll still have to drill holes, but they don't have to look 
     as good and you might be able to be more creative with the likes of 
     sliders (mount them beween two rails or a single large rectangular 
     opening.)   The other route for behind-panel assembly is to place 
     PC-mount controls on a printed circuit board.  If you take this route, 
     it would be a good idea to use a double-sided board to include a 
     ground plane on the panel/component side.  
     
     Double-panel designs look the most professional because all the holes 
     you need are just those for the switch handles, jacks and pot shafts 
     to protrude through.  No unsightly mounting screws and nuts.   
     However, don't try a double panel unless you know the exact physical 
     characteristics of the panel components and are prepared to spend a 
     lot of time at a drafting board or CAD software to get it right the 
     first time.  I built my first double-panel project by mounting all the 
     controls on the rear chassis, then reverse-engineered the front panel 
     based on where the switches and shafts ended up.  The results were 
     eventually okay, but the process was painstakingly slow (I put 
     water-soluble paint on the longest control shafts, drilled, then 
     repeated) and I screwed up a couple panels before I got it right.
     
     On the other hand, you could mount the controls directly to the 
     plastic, if you use thicker material, provide additional structural 
     reinforcement behind the panel, and include shielding, like foil or a 
     conductive paint.
     
     I'm partial to working with plastic because it's soooo easy to work, 
     and I don't like dealing with sharp metal shavings and edges--one 
     needs to protect the fingers that eventually play these marvelous 
     instruments!  Just keep the soldering iron away from it!