[sdiy] advice on cutting slots for sliders in aluminum.

[harry]

The way I've used is...

Draw the layout on the panel
Centerpunch holes very close together
Drill holes smaller than the finished slot
Saw through the holes with a Coping Saw
File to finished size with a jewelers file

Swear NEVER AGAIN to repeat the above...

Use round holes and REAL pots... In some years
you will want to replace the pots. Rotaries are
easier to find than sliders.

H^) harry  (has only ONE diy module with sliders... and that one SUCKS !!!)

patchell wrote:

> cacofone wrote:
>
> > I'm doing some initial design work while purchasing parts and etc. I've
> > gutted an old tape deck (old Teac that happens to have some dolby noise
> > reduction IC's in it) that would be about the appropriate size of what I
> > want. I don't really want to do it very modular, mostly wanting to make my
> > own personal synth and wanting it to be at least semi-portable for live
> > shows. I've decided that for certain things I want to use sliders (for
> > example, I want at least 2 VCO's, perhaps 4) and I wanted to use sliders
> > for the mixing of the VCO's, the frequency, and probably for the
> > cutoff/resonance as well. I just like sliders better. It's obvious how to
> > drill a hole for a pot, but how about those perfect rectangular slots for
> > sliders...
> >
>
>     Rectangular slots will have to be made with a punch.  In general, punch ==
> expensive.  Of course, a punch is the easy way.  Now, looking over at my ART 2408
> mixer (a.f.p.o.s.), the slots for the sliders are round at the top and bottom.  A
> slot like this can be made fairly easy with an end mill, but again, this is not a
> cheap solution.
>
>     Now, if you have about $1000 to burn, I would recomend you get a mill/drill
> (this is a drill press on steroids).  Now, others have reported that they have
> successfully done this with a drill press.  You will need to get an X-Y table for
> the drill press to do this easily, if that is the case.
>
>     Back before I could aford such tools, I would draw a line, pick a drill of the
> proper width, and drill a series of holes that I would then file out.  Tedious,
> but it gets the job done.  Again, if you have a drill press with an X-Y table, it
> makes this job a lot easier.
>
>     Sorry I don't have a good solution.  This is one of the reasons I gave up on
> sliders.
>
> >
> > Looking for advice to make it nice looking, something easy, and any tips. I
> > know it'd probably be a good idea to use a program to draw it out on first,
> > any suggestions on that?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Joshua
> >
> > Pulse 8 / nKode / cacofone [aim:goodtimetribe]
> > http://www.goodtimetribe.com - Good Time Tribe
> > http://www.mp3.com/stations/d-r-e-a-m DREAM Radio Station
> > http://www.mp3.com/pulse8 http://www.mp3.com/nkode http://www.mp3.com/cacofone
>
> --
>  -Jim
> ------------------------------------------------
> * Visit:http://www.silcom.com/~patchell/
> *-----------------------------------------------
> *I'm sure glad Merry Christmas comes just once a year
> * -Yogi Yorgensen
> ------------------------------------------------