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OT: CNC Paper & Plastic

I just installed a system with a bunch of plastic covers over paper labels for buttons.

Hole in sheet of heavy paper for buttons. Print on paper to label button. Snap plastic template over assembly to protect paper label.

Now my first idea was to put a marker in my little CNC mill and use a stick font to label each button hole. Of course the paper sheet came preprinted on one side, and because of dynamics can't just be turned over. If I turn them over I have to cut an extra hole in the sheet. Since this is a brand new system and equipment I would like to do a neater job than that for the client.

I can call the manufacturer and order some blank sheets (I hope) but they are notoriously slow for small items like this. I was think it would be nice to throw a piece of linen paper on a block and cut it to fit. The outside dimensions are not that big of a deal. I can do that close enough on the paper cutter in the office, but I am not sure how I would get a decent cut for the button holes. Fast spinning tiny mill cutter? I don't think a vinyl cutter blade would do the trick as paper tends to dull blades fairly quickly if a not used in a sawing or semi sawing fashion.

The paper is about the same thickness or weight as high quality linen paper. Not near as thick and heavy as a paper manilla folder.

I figured I could outside cut each piece and stick it on a block of wood with some light photo mount, or maybe make a sandwich block, but similar projects in the past have met with mixed results. I've done stencils for spray painting on the mill before with card stock, and with plastic sheet, and I was never totally satisfied with the results for either one. While this isn't the same application it is the same type of job.

Hmmm... I haven't done the sandwich block before. I think I'll give that a shot.

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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A friend of my uses this place for both custom control panels and a product he manufatures.

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If ypu can live with individual labels, the Brother P-Touch labels are very durable and look very good if you use one of their higher resolution printers. One of my customers hasn't found anything that stands up better in a wet process room that houses baths of hot HCl and caustic. I use them, stuck on SS sheet, for markers on a hiking trail I maintain and can't see any deterioration over a few years time.

Reply to
Ned Simmons

Yeah, the labelers are nice for some applications. I've been using the bigger P-Touch and Rhino labelers for years. This is in a professional office, and I was going to try for a little nicer application if I can. It doesn't hurt that this is one of the nicest easiest to work with clients I have done business with in years and I WANT to do a little better job for them.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Make a punch, laser print on a blank sheet, cut out with punch?

Or use a plastic that's easily cut, and a sharpie marker?

Reply to
Tim Wescott

The stuff I use for larger labels is from VPC, it is a photo-exposed transfer that gets laminated, so the image is on the back side of the clear cover sheet. See

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You can get it in a wide range of colors, I use their darker blue. You need a way to make a sharp, dense master on a clear film. Lots of people use a laser printer on transparency film. I have a laser photoplotter I built, so I use that, it is dimensionally accurate to a couple thousandths of an inch, so I know the artwork wull line up with buttons, indicators, connectors, etc. on a CNC machined panel. Most modern laser printers are pretty good at registration, though, much better than years ago.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

What they used on submarines was the two-tone plastic engraving stock, black outside with white inside, I'm sure you've seen the tags on military equipment done that way. Should be easy enough to stick an engraving cutter in your mill and program for lettering. Or just find a company that does it. Much more professional looking than paper tags. A lot more durable, too. Toner tends to fuse to plastic covers eventually, given even room temperature heat. Inkjet ink is water- soluble, if that's what you use, not exactly permanent, either.

Stan

Reply to
stans4

Well, I tried making a couple punches. The round one was easy and worked very well. Just turned it out of a bolt on my mini lathe, but the rectangular one for the rectangular buttons has given me fits. I've made two so far. One with an inner taper and one with an outer taper. I wasn't happy with either one. I am thinking I need to do some hardening to help with results. A soft backboard results in poor cutting, and a hard backboard results in 2-3 holes punching before the punch dulls and / or folds over.

I started the sandwich plate thing, but got tired of the time it took to machine each button hole in my top plate. I may still go that way though since the punches are meeting with poor results.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

Ok, I suck at making punches. Finally I broke down and set my sandwich assembly back up. I cut one hole, sandwiched 3 sheets of thick paper between, and then pocketed out the hole the thickness of the paper. There is a tiny ridge sticking up around the hole on each sheet, but over all it's a very nice finish.. Now I am gearing up to do it en-masse. Geez-O-Peets. At 13 minutes per hole it takes a while to mill out 25 button holes. (in my sandwich plate, not in the paper) LOL. Atleast I figured out an easy way to string multiple hole processes together so I can come play on the computer while I am waiting.

I've got the pocket between the plates spaced to hold 20 sheets of the thick linen paper. I'll do some experimenting on the 1st batch to see what I can do to speed up the process of actually punching the sheets. I'll tell you I better sell a bunch of these systems so I can label them for a long time to pay back for all the time I spent. LOL.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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