Subj: Summary: Labeling Home Brew Boxes Date: Thu, Aug 31, 1995 9:52 PM EDT From: km9p@is.net X-From: km9p@is.net (Bill Fisher) To: cq-contest@tgv.com CC: sneader@mail.ctenet.com I hope I have all of them here. Might have left a couple at work. Sorry If I left your response out. The Brother P10 looks like the best answer in my opinion. - Bill, KM9P --------------- ORIGINAL QUESTION TO CQ-CONTEST@TGV.COM: Date: Sun, 27 Aug 1995 13:05:26 -0400 To: cq-contest@tgv.com From: km9p@is.net (Bill Fisher) Subject: Marking home brew boxes I've been busy building my Upper/Lower/Both switch boxes for controlling the transco relays I will have up on the tower.... What do you guys use to mark these things and have it look good? I heard some guys on the local repeater saying there were some clear sheets that you can feed through a laser printer. Any ideas? I'll summarize... I don't think anyone has asked this before. KM9P@IS.NET --------- THE REPLIES: I'm about 80% finished with a homebrew amp, and I've decided to mark the controls by having the local engraving shop make some nameplates for me. They can do it on either metal or plastic -- at this point I'm leaning toward plastic, but we'll see. I'll mount them using silicone RTV so they will be firmly fixed, but removable if I really want to. It should look pretty good done that way, I think. If you get some good suggestions, please post them to the reflector. 73, Bill W7LZP wrt@eskimo.com ------ You remember those old "Avery" pistol-grip type label makers everyone used to have when you were a kid? Technology is much better with these things nowadays. They have little QWERTY keyboards on them and you program all kinds of things on them like font, type size, etc. I think all the catalogue stores like Best and Service Merchandise carry them, and they are made by people like Brother. We have a couple of them at work and they are terrific. I keep meaning to buy one myself! --Trey ------ Hi Bill, One of my other hobbies is Model Railroading. We of course use decals on the models, but we also use decals for the control panels, the a clear coat of spray paint. You could also go to your local art supply and get dry transfer sheets, these contain multiple copies of the alphabet that you rub onto your surface, then protect with a clear coat. Hope this helps 73 Warren - N2BCC wwalsh@intac.com ------- If you have a good eye and are careful, I still prefer transfer lettering, such as Letraset or Zipatone, available at any art supply store. It's not the quickest way to do it, but it looks the best if you're good at it. There are hundreds of fonts and sizes available, and it comes in a number of colors. There are different types of adhesive material that will work in laser printers. Of course, this assumes you need black lettering. Since I usually have aluminum panels black anodized, this method would not work for me. And perhaps I'm picky, but I don't think it looks all that good. There are also photographic labelmakers available at any office supply store - we have one from Brother at work - that work very well. I think they look better than the laser printed ones. Or - design your panel with some good graphics software, make a print, and take it to your corner silk screening joint. It's cheaper than you might think, and won't wear off in the heat of battle. This is the method we've used at KS9K. This method is only good for finalized designs, since it doesn't come off. Transfer lettering can be removed with Scotch tape if it hasn't been sprayed with clear laquer, and with proper application of a fingernail if it has. Good luck & 73, Bruce WW1M -------- at the WPX cw @W1CW this year, Jeff showed up with a great little device...it is a: "P-Touch" label printer...Jeff is single so I told him it figured he'd have one... Seriously, it generates great easy to read peel and stick labels, if I run into one in the store I will buy it no questions asked...we used it to make labels for the B&W coax switches and it was perfect....you might give Jeff a buzz at WC4E@mcimail.com and ask him if he hase been p-touching lately - he might also tell you where he got his. 73 K1ZX ------- Hello KM9P! I like black panels, and I do a lot of them. I had been getting VERY good at applying white rub-on letters, but I've recently stopped doing that. Some of the manufacturers have got a modern equivalent now of the old dymo labellers. Some of these things even have a typewriter style keyboard. You may have seen these things around. I think Brother makes one called the P-Touch. These things are fairly expensive, so I've been borrowing the use of one when needed, and the tape cartridges come in a variety of foreground and background colours, including my favourite, white on black. The tape cartridges cost about $15 up here, and they last quite a while. It's about as expensive overall as the rub-on letters, but I think it looks a lot better. There are different fonts and type sizes, and all that stuff. 73.. Derrick VE4VV/AA0PQ ve4wnr@mts.net ------- I got the brother P-touch printer PT-10. You can get one at any office supply store Staples or Office Depot. They should have a wide selection. I got mine for about $95. You can wide selection of fonts and colors. Works great for the shack! Jeff WC4E ------- There are several address labels for laser printers that are clear and they do look good. I think I have used Avery brand labels and there a couple of other brands. I bought mine at Elek-Tek and have used them on several projects. I think they look best a matt or semi-gloss finish vs a shiny finish. I have put on a second unprinted label for protection of the print on a label that had high traffic. I wish I could find full sheets, though, of the material. 73, K8Joe"Palooka" jpontek@aol.com -------