Control panel I built - Printable Version +- (https://bigbluetrains.com) +-- Forum: The Back Shop (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=52) +--- Forum: Engineer's Technical Workshop (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=28) +--- Thread: Control panel I built (/showthread.php?tid=9089)

Control panel I built - Graffen - 03-02-2020 Hi all, I've made a control panel for my layout. I used 10 mm thick MDF. It's 18" x 6.5" in size, which was the minimum I wanted. I drew the plan and then drilled all the holes for the LEDs and push buttons. I counter drilled the holes from the backside to make it possible to add the LED and the nuts for the push buttons. I primed it with cellulose first and then black Badger Stynylrez primer. I then airbrush painted white where the track lines were going to be. I masked the lines with 1/16" automotive masking tape. I painted over the tape with white to minimize the risk of bleeding. The panel was then painted with dark green acrylic paint. Around the tracks I shaded with black. This is how it looked when I removed the masking tape. I added texts with Microscale decals. The panel is clearcoated with Alclad matte. Now it's the fun part; installing all the electrical bits. I use the panel control system from MGP Here in Sweden, a very competent system with its own programming app and uses Loconet for communication. RE: Control panel I built - ezdays - 03-02-2020 Good job, looks great, and yeah, the fun part is indeed doing the wiring.... RE: Control panel I built - Tyson Rayles - 03-03-2020 RE: Control panel I built - Graffen - 03-05-2020 Compared to my old layout that had manual switches with pushrods and polarity micro switches etc. This is so much easier. http://i.imgur.com/4XFtfmN.gifv And the cost? 15 turnout control including servos and hardware (push buttons, LEDs, Computer/phone interphase, Panel decoder, servo decoders and LED control) was about $260. That's $17 per turnout! The big advantage is that this system is so very competent, it can have routes, signal control, reverse loop control and a myriad of other functions. And, it can do it either as a standalone system (using its own Loconet bus) or connected to the DCC system or computer! RE: Control panel I built - Graffen - 03-08-2020 Made some more on the control panel. The panel has all the circuit boards installed and tested. From left to right it is; Loconet power termination, Panel decoder and three LED control boards.   I also installed a connector for the throttles. Just need to trim the edges. Now I can install the panel on the layout and install all the servos.