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06-09-2012, 11:40 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Cedar Hill, Tx.
Posts: 159
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Cutting Panel
Can any one in the DFW area recommend a good machine shop to cut the instrument panel? Thanks
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member 1 of 6
Metal Feathers Club
RV 7 N706CB
1st flight Oct 18, 08
S/N 72847 tip 200HP CS glass IFR
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06-09-2012, 08:52 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Euless, TX
Posts: 64
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Doug,
Check your PM
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Sully
RV7 N627RS
Moving into Phase 1
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06-11-2012, 09:46 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Fairfax, VT
Posts: 66
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Cutting Panel
Up North Aviation cuts excellent panels at very reasonable prices and quick turn around.
Check out web site below for details and use the contact page for any questions.
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06-12-2012, 07:48 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Ellsworth, ME
Posts: 842
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RV12 panel by North Aviation
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billvt
Up North Aviation cuts excellent panels at very reasonable prices and quick turn around.
Check out web site below for details and use the contact page for any questions.
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Doug, I agree with Bill M and highly recommend Up North Aviation. He took my plans and created a CAD drawing, laid out the placement for clearance, and cut the panel for a very reasonable priced. He is quick and quality of the product is excellent. In my case I had him send me a few versions in thin aluminum for testing, before cutting the final.
Painted the panel last weekend and yesterday I did final install of the avionics on the bench. Now ready to go in the RV12!

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Last edited by Dvalcik : 06-12-2012 at 09:01 AM.
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06-12-2012, 08:27 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Sydney, Aust.
Posts: 820
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Another vote for Up North Aviation from me. Very happy with his service and the quality of work for my panel.
__________________
Once you have tasted flight you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return - Leonardo DaVinci
My Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35521362@N06/
RV-9A - Finished on 10th February 2016 after 4 years, 9 months and 19 days! The 1020th RV-9 flying.
First flight 26th March 2016. Essential specs 145KTAS @ 2400RPM, 8000', 24.2LPH, Initial RoC 1800FPM.
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06-12-2012, 08:27 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,544
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Guys
It is still possible to actually do this job yourself! If you call yourself an airplane builder you should be able to take a right angle grinder and cut a square hole almost to a line, and then file to fit. I bet if you added up all the time it takes to drive the panel somewhere, discuss with the machine shop, post here etc etc, you could actually save time and do a nice job. I am not saying not to take it somewhere, just to give some thought to doing the job yourself with basic hand tools. It really is not that hard to make things look straight and true.
All the avionics suppliers give accurate measurements, and/or templates, that allow a high degree of accuracy. I find cutting a panel to be a very satisfying experience.
__________________
Tom Martin RV1 pilot 4.6hours!
CPL & IFR rated
EVO F1 Rocket 1000 hours,
2010 SARL Rocket 100 race, average speed of 238.6 knots/274.6mph
RV4, RV7, RV10, two HRIIs and five F1 Rockets
RV14 Tail dragger
Fairlea Field
St.Thomas, Ontario Canada, CYQS
fairleafield@gmail.com
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06-14-2012, 06:01 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Fairfax, VT
Posts: 66
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To cut or not to cut
I do agree with Tom that if you are building an aircraft, you certainly can build the panel.
Having said that, there are reasons why someone would choose not to do the panel.
Some builders lack time or have had enough building while others have rather complex panels with many squares, holes, odd cutouts, etc.
There are many, many pilots that have purchased used aircraft and are not builders at all but want a panel upgrade.
In any case, I offer panel work (without driving to my shop). Done via e-mail and shipper of your choice. I have done panels for folks from Maine to Florida to California and many states in between as well as Canada. Farthest panel cut and shipped to date was to Australia.
Unlimited CAD and layout work comes with each panel.
By all means, cut your panel if you have a mind to. But if you do not, check me out at my web site - See Below
Regards,
Bill
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06-16-2012, 04:39 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Sydney, Aust.
Posts: 820
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Martin
Guys
It is still possible to actually do this job yourself! If you call yourself an airplane builder you should be able to take a right angle grinder and cut a square hole almost to a line, and then file to fit. I bet if you added up all the time it takes to drive the panel somewhere, discuss with the machine shop, post here etc etc, you could actually save time and do a nice job. I am not saying not to take it somewhere, just to give some thought to doing the job yourself with basic hand tools. It really is not that hard to make things look straight and true.
All the avionics suppliers give accurate measurements, and/or templates, that allow a high degree of accuracy. I find cutting a panel to be a very satisfying experience.
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While I won't deny you can cut the panel yourself, I would have to say you probably (YMMV) wouldn't get the repeatable precision you can get by having it CNC cut, and depending on what you're attempting to achieve, it can in fact be much, much faster to design the panel in a CAD program, email it to your chosen firm and pick it up in a few days than plot your cutouts, initial cut the holes, file it to the final size, drill the mounting screws and hope you got it right the first time than explain to missus why you need to order another panel.
I downloaded a CAD program for my iPad, and during a flight to Perth and a little downtime at work, laid out my panel and had it ready to email. After a quick correction due to me using the bezel dimensions for the SkyView, not the panel cutout (thanks for picking it up Bill), the DXF file was emailed, payment arranged and I had the panel waiting for me when I got home 10 days later - and it had already been there several days after a flight across the Pacific.
My initial CAD plot. Dual 10" SkyViews, Xcom, caution panel and a bunch of switches. I removed one colum of switches in the final layout.
CAD template by KRviator, on Flickr
What I got. A very quick test fit shows everything fits perfectly. One of these days I'll get a photo with everything installed...
RV-9A panel by KRviator, on Flickr
__________________
Once you have tasted flight you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return - Leonardo DaVinci
My Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35521362@N06/
RV-9A - Finished on 10th February 2016 after 4 years, 9 months and 19 days! The 1020th RV-9 flying.
First flight 26th March 2016. Essential specs 145KTAS @ 2400RPM, 8000', 24.2LPH, Initial RoC 1800FPM.
Last edited by KRviator : 06-16-2012 at 04:40 AM.
Reason: Bloody syntax.... Lol
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06-16-2012, 01:02 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Pagosa Springs CO
Posts: 243
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Panel cutter in DFW
I had Smokie's Machine in Lavon TX cut mine. The owner Smokie Stover has CNC equipment, so he can do the cutouts with great accuracy. He does need a detail drawing to work with. A computer drawing (AutoCad, Cadkey, Solidworks, etc), but a good hand drawing will work, too. Smokie has also made back seat rudder pedals, tailwheel steering links, and oxygen bottle mounts from my drawings. His phone number is 972-516-8980
__________________
Craig Taylor
RV8 flying
2020 VAF dues paid with thanks
Navy A7E Vietnam era
Ret. Corporate Pilot: G1159, IA Jet, Jetstar, Falcon 10, 20, 50
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06-16-2012, 02:31 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 1,002
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I have the same outlook as Tom. I have made a couple of panels for other airplanes....all by hand, using a saw, file, sanders, drill bits, etc. It wasn't fast (even had to throw one out when a router got away from me), but I got alot of satisfaction out of it. Before filling all the holes that I had cut out, you could tell neither one was CNC cut. But, after all the goodies were installed, you couldn't tell the difference.
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