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Van's panel cad?

amaris

Well Known Member
Has anyone downloaded and used it to cut their panel from a complete blank? I'm working with Midwest Panel and the mock-up they sent me keeps coming back too small when printed. They are using the Van's CAD file so I'm trying to figure out if it's an issue with the printing or the CAD file itself being off. The measurements are slightly off with my pre-punched panel.
 
I don't know exactly why....but printing ANYTHING is influenced by the application sending the file to the printer and the printer itself.

I use the full version of Photoshop to print sections of the plans to scale. Even though the onscreen measurement marks show exactly what I want, the printed version comes out slightly off. Since Photoshop is a professional program, I suspect the change happens at my consumer level printer.

So if the shop is sending you a file and you are printing it...I suspect the above is what's happening.
 
I don't know exactly why....but printing ANYTHING is influenced by the application sending the file to the printer and the printer itself.

This is why you should never ever scale anything off a drawing. First thing I learned on my job at the big aerospace company after graduating with my brand new engineering degree 36 years ago. Everything should be dimensioned and the only thing you should reference. Only exception is if you plot to a big calibrated flat bed plotter on a stable media like Mylar.

Of coarse now the 3D CAD model is the gospel and even a dimensioned drawing should not be used since it is stale data and not tied to the digital thread.

I would disregard the plot and interrogate the Midwest Panel model to verify if it is correct.
 
If you're printing subsections of the panel from a PDF to check fit of individual components, check that you don't have "fit to page" turned on in Acrobat. That one setting is enough to give you a 2-3% error in dimensions. Even a document sent that looks like it's on an 8.5x11 page, when printed with "fit to page" turned on, will scale.
 
Panel CAD

I have emailed the Van’s CAD drawing to a local water jet shop and they have cut out several RV9 Slider blanks that fit my plane perfectly. We have been working with cheap 3/16” plywood for now to finalize equipment and switch locations before the final cut of the metal panel.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 

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thanks, everyone. I tried printing at home with PDF, Photosphop and sending it to a print shop that could do it on one sheet. All had different results. The full sheet print was the closest by far. I'll have to work with them to get a version, maybe thin aluminum or something to confirm the hole placements are correct.
 
Note, too, that the Van's .dxf of the panel is un-bent, with an extra inch at the bottom for the L-bend. This stung me when I was laying out my panel.
 
Suggestion - groups your switches in a functional way instead of having one long, continuous row. Easiest to find are those at the end, so those should be the ones most important. A common mistake is to organize the switches for starting, but that's when you have the most time. Consider operations in flight and emergencies. Write your checklists while you're laying out the panel so that you have good flows.

Enjoy!

Ed
 
I have emailed the Van’s CAD drawing to a local water jet shop and they have cut out several RV9 Slider blanks that fit my plane perfectly. We have been working with cheap 3/16” plywood for now to finalize equipment and switch locations before the final cut of the metal panel.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer

Way cool Don!
Clearly a good idea and the way to go. I myself just started hacking into it and hoped for the best HAHAHA
 
I used Van's blank Cad file and it worked great. Size was spot on.

Don,

Not sure if you omitted the nut plate holes and other mounting holes on the plywood tests panels to save machine time or just figured you would locate them by hand in the final panel. I left the mounting holes off my file I sent to the laser shop and was regretful when I was locating and drilling them by hand.

I have emailed the Van’s CAD drawing to a local water jet shop and they have cut out several RV9 Slider blanks that fit my plane perfectly. We have been working with cheap 3/16” plywood for now to finalize equipment and switch locations before the final cut of the metal panel.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
Panel CAD

Kent: I’ve used your point & shoot method before with good results. This time however on my pet project I’m aiming higher. I want the final product to look professional, be logically laid out, user friendly and all labels easily readable. Once the basic template is created it’s really easy & cheap to make changes and cut another blank. I’m on Revision #3 and getting close to calling it done. May yet move the park brake handle off the panel? Happy New Year Buddy


Don B
 

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