FLUSH Center Console Development
08-29-2010, 02:55 PM
#181
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Thread Starter
I finally got an opening cut for one of these Double DIN Nav Units. I had to do quite a bit of shimming of the trim guide and had to reshim the trim guide for the other two opening because I found that I had almost too little room in between for the NAV Unit.
Then I had to do a lot of busy work in glueing the doubler material inside some of the Upper Inserts so I could have a few to test the trim guides with some more. I have them very close to where they will need to be depending on how it goes with the leather covering.
Here ar a few pictures:
The first two show what appears to be a simple process of cutting out the openings. Actually it is fairly simple, but for each one has to be done twice for each of the upper and lower openings and one for the mid opening. In between the first cutting and the last three I have to glue in the doubler material, some of which is shown in the third picture.
The fourth picture show the kind of mess that I find myself working in. I just don'e seem to have to time to put things away, aside from the problem I have mentioned before about making a place to put the clutter. I think that is the nature of creativity.
The last picture is the mockup of the upper insert with three of the four components roughly in place.
What I have to do next is glue in some more plastic for the mounting of the HVAC and lock panels which will be mounted to this insert. Then I need to glue in the Air Vent behind the upper opening. The vent will become a permanent part of this insert. Then I'm going to try to cover this with leather and see how that is going to work.
Jerry
Then I had to do a lot of busy work in glueing the doubler material inside some of the Upper Inserts so I could have a few to test the trim guides with some more. I have them very close to where they will need to be depending on how it goes with the leather covering.
Here ar a few pictures:
The first two show what appears to be a simple process of cutting out the openings. Actually it is fairly simple, but for each one has to be done twice for each of the upper and lower openings and one for the mid opening. In between the first cutting and the last three I have to glue in the doubler material, some of which is shown in the third picture.
The fourth picture show the kind of mess that I find myself working in. I just don'e seem to have to time to put things away, aside from the problem I have mentioned before about making a place to put the clutter. I think that is the nature of creativity.
The last picture is the mockup of the upper insert with three of the four components roughly in place.
What I have to do next is glue in some more plastic for the mounting of the HVAC and lock panels which will be mounted to this insert. Then I need to glue in the Air Vent behind the upper opening. The vent will become a permanent part of this insert. Then I'm going to try to cover this with leather and see how that is going to work.
Jerry
08-29-2010, 04:04 PM
#183
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Thread Starter
The NAV Unit is going to be mounted to the Console. I have been designing a rack or cage for it to hang in. The rack will be permanently mounted to the console and the NAV Unit will be held in it by its usual mounting places, probably about four screws.
The problem now is that all of the "extra" space I was thinking I had designed into this upper unit has turned out to be a myth. That means that my design for the rack is going to have to be changed to allow for minimal space between the components. I am working on that as I write.
One adjustment I will have to make is to move the NAV Unit opening up about a 1/16 of an inch because I think right now it is going to be snug against the HVAC--no space even for an .032 sheet of aluminum that I am making the rack out of. I think the extra space will be just barely enough. The only drawback is that there is going to be almost no leather reveal between the NAV Unit and theAir Vent Grill.
I'll keep hitting on it and see what happens.
Jerry
The problem now is that all of the "extra" space I was thinking I had designed into this upper unit has turned out to be a myth. That means that my design for the rack is going to have to be changed to allow for minimal space between the components. I am working on that as I write.
One adjustment I will have to make is to move the NAV Unit opening up about a 1/16 of an inch because I think right now it is going to be snug against the HVAC--no space even for an .032 sheet of aluminum that I am making the rack out of. I think the extra space will be just barely enough. The only drawback is that there is going to be almost no leather reveal between the NAV Unit and theAir Vent Grill.
I'll keep hitting on it and see what happens.
Jerry
08-29-2010, 08:14 PM
#185
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Thread Starter
Well, I moved the router jig for the middle opening and cut one of the inserts. I guess I got the gig a little crooked because the hole is not true. Now, I am busy again trimming out some of the formed inserts and starting to glue up a few of them for the next round of trials. I suspect that I will have the router jigs just about on in the next one or two tries. I'm using up a few of the formed inserts in this process, but that is just the nature of it. The real problem is not so much in the forming since that goes pretty well, but in the time it takes to cut, glue, and cure the doublers inside, with some cutting in between. It is real time consuming.
What I will do, and I am starting to do some of in now, is cutting grinding and sanding the doubler material for the insides so I can have a bunch ready to go and can just put them in and clamp them up in a bunch without measuring, cutting, grinding, sanding, and glueing each one as I go. Boy, is that tedious.
Too, I have refined the inside doubler system so that I can eliminate about 3 out of 10 of the individual pieces. I am down to 7 now and can do them in two set-ups or maybe even only one, if I have all of the material ready ahead of time like I suggested I am trying to do.
Another advantage I have discovered is that this ABS Glue sets up pretty quickly, like in an hour or less, even though it takes much longer to fully cure. I can work with it set up only and can save time in waiting for that. If I have pieces all glued up I can let them cure over night and then can trim them, cover them and then let let them fully cure over time.
I missed a few evenings last week on this project, but let's see how much I might get done tomorrow evening.
Jerry
What I will do, and I am starting to do some of in now, is cutting grinding and sanding the doubler material for the insides so I can have a bunch ready to go and can just put them in and clamp them up in a bunch without measuring, cutting, grinding, sanding, and glueing each one as I go. Boy, is that tedious.
Too, I have refined the inside doubler system so that I can eliminate about 3 out of 10 of the individual pieces. I am down to 7 now and can do them in two set-ups or maybe even only one, if I have all of the material ready ahead of time like I suggested I am trying to do.
Another advantage I have discovered is that this ABS Glue sets up pretty quickly, like in an hour or less, even though it takes much longer to fully cure. I can work with it set up only and can save time in waiting for that. If I have pieces all glued up I can let them cure over night and then can trim them, cover them and then let let them fully cure over time.
I missed a few evenings last week on this project, but let's see how much I might get done tomorrow evening.
Jerry
08-29-2010, 08:22 PM
#186
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I also would like for you to post for me the exact width and height of the part of your unit that will be visible in the front. I think it will also be helpful to know how far from the body measurement your face presentation projects.
Then tell what your unit is. I think you might have already, but do it again.
Jerry
08-29-2010, 08:44 PM
#187
Wow this is simply amazing. I never realized the work involved to create pieces like this until I started following your posts. It looks like it came from the Porsche factory. Thanks for posting this Jerry. -Joel
08-29-2010, 09:05 PM
#188
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
You are welcome, Joel. It is always my pleasure to create something unique, especially if I might have some use for it myself.
Jerry
Jerry
08-29-2010, 09:14 PM
#189
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
By the way, I had one more picture that helps to show the close proximity of the Nav unit and the hvac. Her it is:
The leather might make a little difference; but t I still need enough space between these for the rack I hope to make and with it, a little bit of hem or other structural material to help beef up the connection between the two sides of the console in this area, especially since I am grinding out essentially all of the plastic in this area holding the two sides together.
Jerry
The leather might make a little difference; but t I still need enough space between these for the rack I hope to make and with it, a little bit of hem or other structural material to help beef up the connection between the two sides of the console in this area, especially since I am grinding out essentially all of the plastic in this area holding the two sides together.
Jerry
08-29-2010, 09:46 PM
#191
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
When you use the word "about" that is a weasel word and leaves a little bit to be desired. However, if I were describing the face of my own Double DIN, that is "about" what I would say it measures.
Now, when you say it stick out about 7 1/4 inches, I begin to get lost in regards to what you are saying. The face of my unit projects or sticks out "about" 3/8 of an inch, depending on what part of the projection you are talking about, and that is a lot different than 7 1/4 inches.
Now, let's give you a chance to simply measure the body of the unit. I think it measures 7 inches wide by 4 inches high and probably 6 1/2 inched deep up to the point of the face that will then start to project. What do you come up with?
Jerry
Now, when you say it stick out about 7 1/4 inches, I begin to get lost in regards to what you are saying. The face of my unit projects or sticks out "about" 3/8 of an inch, depending on what part of the projection you are talking about, and that is a lot different than 7 1/4 inches.
Now, let's give you a chance to simply measure the body of the unit. I think it measures 7 inches wide by 4 inches high and probably 6 1/2 inched deep up to the point of the face that will then start to project. What do you come up with?
Jerry
08-31-2010, 12:08 AM
#193
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Thread Starter
I find myself continuing to make changes in my concept of how this upper insert should work. I am also continuing to try to simplify the process of making one. Last time or so I described reducing the number of doubler pieces from about 10 to 7. Now I think I am going to reduce them to 5. What I have decided to do is eliminate three of the doubler pieces I was going to put into the insert in the lower area for the HVAC and other panel.
What I have been troubling over is the fact the the face presentation of these two panels I am moving to the lower part of the insert, is about 150 thousandths. That is slight more than an eighth of an inch. As a result I have reduced the doubler material from and eighth of an inch to 3 thirty seconds, but even with that I am having trouble firguring out how I can have the face of these panels come out at least flush. When I consider the thickness of the leather they are simply going to end up slightly recessed. I don't like that.
I thought about reducing the thickness of the doubler material to a sixteenth, but then I wonder "why bother?" Then I really wonder why I need any doubler material in that area at all. I am going to have some beef-up in that area with glue in blocks for screwing these two panel in, so why do I need any other doubler material. Without it I can eliminate three pieces that would need to be glued in. Then, even with the thickness of the leather I think the face of these two panels will present about flush or just very slightly above flush, which is ideal.
No pictures, but I think I am getting close to having one or two of these upper inserts finished enough, and correctly, so that I can cover it in leather and show you what it will look like.
I spent the evening cutting some material and trimming it for what is going to be left of the inside doubler program and in cooking one each of the two items I made machines for. I also figrured out that if I put some masking tape on the face of the next insert I try to cut openings in and first mark the opening with a pen or pensil, I will be able to tell if the jug is tue or not, without cutting the insert then looking at the flaw. DUH!!
Jerry Feather
What I have been troubling over is the fact the the face presentation of these two panels I am moving to the lower part of the insert, is about 150 thousandths. That is slight more than an eighth of an inch. As a result I have reduced the doubler material from and eighth of an inch to 3 thirty seconds, but even with that I am having trouble firguring out how I can have the face of these panels come out at least flush. When I consider the thickness of the leather they are simply going to end up slightly recessed. I don't like that.
I thought about reducing the thickness of the doubler material to a sixteenth, but then I wonder "why bother?" Then I really wonder why I need any doubler material in that area at all. I am going to have some beef-up in that area with glue in blocks for screwing these two panel in, so why do I need any other doubler material. Without it I can eliminate three pieces that would need to be glued in. Then, even with the thickness of the leather I think the face of these two panels will present about flush or just very slightly above flush, which is ideal.
No pictures, but I think I am getting close to having one or two of these upper inserts finished enough, and correctly, so that I can cover it in leather and show you what it will look like.
I spent the evening cutting some material and trimming it for what is going to be left of the inside doubler program and in cooking one each of the two items I made machines for. I also figrured out that if I put some masking tape on the face of the next insert I try to cut openings in and first mark the opening with a pen or pensil, I will be able to tell if the jug is tue or not, without cutting the insert then looking at the flaw. DUH!!
Jerry Feather
475hp/460lb.ft
