The final step is to paint the case. Since this is a first trial and I only have the top part so far, I didn't bother with making the sides look nice.
I forgot to take a picture after applying the mask. I basically "flooded" the entire window area, masked the two steps at the edge and the top part of the wheel opening, and put a drop on the LED column. While waiting for the paint to dry, I gave it a first look. One issue I noticed are light leaks at edges: http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/people/werner/anelok/tmp/case-top-leaks-1.jpg http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/people/werner/anelok/tmp/case-top-leaks-2.jpg This is with an exaggerated constrast. Basically all the bright white thin lines that look like reflections are areas where the paint didn't stick. Some of them are on the border where the paint will be removed anyway. But some are on steps on the inside and may actually be visible. This should be fixable by sanding these very sharp edges the mill makes. This is what the painted top part looks like: http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/people/werner/anelok/tmp/case-top-painted.jpg After removing the mask: http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/people/werner/anelok/tmp/case-top-stripped.jpg The jagged lower right corner of the window was probably caused by too much paint accumulating when I tried to cover the edges. The thick layer of paint then didn't let the mask go off without a fight. And this is what it looks like with the PCB inside: http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/people/werner/anelok/tmp/case-top-active.jpg Unfortunately, with the dead display, I can't make it show something more interesting. The diffuse reflections on the window are noticeable. So I'm not done yet with finding the right polishing formula. Another thing I don't like is that the clear border looks very wide. In fact, it is wider than in the Y-Box. I've illustrated the wall designs in http://downloads.qi-hardware.com/people/werner/anelok/tmp/walls.pdf "A" are two overlapping case halves. "B" adds a PCB by simply extending the walls to support the board. This is what I've used for the Anelok case. "C" is something I tried later (though the Y-Box got built earlier): only one case half goes across the PCB. "C" yields slender walls but has the disadvantage that one of the thin walls is taller than the other. The Y-Box feels reasonably solid, so I think this is something worth exploring. Next: conclusions. - Werner _______________________________________________ Qi Hardware Discussion List Mail to list (members only): [email protected] Subscribe or Unsubscribe: http://lists.en.qi-hardware.com/mailman/listinfo/discussion
