Angle Manufacturing "F"ing aluminum control panel trim piece...ideas?

[steve8091]

Angle Manufacturing "F"ing aluminum control panel trim piece...ideas?

I know this is a long shot, but I'm missing an aluminum piece that fits the back of the control panel on an Angle Manufacturing Z-back-style cabinet. It has an F-shaped profile (see photos), is just over 23" long, and the gap for the CP is 5/8". When you side the CP into place in the cab, the front of the F rests against the monitor plexi. I actually have two of these cabs, but only one of them has this "F"ing piece...the other has a small gap in this space.

Again, I know that this is a long shot, but I also know that you guys are the masters. I wonder if anyone has any ideas as to how I might get my hands on one, or perhaps more realistically, what other part(s) might work.

 

[Samelak]

So that piece is an extrusion. In another words, it was "pushed" through a die that has the "F" shape. Most likely was a special order for the company and not something commercially available (but you might get lucky). It can be milled from solid stock, but won't be cheap. I would just put a want ad out on the forums. It's amazing what members on this forum have sitting on their shelves.

 

[DonPanetta]

It's been a while since I've seen an angle cab but from what i remember the extruded aluminum piece is meant to sit flush with the monitor glass. You can have a machine shop bend you a piece of aluminum but it won't have the added top half that the extruded piece has. That top area was really there as a sort of courtesy in order to allow easy creation of new control panels without the need of cutting a angled end for the back half of the panel.

tldr; If you cut a new panel with the angle and have a machine shop create a new lip for you matching that angle, it should work fine.

 

[steve8091]

It's been a while since I've seen an angle cab but from what i remember the extruded aluminum piece is meant to sit flush with the monitor glass. You can have a machine shop bend you a piece of aluminum but it won't have the added top half that the extruded piece has. That top area was really there as a sort of courtesy in order to allow easy creation of new control panels without the need of cutting a angled end for the back half of the panel.

tldr; If you cut a new panel with the angle and have a machine shop create a new lip for you matching that angle, it should work fine.

Yes, it does sit flush against the plexi. The only problem with bending a piece of aluminum is that the F-shaped extrusion allows it to be mounted from the underside, so that no screws are visible on top. I actually did angle the back of the CP, and I cut and painted a flat piece of 1" bar stock as a lip, but I thought I'd make a ditch effort to find a more elegant solution before I installed it.

 

[DonPanetta]

Yes, it does sit flush against the plexi. The only problem with bending a piece of aluminum is that the F-shaped extrusion allows it to be mounted from the underside, so that no screws are visible on top. I actually did angle the back of the CP, and I cut and painted a flat piece of 1" bar stock as a lip, but I thought I'd make a ditch effort to find a more elegant solution before I installed it.

Right but if you go the metal shop route, all you'd have to do is have it bent so that the bottom lip is the part being formed and scrap the top lip from the project.

or...

Have the metal shop form the bracket using two pieces of metal and tack weld the top lip. You will have a fully functional bracket but you will have a seam visible.

 

[gutz]

Ask a commercial glass shop, they can probably find that channel. There might be a minimum order length, and you will have to paint it.

 

[SnakeRake]

A decent welder could make that in about an hour from some steel plate. Bend the plate with a brake, tack and weld on another piece to make the F. Paint it and you'll never know the difference. If you have any friends that are into hot rodding or car customization they could probably make it in their garage for you if they have a brake.