I'm currently working on a custom faceplate for the 40h button kits.

By using the 40h frontpanel PDF with all dimensions I was able to create
an accurate CAD drawing for the machine shop.

Some specs:

- CNC machined 4mm clear anodized aluminium
- Trough hole mounting (Countersunk M4 hex screws) for the button pad
- Roughly the same outline dimensions as the original 40h.
- 4 countersunk through holes at the corners of the panel to mount it to
the base enclosure.

I can post the drawings once I've finished them if anyone's interested.

So I was thinking about ordering a batch of these panels. The quoted
price goes down substantially once you order multiple panels.

My estimate is that if we reach 20+ panels, the price will be around $70
(incl. transport from factory to me and packaging materials). I live in
the Netherlands, standard international shipping will cost about $15.

My bottom enclosure will be made of wood, like the new monome series.
I've asked for a quote at some local carpenters and at a violin and
piano restauration workshop. Will post some more info about that when
I've got a reply from them. I will first make a prototype out of
plywood.

The final order will be placed shortly after I have received my logic
and keypad kits. I first want to measure and double check everything
twice, before placing the order.

Let me know your thoughts, comments and/or suggestions.

A group buy is an interesting idea. I might be up for a faceplate, but 
I'm not so keen on having the screw holes going all the way through, 
even with countersinking. I'll take a look at your drawings when they're 
done.

a group buy for plates makes sense.

i'd request not pursuing a group buy on enclosures. that really defeats 
the DIY component of the kit, and turns it into a "facilitated 
knock-off" of the 40h.

the idea of the kit is to build your own custom 40h-like device, not 
simply get a 40h-like device for cheap. kits are for people who enjoy 
the kit experience, not just pay someone else to build it for them.

@ xndr - I could really use that CAD drawing of yours to give to my 
machine guy.

thanks in advance

Hello xndr,

I am also interested by the group order. Let's hope there will be more 
people.

Julien

I'm looking into local faceplate options in Australia, but am also 
interested in a group purchase. I plan to make my own enclosure though. 
The CAD drawing would be helpful xndr - please do post it if you can - 
and please keep me up to date on any group order possibilities.

Hello,

I ordered my kit today, so I am definitely in for a group order for the 
face plate.

Thanks,

Julien

As Tehn suggested it's probably best if everyone takes care of their own 
base enclosure. I'm still waiting for my kits to arrive, once I've 
checked everything I will post the drawings and a price estimate for the 
alu faceplates in a new thread to see how many people are actually 
interested.

i ordered a custom 8 x 16 faceplate from k&m machining. the price was 
very reasonable ($190 for an anodized aluminium plate).

thanks xndr. I agree on building base enclosures locally. I'm trying to 
price a locally produced faceplate here in Australia and will share any 
info that comes up in case there are others who can benefit - local 
production is good, but if it makes more sense overall to combine orders 
for a faceplate then I'm up for that.

Thank you xndr for the update.

I'd love a copy of file/cad drawing as well!! Any chance I can get my 
hands on it??


Meoff

I'd love a copy of file/cad drawing as well!!   Could you please post or 
email them to me?

last link here
http://wiki.monome.org/view/WeShareInformation

read that page TONS of info there.

I've used the 40h faceplate PDF supplied by the monomes, just copy those 
values in your app. I've made the CAD drawing in the app from schaeffer 
apparatenbau, unfortunately they use some kind of custom file format and 
a DWG export plugin costs 90 euro's.

I know someone who's is really good at Autodesk Inventor. I'll drop by 
there next week to make a new drawing, DWG/DWF, etc is in the works...

Note that my version of the faceplate features through hole mounting of 
the button PCB. I'm planning on using 3mm countersunk hex bolts, not as 
elegant as the monome, but it looks nice and high-tech if they're 
totally flush with the alu surface. The drawing lacks mounting holes as 
I'm currently not really sure what base I will be making/using. I will 
decide on what to do when my button and logic kits arrive. I'm 
experimenting with ideas such as a milled solid alu base, wood and 
plexiglass.

I'm very busy with other projects at the moment, but I'll keep you guys 
posted on any progress...

when i get home i will post an autocad file of the keypad layout.

autocad 2004 format; someone might want to double check my work for 
accuracy :)

thanks for the file dext3r!

I'm expecting a quote on laser cutting from a local supplier tomorrow. 
As they have a minimum order of $AUD100, and each individual faceplate 
may be less than that, they've offered to do whatever combination of 
aluminium, acrylic and MDF I want.

I'm leaning toward acrylic as I think this will be easier to work with 
as far as doing the mounting holes for the keys - I figure I can hand 
drill these myself fairly easily and use self-tapping screws.

OTOH, aluminium would be cool - can anyone comment on how easy it is to 
drill extra holes yourself. If I get mounting holes done as part of the 
cutting, then can I use self-tapping screws, or will I need to get the 
thread tapped professionally?

xndr - I do like the sound of your counter-sunk hex bolts - if you could 
explain more how that works that would be very interesting to know about 
- even if I don't end up going that way....

I'll post back any info on pricing here from Aus.... if there are any 
other local looking for faceplates or considering to get a kit, I'll 
most likely have spares if I end up getting them made here rather than 
joining a different group order.

a tap and die kit will let you thread holes very effectively (and 
professionally, once you get good at it. best practice on some old stock 
first).

Would love a copy of the CAD drawing.

I have a local machine shop here in San Francisco that can do the same 
if anyone is interested.  Options include lazer cutter as well, if 
someone is looking for a plate in plexi etc.

thanks for throwing that up dexter, i might use the button layout from 
it in a cad drawing im doing for my case.

Hi all,

I got a quote today for laser cutting:

                            1 off      5 off      10 off
Panel from 6mm acrylic -    $117.00ea  $51.72ea   $41.95ea
Panel from 6mm alumin.-     $150.00ea  $73.45ea   $61.47ea
Panel from 6mm mdf     -    $106.00ea  $46.27ea   $38.48ea

Prices are in Australian dollars, so take off about 10% if you're in the 
US.

If these prices appeal to people, I'm happy to facilitate a group order 
and handle international shipping. Air freight would be between $15-$20 
AUD.

I know there's a few people currently looking to do the same thing in 
their locality, so I don't want to split up a possible group buy 
elsewhere - I'd certainly join in with others if that is the group 
consensus.

It's just a matter of balancing local and global here I guess, so please 
let me know if you're interested.

You should look into water jet and regular CNC cutting also.

In particular, MDF would be very silly to laser cut I think - it is very 
easily cut on a much less expensive machine.  I also don't think it 
would make a very strong face plate

keep in mind--- customs fees.

longjohns, tehn - thanks good points.

I've no idea about customs costs at the US side - I didn't get hit with 
anything for my kit coming into Australia.

and yes, I agree that MDF is not that appealing.  I'm leaning toward 
acrylic because it will be easier for me to work with compared to 
aluminium, and just that bit cheaper - am kind of considering wood 
paneling with translucent faceplate for a oldshcool meets techy look....

I'll also check out other cutting options in case there's something 
cheaper around here.

have ordered some sample LEDs - should be assembling the logic board 
later this week and testing leds - will probably have to wait for all 
the leds to come in once I've decided what I'm getting.... all very 
exciting..

I'm interested in joining this group purchase for the faceplate and 
wooden base. Please e-mail me with the details and possibly a sketch of 
the blue prints. Thanks.

Hello frogstar,

I am interested by an acrylic or an aluminium plate, preferably an 
aluminium one. Considering the acrylic, would it be transparent ?

xndr, any news from your local supplier? Since there seem to be only a 
few people interested by the group order, we should probably try to make 
only one group order with the best supplier.

Julien

Hi Julien,

I'm pretty sure that a range of acrylic colours would be available - 
transparent and opaque. I'll check this with the manufacturer. I'm also 
exploring other options here in Melbourne, in case something 
better/cheaper can be found.

In the meantime, I'm still all ears for any progress than xndr or others 
might be making - like you I don't want to fragment the power of a group 
buy... I'm happy to go with whatever option turns out to be the best.

check out:

http://bigbluesaw.com

Thanks tehn !

I converted the drawing of dexter to DXF and uploaded it to the site. 
Here are some quotes:

For acrylic plastic clear 0.25 inch thickness:

1  $86.29  $86.29
5  $31.69  $158.45
10  $24.86  $248.60

For aluminium 0.25 inch thickness:

1  $117.67  $117.67  0.75 pounds
5  $80.09  $400.45  3.73 pounds
10  $75.40  $754.00  7.46 pounds

Edit:

Apparently the website only proposes US delivery, I asked for 
international shipping. We'll see what they say...

very cool - any info on shipping?  I guess a bulk order would require 
someone to receive the whole shipment and then redistribute.... 
aluminium would cost me $AUD 150, so even with shipping, it looks like 
bigbluesaw would be cheaper overall.

d3xter suggested checking his drawing - I haven't had a chance to do 
that yet, but it would be a good idea to be sure there's enough 
clearance around the buttons so that they won't jam.... I guess I could 
try printing out that design and seeing how it lines up....

Considering shipping I will tell you as soon as I have an answer (see my 
edit)

I am down with getting one of those plates from Bigbluesaw... I am 
actually fine with either an aluminum or acrylic plate, but the acrylic 
is a whole lot cheaper.  If we can get 10 people together $25 for a top 
plate is a great deal. Like I said though, if more people want to go 
with aluminum, I would be fine with that as well.

Anyhow, count me in.

we can always do another group buy for aluminum plates down the line 
when we feel like upgrading too folks. i have a local source for my top 
plate as long as its acrylic… but someday an aluminum would be pretty 
radicool.

Big Blue Saw sponsors events and individuals who have a web page with 
sufficiently high Google PageRank. This might be an option for 
monome.org. See this page, for example: http://teamthinktank.com/

Can anyone send me the blue print at CAVEMANSALAD@gmail.com? Thanks.

Hello, I got a reply from Simon (see above) from Big Blue Saw. So, 
international shipping is possible and can be handled as a custom order. 
We can use the web site to get an idea of the price and when we are done 
with the layout, we have to see with them for real price quote, 
including the international shippings costs.

I converted the drawing of dexter to DXF and checked it. The corner of 
the button holes were not arc circles, but straight lines (maybe a 
problem due to the convertion). I made another one (file is attached) 
and made new quote requests, price are a bit cheaper, mostly because 
angles are more expensive to make than circles.


Aluminium, 0.25 thickness
1  $107.76  $107.76  0.73 pounds
5  $70.19  $350.95  3.65 pounds
10  $65.49  $654.90  7.31 pounds

Acrylic plastic 0.25 thickness
1  $83.73  $83.73  0.32 pounds
5  $29.13  $145.65  1.61 pounds
10  $22.30  $223.00  3.21 pounds

So, first we need to decide on the plate format. The plate I drew (like 
the one of dexter) has straight corners, contrary to the monome one 
which has round corners. The buttons have round corners of course. There 
is another point: there is no hole yet in the plate for fixing it. We 
have to decide whether we get holes made by the machining company, or 
whether everybody will drill the holes himself. Of course, it is far 
easier to have the holes drilled by the machining compagny, but using 
Big Blue Saw (probably) implies that these holes will be "pass through" 
holes, and not holes like the one of the monome. Having "pass through" 
holes means that the screw will be visible.

So, now the potential candidates:

frogstar
dylan
CAVEMAN SALAD
bolig ??
julien

Please confirm your participation, what material you would like and if 
you would like the plate with or without the fixing holes.

Julien

I checked the drawing, but it would be great if someone else could 
double check it.

I'm interested - I'd be happy to go either way with material - I'd 
probably prefer acrylic for price and being a bit easier to work with 
(no need to tap the mounting holes) but I'm suspecting most people will 
prefer aluminium, so I'd be happy to go that way too.

I have access to a drill press, so in theory I should be able to drill 
mounting holes half-way through the material, which would be nicer than 
having through holes.  That being said, I'm a bit nervous about drilling 
into my one off flaceplate, so if others prefer prefab mounting holes, 
I'd be OK with that.

I'm planning a wooden enclosure so square corners for the plate would be 
best.

There's at least one or two other kit builders here in Melbourne, so if 
they also join in, we might be able to club together and get two or 
three shipped together rather than separately.

That is great.

As I said before I prefer aluminium, but let's wait the preferences of 
the other people.

I added the fixing holes for the button circuit board (file is 
attached). The holes are of 0.089in diameter, which seems a standard 
size considering 4-40 tapping, I am no expert so please correct if I am 
wrong. File with holes is attached.

I think it is better to let people drill themselves the holes for the 
plate-to-enclosure fixing, because I will probably highly differ from 
one case to the other.

Price quotes for the plate with mounting hole, aluminium, 0.25 
thickness:
1  $111.77  $111.77  0.73 pounds
5  $74.20  $371.00  3.64 pounds
10  $69.50  $695.00  7.28 pounds

i think im gonna pass… I have other things lined up here in town. thanks 
tho guys.

Could you attach the file again, I don't see it.  Also, did you say that 
the button holes are rounded?, just the 4 outer corners are 
square/pointed?

Another thing that *may* bring down the cost is to connect the holes 
together. So for each row of holes, you would have a thin slot 
connecting all of them. The attachment has a quick sketch of the 
concept.

You have a longer cut, but fewer pierces, so I'm not sure how it works 
out or if you would even want it that way.

> Could you attach the file again, I don't see it.  Also, did you say that 
the button holes are rounded?, just the 4 outer corners are
square/pointed?

I forgot to attach the file with the fixing holes, but the first file I 
attached is the same (without fixing hole). Button holes are square with 
rounded corners, exactly like on the 40h plate. You can look at the file 
I attached seven post ago, or click this link : 
http://forum.monome.org/attachment/120/monomePlate-julien.dxf .

Simon: thanks for the tip. However, I would prefere "unconnected" holes, 
even if the price is higher, mostly for aesthetic reason.

Julien

I might be interested to get in on this with you guys.  Who ever places 
the order, are you here in the US?

I am definately interested in getting in on the group buy for the 
faceplate. Doesn't matter to me as far as material, but if anything id 
rather the acrylic due to the cheaper cost. Im in the US.
my email is:
mhatsys-@-gmail.com
please let me know what else i need to do to be involved with the group 
buy.
Peace,
Michael

I would also be interested in a group order...as with others, I am in 
the US and am wondering where these are coming from, ect. I'm sure we 
can all work something else. Im eager!

Also, Aluminum would be my material of choice, but acrylic could work as 
well.

I don't really have the means to make holes myself, so if holes were 
tapped that'd be great. I might have to pass on the order if they are 
through the plate though...Im going all out on the aethetics and am 
looking to have it a certain way.

email: cschlyer@gmail.com

Count me in on this group order! I, as well as many others, am very 
eager about getting this done!

I'm all for a white acrylic face plate.

Pointed corners are fine with me, as I will be building my own base out 
of wood.

I would prefer there to be no mounting holes so I could make hidden 
mounts myself, though I understand the fact that other people in this 
group order do not have access to machinery to make their own holes. 
This being said the mounting holes don't matter much.

More information on the person collecting the $ and sending the face 
plates would be greatly appreciated.

Lets get this show on the road!

Preston
cavemansalad@gmail.com

I see that my post has been deleted in the big erase so again,
Count me in as well for the acrylic face plate.
I prefer without the enclosure mounting holes and with the circuit board 
holes and I would like rounded corners on the plate.

and again the same quastion as before, how is the payment going to work 
out ?
I live in Israel, so I guess that I would need, as many others, to know 
how much is it going to cost to ship the board.

Thanks for the info (again)

Asaf
asafnetzer@yahoo.com

Hello,

Since the interest for a group order is rising, I created a dedicate 
thread to gather people options and only for that: 
http://forum.monome.org/topic/1137 . With it, we should get a more 
precise wiew of what people want and how to group orders to have better 
prices. So read the message and enter your choices :) .

Julien

Re-hello,

So I received today two price quotes from Belgium companies. Prices were 
more expensive that big blue saw. I got something like :

For aluminium:

1 unit:   138.77€ ~ 189$
5 units:  73.68€ ~ 100$
10 units: 51.468€ ~ 69$

I requested quotes from a third company if something better is proposed 
I will tell you.

Hello,

I see that we have already 6 people who are willing to order the acrylic
top plate, as you can check on http://forum.monome.org/topic/1137
The question is, are we going to wait for a 10+ count or is it not such
a big difference in price compare to an aluminum plate and we can order
it already.

P.s, we are in need off knowing how the order is going to process,
payment and international shipping wise.

Asaf

There are currently 9 people that have marked what their prefences are 
for the face plate which leads me to believe we are one person away from 
ordering the faceplates. Big blue saw is what we are going to order 
through correct? We should set a final date when all the payments are 
due. Asafnetzer is right, we need to know info about the order process, 
payment, shipping etc.

I thought I was number 10?  Are you guys not shipping in the U.S.? What
type/color of acrylic are you guys looking at getting? I prefer
aluminum, but I could start out with an acrylic face! Someone let me
know if I could get in on this, I am here in the U.S., Arizona!!

Meoff

jasanimal@aol.com

Can you post a cad file for the rounded buttons and rounded face just 
like the one in the drawing, I have a shopbot and a PCNC Tormach here at 
the school so i intend to mill my own.

Files?

Now that i think of it i may be able to machine them all for u guys 
fairly cheap being its a school.

My version im looking to cut it from solid mahogany :)

Think it will bring a much nicer aesthetic against aluminum, every thing 
i make now is aluminum.

Although a mahogany plate would surly look great I think it would be too 
delicate and could easy be damaged or break, especially with the thin 
strip between buttons and at that thickness drilling and screwing could 
cause too much pressure on the plate.
But if you are doing it at school it's a cheap experiment, let us know 
how it turns out.

so do we know where the holes would need to be on the faceplate?

or are we going with the one for the original 40h...cause apperently 
those holes don't line up with the logic kits...sorry if this has been 
addressed already...but the thread is long and i am at work.

I work a lot with small fine wood parts my father is a master carpenter 
so i have some experience with it. When milling it from mahogany its 
going to come down to the quality of the wood and going to have to 
really put some time into the selection of what will be milled.

As far as you guys talking about milling acrylic ill tell ya i dont like 
the finish of milled acrylic unless you use Bellin Tools diamond bits 
they make an amazing finish but the bits alone run 300+ for a single 
bit.

Personally if you guys intend to do acrylic think about getting it laser 
cut.

To make the lip id use liquid based Weldon (leaves no bubbels) and cut a 
second plate to weld together to make the drop in lip. this way you have 
a nice rigidity to it nice finish.

Hey Scott what's your contact? I'm interested in the mahogany plate. You 
can always e-mail me to.

any news regarding the groupbuy ?

hey janczmok,

we're one person short for the discount price on an aluminium faceplate, 
which may be all that is holding up the current group buy from big blue 
saw.

check http://forum.monome.org/topic/1137#new to sign up if you're 
interested.

hello,

I am interested in joining the group order. Just curious, will they be 
shipping individually from the US? Or will they all be going to someone 
abroad who will be distributing?

J

Hello all,

I am glad to see that the group order progresses. Concerning the plexi 
option, it is already possible to have a very good price and I think 
BBSaw is a good option.

Concerning the aluminium option. I have looked up a new option: 
http://www.schaeffer-ag.de/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=205 . 
This is a company used by midibox builders (www.ucapps.de). With this 
company, the price for a single plate is 85€, including tapped 
"invisible" (à la monome) holes and delivery to EU. The plate is 4mm 
(not 6mm) which is not a problem in my opinion, see: 
http://forum.monome.org/topic/1139#7621. The addtionnal bonus is that 
the material is anodized aluminium.

This is a european compagny. For people located in europe, this seems to 
me that it is the best solution. Considering the custom taxes for plates 
comming from big blue saw, plus the shipping from the US, the price will 
be at minimum 75€. I think the additionnal 10€ to get the plate from 
Schaeffer are worth, when we consider the additionnal finish and the 
abscence of customs problems.

So now the question is: am I the only one located in europe wanting an 
aluminium plate? If we are 5, we can get the plate for 77.5€ delivered 
in europe. In this case I would order the plates and dispatch them. 
Since it would be inside the EU, there would be no custom taxes... If 
people outside Europe would be also interested, price would be 78.10€ 
(.6€ for extra shipping costs).

What do you think ?

Julien

Hi Julien,

I've been very busy the last few weeks. I still need the plate myself 
and I'm also interested in the Schaeffer AG option. I do think that if 
there's only a couple of us Europeans, an individual order would make 
more sense, to avoid double shipping costs and the extra work for 
packaging and redistributing. However, I'm willing to take part in the 
group order if you need more people..

i'll go with the "european" aluminium then. i'm based in germany.

How many people are actually in the US on this list?


Meoff

I'm for the Schaeffer AG option. I live in California currently.

Well, I'm for the Schaeffer AG option UNLESS someone from the US can 
group order some face plates.

Hi Julien,

thanks for kickstarting the group order with BBSaw. Is there a consensus 
on whether the aluminium folks are switching to Schaeffer AG?  If so, 
should the acrylic folks move ahead with a group order with BBSaw?  I'm 
happy to help with coordinating, but being in Australia, I'm not exactly 
central to anyone geographically, though that might not matter with 
BBSaw, as i think you indicated they could post out each faceplate 
individually.

If everyone is staying with BBSaw, then I think it would make sense to 
have just one co-ordinator, regardless of the material being used.

What do people think?

Looks like I have the exact same preferences as Cavemansalad. I also 
live in California and would be willing to go with the european 
Schaeffer plate unless there is something else that would work for us US 
customers. Does anybody know what customs fees would be to order 
something like that from Europe? Are there any customs fees at all? (not 
sure how all that stuff works) I've looked into some plates here in San 
Diego but the price is a bit more than $200, so it doesn't look like I 
have any US options, though I've looked around a bit.

Hi all,

Just got a view on monome and really would like to build one. Therefore 
interested to get a (group) faceplate as well. Considering the faceplate 
I have the following wishes:

* Aluminum material
* Local distributor (I'm from the Netherlands so EU supplier will do)
* Thinking of 8x16 design instead of 8x8 (haven't read about in this 
thread)
* Thinking of 19" mounting possibilities

Any comment on this is appreciated

Hello syntax,

There will be two orders. One for PVC and one for alu. Alu plate will be 
ordered from Schaeffer a German company. 
http://www.schaeffer-ag.de/index.php?lang=en&option=com_frontpage&Itemid=205 
. PVC will be ordered from big blue saw.

The order will be for a 8x8 plate. But you can easily order a 8x16 plate 
yourself. The group order just bring a discount.

Julien

If anyone is interested i started some tests with making my own face 
plate and will be updating the thread i made here 
http://forum.monome.org/topic/1334

When i get around to doing the mahogany plate ill post it and im also 
curious about seeing what a milk acrylic would look like aesthetically 
as well.. but that’s for another day.

Hello,

For those of you who still want to participate to the group order for 
the alu plate? We are going to finish this by email. We are 8 for 
instant. If we are ten or more we'll get a bigger discount and the price 
of the plate will be 70€ delivered world wide.

I want to progress now and will order plates quickly, so if you still 
want one, please send a private message, so that I can add you to my 
list and insert you in the process.

Prices: 70€ delivered world wide if we are more than ten. Material is 
anodized alu with mounting hole for the buttons pcb. Mounting holes are 
blind (esthetically pleasing). 77€ delivered world wide if we are less 
than ten.

Cheers,

Julien

Hi all,

I'm also keen to progress the acrylic order. I'd be happy to coordinate 
with Big Blue Saw, but as I'm in Australia, it makes no sense for me to 
coordinate shipping.

Julien, did you say in an earlier post that Big Blue Saw could ship 
faceplates individually, rather than in bulk to one person?  If that is 
the case, then I'd be happy to coordinate the purchase and the shipping 
as well.

If you are still in for the acrylic purchase, please respond here and 
also email me at mjpedersen at gmail......

Important: please do advise everyone if you are either dropping out or 
switching to aluminium.  We must have a minimum of 5 for the acrylic 
order, otherwise we'd  be better off all joining the aluminium order.

Best regards to all,

frogstar

Hi frogstar
I'm still in for the acrylic faceplate.
I live in Israel so for me it does not make sense to make the actual 
order.
We just need to agree on how we make the payment, maybe we can talk with 
the people of Big Blue Saw and check if it's possible to pay 
individually as well, each one of us the amount for the faceplate + 
shipping cost to his country.
If they'll agree we can make a list of the people and the shipping 
destination so we can get an individual quote and once all the people 
pay they could make the plates.

Frogstar --- Australia --- mjpedersen at gmail dot com

AsafNetzer --- Israel --- asafnetzer at yahoo dot com

i'm still in for acrylic as well, hopefully two more and we're good.

cdub --- U.S. --- calvin [dot] williams [at] gmail [dot] com

For the order, best thing would be to have someone in the US to make the 
order of the 5 plates: then this person dispatches the plates to the 
others. This would save everybody from the custom fees. It would also 
make it simpler with BBSaw since you can directly order pieces on their 
web site if you're located in the US. If you want BBSaw to send them 
elsewhere, you have to deal with them via email, which is easy since 
they are quite reactive.

I don't think they will be ok to send a bulk order to different 
locations in the world, but it is worth asking it.

Julien

I would like to be included in the acrylic order.  I am in the US 
(Minnesota). My email address is ericcharlesolsen at gmail dot com.

Eric

I am in the US, and interested in an acrylic faceplate order. Has this 
been made yet? I can coordinate shipping them to people, if BBSaw will 
let us all pay individually (I am too poor to cover for people).

hey randrews, the order hasn't been made yet, we're trying to pool 
enough people to at the very least get the group discount, and i believe 
with you we have 5 people. it looks there are three of us in the US, the 
other two are in australia and israel, so we will have to coordinate how 
we are going to set up everything. it would be great if you wouldn't 
mind coordinating this order. just send us all an email. our email 
addresses are posted starting about 6 posts above this one.

I sent everyone an email, reply back here if you didn't get it.

Anyone have a preference on color?

I was thinking clear, if possible.

Hi randrews,
I have not received an email.
As for color, I think the default is clear, it is easy for us to paint 
them ourself later.
Best regards, Asaf Netzer.

Hi randrews,

oops! I notice that I got my own email address wrong....

should have been mj.pedersen at gmail ....

Ok, so going from the previous list of interested people, plus Eric and 
randrews,
we've got now 5 confirmed and three who'd previously signed up but 
haven't confirmed on this thread.

I've sent a message to Dyland and Michael Hatsis, but Kevin was logged 
in as a guest, so I haven't been able to message him. Kevin if you're 
still out there, please confirm here....

I think clear is the go for colour.

Let's see if BBSaw will take individual payments, otherwise we could 
pool money into a paypal account (I have one if you don't randrews) and 
that way no one has to cover for all the rest of us.

--------------------------
|    name      | Acrylic | 
--------------------------
|  frogstar    |   X     |
|              |         | 
| asafnetzer   |   x     | 
|              |         | 
| M Hatsis     |   ?     |  
|              |         |  
|   dylan      |   ?     |  
|              |         | 
|    cdub      |   X     |
|              |         | 
|   Kevin      |   ?     | 
|              |         | 
|  Eric        |   X     |
|              |         | 
|  Randrews    |   X     |
|              |         |

I have a paypal acct, it's rbandrews@vt.edu. I want to wait until my 
Monome kits actually ship though, to make sure they aren't sold out or 
anything. I haven't gotten the payment email from them yet.

Thanks for emailing me frogstar... I'm in as well. I am not going to 
have money until Friday, but I can paypal the money or send it to BBS. I 
haven't been checking the forums lately but I'll keep up to date with 
this thread so we can go ahead and get going.

My monome is hating life in its cardboard box.

Grr. The order page now says that they're sold out, so I wonder if I got 
the last one when I ordered yesterday, or if I have to wait a month.

Never mind, I got the invoice, kit is forthcoming. So yeah, let's figure 
on clear acrylic, everyone paypal me money and I will make the order, 
and the last thing is shipping. The US people probably don't need to 
worry about more than $4 shipping, but I haven't mailed anything 
overseas in a while. How much to faceplates weigh, so I can look up 
shipping costs?

using the template julien has provided, it looks like they will weigh 
around .32 lbs. each.

I'm in for sure on the acrylic.  Whoever ends up handling the order feel 
free to email me with the total cost plus shipping I will paypal it to 
you.  Thanks for all the research everyone.

Eric

ericcharlesolsen at gmail dot com

Okay, I have the template from Julien (there was only one, right?) and 
I'll gather everyone's emails and send it out along with shipping quotes 
and such probably Friday night or Saturday. I am on a trip right now, 
not getting back until tomorrow night.

I'm attaching the file, to make sure I have the right one.

Please check the drawing before using it, to be sure you get what you 
want .... It was only checked by me

Google's free SketchUp program will open .dxf files!!

Meoff

Okay, I am back from my business trip, ready to place the order this 
weekend.

If there are 5 of us they are $29 each; if we are 10 they are $22.30. I 
think $4 covers shipping for domestic people, and I think we are getting 
under 10 so it's $33 total. If everyone who wants in will PayPal me $33 
to rbandrews@vt.edu, I will place the order this weekend.

If you're not in the US, then you have a choice of shipping. 6-10 day 
Priority Mail is $20, International First Class is $7.20 ("Estimated 
delivery time varies"). You can also get Express Mail for $25, or Global 
Express 1-3 day for more, I urge you to see usps.gov for details. Please 
let me know in the PayPal note which option you want, along with your 
address.

Came back from dinner to see payments from cdub, frogstar, Eric, and of 
course I'm in. The only people left on the list are asafnetzer and 
dylan, right?

Just got a payment from Asaf Netzer. Now the only person left is dylan, 
who I'm about to msg.

I got my kit a few days ago and was wondering is there any way I could 
get on the faceplate order? clear acrylic sounds very cool and if I 
don't like it I could always paint it. please let me know and thank you 
very much. I have a paypal account, so I am ready to go. email me
jcolecole@gmail.com
THX again

Any spots left?

There are always spots left, up until I place the order. The more the 
merrier (and cheaper)! I just got a payment from Cole who males the 
sixth payment I've received (counting mine). You would make seven, and 
we're also still waiting on dylan for eight.

$33 total, if you're in the US.

Also, if you can, try not to pay with a debit card, since PayPal charges 
me a fee for that. People who already have, don't worry about it, it's a 
small fee.

Guys,

I am happy to see that things are moving well also for the acrylic 
order! Great!

Julien

I think I'd like to put a limit on how long we'll wait for people. Does 
anyone have a problem with me saying that anyone who hasn't given me 
money by 5:00 CDT Thursday (13 Sept.) isn't in on the order? That's 
plenty of time, I think, and I am leaving town Friday morning so if not 
then it'll have to wait until Tuesday.

My kits shipped today, so I'd like to get this show on the road. : )

If you aren't getting paid until Friday or something, email or msg me 
and we can work something out.

no big rush for me, i'm still working on mine...waiting for a few 
missing parts to hit my mailbox, so i'd say thursday should suffice.

anytime is fine for me - my monome is living happily in a plastic 
chinese takeaway container at the moment.

btw, has dylan replied yet Ross? - his last message from a couple of 
weeks ago indicated that he was in - didn't seem like he was following 
the forum, but he responded quickly to my direct message.

Haven't heard yet from dylan or sondod.

Thursday is cool.  Mine's in a cardboard box.

Eric

p.s. is the CAD drawing you have going to work?  I don't know what it 
should look like other than the file tehn posted a while back (don't 
know CAD).

It looks like it should. It's just a square panel with 64 rounded holes 
in it. The dimensions on everything look right.

Sorry guys, have had a busy week. I've been on Jury Duty.(I usually 
check the forums at work). Just sent my payment in though.

great you're back with us dylan  - woulda hated for you to have missed 
out.looks like we're just about ready to roll....

Yep, just waiting for sondod. We are currently seven (counting me).

Just got an email from sondod, he is not interested. I believe that 
accounts for everyone, so I'll place the order once I get off work this 
evening.

10-14 days from now I should have a stack of faceplates and mail them 
out!

awesome, i cant wait!!

hi!
i'm Mario and i have ask for one of 40h kit..... if we sell me  im 
interested on one faceplate acrylic.
thanks of interest.

Well, if you would like to get in an the order I am going to place it 
this evening. Just PayPal me before 5 central.

im interested if the monome group sell me the kit..
if this succed i'm happy of paypal you..ok?sorry  for the "english.."

Sorry, but I really want to get the order out today since I'm going to 
be gone until Tuesday.

Tell you what, I'll order an extra one, and if they sell you a kit I'll 
sell it to you, and if not I'll sell it to someone else (or build 
something else myself, hmm...) Probably be good to have a spare if one 
gets cracked in shipping or something anyway.

I was actually going to suggest you buy a few extra if you have the 
money and sell them to late-comers for a slight markup for your 
troubles. Of course, it's your money, so it's just a suggestion. :-)

Thanks again on organizing, can't wait to get my plate, I'm still 
looking for a good enclosure idea, so the couple of weeks will give me 
time to come up with something.

I was thinking last night that if getting 10 is close to the same price 
as getting 7 or 8, I would do that just in case some got broken or 
something. Glad to know nobody minds me doing that. : )

For enclosure, my plan was to get some wood and a Dremel tool, and make 
a small wooden box with slots around the inside top edge. Just slide the 
PCB, rubber pads, and faceplate right in, then fasten on the fourth side 
of the box somehow. I now don't think this will work because of how the 
ribbon cable connectors are right on the edge, they'll get in the way of 
the slots.

So I am dead set on wood because it'll look classy, but still wondering 
how to mount the PCB inside a wooden box.

Awesome, my faceplate will be hear MONDAY!!!! I ordered from here:

http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/

Great service! 13 day turn around! I ordered 09/04/2007 and here 
09/17/2007, not bad!

I will upload a picture on Monday!!! MONOME!!!! Almost there and I just 
got the upgrade for Logic today! LOGIC 8!!


Meoff

The order to Big Blue Saw is placed! Our panels are going to be made.

Thank you everyone for making this possible. Especially Julien, who made 
the template, and frogstar, who did most of the legwork.

Couple more weeks!

thanks for all the organising ross!  all I did was sharing a bit of 
enthusiasm, so yeah, big thanks to you and to julien, and to everyone 
else for joining in!

I understand that I'm technically too late, but just in case - any way I 
can jump on the BBS order, or is it already done? I just found this 
thread for the first time today!! :(

(thanks, randrews for the offline response.)

Okay, I have an order placed for ten faceplates (it was actually cheaper 
that 8) and money from 7 people, and of course I am taking one. This 
means there are two left unclaimed. In fairness to everyone else, they 
are still $29 + shipping.

I mention this because I thought I got an email last night from someone 
who wants one, and now I can't find it (goldbug, it wasn't you, you're 
one of the 7, I have you already noted).

these are for clear acrylic, right? i didn't read the whole thread (it's 
quite a long one), but it looked like you guys were talking about 
acrylic?

i might be interested.

Yep, clear acrylic, 0.25 in.

ok, i sent vince (the guy i'm building a 40h for) an email about it. 
he'll let me know, then i'll let you know, or maybe he'll just respond 
to this.

One left unclaimed.

Hi Ross,

Before the last one goes, Mike Hatsys had messaged me to say he was 
still interested - did he get in touch with you?

Nope, I haven't heard anything.

i'm in. sent you a pm.

And the last one is sold.

Almost a shame, it means the Longest Thread EVAR will probably die now. 
:-)

Not so quickly, does anyone have any diagrams for the wooden enclosure 
for the 40h? All I have seen is posts about the acrylic keypad top...I 
know that Jason Kramer has a design but his website doesn't seem to be 
working....can anyone send me the file?

so is anyone going to paint there faceplate when it arrives ? I think I 
will leave it clear.
what are people doing for the base? I am still scratching my head.

peace
cole

i wouldn't mind fashioning a wood case for mine (red oak most likely), 
but seeing as how i'm in college and have mo access to woodworking 
tools, that might be a little bit tricky. let's see what happens once i 
get my faceplate.

I am planning on investing in a Dremel tool and a router attachment.

I've thought a little about painting it, and I think the best solution 
would be to stick some solid color contact paper or something to the 
bottom of it. That way you get some color, but it's underneath the clear 
plastic so you can't scratch it.

I think if you guys leave it clear, you might experience some lumination 
bleed from the LEDs.


Meoff

i actually thought about that, but i want to wait see whether or not it 
will look too strange. you never know, it might look pretty cool.

I think it will look nice without paint. If I keep it clear I may need 
to do something about the screws, paint them white or something. 
Remember our kits without a faceplate has illumination already. I was 
also thinking about thin strips(ribbon,tape) to go between the buttons. 
I don't know I am more worried about the bottom(base) or my new monome.