PDP-8/A Front Panels

[vrs]

> >I already have boards sitting around from several projects,
> >representing hundreds of dollars of investment on my part,
> >that may never "sell" (even at cost).
> >
> Just what do you have?

I still have some W076 and M452 replacements, some of each of the 
Blinkenlights boards, and a big pile of paddle cards for making 
DEC Negibus and Posibus cables. (The paddle cards are a bigger 
pile, since they get used 10 and 20 at a time.)

I also have the prototype boards for the 8/A console, and for 
the Posibus RX01/RX02, but those probably shouldn't count, as 
I haven't tried to recover costs for those yet :-).

> >(Anyone know of a shop that can do a
> >double-sided 16" board with solder mask and without a steep
> >setup charge?)
> >
> If you try Canada you can get 14x17 inch boards done.
> http://www.apcircuits.com/

Thanks!  That place has reasonable prices for a couple of boards, 
but shot up fast if I wanted 5 or 10.

> >The other major ticket item for this project is the front
> >plate.  Anyone know where we can get those done inexpensively?
> >
> What about a local machine shop?

I wish I knew someone at a local machine shop.  I figure that if 
I approach them as a regular customer, they are going to have to 
quote me about what FPExpress does, to make it worth their time.

I'd love to be proven wrong about that (but I haven't done the 
legwork to find out).

    Vince