I’ve actually milled a few of them on my CNC. Not too expensive, at least not over a year ago when prices were much less. But I go slow, milling about 0.02 per pass with a 1/4" upcut bit at just less than half the diameter of the bit per pass. Takes most of a day to mill one of them, but it works. The finish pass with the 1/4" ball nose makes them look nice. For now, they’re more placeholders for this sketch. I’m trying to keep the board dimensions the same (or close) so the board doesn’t get too long. They’ve held up well. No issues with bending or any failures with them so far.
What about an 1/8" thick sheet of acrylic bolted at the 4 corners with LED lights in the upper channel of the Tslots? Hopefully aluminate the acrylic at night in a decent manner??? Then LED lights in the outside channels and maybe even the bottom channels? Really make this thing shine at night? I know the 4 bolts will hold it down, but vibrations and such might be an issue… But pretty simple for construction - just drill some holes for wire connections.
This is exactly how showy escooters do it so the method is tried and tested.
Usually a U-shaped channel is cut into the acrylic sheets with a single contiguous strip running through said channel, but utilizing the T-slots seems like a more discreet way and allows for the “enclosure window” thing so people can see all the magic happening.
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Looking for this kind of t-slot cover can make this look better than bare LEDs if you’re interested.
Shooting the light vertically from the t-slot directly under the plexi won’t light it up very much I’m afraid, you would need to shine the light in from the edge of the panel
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The acrylic can act as a diffuser if the edge is rough enough, But yeah it needs to shine into the edge.
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To angle the interior LED Lights, I think I’ll use a rounded 45 degree piece of the 10 series. I’ll need to set up a 45 degree jig to mill the curved side up and make a slight groove for the LED lights. Hopefully a slot and some hot glue will be enough to hold them. But that will angle the lights at 45 degrees to the acrylic and help with illumination. Maybe a frosted acrylic? Or a diffuser above the interior lights?
Unfortunately, there aren’t any true 45 degree pieces in the 10 series, and the 15 series is too big. Plus, you lay the 45 degree side down and it’s even wider… I’m not sure the 45 degree aluminum channels for LEDs will be strong enough? Perhaps they are OK, but they are mostly metric and not 1" and no outside light. Shouldn’t be too hard to set up the jig and mill the slot in the 80/20.
Switched to the Misumi 2020 series as they have a interesting 45 degree piece which will let me house the LEDs in the channel and reflect the light onto the acrylic cover. Also played around with a vertical battery orientation which looks more like a tank, but I think all of the equipment will fit, whereas horizontal has the VESC/BMS, etc. under the front and back ends accordingly.
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