Clean Layout Technique
August 1965 Popular Electronics

August 1965 Popular Electronics Table of Contents Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Usually an article about clean layout techniques would be about printed circuit board layout; however, this one refers to chassis layout. Having built many electronics chassis in my days as an electronics technician (prior to earning an engineering degree), I have a great appreciation for a professional-looking job. In fact, I chose to build most of my own prototypes as a design engineer as well. Some of the work done by hobbyists that appear in magazines like QST, Nuts & Volts, and the older titles like Poplar Electronics looks pretty darn nice, sometimes like a commercial product - both for kits and homebrews. There are still a lot of people out there who design and build their own equipment. It's a short article, but worth a quick look.

Clean Layout Technique

By E. G. Louis

To give your finished project that professional look, take care not to damage the painted surface of the cabinet when you locate the various mounting holes. Cut a piece of graph paper to cover the area to be drilled or punched and seal it down temporarily with rubber cement. Then layout your drilling pattern using a sharp-pointed, soft-lead pencil. Center-punch hole locations and drill (or punch) through the graph paper. When all machine work - including deburring - is finished, simply peel off the paper pattern. Excess cement can be removed by rubbing the surface with a finger or a soft eraser. The resulting surface should be smooth and clean. If you use decals or painted labels, protect them with two or three coats of clear lacquer or acrylic plastic.