fader mounting question

[hollywood_steve]

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all........

How standardized are fader slotted mounting plates? If I take the plate off of an old console carcas, will modern P&G faders line up with the two mounting holes? Or did every console manufacturer place an order for custom mounting fittings on their faders?

I'm building a small table top box for mounting a pair of master L&R faders, but the slotted metal plate (which the fader also mounts to) is the only item that I can't see fabricating on my own. My only idea so far is to borrow the plates from a dead console (you can't take two steps without tripping over a dead console carcas here in LA) But what are the odds that the mounting holes on this old plate will line up with the two mounting screws on a modern P&G fader?

This is the type of piece that I would prefer to just take to a fabricating shop, but its so small and simple that they could never charge enough to make it worth their while. (how much could you charge for a 7" x 2" piece of 3/32" steel or aluminum with two screw holes and a 120mm long slot?) This is one of the big problems of DIY projects; anything that is beyond your skill level (or requires heavy equipment) is usually too small of a job for any shop to be interested.

Were all 100mm faders designed for a standard mounting configuration? Or do I need to carry around a sketch of the current P&G measurements and compare them to the plates on each console shell I come across? Using an old plate has another advantage; it will have the graduated markings for the log taper of a typical fader. Etching those into a single plate by hand would be a real PITA.

[Geoff_T]

Hi Steve

You don't need a slot and two holes... you could do it with a single 3,2mm wide slot with centres of 120mm. Then use low profile pan head 3mm screws to mount the fader.

P & G 3000 and 8000 series, Alps, Panasonic and other 100mm faders all use the same slot and fixing.

It's not easy to make a dead straight, burr free slot like that with typical home equipment (nibbler or jig saw) but most metalshops would tackle the task.

You can obtain fader scale calibration points from P & G's web site.

[David Kulka]

Geoff has given you a lot of good advice.

For their older series faders P&G used to sell what they called a "top plate", which had a slot and mounting holes for a fader, saving you from having to mill out the slot on your own. Some people used these for DIY projects but unless you cut out a recessed area for it, it wound up above the panel surface and looked funny, and would perhaps nick your finger.

I think you can still buy P&G fascias, which will cover up the slot (a good thing, if it's not especially clean) and give you all the fader markings. But they might still stick up a little bit.

You might contact Dale Manquen, who is now the US rep for P&G, he could probably give you more info. http://www.manquen.net/MANCO%20conta...%205-20-03.php Phone is 805-529-2496.

Dale's a pretty interesting guy, by the way. He was a designer for 3M's tape machine division and later went to Ampex, becoming one of the creators of the famous ATR-100. He designed and marketed a high quality flutter meter and has been involved with a lot of interesting projects over the years.

[hollywood_steve]

Thanks guys. Yes, I've already been in touch with Dale. He's on an extended holiday, but I'm all set to order the faders from him on his return. But he never mentioned the availability of any P&G fascia plates, and we had several rounds of emails, so I'm gonna bet that they are no longer available. Of course, I will ask Dale when I order the faders.

And any raised height resulting from the P&G plate would not be a problem. Putting together a little wood box that would accept the plate flush with the top edge would be easy. Its metal work that causes me problems.....

Any comments on the idea of taking an old plate from one of the hundreds of dead console frames littering LA studios, warehouses, and other facilities? I like the idea of an existing plate with engraved level markings, and I know there are hundreds or thousands of these things gathering dust all over LA. This seems like the easiest way to go, and will result in the best looking final product. I just mount the fader to the existing plate and then mount the plate to a small box.

Thanks.

[Tim Farrant]

In the past I have used Engravers to form the slots. Instead of getting them to cut lettering into a panel (as they normally do), you ask them to cut right thru the panel at the dimensions you require, costs a lot less than machining and the result is very tidy. As for the mounting screws, use countersunk types to avoid the screw head fouling the fader knob.

Tim