PA-28 Panel Covers

Bman.

Bman.

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jul 20, 2014
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171
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Springfield, Missouri
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Bman.
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My plane is in the shop getting fresh avionics installed and old, abandoned or useless equipment being ripped out. This has made a mess of the panel covers in that 50% of the openings are now vacant. I have seen plenty of plastic replacement overlays online but I am looking for something a little nicer that would be more appropriate for the dual G5's and Garmin stack in the middle.

I thought I saw a thread where someplace or someone that was cutting custom aluminum PA-28-181 covers. I can't locate this thread from a year or two ago. Anyone know where I can find alternates to the generic plastic covers?

Thanks
Benjamin
 
my shop recently got a C&C machine and are doing custom panels. your set up is very close to mine, i was quoted 1k for a metal panel overlay.
 
WannFly said:
my shop recently got a C&C machine and are doing custom panels. your set up is very close to mine, i was quoted 1k for a metal panel overlay.
Click to expand...

That’s exactly what our shop did also. Seems popular these days. Any shop without one is probably behind the competitors now.
 
Hmm - that's the problem. Trying to get exact verification of what is where on the dash is tough to convey to a remote C&C person. I guess the 3 instrument openings are set so if we could flag what is where and then have the panel mapped out, it could be done.

What I am trying to avoid is $40k+ upgrades to be dissapointed in the crappy overlay and the multitude of infills.
 
Bman. said:
Hmm - that's the problem. Trying to get exact verification of what is where on the dash is tough to convey to a remote C&C person. I guess the 3 instrument openings are set so if we could flag what is where and then have the panel mapped out, it could be done.

What I am trying to avoid is $40k+ upgrades to be dissapointed in the crappy overlay and the multitude of infills.
Click to expand...

Measure once, cut three times? :)

Our shop said they have the ability to do the drawing for ya and then they eat it if they have to re-cut it. For the amount of downtime for a whole panel, it’s just another day or two to enjoy it for a decade or more.
 
Bman. said:
Hmm - that's the problem. Trying to get exact verification of what is where on the dash is tough to convey to a remote C&C person. I guess the 3 instrument openings are set so if we could flag what is where and then have the panel mapped out, it could be done.

What I am trying to avoid is $40k+ upgrades to be dissapointed in the crappy overlay and the multitude of infills.
Click to expand...
before my shop had the machine, they used to send everything to somewhere in Cali. they would take a card board and cut it exactly per your panel, then the Cali guys would send them another scrap kind of overlay to ensure it fits, once they received the green light, they will mill the final piece.
 
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