New Face

hi, i am working on a custom fascia for my MK.2. the new faceplate is made of aluminum but i want to paint it that it fits the dash in the car, a golf III by the way. also i have to redo the paint on the handlebar. i am very curious to see whats underneath the original paint. may be i like what i see and do not need to paint it all, may be. the attachment is a first "prototype" it is not the final result. i need this to figure out what i did wrong espacially with my measurements. and i do not have the knops yet. so tell me what you think, please.

i am very curious to see whats underneath the original paint. may be i like what i see and do not need to paint it all, may be.

It has been said that you can remove the handle and sandblast it to expose the metal underneath. It would probably match your aluminum fascia in terms of color, but its shape has those curved features that are meant to match the original fascia, so it might or might not be what you like.

What about making your own aluminum handle to go with your fascia?

What about making your own aluminum handle to go with your fascia? it is a little problem because the handle is hard to make by cnc-machine, it is to slim. about the curved features, i can say that i am doing the same on my fascia. the one in the attachment is the first "thing" just to give you an idea about the design. by the way, what do you think about the design?

I would prefer to just have a hole for the IR sensor instead of the large cutout and then try to make the left and right sides the same (or closer anyway)

i thaugt about that but it does not look good just with holes. the hole has to be very close to the srew right top. so my point of view was to make it a little asymmetric. and i also think that the ir does not go thru with just a hole because the fascia is 6,7 mm thick. anyway if you want to have a different design send or post a scribble and talk about it, may be you get yours.

maybe you could keep the square VFD opening, but engrave the oval shape of the origional facia on to it. It would be pretty sweet to have an platinum annodized facia (big balla style!) - lol.

thats more or less how it looks like with holes.

platinum, yes of course. how mutch would you like to spend. lol "engrave the oval shape of the origional facia" can you scibble that, i do not think i get you.

I started a thread regarding custom facias maybe a week or 2 ago. Asking if people was interested and so on. And since you already have a somewhat finished design I will back off. And put my own project at ease. But i recommend you to read my thread to get inspired. People there have posted what they are interested in (design, prise)

hi, iIDuce i do not want to "kill" your thread. may be i can help you if you like to have some data about the fascia.

I tnink it was chemically blackened on the cast piece direct.

Thank you 303 for your concern. But dont think, doing a double facia project at the same time is a good idea. Economicly that is. I dont think there are enough customers to be able to pay of both projects. And since you already have a finished design its not more than fair that I am the one backing off. I appreciate your project very much. And maybe you are not running it to make a profit. Thats up to you, but I think if I were to spend this amount of time with something i would want to get paid for it.

i would like to know more people like you! it is like you say, i started this project for fun, but soon i figured out it is a lot of work and if somebody else would like to have a custom face i need some money. so thank you for appreciate my project and let me know if you need some help in the future.

hi Rob, it looks like we have a new face for the next meet! and now i´m sorry to say that but my english is not good enough to understand your line. could you please explain it to me the stupid germ. thx!

The cast piece was treated in a chemical bath to blacken it - probably similar to anodizing (Normal anodizing tends to not look very good at cast aluminium pieces. It's meant more for parts machined out of solid aluminium)

Below is what babelfish thinks is the german version of the above. I don't trust my german on technical matters :-)

Das Formstück wurde in einem chemischen Bad behandelt, um es zu schwärzen - vermutlich ähnlich dem Anodisieren (das normale Anodisieren neigt, nicht Gußaluminiumstücken sehr gut zu betrachten. Es wird mehr für die Teile bedeutet, die aus festem Aluminium heraus bearbeitet werden)

/Michael

wow thx a lot!!! by the way my aluface is made of solid aluminum.

got ya!!!

you can remove the coating on the handle bar with a little bit o steel wool, I had an extra one... the underneath pretty much just looks like aluminum.. ya know silverish

isn´t it too scrachie with steel wood?!

If you want to strip a handle back to bare aluminium then the best way we have found is to sand blast it.

Rob

I've read that oven cleaner strips annodizing. Perhaps it would work on this finish as well.

Stu

In reply to:

---

i started this project for fun, but soon i figured out it is a lot of work and if somebody else would like to have a custom face i need some money.

---

Ok, I'd definitely buy a metal fascia. I, too, am thinking of a $100 price, but I'd really like one, I may pay even more for one.
So, good luck on your project 303.

just two new pics from the prototype. what do you think?

Looks good to me... Do you have a pic with one on an empeg yet?

Matthew

not yet, but soon. with a better prototype!

You're going to get a lot of interest in this fascia if you can produce a number of them at an attractive price. I suggest once you get closer to your final product that you ask to see how many people want to order one. Then try and set a price that will make you comfortable (pay your expenses and make you a bit of money) while still keeping it in range for the largest number of people. If the price is right, I'd buy two. My handle is already silver (sanded the black off - and it's very smooth, just use very fine wet automotive sandpaper).

Bruno

hey hybrid8, you wrote you sanded the black off. i would like to know how long since you sanded the black off because i think the aluminum get black by corrosion. and know comes the tricky part, the pricing. let me think of it and may be give me a little help. what do you think its an o.k. pricing range? to be honest i did no estimate, yet.

I have a friend who would be able to powdercoat the aluminum fascia and handle for $25 in a variety of colors.

sounds good. where are you based?

if i start to sell it i think it is the best way to offer it two ways. first bare aluminum and second anodized that it fits the original handle color. so tell me what do you think, please.

... i would like to know how long since you sanded the black off because i think the aluminum get black by corrosion.

No, aluminium goes from a shiney silver to a silver grey due to oxidation in air. The thin oxide layer then protects the aluminuim from further corrosion, as long as you don't go putting it near acid or salty water anyway. It looks OK completely uncoated, but it looks even better anodised or laquered. You can even get clear anodising done - won't be really shiney like laquered aluminium, but it still looks reasonable

as long as you don't go putting it near acid you are right, but what about your "fingeracid"?

Well bare aluminum and anodized aluminum at least to me seems very prone to scratches. A powercoated finish is incredibly scratch resistant. If you wanted the bare aluminum look you could always powercoat a clear coat to protect the finish. It seems like to me most people would want a different color than the original facsia and this allows them to do so.

good point, but what about the color of the handle? its gonna cost a fortune to make the handle look the same. think about the shipping costs. it is easy for potential customers for example from the US or Canada to sand blast the handle but its expensive to ship it, isn´t it.

I wouldnt imagine shipping the handle alone would cost more that a couple bucks. What could happen is when you had a number of people ready to buy the faces you could ship them to me, while the people buy the faces ship their handles. At which point both the handle and the faces are powdercoated at the same time and shipped back at the same time. This could one cut down on the shipping costs to you since you only have to ship them once and then the people can have their handles matched to the faces.

clever boy! sounds like a plan! i keep this in mind and thank you!

OK, maybe I should have said "strong acid" The acid from your fingers isn't normally going to do aluminuim much harm. Normal old aluminium is even used for cooking pots in some places, and it survives quite well.

we are getting closer!

Looking good. Count me in for one if the price is right.

I think it's great that this project is going so well. The aluminium
looks wonderful---I'll definitely join the queue to buy one!

In the photo http://empeg.comms.net/files/115755-newface2.gif, it looks
as if there is a chunk taken out of the left side of the piece surrounding
the volume knob. Is that there for a reason?

I do think the curve in the upper right corner could be nicer. The wavy
curve doesn't quite match either the radius or the centre of any other
curves, so it looks a bit out-of-place. I've done some mock-ups with
other curves; please look and see if you like any of them better. They
should all keep clear of the works behind.
http://empeg.org.uk/fascia/1.jpg
http://empeg.org.uk/fascia/2.jpg
http://empeg.org.uk/fascia/3.jpg
The original image I adapted is:
http://empeg.comms.net/files/113547-Tims%20Fascia.gif

As someone not involved in the making of them, I'd rate them in the following (falling) order:

1, Tim's design, 3, 2

Just MHO...

/Michael

first of all i want to thank you for your help! everything you see up to now is prototype and the chunk is just a cnc mistake. i just wanted to keep you all updated because i know (its the same with me) you are curious. a special thank for the three mock-ups. i did a lot drawig during the design work but in the end i decided the design that you see on the pics. one of my drawings was like your first mock-up. the design that you see in the pics is the one i am starting with. the next step is to produce minimum three final prototypes and do a powder coating, a anodizing and leave one bare aluminum. after this is done i have to think about the prize. so watch out for updates in this thread and on http://www.by-photos.de/NewFace.html thanx again for your support!!!

In the photo http://empeg.comms.net/files/115755-newface2.gif, it looks
as if there is a chunk taken out of the left side of the piece surrounding


the volume knob. Is that there for a reason?

That is where the IR sensor is.

Oops I see what your talking about now nevermind.

I clear-coated my handle after sanding it. It sanded pretty fast using a dremel rotary tool. I also took the time to fill in the left indent with epoxy (clay-like epoxy, not liquid). I gave that epoxy part a shot of silver spray paint and it matched the rest of the handle very well.

My preferred fascia would be clear aluminum. Either clear anodized or clear-coated. Either shiny, or perhaps brushed.

Price.... That's difficult. I don't want to suggest one because I don't know how much it's going to cost you in the volumes you'll be working with. I'm in a money crunch and don't really have any room for toys right now, but I'd always appreciate lower than higher. But I think you deserve to be compensated for your time and make a nice profit for your work.

If I could make a few suggestions for your design (or requests), the first would be to allow using the default MK2a buttons (the pointy ones). The next would be to contour the part of the face that wraps around the knob. Make it round instead of coming straight down on the sides. I made a quick sketch long ago on paper that looks pretty good - mostly similar to your design (clean and simple).

I'm really glad someone has renewed interest in a replacement face. It will make the empeg that much more solid feeling. Right now the plastic fascia is no doubt the weakest-feeling part.

Bruno

Here's a slight mod of the original...

http://empeg.comms.net/files/116577-empeg-alu%20fascia.jpg

If I could make a few suggestions for your design (or requests), the first would be to allow using the default MK2a buttons (the pointy ones). the originals won´t fit the design, i don´t like the original plasticfantastic ones.

thats a cool design! for now i´m gonna stay with my design but lets see may be in the near future! if i can use your suggestion?

believe it or not. it looks cooooooooooool!

Yeah - that really does look great!

Very nice!

Oh, are you making new buttons out of aluminum? If you are, then I guess round is fine. I rarely use the face buttons, but I do like the shape the four of them create together.

Bruno

yes i do make new buttons because the original buttons does not fit the aluminum. i also just use the remote and i always have spare batteries in my car, you never know.

because the original buttons does not fit the aluminum

When you say "original", do you mean the oddly-shaped buttons of the Mk2 players?

Or do you mean the original buttons that came on the Mk1? Those are small round buttons that fit on the button caps, they are a standard Farnell part. I thought your face was designed to accept those just from the looks of it.

The nice thing about the farnell buttons is that you can get translucent versions, so you could theoretically have the lit buttons and the aluminum faceplate.

what a nice surprise, i did not know that. do you know the number of the buttons? the reason why the originals from the MK II does not fit its easy, they look to cheapy, if you know what i mean .

I don't have the part numbers, but I know some people have done the glowing-button mod on the Mk1 players, so one of them will probably chime in here with a part number.

Fair warning: since you didn't design the face with these buttons in mind in the first place, the holes might not be exactly the same size. You might need to modify the design a bit after you get a set of the buttons.

thx for the fair warning. i really hope the only thing to change is the diameter of the holes, so lets pray! and thanx again Tony for that exciting post

it is almost done. i decided to use the button caps of the MK I, because for those of you who have the illu kit tfabris told me these buttons are available translucent. that helps a lot! next step is to make the big button, witch is not a big deal i guess. i really hope within the next two weeks i have got everything done and you can see the final result on a webpage!!!

bare aluminum and anodized aluminum at least to me seems very prone to scratches

I just thought I'd point out that there are two types of anodizing (three, really, but one is obsolete). There's just plain-old, regular anoziding, and then there's hard anodizing, which is much thicker and quite scratch resistant.

Which is not to say that there's anything wrong with powdercoating (which is what I assume you mean), but it does add a layer of thickness that anodizing doesn't, which could be an issue.

The round button is also available transluscent... So you may want to make sure your face will work with a stock-sized knob.

I really hope you can get the prices down lower than what you previewed on your web page. Normally not a big deal, but I'd love to get two of them and it's going to sting a lot - especially when converted to Canadian dollars.

Bruno

so we are now entering the last step!!! see how it looks with knops. last step is to build a vol knop and done! special thx to David!!!

a brushed surface. isn´t it nice?!

Hi Tim,
that brushed face plate looks pretty good!

Sorry I've taken so long to get back to you about the buttons. The Farnell part number for the standard black buttons from the Mark I is: 917-461 and they cost 56 cents each, with a minumum order size of 10. The caps with the lens in them (# 311-2457) don't cost much more - 61 cents each, and you can buy them singularly.

Now what is really interesting is that there are some shaped button caps, so you don't just have to have boring old round buttons, and they come in 4 colours! There are square caps, round caps and arrows in blue, grey, red and black. The one problem with them is that they are only the standard height, not the extended buttons like we have, but alongside the standard Mark I buttons is an extender that may be what we need to get them to work! Now I really wish that I had scanned in this page when I was at work so that you could see for yourself!

Wait, they are Multimec 3F series switches - there must be something on the web
the manufacturer: www.mec.dk
(hey, I don't have to look any further here, they even have CAD drawings!!)

And, looking at the tables, the nicely shaped caps work out about the same height as the Mark I caps when you use the 5mm extender. Cool! Hmm, unfortunately Farnell only list the 10mm extender :-(

(another picture of the round red caps with extenders: http://www.solico.com/new_products_from_mec2s_ser.htm)

Looks great! I can't wait

thx a lot Derek.

Out of curiosity, would it be a whole lot extra to do a handle that doesn't have the "wing" cutouts on either side and sell the whole thing as a kit?

i am very sorry, but it is. because the handle is so thin.

That's fine. I was just curious.

How about making it three pieces like the MK1 handle. Would that be easier.

yep, working on that!

I dont know how to explain my wish , here I go :

Every time my Empeg is docked (in Car), when the handle is entirely pushed, the place between the handle and and the bottom of the face is not big ehough to put my finger.

Could you try to make more place because I am sure not to be the only one that to try to pull the handle with the end of my finger ....

i know exactly what you mean, but it just looks stupid if there is more space. i push the left top of the handle and the whole thing comes out or i use the nail. i know thats not perfect, but i prefer a cool look for the NewFace and i think there is one dead to die, ya know!

here is something in black!
Jets may be you like it?

Yes, I do like the color better! It *could* blend in with the alpine better for certain. I understand that this is a prototype and so maybe all the lines will be cut smoother later. Other than that, it looks cool!

I like that in black... That is sweet... I would buy two..

my Dad is doing the CNC stuff and he is freakin´out, don´t you agree?

I like the second Proto in Black ...

The way thing are going you will be ending up with a pile of one of a kind facias from your dads "playing."

Maybe its time to open a store.

hi everybody here is the NewKnop (its part of the NewFace). the holes are for the illuminated guys and girls, if you know what i mean.

NewKnop

Are you trying to say ``knob''?

uups, thanxx you are right. i am a stupid germ.

i am a stupid germ.

I believe you mean ``kraut''.

Kidding! Just kidding!

no no, i try to be smart "germ" you know!!!

KICK ASS !!!!!!!
You've got one sold to me, that's for sure.
that black one is awesome.
and I love the knob, too,
I'm sure that'll be black, too right ?
How much are these planned to be ?

it is almost done! tomorrow, i just have to check if i like the anodized one. if i like it, next week the site is complete, with pics of course. i would like to know how you would like to do the money buisness on that? i am able to build just a little stock of the NewFace. if i know more or less how many of you are really interested to have one, that will help that you will get it ASAP. the NewFace goes out with 4 NewKnops either in black or translucent, with 4 NewScrews to fit the aluminum and last but not least with a NewVolknop! for those of you who are interested the url is http://www.by-photos.de/NewFace.html with no pix yet!

NewKnop

Are you trying to say ``knob''?

I kinda like the word NewKnop. Knop is Dutch, and is vocally just in between the English knob and the German Knopf.

Pim

exactly that was my intention!!!

These should be titled "Before Coffee" and "After Coffee"

- or:

"Nearly! Nearly!" and "Aaaahhh"

Just caught up with this thread - love the protos, I'm a 'sure thing' for a buy as well - went to your site, there are still not any pics of the final products though. My original plan was to get a brushed aluminium one, and an Alpine 7838 metal Knop - do you know if it will still fit? If the original rotary knob still fits, then the alpine one should as well...

HI!

I just caught up with this thread, and I must say I like your black metal fascia very much!

I've only got one question for you (and I'm sure I'm not the only one with this question). I've recently got my Mk2a upgraded with a the lighted buttons hack. The way I see it is that I can no longer use my translucent lighted buttons with your metal fascia because the holes are of a different shape.

Though I like your design very much, I would hate it if I had to loose my lighted buttons.

I figure that the people that had their Empeg's "button hacked" are probably the same people that bought new lenses for it from Darkstorm, and are most likely the first people to buy a new metal facia from you. (meaning : people for who the Empeg is MORE than just an mp3 player - I'm one of those people). I'm pretty sure that for any of those people -myself included- it would be a pretty big issue if they weren't able to use their lighted buttons anymore if they would choose your metal fascia for their player.
Have you considered a design that incorporates the original buttons, or is this simply not possible ?

If I'm completely honest I must say that I can't (and won't) imagine my Empeg without it's lighted buttons anymore. So I hope you'll take that into consideration and maybe want to design a fascia that CAN use the original buttons.
Because otherwise I'm VERY interested and impressed with your fascias. They seem very professional and utterly beautiful! Very nice work!

hi, i have to tell you that the new hole for the volknob is made for the new VolKnob and i really hope you like the new one! at this moment i just came back taking the pix, so watch out for a new post!!!

hi, the NewFace comes with either standard black buttons or transparent buttons and a new Volume knop. the VolKnob has eight 1mm holes to let the light come through. i really hope you like it. one of the reasons why i started this project was that i did not like the original buttons.

the NewFace comes with either standard black buttons or transparent buttons and a new Volume knop

Will there be a choice in colour of the transparent buttons that you will provide ? I don't know if you know this, but with the button hack it's actually the buttons that provide the colour of the light. If you just provide clear transparent buttons the light would simply be white. (not pretty)
If you could provide different colours of transparant buttons perhaps that might be an alternative.
As for the knob : I like your design, but I think I will stick to the one Brian made. It's made to dissipate the light optimally and I really like it.

the transparent knobs are not available in color. white light that was my idea, if you don´t like it my suggest is to use color led´s. but what to do with the volknob lights? the new knob has to stay because it is part of the design. the original knobsize do not fit!!!

first of all i would like to say thanxx to everybody in here!!! and now the website with pics is on, so please check it out. http://www.by-photos.de/NewFace.html

Oh man. Must resist the urge to thaw out the credit card on this one... I think the real choice for people is going to be picking which finish they want. Great Job.

Matthew

thx Matt. i have to say that my Dad did all the technical stuff on that and it was a lot, so i would like to say thanx to him too. Tim

my suggest is to use color led´s. but what to do with the volknob lights?

Perhaps small pieces of filter material (gel filters)?

/Michael

yeah, its not that easy, isn´t it?

Very nice. Time to update my Christmas list

thats a good one! lol

white light that was my idea, if you don´t like it my suggest is to use color led´s. but what to do with the volknob lights
Color leds won't work, since that would limit my options in the future. If I switched cars in the future and the colour of the dash is different, then I can simply switch lens and buttons and I'm back in business. Using colour led would limit that feature. And this is important to me, since I plan on taking my Empeg with me in every car I may buy, at least for the next 10 years!

That aside, I've just looked at your site. And I must say : WOW ! Those fascias are truely works of art. Luckily I've still got an Empeg left that hasn been upgraded with the button hack. I planned on upgrading all my units in the future, but seeing your fascias makes me face a serious dilemma!
Seeing those pics I just KNOW that I will cave in (I know, I'm weak... )

Just a final question then : will that knob be available in black also (to fit the AnoFace?)

oh, i see your dilemma. what do you think about gel filtration? you can fit a filter in the knobs! thank god i am a photographer so here is my suggest for filters, oder a sample book of http://www.leefilters.com/LP.asp?PageID=53 i will be testing to get the knob anodized but i like the alu knob with the AnoFace too. by the way it is possilble to do red, green and blue anodizing too. hope i could have helped you.

I love the new designs. All of then except the regular aluminum doesnt do much for me. All i need is a lot of money now Could you give a pricebreak if I was to say 3 fascias?

"Could you give a pricebreak" yes i can

WOW nice job, do ya think you could make a handle to match? I was looking at my empeg and noticed the handle itself is held on by 4 tiny screws, the latch and spring mech will stay in place. All you would need is some material that you used for the face, with the awsome job you did on the face I could see no prob doing a handle too

it is hard to do a handle but i am working on that.

by the way it is possilble to do red, green and blue anodizing too. hope i could have helped you.

Yes, you are most helpful !!

Ideally, for me, it would be a totally black design (matches my interior best), with red buttons.

For in my car, as it is now, it's not all that optimal. For me that is. But for my second Empeg which I use at home in a stereo rack, that setup might be ideal!

I'll look further into it and get back to you. Thanks for your help !

Hi, just popped over to Tims place to have a look at these things live, and banged one on my empeg to see how it would look with lit buttons



looks not too bad really

Looks great, but... No light through the holes in the knob?

its not installed, yet!

I don't have an illuminated knob. I installed the button LEDs myself (well with the help of Rob S and Patrick) as I didn't want to wait 'til next year sometime for one of Brians kits. Besides which, it's not terribly hard. Might have a go at a knob board when I get the time and the bits - doesn't look all that hard either. Hmm, I wonder if Brian could deliver the boards quicker than complete kits. Would save me a bit of mucking around ...

Might have a go at a knob board when I get the time and the bits - doesn't look all that hard either.

As I said in another thread, I'm currently not even using the knob board. The board was very nice, but after having it in there for a while, I decided to change the layout of the LEDs. So I re-wired everything as loose components and bits of wire, inside a piece of clear shrink tubing which "wraps" around the shaft. So it's possible to do it without any board at all, just the bits.

Love the fascias, that's for sure... but not convinced about that volume knob - I have an Alpine head unit, and want to do what Jets has done, namely use an Alpine knob instead - http://members.rogers.com/empeg/ take a look there to see what I mean.. will that knob mount ok? Jets - can you comment on the size difference, mounting technicals of the Alpine button, so we have a better understanding of the possibilities?

I dunno, I think that knob looks better than the alpine knob for that face. The alpine knob mod is neat, but I don't think it would go with that face as well as it did in Jets' install.

Can you detail what you did to get the blue light instead of white? Are you using filters, or coloured leds?

Guess it's all a matter of preference - I think that with my setup, the Alpine knob will look great, as then they will match - a high-tech "fung swey" if you will! Especially if I put the brushed alu, with the blue faceplate, and blue buttons.. oh yea, baby!

Was checking out your site again, but I didn't see a 'paypal' link to purchase your warez - how do we place an order?

you can paypal [email protected] thank you for your inquires.

I'm just using coloured LEDs - they didn't have any white ones in the shop when I bought them. Would like to try out some of Tims filtering ideas in the neat future though. I reckon that is the was to go - then you are really flexible.

From what I saw last night you'd have to modify Tims NewFace to fit in a knob the same size and the original empeg one. It could quite easily be done in a milling machine, and I don't think it would detract from the design at all, but the knob that Tim has come up with is really nice to use, and does look quite good. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it looks with some LEDs behind it! I'm sure he can do a brushed finish on it for you too if you ask him nicely . I actually think the Alpine knob would look a bit silly on any of these faceplates, but then that's just my opinion.

if you like to change the colour of your transparent buttons, here is my suggestion.

use the following link to oder a sample book (see attachment)
of gel filters


http://www.leefilters.com/LP.asp?PageID=53

choose the colour, take a punch and you have a perfect sized filter for the transparent buttons. all you have to do is to push the filter all the way into the button and you´re done.

cheers

Tim

exsample of buttons with filter

As far as using the alpine knob along with the new face, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to use it. The depth the knob can be adjusted using the little screw (as described on my webpage) and from the pictures it looks like the diameter of the "new" alu-knobs have not grown smaller or bigger in comparison to the original knobs.

Thanks for the reply Jets - here is an extract from a PM with Tim:

In reply to:

---

"if you really want to use the Alpine knob, tell me the exact diameter and the height and I will see if I can make the hole fit the Alpine. "

---

Jets, you wouldn't happen to have that info would you? My knob from Alpine hasn't come in yet, so I don't know yet..

Okay then. Since I don't have a side-view photo I used another - you get the idea though. Now the shaft is i little complicated so bear with me. 7.5mm is depth of shaft without the screw in this photo:



When I first put it on the empeg without the screw it sat too close to the fascia and so I found that the most I needed to adjust the depth so that it would work properly is 6.0mm and that is the way I left it. You may also want to note that now has a 1.0mm clearance from the fascia.

Here's the measurements:



I hope this info helps you out. Please keep in mind that getting the alpine knob on right is a bit tricky.

Thanks Jets, you're a champion -

Tim, whadya think? Can you make this work for a bruface? <hope, pray!>

Oh, I forgot - the diameter of the knob is practically the same as the opening for the knob on the original empeg fascia...it's just a fraction larger. Like I wrote on my site, I can still get the face off without removing the knob.

EDIT: Man you're fast sphengali! By the time this second post was added you got yours in before me LOL. You're welcome too

<sheepish> - ever since I got this Rio player, I have been glued to this site! Never before have I met a group so active and helpful as in this Bbs... quite amazing actually -

and so Jets' post-whoring continues...

Same with me...this forum has always been better to me than other ones. Melikes.

i´ll check on this!

ever since I got this Rio player, I have been glued to this site! Never before have I met a group so active and helpful as in this Bbs

Welcome to the hive.

bsssssssssssssss

i checked if i can do it. i have good news and bad news! i will start with the good news, it is possible!! and now the bad news we have to write the cnc data new and we have to do a test with one of these knobs! i called Alpine here in Germany and it takes two weeks to get the knob, so that is not a problem! but what are you willing to pay if we do all this? give me an offer and i speak to my Dad because he is doing the cnc stuff!

I can hear that famous quote now... "I've created a monster!!!"

it looks like!!!

Thank you for checking up on this - what am I willing to pay, that is the question of the day, ins't it?! Well, only you and your Dad really know how much extra work is involved in doing this - I am totally willing to buy the Alpine knob from you if you want to sell it once you've got the template made - who knows, maybe you can offer the two parallel models for those that want it? I wanted to buy two faces, the brush and the black - the brush for sure to work with Alpine knob.. Let me know what you think...

he really want the Alpine look!

OK Tim - payment of One-Hundred-Ninety-Five Euros has been made to your account just now, for the Bru face, Alpine Knob, screws, shipping & handling... now the waiting game begins!

I'm so excited!

torment, isn´t it?!

Hey, I just stumbled into this thread, and had no idea that your faces were in production!
Do you think you'll still be producing them in about 6 months?
I'm going away for about that long in a couple of days, and I would love to pick up one of these lovely beauties when I get back.
If this is a short term run, I may have to go without.

Just curious.
Z~

i just started, so i think you´re fine in six month.

you will find it here!

I'd just like to say 'wow' to this - just found the thread and webpage, and these fascias look stunningly good!

Sadly, as a poor student, I can't afford €150 just now (although it is worth more than that in my opinion), but hopefully I'll be able to get one early next year - so make sure you keep making them, ok?!

sure, everything for a brother in mind!

DAMMIT, I cant decide between the Polished and the Brushed Aluminum. DAMN, which one!??!!??!
Although I am going to do what Dr_DOS did to his handle here , I have a Dremel Rotary Tool.
So in doing this which face will suit better with the handle?

my suggestion is, TAKE BOTH

LOL, ok back to reality If I hadn't of just bought my
Tissot T-Touch, I would've been all over this.....
NZ$330 shipped, ouch! maybe next year

In reply to:

---

So in doing this which face will suit better with the handle?

---

I assume it's easier to polish the handle rather than brushing it the same way the face looks like. So I'd go for the polished one. But keep in mind that you're gonna see every fingerprint on the polished face.

Peter

Is your face brushed or polished?, I couldn't tell from the photos.
What did you use to polish the handle?

The face is polished.

The tools I used are described here.

Peter

If you want I can pop over to Tims place, grab you a faceplate and deliver it to Auckland airport on the morning of the 22nd of December - would save you the freight Can't wait to get home for Christmas, it's *DAMN* cold over here!

now available in Black and colour!!!

Soooooooooo tempting
however I have to resist the urge for this month at least, have to take care of a few things!!...damn....

Ill let you know if things change, thanks for the offer

JaBZ