Building a Control Panel

Here's an older thread on Control Panels with many pictures.

Thank you very much, that really helps!

Thin tempered masonite works fine; masonite is a trade name.  Your local building materials store make call it hardboard.  It's thin and strong.

My control panels are in the "toy train" realm, no fancy graphics or track layouts. Biggest problem is mounting toggle switches and push buttons, the bushings are too short to go through plywood, you can get masonite but it is hard to drill cleanly and hard to finish.

What I do is use plexiglass and paint it to look like metal. If you use real plexiglass, not Lexan, painting is a snap. Lexan needs some special treatment. Plexiglass is brittle, but if you know how it can be used with little trouble.

First thing is not to use twist drills for any hole larger than 1/8 inch in Plexiglass, and be very careful even at that size. For larger holes, use a woodworker's Forstner bit; drill from one side until the point breaks through and then flip it over and drill from the back. The Forstner bits have absolutely no tendency to dig-in or catch and leave a nearly perfect hole. Do not dawdle using them, the longer you take the more heat and melted edges you get!

I then spray the front with Hammerite in the appropriate color, and the results pass for a metal panel. You can then attach it to a wooden frame or, as I do, place it in a cutout in a larger masonite panel that supports the Lionel switch controls that mount on the surface, rather than behind it.

Photo attachment shows one of my early attempts, holes are a little crooked and the edge is chipped, but you get the idea. Looks like metalwork, but just need a small drill press!