Victorian Console

[metrosonus]

What's the reccommended material for the console? MDF?

Especially for the top I gather anything without a grain would would work; but I want to keep it lightweight.

Has anyone tried a combination of materials? Like maybe 8th inch plywood with a thin sheet of hard / backer board over it?

Ive seen some local consoles that were made out of plywood that were entirely coated in plastic body filler   heavy + $$$ = she don't a looka so good  

[Scarfwearer]

What's the reccommended material for the console? MDF?

Especially for the top I gather anything without a grain would would work; but I want to keep it lightweight.

Has anyone tried a combination of materials? Like maybe 8th inch plywood with a thin sheet of hard / backer board over it?

Ive seen some local consoles that were made out of plywood that were entirely coated in plastic body filler  heavy + $$$ = she don't a looka so good 

MDF is quite dense, brittle and doesn't take screws that well. For my console I used a lot of 5/8" plywood, 2x4 and 2x8 stud timbers and also coated and spray-painted hardboard to avoid the wood grain.
I used 3/8" plywood on the panels for some rigidity with hardboard over the top. I did this partly to avoid the plywood grain but also so I could attach switches and lamp fittings, as thicker material woud be too thick for most switches and bulb holders. Having said that, on the 4th doctor console that I went with, all the switches and lights are attached to raised instrument clusters anyway. MDF would probably be ok for the panels if it's not too thick.
My console is very heavy: if you walk into it, it doesn't move - you just get bruised I think it weighs several hundred pounds. The nice thing is that it doesn't wobble or flex. The downside is that it's hard to move around.

Crispin

[metrosonus]

Having said that, on the 4th doctor console that I went with, all the switches and lights are attached to raised instrument clusters anyway.

I will probably go with something similar myself, but I would like to make a few recessions. Have you any experience with those? My assumption is to cut out a slot from the face and build a box the size I need, angled to attatch to the front, from the back.

Also, did you use a solid base for your console (on top of the plinth)? or is it framed in?

[metrosonus]

On an unrelated tritp home depot I found some luan plywood that I think would work quite well. a 4x8 ft 5mm sheet is 10$ and pretty smooth. A coat or two of latex paint would hide most of the grain and body filler would smooth out the knots if needed. It's more than thin enough to be light weight and could be reinforced from the back quite easily if it needs to hold anyting heavy.

This would also make great wall flats too.

[zebaroth]

made my 2nd out pylwood that I found in dumpster still have enought for my dalek

[Scarfwearer]

I will probably go with something similar myself, but I would like to make a few recessions. Have you any experience with those? My assumption is to cut out a slot from the face and build a box the size I need, angled to attatch to the front, from the back.

Also, did you use a solid base for your console (on top of the plinth)? or is it framed in?

Yes, my console has a horizontal ½" plywood base under the panels, to make a box for the instruments. I made the panels in two halves (of 3 panels each), which bolt together once they've been set on the plinth. Because of the centre of gravity they will stay in place even before they're bolted, which makes things a lot easier.

Crispin