The Control Panel

Propane lines | Control cabinet | Electrical
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Now that the propane tubing is in place, I have to figure out how to get the temperature meters and the switches placed in the frame. I also had to figure out a way to keep the electronics safe from water and connected them up somehow. After examining the room I had left in the frame, I decided to develop a swing arm control panel that could be stored when not in use.

The basics of the control panel are a box of stainless sheets of around 8" x 12" dimensions. The box would be cut for the LCD panels by a plasma arc cutter so that the sat flush in the cabinet. Switches for the pumps and the grain mill were placed on the right side of the box to make room in the center for more goodies later. The bottom of the control panel housed the connectors for the temperature probes. The connectors used were minidin 5 connector females.

In order to make the cabinet dry, I made a back cover that could seal the panel. The cover extended over the back of the panel with a lip. The seal was made from a piece of neoprene I picked up on 4^th street in Oakland. By welding a hinge on one end and by the use of a special latch I could squeeze the lid between the cover and the box to create a seal.