I guess I'll chronicle my build here, as tribute. Pics are customary, right?
If this gets spammy I can move it to another thread/subforum.
Most of my pieces had a lot of what I can only describe as "slag" from the cutting process.
There was also a bit of "overspray", particularly around the screw holes. Overall they had a fairly dull finish from the shop.
Note: I'm not complaining about this. I understand how laser cutting works and was expecting to do some work on the plates anyway.
So I sat down and did some sanding & polishing this weekend. About 10 hours worth in total. Here are the results.
I had to get
slightly more aggressive than 1000 grit for these.
The rough edges were destroying my sandpaper. I started with 120 on the worst layers - particularly the spacers - then worked up through 220, and 600. Then I finished with 1200, 2000, and polishing compound on the top, bottom, and plate layers. I left the spacers at 220 since they will be the least visible layers. They have a nice, bright "brushed" look now.
I could have polished these more, but after 10 hours I was ready to be done. I would have needed to switch to wet sanding for the best results and that was going to be too much for this project. I think the results turned out pretty well, anyway.
Next step was to do a temp assembly around the plate & PCB for soldering switches. 5 layers: PCB "holder" layer, 3 JD spacers, and the plate (which is on the bottom of the stack in these).
And this is where I'm at currently. I need some M3 nuts to complete the temp frame for soldering. I'll be getting those at a local hobby store later today.
So far, so good.