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Northstar Horizon wood cover replica

Well, what's abundantly clear is that there was no "standard" wood cover for these systems. I imagine that a cover made of 1" thick purpleheart would carry the spirit. Agar or bubinga would also be satisfactory.
 
My cover is from the machine I built in 1978. This is the nameplate for that model:

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The model in the 1980 catalog has a different logo on the nameplate:

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My cover is from the machine I built in 1978. This is the nameplate for that model:

My machine has the same nameplate as yours, but the cover from the 1980 catalog. Tweener, I guess. Out of curiosity, what's your chassis serial number? Mine says "10-06337" on the sticker.

In the process of looking at the sticker I noticed another variation in these things' cases, although this time it's the metal part. It seems like most of the pictures online (regardless of which case top or sticker they have) have a simple round hole for the fan with a separate grill. Mine doesn't have the separate grill, it has machined vent slots:

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(Not to say it's unique, the machine documented on deramp.com has this kind of back. But it also has the "new" front logo and a metal cover.)

Looking through the pictures I took when I first got the machine I also found this, which is worth a laugh; I guess I forgot about having to glue a de-laminated piece in front. It shows how thin the wood is around the cutout for the front panel.

gluing.jpg
 
Interesting. Mine is serial no. 10-02778. I have a round hole for the fan

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That's not the original fan, though. I replaced the power supply earlier this year with a switching supply. The old supply was dimming the lights in the neighborhood when I turned it on ;-). Makes the case about 25 lbs lighter. I've kept the old one so I can reinstall it again if I need to

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It took a bit longer to get access to a version of VCarve Pro that would let me export the DXF and SVG files. The attached ZIP file includes the VCarvePro (v11) file and exports in DXF and SVG format for those without access to VCarve or Cut2D. The toolpaths in the VCarve file will work for 1/2" or 3/4" stock, as long as you properly set the thickness of the material in the job setup. The mitered edges use a 90-degree V-carve bit that needs to have a diamter of at least 2x the material thickness. Of course, you can also just use the DXF as a reference for a hand-build as well.
 

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Here is the information on my cover:

Exterior
Front to back: 17-3/8”
Side to side: 20-1/2”
Top to bottom: 7-1/2”

Wood thickness: 3/4”

Front mounting hole: 1-9/32” from front edge to center
1-1/2” from bottom edge to center
Rear mounting hole: 1-7/16” from back edge
1-1/2” from bottom edge to center


Mounting holes: 1/8” hole, countersunk 5/16” dia by 1/8” deep
6-32 x 1” brass machine screws
#6 brass flat washers


Front panel dado: set back 3/8” from front edge, 1/8” wide, 3/8” deep, runs up both sides top to bottom


cover braces are 1/2”x1/2” wood strips mounted on inside of cover between top and side covers. They are set back 1/2” from the front and 1-1/4” from the rear edge. They are tacked in

Photos:

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One of my kids decided to paint something years ago when the top was not mounted. He oversprayed on the wood lol. Also note the splitting at the bottom of the case at the dadoes
Thank you for this info. Your dimensions were perfect for my n*. I know this thread is old but figured I would post anyway. I used my 4x8 cnc vacuum table router and a tablesaw. Wood is 3/4 walnut ply and walnut edge banding.
 

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Vey nice work! My Horizon has the blue metal cover. I’d like to have a wood top, but don’t have the tools or skill.
 
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