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Galacade (Galaga Insipred Slim MAME Cabinet) - painting advice needed
Roo:
Well it's been a while, time for an update 8)
It's going slow, but it's going. There's a few reasons I guess. I only have a couple hours after work on weekdays and the weekends to spend with the project. I'm doing it in my garage and it's hot as hell in there so after a while sweating, I need a break ;D I'm having to do most everything twice - once to test the idea and a second time "fo realz". And lastly, I'm kind of a perfectionist - I want this to turn out right :hissy:
So I filled those wrongly placed biscuit slots in the last post by gluing a biscuit in and chiseling it off once it dried. Then I used the Famowood filler to finish it off. The Famowood was probably overkill - I think they design it for projects you want to stain, and I am just painting this. But it worked very well!
The first set of hinges I picked up were Blum clip on, 120 degree inset hinges for frameless cabinets. I knew pretty much nothing about European concealed hinges when I started this, so I got those because they looked like they would work in the store. They sort of worked, but would have pushed the top of the CP forward.
I studied up on hinges and found the right ones for what I am trying to do are full overlay hinges. I was also concerned at first that they may not close past 90 degrees. To work with the slope of the CP, they need to close to 95 degrees. But for once I got lucky and they "just worked" :applaud:
Then I redid the CP top control mounting holes and mortises - this time everything mounts from underneath. Now I can stick down a CPO from mamemarquees.com and still be able to remove everything for maintenance if needed. I picked up some supplies from the local paint store and started priming.
I am no expert painter, so I was expecting this to be a bit of a learning curve. But it was even trickier than I thought it would be. The garage is so hot that the paint was drying faster then I could get it on. I also over worked the paint, I've learned since to not keep brushing over an area once I have the paint down. It turned out pretty sloppy, but I was able to sand it down to decently smooth after it dried with some 220 grit wet/dry.
After some research, I went back to the paint store and picked up some Penetrol. http://www.flood.com/paint-additive-solutions/products/view-product.jsp?productId=11 It's supposed to make oil-based paints smooth out better and I think it worked pretty well. I also learned how to improve my technique a little bit. The second coat turned out better - it's drying right now and I think it will sand out nice tomorrow. But I've decided it's not all my fault for sucking as a painter - there's only so much you can do when the garage is over 100 degrees ::) I might have to do the top coats inside to get the results I'd like to see...
Then I cut a piece for the front, laminated it and started in with the kerf cuts. I'm just doing this with a circular saw and a straight edge clamp. And that's where I got hot and decided it was time for a break ;D
Epyx:
Nice design! Looking forward to seeing this project's progression. :cheers:
Roo:
Thanks! I'm honored - your Aliens cab heavily influenced my plans :notworthy:
But design is one thing, execution is another! If I can end up with something half as nice as what you built I'd be pretty happy!
Roo:
Don't you hate it when work interferes with fun?!
I finally made a little progress from my last post. I gave up on kerf cutting to make the bend for the front of the CP box after I ruined my first piece trying to trim it. I wasn't particularly happy with the amount of putty/bondo I was going to have to use to fill in all the kerf cuts to make it look pretty anyhow.
I picked up some "wacky wood" or bendable ply. It's 3/8" thick. The first piece I glued and finish nailed to the CP box. Then I glued a second piece to the first. I cut it a little big and then planed/sanded it down to size once it was attached.
I didn't get any pictures of the process, sorry. But here's the result, almost ready for paint!
I've also been playing around with the idea of an animated LED tractor beam as part of the side art. I ordered some nylon tubing from McMaster. http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=5173K46&pagenum=113
It's almost the right stuff, but it's a little too stiff - I'll have to order some more. I slit it down one side and inserted LEDs. I'm going for a finished product that looks like Neon.
I plan on using alternating rows of green and blue for the tractor beam, with a custom circuit to control the chase sequence.
Hopefully I won't have to wait so long to post the next update!
GalagaFan74:
Hey Roo,
Cab is looking good, in fact this is exactly what I envisioned for my cab. If you're willing I wouldn't mind the plans to your cab when you've completed it. I see you're using a flat screen LCD monitor, 19"? Unfortunately I don't have a spare flat screen, is there enough space to accommodate a 19" CRT? I may have to look into extending the back a bit and adding a monitor shelf. Can't wait to see the finished product.
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