Rat Rod (working title) - first Juke build

[gryhnd]

Jump back to here for bezel carbon fiber application details.

Wow, that is look very nice.  Very nice indeed.  

Thanks!

Here it is with the screen powered up:



None of the guts are in there right now. I have more finish work to do, as well as some woodworking.

I also discovered that the Dell Dimension 3000 has a MONSTER of a heatsink, and a really annoying big ass fan+shroud setup for cooling the CPU that attaches to the case itself (not the h.s.), so it doesn't play nice with decasing. I've got a much lower profile heatsink+fan combo that arrived today that I will be using...just as soon as the new heatsink bracket arrives (to replace another Dell custom p.o.s.).

[gryhnd]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

I've taken some time to start cleaning up the finish on the cabinet, using Howard's Restor-a-Finish.

The good: wow, it really removes years of dirt and grime, and gave the wood a nice glow on areas that are in decent shape.
The bad: it really removes the years of dirt and grime and reveals more damage than I anticipated was there.

Take for example the front base. After cleaning, I discovered it's actually in pretty sad shape. Lots of deep scratches through the finish, poorly executed and incompatible repairs that are discolored and peeling, fine scratches from sanding or steel wool, paint splatters, water stain damage. Etc and so on.

The sides didn't turn out too bad. The front is pretty good, although the bezel area does exhibit the fine scratches I can't seem to get rid of. The top is troublesome...a mix of good and bad. I'm still seeing what I can do to salvage that.

But that base 

My current thought process revolves around using some angle aluminum I have left over from the H.T., which turns out to be the perfect dimensions. I'll take the angle and essentially frame out the base, and then in the open field use the carbon fiber vinyl that's up on the bezel. I think it'll tie in nice with the bezel, and the CNC'd aluminum V8 emblem.

Whether I do that or not hinges on if I can solve the other finish issues to my satisfaction, or convince myself that "hey, this is an old cabinet. It's got character. It's not 'sposed to look new."

The ultimate solution is to go for a dip-and-strip and then completely redo the stain and finish. Not only is that going to be a p.i.t.a., but my local furniture stripper is back logged at least a month. 

Top during a cleaning, so the shine is the cleaner:



Top after several cleanings, and two coats of paste wax as a test. You can still seem some water damage to the finish:



and the base:




The photos are kind to the cabinet. In person things look more severe.

[gryhnd]

I also discovered that the Dell Dimension 3000 has a MONSTER of a heatsink, and a really annoying big ass fan+shroud setup for cooling the CPU that attaches to the case itself (not the h.s.), so it doesn't play nice with decasing. I've got a much lower profile heatsink+fan combo that arrived today that I will be using...just as soon as the new heatsink bracket arrives (to replace another Dell custom p.o.s.).

Heatsink bracket arrived today and smoothly replaced the Dell bracket. Here's the before with the big copper monster and no fan, and after with the lower profile hs-fan unit:

[gryhnd]

Hello... hello... hello
Is there anybody in there
Just nod if you can hear me

Only have had time to pick at a few things. I installed the computer so I could fire up the new fan and heatsink. Unfortunately thanks to Dell proprietary CPU fan connectors and weird ass RPM-temp controls, I was forced to connect the fan directly to 12V. Holy mother...the farking thing sounds like a jet engine. Sooooo....now I need to install a resistor to drop the RPM, or I might just pick up a cheap fan controller for $3 off fleaBay.

Next I decided to play with various jukebox software. I see many like Freebox (etouch) but I find it frustrating to use, and the website seems to be only forums which I find kinda whack. Took me too long to figure out where and what to download (it's always beta?), and after install and config, none of my album covers showed up.  I can work that out on my own, but if I'm to make this foolproof for others to use, that's gotta happen seamlessly as songs are added.

I'm leaning towards Album Player or eJukebox right now.

Anyway, software is a discussion for another post.

So I altered my plan for dealing with the unsightly base a bit: I decided not to use the angle aluminum which was a bit too much for the size of the base, and went with 1/2" x 1/8" flat bar instead (6ft for under $10..can't go wrong). I attached it using shorter versions of the knurled stainless steel screws (cap screws) attaching the touch screen bezel, threaded into some brass insert nuts. A brief test buffing it up with 0000 steal wool looked promising.

With those screws, and the interior field covered in the carbon fiber, I'm hoping it will fit well with the bezel.

Here's the quick and dirty, sans carbon fiber:

[caesar]

Looks Great! Keep the pics coming!
Glad to see you went with a regular full size PC mobo.
I luv the carbon fiber look...  
Thanks!

[Kman-Sweden]

I'll follow this thread. 

[The Lumberjackass]

just a question ,

you bought a 400w amp but are powering it with a 350w ac to dc power supply.

are you using this power source to feed the laptop too ?

EDIT :

opps , i take that back , i see you have replaced it with a proper mobo lol
( never checked page 2 untill now )

[gryhnd]

just a question ,

you bought a 400w amp but are powering it with a 350w ac to dc power supply.

are you using this power source to feed the laptop too ?

The 350W is strictly for the amplifier and a few lights here and there.

The 400W rating on the amp is if you are driving it with 2ohm speakers on all channels. The 6.5" 4-ways are 4 ohms on two channels, and the 10" sub is 8ohms on two channels bridged.  I estimate the total RMS continuous to be 200 watts in this config. Suffice to say there's no issues with capacity especially given the 5 Farad cap I've got in between for any potential transient high loads.

This sucker got painfully loud when cranked...I had to leave the shop  

I ran it that way for hours as a test and there's wasn't a hitch.

[The Lumberjackass]

nice !!!! 

nothing like a bit of car audio gear to bring the house down 
i was going to use a car amp for my cab also , but decided against it as a local car audio guy said they eat electricity if you run
them off of a transformer / power supply designed to turn 240v into 12v dc . 
i took his word for it and used a set of pc desktop 2.1 speakers instead, but used 4" pioneer car speakers as my drivers.
the thing hits loud , really loud . i am surprised by the levels im getting and its only rated at 5 watts rms per driver and 10 watts rms for the sub.

its really nice when things work out but its even better when stuff completely surprises you and bowls you over 
i love this project by the way . it looks real good. but personally , i'd change the wood colour to a really dark black as it'd make the
carbon fibre vinyl pop better . but great work either way 

[gryhnd]

Thanks! I went with the car audio gear plan because I couldn't find a good, simple home amp or receiver that:

• was 2.1 or bridgeable to 2.1
• had enough nut
• didn't cost too much
• fit easily in the space I had available
• had "return to last state" for power

That last one was the most important. I couldn't have everything else shutting off with the smartstrip, and not have the audio part turn back on when the power was restored.

So between the Fosgate and the 12V 350W PSU, I only spent about $70 and I've got complete control

Color: I understand why you say that (although I think all black would lose the contrast to show off the carbon fiber), but this is going for a combo of retro-styling in the rat rod theme (new and old mashed together), my desire to preserve some of the vintage look of the RCA Victor cab, and being able to have it as visible piece of furniture.  

My game room is also my H.T. and it's already loaded with AV gear, so it's not going down there.  I basically started this project "just because I wanted to" (see first post). I might either give it my son for his bedroom (yikes!), give it to my in-laws, put it on the kitchen/dining level, or maybe sell it. I dunno.

[The Lumberjackass]

i understand completely on trying to preserve it , including the colour 

i was just looking at it through my eyes or the way i would do it 
but i do like it alot and the car audio gear didnt set you back much so it really did turn out to be a great project in the end.

if you dont have much room for it , i'd say sell it . try and recoup a few quid so you can maybe do another project later down the line.
then again , you could always keep it and enjoy the fruits of your labour 

[gryhnd]

My powder coated speaker grill arrived a couple weeks ago. I've tacked the V8 logo to it with some hot glue to see how it looks and to keep it in place for when I attach it more permanently.

What do you think? Some epoxy most likely? Need something that will stick quite well to the aluminum as well as span the porous nature of the grill.

[The Lumberjackass]

that looks really good !!!
and the v8 logo helps to give it an older look. very nice indeed
it gives it an elegant touch.

[drventure]

Nice. I'm liking this build more and more.

I'd use JBWeld on the grill. That stuff will hold like mad.

[Rick]

Watching intently.  INTENTLY.   

[shateredsoul]

hey grey,

I have a question for yah, thought you might be able to give me some pointers.  When you were looking for something to house the jukebox, did you already know what you were going to use? or did you take measurements and go around looking for what might fit your screen?

[gryhnd]

hey grey,

I have a question for yah, thought you might be able to give me some pointers.  When you were looking for something to house the jukebox, did you already know what you were going to use? or did you take measurements and go around looking for what might fit your screen?

If you jump back to my first post or two, you'll see I got the cabinet long before I decided to turn it into a jukebox. So for me it was a matter of finding a screen that fit the space I had available, not the other way around.

[shateredsoul]

Ahh yeah, that makes more sense.. doh.

I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for something that will fit my 15" elo

hey grey,

I have a question for yah, thought you might be able to give me some pointers.  When you were looking for something to house the jukebox, did you already know what you were going to use? or did you take measurements and go around looking for what might fit your screen?

If you jump back to my first post or two, you'll see I got the cabinet long before I decided to turn it into a jukebox. So for me it was a matter of finding a screen that fit the space I had available, not the other way around.

[gryhnd]

I haven't been able to get back into the shop lately. The last thing I did was attach the V8 emblem to the speaker grill.

But it's given me some time to consider two parts of the project: lighting and feet.

Lighting: unlike a traditional jukebox with lots of external eye popping light-bling, I wanted something a bit subtler.  It also needed to be invisible when the juke is not being played. I decided to place it all behind the speaker grill.  I ordered two 15" sound activated red CCFLs that will run along the top and bottom edge of the speaker area (recessed, so not in direct view), which will react to the two 4-way speakers (IOW – mids and highs). Wrapping around the 4-ways will be two blue "neon" speaker rings, also sound activated, but these ones reacting to the subwoofer.

I’ve got about a week before all this stuff arrives, and then I can begin working on the speaker mountings.

Feet: furniture feet, that is, not my size 13s. Since I’ve got a down firing 10" sub I need to allow for air movement out from under the cab. Everything I could find on the market was either too tall, too big, or didn’t have the automotive/industrial look I was going for. While rooting around in my shop, I came across a half dozen galvanized iron pipe end caps. They turned out to look almost perfect in their color, and at about an inch tall and 1.25” wide were just the right size. The problem: how to attach them when they are threaded for a 3/4" pipe? Any matching hardware option raised the height and/or destroyed the look. So I am running a test. I’ve embedded a 2" lag bolt into the cap using some QuikSteel epoxy putty pressed tightly (I hope!) into the cap's threads. I’m going to let it dry overnight at least before seeing how well it stays in there. If it works like I hope it does, I’ll make up all 6 (3 along the front, 3 along the back), then grind "China" off the bottoms and attach some felt or rubber to prevent scratching to floors.

[Fordman]

Nice! That V8 emblem is MyT Fine!

Love that vintage Ford V8 Logo as well!!   

Fordman

[gryhnd]

So I am running a test. I’ve embedded a 2" lag bolt into the cap using some QuikSteel epoxy putty pressed tightly (I hope!) into the cap's threads. I’m going to let it dry overnight at least before seeing how well it stays in there. If it works like I hope it does, I’ll make up all 6 (3 along the front, 3 along the back), then grind "China" off the bottoms and attach some felt or rubber to prevent scratching to floors.

This experiment seems to have worked quite well. I made up two more, and promptly ran out of QuikSteel. Didn't see any at Lowe's, so I've now got to hunt around town and find some more.  Need to hit H.D. anyway, so fingers crossed they've got some in stock.

[gryhnd]

Finished the footsies today.

Broke out the grinder, and knocked off the CHINA lettering:



and continued until the bottoms were reasonably flat:



then applied some felt circles:



Finally, drilled out the cab and installed the feet:



I'm pleased with the look, and the amount of free air space (for the sub) I achieved doing it this way.

[gryhnd]

Next up was the bottom plate for the 10" sub.

First I cut the plate to size, then broke out my handy dandy homemade circle jig for the router:



and presto:



Perfect fit:




And that's about the end of what my hangover is letting me accomplish today.  

[Edit: not entirely true. I also started mocking up the speaker panel for the 6.5"s and the lighting]

It's getting toasty outside, so I've moved indoors to the H.T., and going to take in a viewing of "Killer Klowns from Outerspace" while I've got the house to myself for a couple hours.

[egosbar]

great work mate , coming along very nice

[Encryptor]

I still need to poke holes through for the bezel mounting screws (see above), but I'm going to let this set up overnight to give the adhesive time to bond.

First thing this morning I poked the screw holes through the vinyl. Here's what the completed bezel looks like now:

Where did you get the carbon fiber vinyl?

Encryptor

[gryhnd]

Where did you get the carbon fiber vinyl?

Encryptor

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380228603137&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

[Encryptor]

Thank you for the link.

Encryptor

[gryhnd]

I've not been able to accomplish much in the last couple of weeks. My father in law is terminal with b-cell lymphoma, and so far more important things are rightly taking up my time.

I finished mounting the subwoofer today.  I did run into a small snafu earlier on. Because of the way the interior of the cabinet is shaped, I could not get the entire plate for the subwoofer to fit into the lower space and swing it into position without some radical disassembly of the cab. After struggling with it like a puzzle for what seemed like hours, I finally decided to just trim off about 2 inches from the front edge. This gave me just enough room to pop her in. I then applied a slightly wider board to bridge that gap and act as a stiffener. It also will double as a stop for the plate that will hold the two 6.5" drivers.

After mounting the woofer into the cut out, I predrilled and countersunk for mounting screws running around the periphery of the plate. Dropped it into position, slid in the stiffener board and I bolted it down. Finally, drove all the screws home.

[drventure]

Sorry to hear about your father in law. Family first.

But your build is coming along nicely. In fact, your build has pretty much pushed me over the edge on it. I'm scouting craigslist for old radio cabinets now.

[gryhnd]

Thanks DrV.  Ya, it's too bad he ignored his symptoms for (well) over a year before pretty much collapsing 6 mos ago. We males are notorious for not seeing doctors when we should.

So while my wife took a well deserved night time nap, and the kid was playing Wii, I ran out to the shop for an hour or so.

I mounted the two 15" red CCFLs:



And then ran a really lame sound activated test with me banging my flashlight on the work bench (sound track removed for your sanity):



I slipped a scrap piece of MDF in the position the speaker plate will be, which being pale reflects a lot of the light out. Depending on how it all looks when the blue neon rings are installed, I may paint the speaker plate black or wrap it with carbon fiber vinyl if I have enough left over.  I'm a tad worried black may douse the red too much though.

[reptileink]

Sorry about your FIL, my Grandfather was the same way, except he passed of Leukemia. Had it for over a year, knew he had it, but never told anyone. He was a true patriarch of our family, and didn't want anyone to fawn over him for a year, however some were hurt that we didn't know our time was limited.

Ok, enough about "real life"

This build is great, and I have been watching with excitement seeing as how our projects are somewhat alike. I still haven't decided if I am going stealth with a "close to original" cosmetic design, or modernizing it a bit with LEDs or Neon. I like the look of your CCFLs, but not sure if I want to go that route.

Can't wait to see this thing fully up and running.

[gryhnd]

This build is great, and I have been watching with excitement seeing as how our projects are somewhat alike. I still haven't decided if I am going stealth with a "close to original" cosmetic design, or modernizing it a bit with LEDs or Neon. I like the look of your CCFLs, but not sure if I want to go that route. \

Thanks!

I want the CCFLs to be subtle. They are behind the speaker grill so invisible when off. I doubt the majority of the time the juke will be run in pitch black, so I think by the time I get everything together they won't be quite as bright as they seem in the vid, especially if I go black paint/c.f. on the interior.

Your project is starting with an honest to goodness radio cab. If I had that option I too would strongly consider the stealth route.

[reptileink]

I've been searching for a bit, but can't seem to find the radio controls anywhere. I can put my hands on a bezel, but that's about it.

Been thinking about cutting out the "Philco strip" and making it a flip down door for a monitor to slide out, but there isn't enough depth without then hinging the monitor down on the inside.....unless I went with a small screen....

[gryhnd]

I've been searching for a bit, but can't seem to find the radio controls anywhere. I can put my hands on a bezel, but that's about it.

Been thinking about cutting out the "Philco strip" and making it a flip down door for a monitor to slide out, but there isn't enough depth without then hinging the monitor down on the inside.....unless I went with a small screen....

Check out these sites.  I came across them when I was researching my cab. Maybe someone there can help you:

http://www.antiqueradios.com/
http://tuberadio.heavenforum.com/

The best advise I can give is be patient. It's amazing what can be found or falls into your lap if you aren't in a rush.

[reptileink]

Actually just found a whole radio face and bezel on Ebay for $19.99 with 20 shipping(because he's selling the speaker and radio "guts" too)

I messaged him asking if I could just get the face assembly, but I doubt he'd break up the lot.

I threw a bid in anyway, because a reproduction bezel alone cost $33, and I could probably turn around and sell the speaker and guts anyway.

3 days left, hopefully my bid sticks.

[gryhnd]

Greetings everyone.

The Rat Rod project has been...well...garaged for the last few months.  A week after my last post, my FIL who was ill with lymphoma, passed away suddenly. Needless to say things have been sort of tossed all over the place since then...literally and figuratively. We've got a lot to do just with the disposition of the estate, and dealing with his vehicle, camper, and home...all of which are out of state.

To top it off the company I've worked for for the last 11 years, and who I helped to cofound 2 years ago as a resurrection of the original that the CEO bled dry, is not going to be able to make it. So come the end of January I'll be jobless to boot.

Sob stories aside, I'm getting the itch to finish this project off! Just not sure how or when I'll be able to yet. I'd like to knock it off before our annual Superbowl Party though, so I guess I have an unofficial deadline of February 6th, 2011 

[reptileink]

Sorry for your loss man. It really puts these projects in perspective.

My Philco project has also been sidelined until further notice.

The bezel and stuff I won off Ebay happened to be the wrong thing 

I have had it up on a Philco message board for months now, and no biters. 

So there it sits in my garage. I need to move it to the basement to at least get it in a bit drier area. Looks like my winter project has turned into a summer project.

Keep at it, I have been dying for updates from this build! 

[drventure]

Sorry to hear all that. I do know the feeling.

The project will wait. That juke is definitely going to be something!

[gryhnd]

A smidge of progress.  

I spent the better part of a day just cleaning up the workshop. With the summer the way it was (wasn't), pretty much I was just tossing stuff in there rather than putting things back where they belonged.  Ugh.

I made enough headway that I was able to get a few things done on the Rat Rod.  

First up was measuring and cutting the mounting plate for the 4 way speakers that will be behind the grill, and easing the front edge with a round over bit. The speakers will  be mounted from behind, rather than through the holes using black versions of the s.s. gnurled knob bolts I used on the monitor and elsewhere:



Some dark gray primer, first coat of 2:



I was originally going to paint the plate flat black, but then remembered I had some Rustoleum Hammered paint. After it sobered up (rimshot), I realized that its dark gray metallic look, along with the hammered finish, was a real good match to the dark gray speaker grill. Result below while it is drying in the home theater...it was too cold in the shop last night:



Edited for incorrect use of "it's" vs "its".

[gryhnd]

Next I applied the "Special Edition" emblem, which happens to cover up holes left by the original RCA_Victor emblem, and also dry fitted the gauges and start button.  Yes, she's quite dusty, please ignore that