Making a cost list for a bartop

[justinjstark]

I'm looking at building a bartop soon.  I'm trying to put together a thorough cost list so I know ahead of time how much mac 'n' cheese I'll have to eat over the next few months.  

I have some friends and family interested in these so I want to make more than one.  Hence I'll be using all new parts from retailers as opposed to skimping on parts on ebay or buying an old computer off craigslist.  (Besides, a mini-itx is about the only motherboard that will fit in this small thing.)

(marquee) To cut costs on this bartop I will not backlight the marquee.  This way I can adhesive the marquee on and border it with t-molding.  So I can cut the expense of plexiglass, the light, and the smart power strip needed to turn the light off.  Emdkay has a heck of a deal on prints.

(control panel) I have the control panel designed.  It is 2 player.  I don't think I will be using any artwork on the cp since it is so small but I plan on covering it with plexi.

(wood) I'm not sure if I want to use MDF or birch plywood or what.  It may depend on whether I paint it or stain it.  Heck, if I use a good plywood then I can do either.

I thought I would share my expense list with those also looking at building a cab.  It is amazing how all of the little things (like nuts and bolts) add up.  Here is my cost list thus far:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiGFdPchNRnGdG8xWUVuTzRiVVFTckNKeEVrdDdfSXc&hl=en

Italicised items are costs which are guesstimates.  I really want to be able to build this thing for less than $500 total and that is looking doable.

Is there anything I am missing?  Anything that I can get cheaper or do better?

EDIT: Yikes.  I just realized that I did not include a monitor (the most obvious part) in the list.  So much for my $500 budget.

EDIT2: I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy the lcd monitors on ebay.  As long they are the same size/aspect ratio and have standard vesa mount holes they will all be uniform.  And a used one would be about half the price.  I'll do more shopping around to get my costs down.

[LeedsFan]

Have you considered using LED strip lighting to light a marquee up? It's cheap and can take 12V from the PC supply. Will make the finished cab look nicer than an unlit flat marquee.

[HanoiBoi]

Am I missing speakers in your spreadsheet? 

Yeah, I wouldn't skimp on the marquee with regard to lighting.  If you do need to add speakers, you might want to up to the smart strip.  If so, this would/could also be used for the lighting as well.

There are some Smart Strip knock offs that can be found much cheaper and work just as well.  I bought one on sale for, I think, $10.  From Amazon or Newegg or somewhere.

You say that friends and family are interested....are they looking for you to 'gift' these builds or are they willing to pay?  If they're waiting to see what you can do, then definitely spend a little more for your 'sample' build to keep their interest.

You are obviously planning this as well as you can.  With that mindset, do some future thinking...would you rather spend ~$500 now to have a bartop that looks rather bland with no light, no artwork, and no frills?  Or would you rather spend another ~$200 now to have a machine that looks like it cost $2k from Sky Mall?

Oh, one last thing..Ramen noodles are delicious too and come in various flavors.   

[javeryh]

Don't skimp on the marquee!  That's what gives these things the "wow" factor - especially if it is custom artwork designed by you.  It's not that expensive to add one either - you need a power strip anyway for the computer, monitor and speakers.  A light from Walmart or Home Depot is like $12.  The only real cost is printing the marquee which could run you $30+ depending on where you get it printed.

Also, whatever you come up with as your budget - add 30%.

[BobA]

+1 javeryh

The marquee is what makes a cab pop.  Do not skimp on the backlight and mounting.   Also consider a larger HD 500 GB or more.

[justinjstark]

Have you considered using LED strip lighting to light a marquee up? It's cheap and can take 12V from the PC supply. Will make the finished cab look nicer than an unlit flat marquee.

Good idea.  Would something like this work to plug directly into the PSU?

http://www.amazon.com/MOTORCYCLE-BRIGHT-ACCENT-FLEXIBLE-Aquarium/dp/B002SG3JIO/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1288274449&sr=1-1

It is only 9" but the marquee is only 15.5".  I'll see if I can find a cheap one that's about 12".

[Dr Zero]

Here are some other options
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5256
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.34991

I got the square shaped ones to replace the fixtures in a airstream project and they have done pretty good also.

[justinjstark]

Am I missing speakers in your spreadsheet? 

Yeah, I wouldn't skimp on the marquee with regard to lighting.  If you do need to add speakers, you might want to up to the smart strip.  If so, this would/could also be used for the lighting as well.

There are some Smart Strip knock offs that can be found much cheaper and work just as well.  I bought one on sale for, I think, $10.  From Amazon or Newegg or somewhere.

You say that friends and family are interested....are they looking for you to 'gift' these builds or are they willing to pay?  If they're waiting to see what you can do, then definitely spend a little more for your 'sample' build to keep their interest.

You are obviously planning this as well as you can.  With that mindset, do some future thinking...would you rather spend ~$500 now to have a bartop that looks rather bland with no light, no artwork, and no frills?  Or would you rather spend another ~$200 now to have a machine that looks like it cost $2k from Sky Mall?

Oh, one last thing..Ramen noodles are delicious too and come in various flavors.   

Doh.  I forgot the speakers also.  I'll go for the logitech S220 2.1s ($28) if there is room for the small subwoofer and the logitech S120 2.0s ($10) if there isn't.  I've had really good luck with these speakers and they are very cheap.

I cannot find any inexpensive smart strips.  All of the ones sold in big box stores are $30.  The cheapest I found on amazon was $23 + shipping.  The cheapest on newegg is $30.  If I wire up an led strip to the PSU as LeedsFan suggested then all that would be running constantly are the speakers and I don't see that being a problem.

You guys are right that a backlit marquee would be much nicer.  Then I have to worry about the plexi, marquee retainers, lighting, ...  much more of a hassle but you are right that I should just do it.  I'll have to figure out what to use as a retainer.  Last time I used some window molding which is very cheap although I had trouble attaching it.  No glue in the world would stick to that stuff.

On the up side.  I found a nice 4:3 17" monitor on craigslist for $50 that I will pick up this afternoon.

[justinjstark]

Here are some other options
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5256
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.34991

I got the square shaped ones to replace the fixtures in a airstream project and they have done pretty good also.

Very nice...and free shipping.     The only problem is that my marquee is 15.5" wide and the square lights are 50cm = 16.7in.  Is there any way I can cut some of the lights off?

[leapinlew]

How big is the bartop going to be? I'd save money on the internals if possible. Money spent on artwork and finishes adds much more to your cabinet. Much like a house. No one cares about your awesome subflooring.

I've built many cabs and I've used older parts and newer parts. I do prefer using new stuff when possible, but older stuff can work fine. Theres a fine line between spending all your time trying to get some old clunker working, but you can find some decent machines around.

[justinjstark]

How big is the bartop going to be? I'd save money on the internals if possible. Money spent on artwork and finishes adds much more to your cabinet. Much like a house. No one cares about your awesome subflooring.

I've built many cabs and I've used older parts and newer parts. I do prefer using new stuff when possible, but older stuff can work fine. Theres a fine line between spending all your time trying to get some old clunker working, but you can find some decent machines around.

I have been looking at some "old clunkers" on craigslist.  The new internals (mb, cpu, hdd, ram) are costing me $160 right now.  Maybe I could pick up an old computer for $60 (if I am really lucky I could find one with the right size monitor) and probably have to add more ram ($30?).  That's a good chunk of savings.  But then I also have to worry about a big ATX fitting in my cab and who knows about the hardware support.  You are right; it is a very fine line.  And if I build another then I have different hardware (I guess not a big deal but I am a bit OCD and I love uniformity).

I also want to figure out how much it would cost to build more of these (mass production FTW).  I have some family and friends that are interested in buying them and would love to gift one or two eventually.  Thus things need to be more perfect than if I were just building one for myself.

I have attached an early sketch of my bartop.  Each minor gridline is 1 inch so it is about 22 inches tall and about 18 inches deep.  The width will be 17 inches (15.5 plus the 3/4" sides).  It will be so much easier to cram all of the components in it if I use a mini-itx.

[leapinlew]

I think a freebie isn't out of the question. Post on freecycle or craigslist.

Where are you at? Someone here may have some old equipment you can try. My Tempest cabinet was just about those dimensions and I had no issues putting in a full sized board. The biggest challenge is the PSU.

[justinjstark]

I think a freebie isn't out of the question. Post on freecycle or craigslist.

Where are you at? Someone here may have some old equipment you can try. My Tempest cabinet was just about those dimensions and I had no issues putting in a full sized board. The biggest challenge is the PSU.

I am slowly being talked into using old hardware.     And maybe I should.  As much as I want to use new hardware, I would also like to use that money to build more cabs.     I will see what I can find that is free or cheap in the area.  I spend my time in Omaha, NE and Lawrence, KS (and drive through Kansas City, MO every weekend) so it's not like I couldn't find old parts.  I'll draw it up to see if it all fits, figure out the potential savings, and report back.

BTW: How do you guys go about mounting the PSU, HDD, and motherboard in your cabs?  For the mb, do you just use screws with spacers?

[BobA]

PSU and HDD either L brackets or strapping.   MB use spacers and screws. 

[justinjstark]

I've been searching around for used hardware and I think I am going to go with the new stuff.  I didn't have much luck shopping craigslist (the cheap stuff is ancient) and the good stuff is not much cheaper than new.

I updated the shipping costs and just got a quote on monitor glass that is less than what I expected so my cost list is again below $500.

I have a little more designing to do and a few more prices to get.  Then I will order everything, post a project announcement, and get to work.