Element 5 - A small bartop (FINISHED)

[justinjstark]

The name Lemma is not official yet.  I named my first cab axiom and, being a student of mathematics, the name fits.  I don't have the artwork figured out yet although I do have some ideas for color schemes.

For those of you who did not see my other posts, I have been working on a cost list for this project:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiGFdPchNRnGdG8xWUVuTzRiVVFTckNKeEVrdDdfSXc&hl=en

I'm going to take my time on this project and do things right.  I want to make the cabinet reproducable so I will be making a lot of templates and jigs.  I made a 4' saw board out of 1/2" mdf (I forgot to take a pic of it) that I used to cut the straight parts and I have to say, the saw board makes the cuts so perfect and easy.

I used the flush trim bit for the first time on my router today.  *Cough *Cough  So much dust.  Next time I will do it outside.  I'm going to cut out a third side piece to use as a template if I build another one later.

So far, all I have done is cut out the sides.  I have a unique method in mind for mounting the marquee (using t-molding) and have studied up on Knievel's building techniques.  I am also now the proud owner of a biscuit joiner so I will biscuit the pieces to the sides.

I'm still not sure if I want to make it 1 player or 2 player.  The cab is very small.  It is less than 2 feet tall, 17.5" wide, and about 15" deep at the control panel.  I have experimented and I can fit 2 sets of controls with 4 buttons each just fine.  I would, however, love to have a machine around with a 4-way stick for pacman...so maybe I will make this 1 player with an 8-way and a 4-way.  I dunno.

[Termin8tor]

Good Luck, I will be watching with interest.

[justinjstark]

I have only spent a few more hours on this project but it is coming along.  First, I cut the sheets of 1/2 and 3/4 mdf into 15 3/4" wide boards.  I used the flush trim bit to make them all exactly the same width.  Then I just cut the lengths of each piece and voila.

I stacked the pieces together to give you an idea of how it will look.  As you can see, all of the boards (especially the bottom piece) are not perfectly square on the edges (I think my saws 0 degree mark is not perfect...I will have to fix that).  A little sanding will straighten them out.

You can see how limited the space is inside the arcade.  It is going to be fun cramming everything in there.   

I didn't take any pictures of the maintenance door.  It will be hinged and latched but instead of making the entire back piece come off, I split it into three section, the middle of which will swing open.

Next steps: Cut out the monitor hole, rabbit a few pieces that need it, slot cut the sides, cut the control panel including the plexi.  Not until all of that is done can I glue it all up.

[justinjstark]

Here is what I'm thinking for a color scheme.  A nice deeeep red, black trim, and yellow accents.  What do you guys think?

[BobA]

Wow that really looks tight.  Good start 

[Rick]

Here is what I'm thinking for a color scheme.  A nice deeeep red, black trim, and yellow accents.  What do you guys think?

I love the look!  Might I recommend "Colonial Red" as your choice of colour?



It looks much deeper and richer in the sunlight, and without a BlackBerry taking the pic.

 

[justinjstark]

Here is what I'm thinking for a color scheme.  A nice deeeep red, black trim, and yellow accents.  What do you guys think?

I love the look!  Might I recommend "Colonial Red" as your choice of colour?



It looks much deeper and richer in the sunlight, and without a BlackBerry taking the pic.

 

Maybe it's just your camera but it looks pink.    While I'm sure it is a cool red color, I want to use a deep maroon.  BTW: I've been following your project and it looks like it is really coming along.  Nice work.

[Rick]

Maybe it's just your camera but it looks pink.     While I'm sure it is a cool red color, I want to use a deep maroon.

It's totally the camera.

 

I did a Google of "Colonial Red", and this is a lot closer to what it looks like with a 'real camera'.

 

(The left is birch, and the right is oak.  For reference, my cabinet has the finish of the left, with the deep, rich colour of the right.)

BTW: I've been following your project and it looks like it is really coming along.  Nice work.

Merci.

[justinjstark]

Maybe it's just your camera but it looks pink.     While I'm sure it is a cool red color, I want to use a deep maroon.

It's totally the camera.

 

I did a Google of "Colonial Red", and this is a lot closer to what it looks like with a 'real camera'.

 

(The left is birch, and the right is oak.  For reference, my cabinet has the finish of the left, with the deep, rich colour of the right.)

BTW: I've been following your project and it looks like it is really coming along.  Nice work.

Merci.

That looks much nicer.  I like the red on the right but I may go even darker.

[Rick]

That looks much nicer.  I like the red on the right but I may go even darker.

Interestingly enough, they claim to be the same colour.  Of course, the difference of wood types, as well as lighting must have something to do with the difference.  I know when I stood in front of the row upon row of spray can, it was pretty daunting, and I was actually trying to pick out the red for about 30 minutes.  Good luck with finding "your colour"!

[justinjstark]

That looks much nicer.  I like the red on the right but I may go even darker.

Interestingly enough, they claim to be the same colour.  Of course, the difference of wood types, as well as lighting must have something to do with the difference.  I know when I stood in front of the row upon row of spray can, it was pretty daunting, and I was actually trying to pick out the red for about 30 minutes.  Good luck with finding "your colour"!

So you rattle canned your control panel?  I'm a little worried about the quality of spray paint.  What kind did you use?

I have my eye on an air compressor and paint gun but it could be a while before I make that investment.  Maybe I will just go for it; I can think of a thousand uses for an air compressor.

[Rick]

So you rattle canned your control panel?  I'm a little worried about the quality of spray paint.  What kind did you use?

I used Rust-O-Leum Gloss.  I'm surprised at how nice the finish turned out, but the main reason I bought it, was that they also have the same paint in a can... ...so I should be able to use it in an air-gun, I believe.

I have my eye on an air compressor and paint gun but it could be a while before I make that investment.  Maybe I will just go for it; I can think of a thousand uses for an air compressor.

I bought a finish nail gun and compressor kit from Canadian Tire for $99 a while ago.  It's indispensable, and I've got my eye on a paint gun at Princess Auto for ~$19.99...  ...for when I have to paint the sides.

 

[Malenko]

Why pink?  Is the cabinet for your daughter?

Maybe it's just your camera but it looks pink.     While I'm sure it is a cool red color, I want to use a deep maroon.

It's totally the camera.

[justinjstark]

Well...

I made a lot of progress over the last few hours...even though it may not look like it.  I slot cut the edges of everything that needed it (sides, front of cp, marquee pieces) and got my control panel cut out.  I drilled the holes for the joysticks, top buttons, and admin buttons.  I still need to trim down the plexi and route the holes.  I decided to just cut a little strip of 1/2" material to go between the cp plexi and monitor glass as opposed to a more complicated way I had planned.

This all went great... and then... I hit a problem.  Because the cabinet is so narrow, the monitor barely fits horizontally and my bezel idea has gone down the drain (partly due to oversight and partly due to mistakenly procuring a 5:4 monitor instead of 4:3 which I should have measured before buying).  So I said to heck with it and tried routing out the monitor hole just to see what I could come up with.  I will have to think up some ideas this weekend and find another way to mount the monitor.  *sigh

I am done working on this for the weekend and will try to put a bit of time into it next week.

Next steps: Find a way to mount that pesky monitor, cut the cp plexi, cut the marquee retainer system, place and drill the holes for the pinball buttons

[BobA]

Your new monitor will have Vesa mounting holes in the back.   Use 4 screws to mount the monitor to a board that is as wide as the inside of your cabinet.  Screw that board to a couple of cleats that are secured to the inside side walls of your cab and you have your monitor mounted.  Put painted plexi in front of the monitor and you do not need anything else for a bezel.

[justinjstark]

Your new monitor will have Vesa mounting holes in the back.   Use 4 screws to mount the monitor to a board that is as wide as the inside of your cabinet.  Screw that board to a couple of cleats that are secured to the inside side walls of your cab and you have your monitor mounted.  Put painted plexi in front of the monitor and you do not need anything else for a bezel.

That seems to be the new plan.  But there are a few things I need to figure out:

(1) Plexi or glass?  The consensus seems to be glass.  I think I can get a tempered piece for $10-$15.

(2) How to hide the area around the monitor?  Should I paint the back of the glass/plexi black?  I'm worried about the quality of this solution.  If I get tinted glass, would that hide the insides of the cabinet?  Also, the monitor has buttons on the front which I'm afraid would be pressed by having glass pressing down on them. I have another idea.  I am thinking about putting a piece of hardboard between the monitor and glass that could be painted black.  This hardboard piece would also help align the monitor and I could carve a very small amount out where it would press against the monitor buttons.

[BobA]

Regarding the quality of using paint on plexi see this thread paint on plexi  It works just as well with glass.  You can use painted hardboard but it will not look as smooth as the look you get from painted glass or plexi.  As for the buttons a few spacers can place the glass or plexi an eigth of an inch away from the monitor.   Just glue them to the monitor in an area hidden by the paint.

[Termin8tor]

I would recommend plexi over glass for a bartop. I used plexi on mine mainly because it's lighter, easy to cut and less chance of breaking. if I was building a full size cab I would probably use tinted glass. The down side to using plexi is it attracts dust.

[justinjstark]

Regarding the quality of using paint on plexi see this thread paint on plexi  It works just as well with glass.  You can use painted hardboard but it will not look as smooth as the look you get from painted glass or plexi.  As for the buttons a few spacers can place the glass or plexi an eigth of an inch away from the monitor.   Just glue them to the monitor in an area hidden by the paint.

Good call on the spacers; that should work.  I was curious about painting the glass and i think that is the way I will go.

I would recommend plexi over glass for a bartop. I used plexi on mine mainly because it's lighter, easy to cut and less chance of breaking. if I was building a full size cab I would probably use tinted glass. The down side to using plexi is it attracts dust.

I'm leaning more toward glass than plexi.  I'm not too worried about it breaking and the weight isn't an issue since it will be removable.

[justinjstark]

Big news tonight.  I got a lot accomplished today spending way too many hours when I should be doing math.

I got the admin buttons in from lizard lick.  Because of space constraints, I had to find some short buttons for the front of the panel.  They are Seimitsu 30mm GN's.  Unfortunately, they do not quite fit in a 1 1/8" hole so I had to open the holes up a bit.  Now they fit fine as you can see in the picture.

To get to the wires, I cut a big rectangular hole in the bottom below the control panel.  I totally forgot to install the joystick mounts (which are still in the mail) before gluing things together.  I'm hoping I have enough room through that bottom hole to drill.    If not, I don't know what I am going to do.  Maybe drill from the top and fill the holes in before painting!?

I cut my marquee retainer system.  I will take some pictures soon and let you guys know what I'm up to.

I also cut the plexi for the control panel.  It worked very nicely with the router and the flush trim bit.  Man, my router is becoming the most useful tool in my garage.

Once all that was done, I assembled some of the boards.  I attached the top to the top of the back and the vertical piece that meets the monitor.  I attached the front admin panel to the control panel.  Etc.

Then came time for biscuit slot cutting.  This was my first time using a biscuit joiner and I think I am getting it figured out.  Some of my boards are 1/2" and some are 3/4" so I had to keep changing the joiner settings.  I did make a few goofs but they are hidden (luckily).  I didn't take many pictures of this process as I was too excited to get the arcade assembled.

I put all the pieces together to make sure everything fit.  Then I glued everything up, threw it all together, and clamped it down tight.  I just went out to clean the excess glue off now that it has had time to film over.

Tomorrow I will get the clamps off and get a few more pictures taken.  Later this week I will cut the marquee plexi, install the monitor mount, and install the joystick mounts.  Then it is time to get the name and artwork finalized and start thinking about paint.

[jipp]

looking good.  look forward to seeing this come together.

chris.

[justinjstark]

I cut the acrylic for my marquee today.  I am using 2 sheets with each .1" thick.

So, here is how I am doing my marquee.  I made my speaker panel and top piece of wood out of 3/4" MDF to accommodate 3/4" t-modling.  Before I glued it all together, I slot cut these two pieces.  Then I used my router to cut a 3/16" by 3/16" rabbet in each piece.  Check the first picture to see what each piece looked like after I glued it all together.  The two sheets of acrylic fit perfectly into the rabbets and the t-molding goes in to hold it all in place.

I like this solution better than using a marquee retainer, angle iron, or window molding.  I don't have to paint the retainer and try to get colors to match; I just push on the same t-molding as I use on the sides.  Voila.

[justinjstark]

Yesterday I unclamped everything from the glue up.  Today, I did some sanding, cut the pinball buttons on the sides, and drilled holes for the joystick mounts.  I'm using the joystick kits from groovy game gear.  I should have drilled from the bottom and not go all the way through the top...but I forgot to drill these holes before gluing it together so I wound up having to just drill from the top.  I will fill in the top and make it smooth before I paint the control panel.

Next step: Install the monitor mount and get ready for some paint.  I hope I'm not forgetting anything else.  

It could be a while before I go any farther with this project.  I want to invest in an air compressor and paint gun before I paint this project.  Also, I have school work to do and want to work on some other furniture.

[BobA]

Nice work using the t-molding to hold in the marquee.   Great idea 

[justinjstark]

I finally decided to buy an air compressor.  I bought the Makita MAC700.  I decided to buy this instead of a cheaper unit because I expect to use it for the rest of my life and it is supposed to be much quieter than other compressors in its class.  I also ordered a Critter Siphon Gun.  It should all get in next week and then I will be gone for almost a week for thanksgiving.  When I get back I plan on working out the final details of the cab and then lay down some paint.

I'm looking at installing this usb and audio hub which mounts easily in a hole.  I still have to figure out what I'm going to do about volume controls.  I plan on running some version of linux and unfortunately, fulls screen games (such as mame) capture all keyboard input and thus the volume keys do not work so I cannot just install two buttons for volume up and down.     Instead, I will have to use some kind of volume knob.  The logitech speakers I'm installing have an external volume control that I could mount somewhere so maybe I will just go that route.

I also forgot that I need to drill holes to make speaker grills in the cab before I paint.  I will do that one of these days.

[justinjstark]

I didn't like the name that I initially chose for this project.  As of now I am calling it "Element 5" after the movie "The Fifth Element."

I made a quick marquee.  It is simple but I like it.  The font is called warmonger.

Painting is happening soon.  I will try to get the monitor mount installed tomorrow and then lay down a coat of primer.  But before the primer goes on I need to figure out what to use for a volume control.  I like the idea of having a couple pushbuttons for volume up/down and have the software do the work as opposed to an in-line potentiometer but there are some problems with this and the linux architecture.  Full screen applications such as mame and zsnes steal the keyboard so the volume control buttons get caught by the application and hence do not adjust the volume.  I'm trying to find a solution to this...if there is one.

[Rick]

I didn't like the name that I initially chose for this project.  As of now I am calling it "Element 5" after the movie "The Fifth Element."

Nice!  (It's fitting, since your build is a labour of 'love'!)

/rimshot

Will it take a Mooltipass to play it?

 

[jipp]

looking good.  and the T molding idea is a great solution.. as long as yo do not have to change the marquee light often.  iv only installed t molding on my control panel and the impression i got if you go to remove it.. it will thrash the slot.  i could be wrong.  anyhow, i do not see the light burning out enough to worrie about it if the T molding will complicate things down the road.

chris.

[BobA]

Removing t-molding does not hurt the slot unless it has glued for some ungodly reason

[justinjstark]

I have removed and reinserted t-molding many times without any damage.  You just have to be a little careful.

[justinjstark]

I finished drilling holes for the buttons.  I made two holes for pushbuttons for volume up and down.  I am going to be able to use software for volume up/down after all.

The monitor mount was by far the hardest part.  I decided to use l-brackets to attach the monitor mounting board.  In future builds, I would like to biscuit and glue that piece but then I have to know what monitor I am going to use before hand so I know where to position the mount.

Finally, I got two coats of primer on it.  I used my new air compressor with a critter siphon gun.  I really had to thin down the primer (I used Gripper Grey primer).  I made a few mistakes on the first coat but sanding and adding another coat fixed all of it.  I'm getting the hang of it.  Also, after the first coat I filled some of the corners with vinyl spackling to clean them up before the second coat.  For all of you working on your own cabs, I cannot say enough about how nice it is to spray the paint instead of brush/roll it on.  It is nice and smooth and gets into many of the cracks and best of all it takes so much less time to apply and to dry.

I need to prime the back of the door and the bottom of the cab yet and then I will shoot some red paint.  :-)

[jipp]

looks great.  yeah after i painted my cab using a roller.. woot.com had a sell out on the Wagner electric sprayer.. I doubt its as good as a air compressor.. but for 17.00 normally 50-80 bucks i was willing to gamble dang woot always spending my money. LOL    keep up the good work.

chris.

[justinjstark]

As you can see in the pictures, I forgot to put in the joystick mounts and fill the holes.  So I did that and then put more primer on it...and...the stuff I used to fill the holes didn't harden like I had hoped.  I wound up having to open the holes back up and remove the mounts.  I will just put some artwork over the control panel instead.  It will look way cooler anyway.

I also layed down a coat of red paint tonight.  I will get a second coat on before I leave town tomorrow and then I will do more work when I get back on Monday.

What do you guys think about the artwork?  Anything that should be changed before I order it?

[jipp]

As you can see in the pictures, I forgot to put in the joystick mounts and fill the holes.  So I did that and then put more primer on it...and...the stuff I used to fill the holes didn't harden like I had hoped.  I wound up having to open the holes back up and remove the mounts.  I will just put some artwork over the control panel instead.  It will look way cooler anyway.

I also layed down a coat of red paint tonight.  I will get a second coat on before I leave town tomorrow and then I will do more work when I get back on Monday.

What do you guys think about the artwork?  Anything that should be changed before I order it?

sorry to hear about the holes not hardening..  i like the idea of artwork.  the  only thing i would add to the marquee maybe is a thin yellow line around it..  in a box or what not.  probably  X distance from the edge. 

boba - thanks for the info on the Tmolding.  when i build my next cab, i will be using T molding..  and i found it rather annoying putting the Tmolding in if i would of known i could remove it.. would of made it easier.  live and learn.

chris.

[justinjstark]

I finished painting.  It took 2 coats of primer and 4 of "red" paint before I was happy with how it looked.  The red turned out to be more of a brown color.  The guy at home depot did not color match the sample card very well.  Oh well, I think it still looks great.

I put on t-molding and attached the rear door and cam lock.  Then I put in the admin buttons, the usb hub, and mounted the monitor.

I have no idea how I am going to cram everything inside of this small thing.  The buttons barely fit; there is just enough room to put on connectors.  When I build another one I will make the hole in the bottom bigger so it is easier to wire.

[leapinlew]

Looking good. Nice work on the t-mold marquee retainer.

[Ond]

I finished painting.  It took 2 coats of primer and 4 of "red" paint before I was happy with how it looked.  The red turned out to be more of a brown color.  The guy at home depot did not color match the sample card very well.  Oh well, I think it still looks great.

It was actually the color of this bartop that caught my eye, I really like it and I think the artwork will look great with it - nice work.

 

Ond

[BobA]

Bartop looks nice.  I like the t molding marquee holder idea.

[justinjstark]

It was actually the color of this bartop that caught my eye, I really like it and I think the artwork will look great with it - nice work.

 

Ond

Do you think the artwork will be too red?  I was thinking about browning it down a little.

[Ond]

It was actually the color of this bartop that caught my eye, I really like it and I think the artwork will look great with it - nice work.

 

Ond

Do you think the artwork will be too red?  I was thinking about browning it down a little.

I was thinking that too, yes I'd tone the artwork to match more closely.