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Uncle Aaron's "Unique Challenges" Juke Build (looking for art help)
alarsuel:
Hey guys. I lurk here often and have gotten some great ideas from the crowd. I'm starting a new build for a friend and I want to document it here, as well as give myself a place to ask questions about certain aspects of my build.
A little background on me: I would say that my woodworking skills are a mixed bag. I grew up doing construction so I am familiar and comfortable with framing, electrical, plumbing, etc. The reason I saw mixed bag is because I am not as comfortable with finished work. I can do it, but not as well as regular construction/ home building. I have a table saw, router, etc. so I should have everything I'll need. If not I'm in HD 5 times a week (remodeling my house, too) so I'll grab whatever. I used an elo for an in-wall juke with a receiver in my equipment closet and speakers hidden in columns, so I'm not a complete juke novice.
A little background on this build: This is going to be built for a friend. This is where the build goes from normal to unique. Let's just say that my boy is REALLY tall and has enough money to buy whatever he wants. He has commented on my juke and about how he has always wanted one. He is impossible to buy any presents for (for obvious reasons) so I decided to make him one. He loves cars, so this will have an automotive theme. Particularly, I'm going to try to implement the look of some elements of a '69 Mustang Boss 429, his favorite. The overall shape will be similar to the famous mountain jukes. I'm thinking black with chrome as the overall color scheme. Probably black laminate, chrome t-molding, possibly some carbon fiber. I'm thinking of a speaker grille with the emblem and possibly headlights and maybe car speakers (the front end of the Mustang has 2 sets of lights). I know I want an ignition button to power the unit and will need help wiring it up. Also, possibly some gauges so that it looks like a dashboard.
My friend's height presents some unique aspects to this project. I went back and forth on size of the juke, but I have settled on free standing. I am going with a height of 5 feet, as this seems pretty standard for floor jukes. I am going to need the monitor to have a slight angle, as even a 60" juke would be a challenge for him if the monitor was straight on.
Sorry for the long first post, just wanted everyone to be able to see the thinking behind the project. I'm confident that if I take my time, with everyone here's help, I can make something that both my friend and I are proud of. I'd love to hear any comments, ideas, or suggestions now or throughout the build. I hope to document the build fairly closely with pictures so everyone can follow along and help.... I'm going to need it.
Aaron
alarsuel:
Got started yesterday cutting out the front panel. Went with the pivot point pencil method to draw the curve then cut with jigsaw and sanded to the line. It all went quite well, actually. I got a late start so I decided to pick back up today. Not quite as successful today... I got the back panel traced out and cut close, ready to be flush cut with the front and had router problems. For some reason the router only powers on with the shank unlocked. I also, sliced my thumb pretty good trying to get the bit out of the router to see what the problem was. So, instead of flush cutting the back panel I decided to build the bottom panel and the inner ribs and component shelf. Tomorrow I'll grab a new router (wanted one anyway) and we'll be back in business. I have pics of the process so far if anyone is interested.
Not an immediate concern, but I'm looking for suggestions on how to trim out the area around the monitor once it is angled. It will be tilted up slightly and I'm not sure how I want to to handle the area behind the face that will be seen on the sides and top of the touchscreen. Perhaps I could get away without angling (mounting directly to the face of the juke) given the height of the cab, but my friend is 7' 1" so I want to make sure it is comfortable for him to use and view the screen. Hope my question makes sense.
jmike:
Everyone around here loves pics ;D
:cheers:
JohnEDollar:
:pics :pics :pics
Please.
alarsuel:
Here are the pics that update til now (I did a bit more earlier today).
Pic 1 shows the beginning. It always starts with a single sheet of MDF :)
Pic 2 shows the front panel cut to width (32") with the curve traced on top. Used a straight edge and circular saw to cut my width square. I didn't really want to bring my table saw outside. I couldn't find any string so I initially tried I piece of wire I had laying around with a pencil in it. The wire wouldn't hold tight enough, so the pencil wouldn't stay in line. I ended up screwing a scrap piece of wood where the center of my circle would be. My diameter is 16" so the middle of the circle is 16" in from either side and 16" down from my full height of 60". I drilled a hole in the wood to hold the point of a pen at 16" from the pivot point and drew my half circle.
Use jigsaw to cut close to the line and you get pic 3. Sand to the line and you get your final curve which is in pic 4
Don't feel like making attachments smaller, so I'll continue in next post...