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Uncle Aaron's "Unique Challenges" Juke Build (looking for art help)
alarsuel:
Ok, updated progress. Of course there have been highs and lows, but here is where I am now with some pics:
I was semi-concerned about the strength of the curve, so I flush trimmed so extra bracing without a hitch.
Next on the list was cutting on an access panel for the back which I did with the router, using 4 straight edges to get the correct size.
I was happy with how this turned out , but I knew I'd have a hell of a time getting a door cut to fit back in. I wanted something with 1/16" all the way around, but I couldn't get the corners right with the router. I liked the rounded corners of the cut out due to the corners being inside. I didn't have an extra piece big enough, so I had to go with outside corners, causing 90 degrees corners. I'm sure this isn't making any sense, but let's just say that I ended up making the door with about 30 seconds of tracing, 1 minute of jigsawing, and 1 hour of sanding :banghead:.
After the sanding and test fitting and sanding and test fitting and sanding, I ended up with something I happy with.
Next up mounting the door hardware and setting the door. I found some cabinet hinges I had laying around and mortised out some room for them in the door. After a little adjusting it was swinging nicely.
I didn't want any handle on the door because I wanted the possibility of putting the back up against a wall, so I used a magnet and spring catch for the inside of the door. I think these are normally used for bathroom medicine cabinets, where you push in to release the magnet and the spring pushes the door out. It works perfectly (after adjusting, of course).
I finished the day by cleaning a piece that I got from ebay for the front of the juke. I won a Mustang emblem off of an actual 1969. It was dirty and some of the paint and chrome was gone, but cleaning it helped bring out the shine. Here is a before pic:
It looks much better now (I still need a pic of after), but definitely "used". I go back and forth between wanted to get it re-chromed and painted etc., and really liking the authentic old feel to it.
Next up: It starts going downhill.
alarsuel:
I decided to continue on the back panel after feeling good about the access door. I decided to use computer fans with red leds to simulate brake lights on the back of the car. I purchased both 80mm and 120mm to decide which I'd go with. I thought the 80 looked too small so I was all set to go with the 120 until I looked at a picture of the 69 Stang back end to determine placement. Mustangs of this vintage don't have round brake lights, but rather 6 rectangular lights grouped in 2 sets of 3. More work... put away the hole saw, get out the straight edges and router with straight bit.
So far, so good, but I said this was where it started to go downhill.
Left side cut out (if you are paying attention, you can see the problem).
Both sides cutout with both problems.
Problem 1 is that the studs I used to mount the door hardware run right through the tail light openings. Problem 2 is that the router skipped off the guide on the far right hole ruining the edge.
:angry:
Here is another shot from the inside detailing problem 1:
I was pissed, but luckily I don't think either problem is that tough to solve. Just time and money, right. The first solution was cutting out the studs above the hardware but below the light portals and creating a header.
The second problem I haven't touched yet, but I think some Bondo should do the trick. Next I went to check the new lights I got instead of the fans, but 1 of the 2 cold cathode tubes had 1/4 of the lights flickering. I'm going to exchange for a new set tomorrow. Next up is making a bracket to hold the lights. Then hopefully I can get to the front. I'll I needed was the touchscreen which arrived today... with shattered glass :badmood:. I said it was going bad. Hopefully it'll turn around starting tomorrow.
alarsuel:
Got started back up today, but have a question. I have tried many different configurations for the touchscreen, but the only option seems to be having the monitor flush with the front face on a drawer so that it can slide out and then tilt once away from the face. Mounted flush won't work (it is too low). I had my wife stand on a ladder at the recipient's height and we decided that the monitor needed to be tilted at least 37 degrees for it to be usable at intended height. The problem with this is that the top becomes hidden in the cabinet or the bottom protrudes out 7 inches or so. I think this would look funny (perhaps not).
What do you guys think of the sliding drawer-monitor idea. Not sure if I want it to tilt all the way to parallel with the ground or if I should stop it at some degree. The other issue is how to pull the "drawer" out. I'll have some sort of bezel attached to the monitor which sits on the face, but how do I get the drawer to slide out? Pull on the bezel? That seems clunky. Any other ideas?
alarsuel:
I have mocked up a monitor solution to get opinions on. There are 2 questions I have. First here are some pictures of the sliding/tilting monitor idea:
I'm thinking of having this skeleton on a sliding "drawer bottom" as you an see in the pic. The skeleton has a 31.62 degree angle cut on the top for the monitor to sit on once pulled out.
You can see a hole drilled in the mounting block. This hole goes through the skeleton and out the corresponding hole on the other mounting block. Right now I just have nails through each side so that it tilts (works fine) but my final solution is a single dowel running through each piece. My 2 questions are:
1. How do I pull the monitor out. I will have a bezel, but it seems pretty amateurish to pull on the bezel. Any other suggestions while trying to keep the front as flush as possible?
2. Gravity is fighting me once the monitor is tilted back. It naturally wants to return to perpendicular to the floor. Can I embed magnets in the angled support piece to hold the monitor at 31.62 degrees? I think they would be strong enough, but I'm afraid of the magnet harming the monitor. Other ideas? A spring mounted to the top back of the monitor, attached to the sliding shelf would pull the monitor back from the top, but then it would be hard to tilt the monitor back to 90 degrees to slide it back to the face of the juke. Looking for the great mechanical/engineering intellect of the community. Thanks!
alarsuel:
Have done some more work. I'll have pics later (although, not sure if anyone cares about the build), but I have a question still if anyone is out there. I have mounted the monitor and I have it so that it stays in place once tilted (no magnets needed). I also have it sliding out, but it is pretty heavy and doesn't slide very easily. I have heavy duty industrial slides with bearings, so I don't think the slides are the problem. What I am looking for is a creative solution for getting the monitor to slide. I am hoping to avoid a cutting a hand groove on the underside of the bezel to pull on. I think this won't hold up and I don't really want the bezel that deep. What about a linear actuator? Perhaps wired to buttons on the front for forward and reverse. Not sure how I'd accomplish the wiring and it seems a bit expensive ($100 or so for an actuator), but this is the cleanest application I can think of. Any thoughts on the actuator or other great brainstorms?
P.S. The monitor assembly weighs around 20 pounds and needs to slide out between 7 and 8 inches.