Coffee table

[stan2323]

Anyone eles make some thing out of something eles?  There are a few small things left to do.  Trim on the top and to seal the glass inplace.  But it is good enough for now.  I left the wires so that if I hook up to 5 V DC the lights will light up.  I have put 4 pictures in the post and links to the rest so others that want to see more can.





http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/stan2323/resized021.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/stan2323/resized020.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/stan2323/resized017.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/stan2323/resized015.jpg
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u293/stan2323/resized016.jpg

Stan

[Nimbus]

Very nice! I am planning on doing something like this as well. I just need to figure out how big I want the table to be. I plan on framing out the pinball playfield with a wider table than you have. Thanks for the picture. It inspires me to get going on mine!!

[Necro]

Definitely want to do this, but have to finish my cab and some marquee lightboxes first.

How did you get the playfield?  (And was it still expensive or just something broken/cheaper?)

[stan2323]

 I put a want add on Craigslist.  I actually got 2 but it took about 6 months to find them both.  They were $50 each. It looked like they had come from a damaged machine or something.  Both had quite a few pieces missing, the rubber rings were dry rotted, bumper caps missing, and inserts missing.  Both also had most of the wiring still there, the poppers, flipper coils, and lamp sockets were all there.  I left the wiring so I could light them up.  I used pennies and nickels to fill in the missing inserts.  I took out everything but the lamp sockets and bulbs.  Then I cleaned everything, put in new rubber and made a few tweaks to things like the bumper caps and fall down things so they would stay up.  Finally I had to screw the apron in place or it would have moved all around.  Then I mounted the playfield on a 2 by 4 frame.  Then I screwed through the 2 by 4s into the sides that are up high enough so the glass will clear everything on the playfield.  Also it hides the 2 by 4 frame, wires, and leg mounting.  I plan to cut some trim to cover the top of the plywood and the edge of the glass once we decide what colour to make the trim. 

Stan

[Necro]

Nice explanation Stan, thanks.  What did you use on the corners?  It looks like they are separate pieces of wood almost.

[gryhnd]

That looks very cool! I see kitteh appreciates your efforts too.

Anyone eles make some thing out of something eles? 

Yep, see my Rat Rod thread: a 1950 RCA Victor TV turned jukebox. It's basically done, I just need to mount the fender spears.

[VanillaGorilla]

Awesome Idea, nice execution! I made kitchen counter tops out of reclaimed maple bowling lanes back in '95.. very similar look with the colored dot and arrow inlays, etc. They were a real conversation starter, thats for sure.

[stan2323]

Nice explanation Stan, thanks.  What did you use on the corners?  It looks like they are separate pieces of wood almost.

They are a seprate pieces of wood.  I did that to give the coners some accent.

Stan

[Turnarcades]

You ust gave me an idea..... great, another chunk out the wallet!

[Necro]

I've been wanting to do one of these since I saw this guy - http://www.maxwellsilverball.com/ - at a local art/food fair thing.  Starting to debate if just buying one is easier than trying to find a table, get the woodworking skills down, etc.

[Nimbus]

I've been wanting to do one of these since I saw this guy - http://www.maxwellsilverball.com/ - at a local art/food fair thing.  Starting to debate if just buying one is easier than trying to find a table, get the woodworking skills down, etc.

I can't imagine it being more difficult to find an old game and build a table than to buy one of these in regards to cost. I don't know what his table's cost, but I am guessing they aren't cheap. Games come up on Craigslist and Ebay constantly. I bought my first Pinball game for under $200. That was for the entire, working machine. You can sell of the cabinet, backglass, legs, hardware and make the rest of your money back.

Go for it!!

[Necro]

I'm honestly more worried about the woodworking part.  The main concern being corners (hence my question above) and not having the either look like total crap or be so a weak joint that falls apart.  Main concern with looking like crap is my miter saw 'ripping' the wood a bit and it not being smooth...

[BobA]

I'm honestly more worried about the woodworking part.  The main concern being corners (hence my question above) and not having the either look like total crap or be so a weak joint that falls apart.  Main concern with looking like crap is my miter saw 'ripping' the wood a bit and it not being smooth...

Sounds like you need a new finer tooth blade for your mitre saw so it can do smooth cuts.

[gryhnd]

Sounds like you need a new finer tooth blade for your mitre saw so it can do smooth cuts.

+1

Also don't rush the cut. It will help avoid tear out. Depending on your saw, a sacrificial piece of wood below the one you are cutting will also help.

Worse comes to worse, make your cuts a bit proud, then sand to the final dimension.

[Necro]

Def. need a finer tooth blade.  Guess this gives me the reason to buy one! 

[VanillaGorilla]

If you are chopping stock <1" thick, a vinyl siding blade works astonishingly well at preventing tear out. I was shocked at how precise my miters were when I replaced the baseboards in my bath. Couldn't find my 60 tooth finishing blade, so I figured why the ---fudgesicle--- not? They came out more like cabinetry than carpentry.