Building basics?

[walterg74]

Hi everyone!

So here I am again trying to dive into the adventure of building my cabinet...

One of the challenges I have, not living in the US is that our options are limited....

I really want to have one, and basically the options here are:

1) pay a guy to do the whole thing for you, as they are selling finished cabinets with everything, but yeah, for about 1000 dollars... This I don't like because I'm a woodworking noob, but not a comuter noob and I am very capable of doing it myself. ---daisies--- won't sell just the finished cabinet though...

2) build the cabinet, coming to:

2a) buy a used cabinet: this has it's own challenges, as there seems to be almost no place to get a good caninet htat's not damaged somewhere, and fixing it well, I dn't know where to start...
2b) building it: i'm a woodworking ignorant....

So... If I want to go to 2b, and start etting into woodworking, what are the basics? There's a lot of info around here, but all scattered, and there doesn't seem to be a "build your cabinet 101" around... I don't want any guide on how "xxx" built his cabinet, there are a lot of those around, but it doesn't really help as it's not a guide about what you should do and how... So basically I'd appreciate any experts or knowledgeable folks weighing in on:

- Wood: from reading around, MDF seems to be the most popular choice. Objections? What is the ideal thicknes of this wood for a cabinet and why? Any other type/thickness of woods for other parts of the cabinet?

- Tools: also from reading around, general concensus for a decent set of tools is: drill, jigsaw, router, sander, clamps. Anything else IMPORTANT, or can I do fine to build my first cabinet with these? The router.. Do I use it for cutting holes in the back, and for that "trench" along the front and top for the moulding? For anything else as well?

- Cutting: so you need to copy the plans to the wood, with the exact measures, and then it's best to cut them with _____?

- Assembling: once I have all the nice parts, how do I put everything tightly together? Nails? Screws? Pegs and glue?

- Finishing: so I put everything togeter, it's assembled, just the mdf sheet there as it comes... How do I finish it? Can I just go ahead and paste the plotted artwork I order to it? Do I have to do *something* to it? Should I sand it? Apply primer? Paint it? (and with what types of paint).

- Control panel: Wood or Steel/Metal? Pros/Cons?

- Acrylic/Plexiglass for bezels/marquees/control panel overlays: what to cut them with? Considerations?

- Other considerations: what else is important to consider?

This would be like a "Cabinet Building 101" type of guide, with instructions for buildingg your cainet, but without basing it on any specific design, just the general process which each one can apply to whatever plan they want to go by.

Thanks!!!

[drventure]

Have you seen Saint's book?

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Arcade-Build-Your-Machine/dp/0764556169

A lot of these questions would be answered in there.

Check out the Wiki on this site. There's good info there.

Check out the Woodworking forum for all sorts of tool recs.

But the main thing is this: Being relatively new to woodworking, I'd say just jump in, and start building a basic 2 player cab. Grab some plans for a design you like, cut up some sheet MDF or ply and just jump in. Do it cheap (or not just depends on you budget), but expect to either

1) Decide it's a royal pain, and end up tossing what you built. But you didn't spend a lot on it, so no big deal.
2) Push through till you have a functioning cab, by which point you'll have discovered all the things that you thought you'd like about the design/controls/front end/etc, but in the end don't, and all the things that you thought you could cheap out on, but realized you shouldn't have.

and by then, you won't be much of a noob anymore either, you'll have a decent set of controls (plus a CPU most likely) you can scavenge and use in the next cab you build, probably a good set of tools, and lots of bookmarks in your browser  for reference.

And most important, you'll have learned to come up with all sorts of creative solutions for correcting all your screwups 

But I wouldn't know anything about that...

[javeryh]

drventure gives great advice.

Just jump in if you are interested.  If you pay attention to safety and use your tools properly you will be able to build a nice looking cabinet even on your first try.

IMO, if you only buy one tool, you should get a router for sure and an assortment of bits.  It is really the only tool you need to build a cabinet other than maybe a drill (corded) and a sanding block but those are relatively cheap.  A router will allow you to cut straight lines, cut the slot for the t-molding, make panel copies, drill holes, etc.  It is so versatile.

[drventure]

+1 on the router comment by Javeryh

As for tools, I'd also throw in

Circular saw
Power drill with screwdriver bits too so it doubles as a power screwdriver
a work table of some sort, or two ( I really like the black and decker WorkMate tables because they fold down easily, but you might not have them where you are).

[walterg74]

Ok, so you got me convinced.. Lol

Would you recommend the circular saw over a jigsaw? I had a feeling the jigsaw was easier to use and follow the pencil lines for my cuts, but hey I'm a total noob, so what's best?

I do have to pijt out the following: I DO already have an arade cainet that I bought from someone (a used one from arcade handdowns), but:

O the sides of the control panel, and on the top left,  he wood is broken and I have no idea how to fix it

Would you recommend I give the fix a try? And if so, with what materials?? As a separate notes, the sides have melamine.

I think I still have the pictures I took of it if it helps to get advice.


Edit: ok i found the pics and they're actually in a post I made myself right here almost TWO YEARS ago! Man did I give up easy on that....

Here is the link so you can see the state of the cabinet:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=100812

[Sparkolicious]

The damage to the cab isn't that serious.  You should be able to remove all of the T-molding and use a combination of wood and bondo to repair the edges.  The laminate sides are a whole other beast.  If it were me I would remove them.  MEK and a good scraper should do it.

[walterg74]

Thanks sparkolicious!

I actually did remove the t-moldings already. Then I just stood there looking at the damaged edge for an hour or two...

So should I try using bondo (or whatever similar thing I find in my country) and sort of "shape it" with my hands or something to try to get the missing/original form bak?

Aout the laminate, what would I gain by removing it? Since I'll be p utting artwork on it later (and I want a black background) shouldn't I just take advantage hat it's nice and smotth and leave it?  Sorry if it's a stupid question...

[drventure]

Jigsaws are handy for some cutting tasks but for what you're likely to do while building a cab, they aren't much use.

Plus it's VERY difficult to get a straight line by hand with a jig, and even if you use a guide, the blade deflection typically means that to get a good straight edge, you'll need to go back over it with a router.

Short answer, the Circular saw will be more more useful.

[kahlid74]

As said before in this thread Saint's book is a great place for you to start.  Not only does it answer most of your questions here but it also includes plans for a cabinet on the accompanying CD.

As far as tools go if I was to list the most important tools needed IMO to build a cab it would be:

• Drill
• Circular Saw
• Router
• Sanding Block

After that there are lots of tools that you can use here and there but none are as important as those three.  Jig saws work well for small sections but when it comes to long cuts they are very inaccurate like Drventure stated. 

[walterg74]

So how do you do the curved sections then? Because I imagine the circular saw is no good for that... 

I guess the only thing I can't find here is the guts to lose the fear of screwing up and to hae wasted time and moey on all the tools and materials for nothing... 

[drventure]

Well, worst case is you screw up some plywood or MDF.

It's pretty unlikely you'll actually mess up any tools, so once you have them, they're good for any number of other projects.

As for cutting curves, true enough, if you're looking to do a curved control panel, a jigsaw might be handy. You can use a circular saw to make several cuts and get "close" to the curve, then sand from there, but that might be more work.

However, lots of have mostly straight edges. Maybe alittle rounded corners but that's pretty easy to do with a rasp and sanding block.

[kahlid74]

So how do you do the curved sections then? Because I imagine the circular saw is no good for that... 

I guess the only thing I can't find here is the guts to lose the fear of screwing up and to hae wasted time and moey on all the tools and materials for nothing... 

A Jig Saw is perfect for that but the idea is that a jig saw is more for specific use cases versus the whole build.  If you keep building cabs a Jig saw is a welcome addition to your tools.

[elkameleon]

I used a cheap 30 dollar black and decker jigsaw to get me close to the line, then I used a power orbital sander to get me right up the the line, worked awesome!

[Sparkolicious]

Well I would replace the laminate because it is damaged.  In fact, judging from the photos it is really damaged!  There's not much you can do to repair it, and regardless of whether you intend to put some artwork on it or not you'll want a nice, clean, flat surface to work with.  It isn't a difficult task, but time consuming and messy.  You will need to replace the laminate as well. 

[walterg74]

So here's another (probably stupid) question....

To get the actual design of the pieces on the wood, do you any type of system/printout, or is it just a matter of drawing the shape by hand as best you can respecting measurements and angles..? (and for this last part would you like use a really big protractor or what? )

[elkameleon]

I mapped out the points of the corners on mine(kinda like x,y coordinates), then drew my lines between them, ala connect the dots, then I drew in my radiuses (if they apply).

[kahlid74]

So here's another (probably stupid) question....

To get the actual design of the pieces on the wood, do you any type of system/printout, or is it just a matter of drawing the shape by hand as best you can respecting measurements and angles..? (and for this last part would you like use a really big protractor or what? )

Are you talking like Buttons and Joysticks?  There are a bunch of templates that can be printed to size and then taped to your CP.  Typically I print them, tape them to the CP and then use a hammer and nail on the center point of each for a lead for the Drill Press.  Works very well.

[walterg74]

So here's another (probably stupid) question....

To get the actual design of the pieces on the wood, do you any type of system/printout, or is it just a matter of drawing the shape by hand as best you can respecting measurements and angles..? (and for this last part would you like use a really big protractor or what? )

Are you talking like Buttons and Joysticks?  There are a bunch of templates that can be printed to size and then taped to your CP.  Typically I print them, tape them to the CP and then use a hammer and nail on the center point of each for a lead for the Drill Press.  Works very well.

No, that I figured I could manage to print out. I meant the wood panels themselves. I get a feeling I'm gonna draw them and the shape's gonna come out crazy...

[kahlid74]

No, that I figured I could manage to print out. I meant the wood panels themselves. I get a feeling I'm gonna draw them and the shape's gonna come out crazy...

I have not a clue what you're asking.  My apologies if I'm missing something.

[DNA Dan]

+1 on Saint's book.

If you're a woodworking noob and having a nice cab ASAP is the priority, then just buy a prebuilt kit to assemble.

If you have some woodworking skills and want the pleasure of taking your time, effort and reward of accomplishing something great, then try to build one yourself. It also helps if you have a fair amount of tools, definitely a hand held router.

I personally found the woodworking part of my project the most rewarding because I enjoy working with my hands. You just need to decide where you get the most satisfaction and what your realistic skills are.

In terms of building, I used a large sheet of cardboard for my mock up. Building your own cab is nice because you can adjust any measurement you wish, however it's also the "kiss of death" because you need to account for how everything will fit together, (monitor bezel, monitor clearance, speaker panel, access panels, keyboard tray, etc.) I used cardboard so I could physically stand at the piece and see how the height felt, how the CP angle would be on my wrist, etc. I think where most noobs get hung up is in understanding how to not worry about the final picture so much. As issues arise, you need to be able to adapt your measurements and adjust things to make them fit. Very few people who build for the first time have a complete overview of every measurement BEFORE they build. Unless you have plans to work off of with everything drawn, think of this as a PROCESS to make things work. When you get stuck, that is where the forum helps you out.

For producing smooth curves and such here is how I did it: I used a jig saw to make a rough curve template the best I could. I then shaped the curve with a file and smoothed with sandpaper. When you go to cut your final piece out, you trace it exactly on the piece with a straight edge and compass, then attach the template stock to the piece with some clamps. You then use a flush cut router bit with a bearing on the end that rides on the template. The cutting tool will produce a sharp smooth edge as the bearing follows the template. The template need not be super smooth, because the radius of the router bearing rolls over some minor imperfections.  

It's a lot of work, but that's how I did it. Having a template for all your curves is more work up front, but you only need to do this once. The second cab goes faster!

Here's an example:
The guy actually made it like a "sled" and uses a table, but you can see how the bearing rides on the template piece and the "real" piece is cut with the template bit. I did this with just having my piece anchored to a workbench and clamping my template in the curved regions. You can stop once the curve is cut, just be sure to line up the next cut when you come in. This can also be achieved on straght sections with a straight piece of stock. If you do this all around your piece, you'll have a professional looking sharp edge. Whatever you do, do NOT file or sand two misaligned router cuts on the final piece. Take your time and line it up with the blade from the previous cut so you only have to cut once. If you misalign the cut, re-measure and shave it down with the router bit. This produces the best edge for the t-molding later on.

[walterg74]

No, that I figured I could manage to print out. I meant the wood panels themselves. I get a feeling I'm gonna draw them and the shape's gonna come out crazy...

I have not a clue what you're asking.  My apologies if I'm missing something.

The big ass main panels that make up the cabinet.l.

[Woodshop Flunky]

Don't let curves throw you... they aren't as hard as they seem at first.

You can create a template and then use a flush trim bit like other will mention, but large curves are tricky to get smooth by hand (at least for me ).  If I could shape a large curve to create the template... then I wouldn't need the template.  Shaping smaller curves is much easier.

If you need a larger curve, like the Taito cabs, or the top of a Galaga cab, then I would suggest a shop made circle cutting jig.  Your router attaches to one end, and you screw a pivot some distance away to define the center of your arc.  The one I used to create the master for my build was just a piece of scrap.  It cut 3 significant curves on my son's cab (8" radius - 40" radius) that were very clean arcs.  For the other curves (rounded corners) I used a template that I shaped with a file after tracing a quarter... or something like that.

Anyhow, there are about a ton of how-to info on the web for tricks you can do with a router.  Just search for how to cut arcs with a router... and you'll get more than you need.

Good Luck!   

[walterg74]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your great replies/comments/suggestions.

I think I've decided to take the folllowing approach from my "noobiness"...:

I would need to get all the tools for I have none, and I don't know the results I'll get. So since the essential to start is to actually start cutting the wood, I'm gonna go ahead and buy the wood and the circular saw only. Once i go ahead and cut out all the pieces, if that went well and I actually did get the hang of of it, the following week (weeks?) I'll go ahead and buy the rest of the tools to continue the project. Trying to think about it like a process as others said, and going step by step....

Regarding the wood, since they have different names here, can you confirm if this is:

Particle (which i don't want): http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-140139788-recortes-o-placa-entera-aglomerado-10mm-15mm-18mm-25mm-30mm-_JM

Plywood: http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-143315704-fenolico-grandis-18-mm-industrial-122x244-encofrados-_JM

Mdf (title says on this one but just in case): http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-144532966-placa-mdf-fibrofacil-18mm-183-x-260-mts-masisa-trupan-_JM

Is plywod cheaper there too? I thought it was the other way around. Or maybe because the plate sizes are different... And that's another thing... While the "plywood" plaques are the same size as the american 8' x 4' if you do the conversion to metric, the MDF ones are a little bigger, with a size of 183 cm x 260 cm (roughly 8.5' x 6') althoughnthis may be an advantage to needing less wood? (depends on the plan/design I suppose).

One last thing is the thickness.... I've seen recommendations of using 5/8" and 3/4", which is respectively in metric 15.875 mm and 19.05 mm, and the thing is we don't get those widths here... The offer (as you can see from the links above) is for 15mm and 18mm plaques ( and others higer and lower than that), so that being the case, which woud you recommend and why? What would the minnimum be so it's not that heavy but sturdy enough to hold everything and not fall down on me or be all wobbly..?

Thanks!

[drventure]

Your pics look correct as to what is "plywood", "particleboard", and "MDF".

As to 5/8 or 3/4, maybe someone else will correct me but I'm pretty sure you typically use 5/8 for a control panel if you plan on putting a clear arcylic overlay on it. that way, when you put on the T-mold (which is typically right at 3/4), the total thickness of the panel and acrylic will match the tmold.

If you used 3/4 for the panel, then added a layer of acrylic, the tmold wouldn't be thick enough to cover the entire edge.

But for the rest of the cabinet, typically 3/4 ply is used (3/4 MDF is REALLY heavy).

I know some people have used 5/8 ply for the cabinet to make it a little lighter. You just might have to look for the right size tmold to trim it out.

[DNA Dan]

Thickness of material also depends on a few other factors as well:

1) Are you going to use a CRT monitor or an LCD?
2) Are you laminating the sides? Painting? Veneers?
3) Is this an upright? cocktail?

Thicker isn't always better because the cab gets very heavy. The problem with going too small is you might need to add more supporting structure.

As drventure stated, most people shoot to have a finished thickness of 3/4". This is a standard T-molding size. So you can imagine if you are going to laminate it with 1/16" laminate on both sides, you'll need to start with thinner material.

[drventure]

Good point, if you laminate the sides, you'd generally want to use the 5/8ths material.

Alternately, i know projects that have used the thicker material and then used a router to put a 45 degree bevel on one size so that the tmold fits flush.

[walterg74]

Right.. Well the problem is that as I stated in my above post, I don't have 5/8" or 3/4" plaques... Only 15mm and 18mm....

[drventure]

No problems

If you go with something slightly thicker you can always use a router with a 45deg bevel bit to bevel theunderlying edge so that it meets up with whatever tmold you get.

Otherwise, you could go with a thinner stock, laminate, install tmold and if it's a little too wide, use a utility knife to trim off of the excess.

15mm= .59 inches.
5/8 inch = .625 inches

So 15mm should be just a hair thinner than the 5/8'th stuff.

18mm= .71 inches
3/4 in =  .75 inches

so again, 18mm is just a hair thinner than 3/4

Soooo, if you use 3/4 tmold, in either case, you're likely to be trimming a little of the tmold, unless you laminate.

If you use 18mm ply, and laminate, that will likely end up being just over 3/4", so you'll like need to bevel the underside or else some of the ply will show.

[wp34]

Here is a nice shot from Martijn's thread showing a flush example using 18mm MDF.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=112721.msg1197905#msg1197905

[walterg74]

Here is a nice shot from Martijn's thread showing a flush example using 18mm MDF.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=112721.msg1197905#msg1197905

Yep..that could come in handy....

Now one thing I didn't understand anout reading his SF cabinet thread....

He went an laminated, which looks really nice and I assume better than what you could get just painting (at least without painting infinte coats.. ) but then he went ahead and applied sideart tomthe whole frikkin thing....
What exactly is the point of laminating to have it nice and perfect if you're gonna cover up the whole thing anyway..?   

[Woodshop Flunky]

Now one thing I didn't understand anout reading his SF cabinet thread....

He went an laminated, which looks really nice and I assume better than what you could get just painting (at least without painting infinte coats.. ) but then he went ahead and applied sideart tomthe whole frikkin thing....
What exactly is the point of laminating to have it nice and perfect if you're gonna cover up the whole thing anyway..?   

I don't know what Martijn's justification was, but I did the same thing for a couple of reasons:
1.  I didn't trust the side art to stick to raw wood as well as it would the laminate, and I didn't want to prime and prep the surface to get better adhesion.
2.  I used 1/2 inch plywood for my sides, and putting laminate on both sides brought the thickness of my sides to very near 5/8 inch (the size t-molding I was shooting for).
3.  I'm somewhat obsessive, and it would have kept me up at night knowing only the inside of the cab was laminated! 

[Le Chuck]

1.  I didn't trust the side art to stick to raw wood as well as it would the laminate, and I didn't want to prime and prep the surface to get better adhesion.

+1 If you don't want to paint then you absolutely should laminate before vinyl application for reliable adhesion.  Bare wood to vinyl is a huge non starter. 

[walterg74]

Ok, so after several weeks of searching... I have come to the sad conclusion that is seems I can't find laminate here in my country anywhere... they're either not importing it or whatever, but bottom line is I can't get it

So since I will have to paint, would you still recommend the ply? I would really like the finishing to be as smooth as possible, and don't want the wood patterns to show  

It would seem that mdf would be smoother and have a better painted finish, but then I think about the advice of plywood being lighter/better/whatever and don't know which one to choose

Also, what paint type would I need? Matte or Satinated finish? Is it special for wood or those deemed "for interiors"  

Edit: I also see the possibility of (maybe) finding that pre-laminated plywood. Is that a good or bad idea? I can think of the prox of it being laminated and there already, but the cons, I don't know if it would break/chip when cutting/routing and that I guess you have draw out the pieces carefully so you don't have the "rough"/unlaminated sides where you don't want them..? (i.e. for the large side manel the back would ne to be laminated and not the front/top since it will have t-molding, etc.)

[drventure]

Ok, so after several weeks of searching... I have come to the sad conclusion that is seems I can't find laminate here in my country anywhere... they're either not importing it or whatever, but bottom line is I can't get it

Really? Maybe it's not called "laminate", but something else. Does anywhere nearby sell home improvement type products (cabinetry, doors, flooring, etc).

Often times, in the US, home builders will use a brand called Formica laminate to lay down on kitchen countertops. It's far cheaper than tile or stone, and is much faster to install. And it'd fairly durable.

As far as painting goes, You could get ply to look quite good, but it'll take some work.

The main thing is, you'll have to first lay down a coat of filler to fill as many large imperfections as possible.

Let dry and sand, then start laying down coats of primer. Several people here have had really good results using automotive spray filler, basically like Bondo (the trade name here) or fiberglass resin, just in spray can form. You spray it, let dry, sand, then spray again as necessary.

Once you've got the grain filled, you sand progressively from 100grit, down to say 400-800 grit (or as far as you want to go).

Matte or Satin (or gloss for that matter) all depends on the look you're going for. Personally, I'd think a matte would look best, but that's just me.

Another possible option is some of the specialized spray paints that give a textured look. Not sure if that would be available where you are, but it's something you might look into as well.

[Woodshop Flunky]

If I couldn't find laminate, then I'd make the side panes with MDF, and use wood, or ply for the stuff in between.

[walterg74]

Ok, so after several weeks of searching... I have come to the sad conclusion that is seems I can't find laminate here in my country anywhere... they're either not importing it or whatever, but bottom line is I can't get it

Really? Maybe it's not called "laminate", but something else. Does anywhere nearby sell home improvement type products (cabinetry, doors, flooring, etc).

Often times, in the US, home builders will use a brand called Formica laminate to lay down on kitchen countertops. It's far cheaper than tile or stone, and is much faster to install. And it'd fairly durable.

As far as painting goes, You could get ply to look quite good, but it'll take some work.

The main thing is, you'll have to first lay down a coat of filler to fill as many large imperfections as possible.

Let dry and sand, then start laying down coats of primer. Several people here have had really good results using automotive spray filler, basically like Bondo (the trade name here) or fiberglass resin, just in spray can form. You spray it, let dry, sand, then spray again as necessary.

Once you've got the grain filled, you sand progressively from 100grit, down to say 400-800 grit (or as far as you want to go).

Matte or Satin (or gloss for that matter) all depends on the look you're going for. Personally, I'd think a matte would look best, but that's just me.

Another possible option is some of the specialized spray paints that give a textured look. Not sure if that would be available where you are, but it's something you might look into as well.

Yeah, I-ve searched a number of terms, we normally have for that type of stuff just 1 chain, and I went yesterday and they don't carry that, and also lots of sellers use our local "ebay" (where I posted some links to wood before).

Another alternative I found, these guys sel plywood already laminated and on both sides:

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-423543052-fenolico-plastificado-2-caras-negro-18mm-122-x-244-mts--_JM

How does that look to you?

[walterg74]

If I couldn't find laminate, then I'd make the side panes with MDF, and use wood, or ply for the stuff in between.

That would be a good idea... Just curious though as some other parts (like the lower front?) owuld also need to be painted. But yeah, seems like a valid compromise

[Woodshop Flunky]

If I couldn't find laminate, then I'd make the side panes with MDF, and use wood, or ply for the stuff in between.

That would be a good idea... Just curious though as some other parts (like the lower front?) owuld also need to be painted. But yeah, seems like a valid compromise

Yeah... I wasn't very clear. I meant I would use wood or ply for the structural connections between the panels, but the exterior surface panels could be MDF.

[walterg74]

So before I rush out to buy the wood, I gues sI have to decide exactly what cabinet I will build..

I can't really make up my mind about the design, although I think I want something classic, like this:

http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-421414873-arcades-multijuegos-video-juego-mame-fichin-flipper-_JM#questionText

There doesn't seem to be a dedicated forum here for plans, is there any place I can at least find a whole bunch of them to try to find one I like?

I already found the place with the best price for the wood, and since I definitely crossed out laminate since it seems it's not available at least for now in my country, it has to be MDF, although I looked at an 18 mm sheet today and got scared, while at the same time thought the 15 mm one looked a bit flimsy... (noob, huh? )

A point in the right direction is welcome 

[Le Chuck]

Plans:  jakobud.com

Back in like '04 or something the BYOAC'rs started consolidating cab plans and Jakobud pretty much saved the project, the day, and large parts of the hobby by researching, documenting, drawing, standardizing, and hosting.  If there was a patron saint of cab plans his avatar would be a big pink cobra.