Installing sticks on 10mm mdf

[moosekatdeluxe]

Hey all.
I am just ordering sticks and buttons for my bartop arcade that was a kit built in 10mm mdf. Researching on how to add the sticks, there is lots of info about routing out bits, mounting it from top or bottom etc. as this is my first build I am after the easiest (but good) method. I am getting magstick plus sticks, and i am looking to use bolts coming from the top through and have them sunk in and filled to smooth out and with artwork and acrylic on top. Any other advice with mounting stick on a slightly thin panel??

Thanks in advance

NICK

[lilshawn]

easiest and best looking would be from the bottom. you don't have to worry about getting the hole you route out too big etc.

dont rout out too much though, you still want some wood for the screws you'll mount it with to have something to bite into., also if it's  too thin, and you risk making it weak or having screws poke out the top when you ount.

i would route out 3 or 4 mm to start and try it out. install the stick, the overlay, plastic (if you are using them) and see how it sits. if you need a little more height on your stick, take off another mm or 2. but be warned you can always take off more, but you can't put it back.

[moosekatdeluxe]

Is the reason to rout out a hole to give as much stick height as possible? When they design sticks, they must take this into account, dont they?? Also with the acrylic top, what thickness in mm should i go for??

Thanks.

[lilshawn]

back in the day they made the panels out of sheetmetal, so thickness wasn't an issue. later they started to make them out of plywood and still used the same sticks. some manufacturers went so far as to design longer handles for use with wood tops.

it became easier to just route out the bottom or top of the panel and install the stick, and not buy extra parts.

some people like a really long stick to hold onto (depends on your playing style i guess) and want maximum stickage so they tediously route out the top and have it flush. these are usually the same people who spaz out about other using LCD monitors.

anyways, with the top, i'd go with acrylic (aka plexiglas) and NOT polycarbonate (aka lexan) because lexan scratches like all hell. you want the top to be a thin as you think you can get away with, but not so thin that it's going to get cracked on you. some people choose lexan because they can get it about 1 mm thick and it's strong as a bull and won't crack, but you wipe it with anything and it's scratched.

for a home unit i would go with 2mm plexiglas... but watch when you drill/cut it cause it tends to crack when stressed.

for a commercial use unit, you almost have to go with lexan cause people will pick and pry at stuff and plexiglas would be broken in no time. I cover panels commercially with 1.5mm lexan.