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control panel design review
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rhys:
Here's a revised version with the P2 layout for P1
Dcpmark:
This is similar to a panel that I'm building, but IMHO you have plenty of room for a trackball and/or a spinner without being too crowded. You have wasted space on the far right and far left of the panel, and there is no reason to cut off the bottom left and bottom right angles of the panel so deeply. Google HotRod SE, and look at the pictures. Drop the button rows, move everything outwards, move the top row of buttons as high as they can go, and you will have plenty of room for a U-TRACK Flush mounted trackball (no mounting plate required). At the very worst you MIGHT have to mount it at a 90 degree angle, but that just requires a minor rewiring. Make the enclosure follow the contours of the edge of the CP rather than rectangle-shaped to give yourself more room.

By the way, 24x12 works just as well as 24x11, and gives more room.
rhys:
I have no interest nor intention of putting a trackball or spinners in this unit (nor the funding, damn things are expensive).  The enclosure will follow the top panel contour with a .25" or .5" overhang, maybe a little more at the bottom.  Top buttons are already about as high as they can get with 3/4" wood for the box and a small overhang.  I'm planning to use dowels and glue to attach the box to the top, not L brackets, so the frame wood has to be reasonably thick.  Plus, I'll likely finger joint the base box.  If I use a nice wood, I can just sand and stain and it will look nice under the black painted with vinyl decal top.  I wanted to leave as much palm space at the bottom as I could get away with, which is why the layout is high on the panel.  I cut the corners with just enough clearance for the left joystick base.  I will likely dado the bottom of the frame to flush recess mount the bottom panel and attach with screws. 

I do woodworking as a hobby as well, so I have all the tools to do pretty much whatever I want with this.  Table-saw/router-table, planer, belt sander, spindle sander, 24x36 CNC mill, chop saw, radial arm saw, circular saw, half a dozen different hand saws (each has a different use), hole saws, drill press, band saw, scroll saw, chisels, and more hand tools than I have places to store them.

Thankfully, most of the tools are garage sale finds and hand-me-downs.  I wouldn't have a quarter of them if I'd had to buy them at retail prices lol!!  My latest acquisition is a 20gal 2.5HP air compressor so I can actually use the HVLP sprayer I acquired in a trade.  Should come in handy for this project if it doesn't get to cold before I'm ready to paint.  The disadvantage of living in Northern Indiana.  It went from upper 70's on average to low 50's on average in the span of two days....
keilmillerjr:

--- Quote from: rhys on October 17, 2013, 04:21:39 pm ---Should come in handy for this project if it doesn't get to cold before I'm ready to paint.  The disadvantage of living in Northern Indiana.  It went from upper 70's on average to low 50's on average in the span of two days....

--- End quote ---

Word. Weather is pretty crazy here in New England too. Hot during the day and cold at night. Sunny and then terrible rain. Cold one day and summer weather the next.

I tried having a guy paint my rx7 engine bay 2 weeks ago, and got rained out. Shooting again for these weekend. All I need is a few hours of warm weather and no wind, then I can roll it into my fathers heated garage. But weather can be unpredictable when you live in certain areas. :banghead:
paigeoliver:

--- Quote from: rhys on October 17, 2013, 04:21:39 pm ---I have no interest nor intention of putting a trackball or spinners in this unit (nor the funding, damn things are expensive).  The enclosure will follow the top panel contour with a .25" or .5" overhang, maybe a little more at the bottom.

--- End quote ---

Significant amounts of control panel overhang past the box wall is totally a BYOAC thing and not a real game thing. You will find most factory built cabinets keep the panel around 1/4" larger than the box. The panel is more durable without the overhang and the space it gives you isn't really usable anyway.
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