Marquee Boxes

[Admiral688]

I'm looking to do a lightbox for some marquees I just picked up.....a Star Trek, Asteroids Deluxe, Robotron and Stargate. Thinking of running it along the narrow soffet along the heater ductwork backlit with LEDs to give my room a little bit of ambiance, but am not sure how to go about framing them. My woodworking skills are not the best, so I was looking for alternative methods to accomplish this. Anyone have any ideas, as I'm sure I'm no the first person to think of this. Since its cold as hell here, I figured I'd run to get some white posterboard for the background and mounting of LED strips. Perhaps make a custom frame from L-Channel??

[nitrogen_widget]

how low to the ground will that be?
How much depth are you thinking?

Do you have a table saw?
I'm thinking just some planks ripped to 2 inch thick lengths with slots cut into them about a half inch in & the marquee's slid in from the side and held in place with those slots.

I hear you on cold.
I can't even spend more than 10 mins. in my basement before i loose feeling in my hands.

[yotsuya]

I built a box, and I had HaRuMaN build a kit box for me as well. Mine was for a Pac-Man marquee.

[Admiral688]

It's not low. It's about 6 inches below the drop ceiling (perhaps soffet is the wrong word.....ill have to take a pic and post it when I get home so you can get a general idea).

I have a table saw and a hand router. Since the wife and I have a building for her practice I have the standard amount of general handyman ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- lying around. I'm not well versed in micro woodworking skills at this point but am willing to start somewhere. I don't know if making individual boxes would be better as I would like to daisy the led lighting together to make them one switched fixture.  I'm thinking if I can do it it would be nice to have it stained wood like the rest of the house, but was opened to others ideas just to widen my pool of options.

Yotsuya,  if I wasn't in between jobs at the moment I would order one from him. Matter of fact,  I would start my attempt at a multi William build and pick up a nice bartop that I saw another member put together for trades.  Alas it's not in the cards for me at the present time.  My wife has me on the emergency spending bill her government passed last week which curtails all spending with the exception of getting my car fixed and getting my cat his emergency surgery ( we think he swallowed something and it's not passing).

[yotsuya]

Yotsuya,  if I wasn't in between jobs at the moment I would order one from him. Matter of fact,  I would start my attempt at a multi William build and pick up a nice bartop that I saw another member put together for trades.  Alas it's not in the cards for me at the present time.  My wife has me on the emergency spending bill her government passed last week which curtails all spending with the exception of getting my car fixed and getting my cat his emergency surgery ( we think he swallowed something and it's not passing).

I hear you, bro.

When I built mine, I just built a box the width of the marquee, with the sides a bit taller (think of the way a marquee looks on an arcade cabinet). I then used aluminum channel as my marquee retainers. It looks like I lopped the front 6 inches off a cabinet. I was happy with the results. I had HaRuMaN design a similar box for the second one. Good luck!

[Admiral688]

Yotsuya,  if I wasn't in between jobs at the moment I would order one from him. Matter of fact,  I would start my attempt at a multi William build and pick up a nice bartop that I saw another member put together for trades.  Alas it's not in the cards for me at the present time.  My wife has me on the emergency spending bill her government passed last week which curtails all spending with the exception of getting my car fixed and getting my cat his emergency surgery ( we think he swallowed something and it's not passing).

I hear you, bro.

When I built mine, I just built a box the width of the marquee, with the sides a bit taller (think of the way a marquee looks on an arcade cabinet). I then used aluminum channel as my marquee retainers. It looks like I lopped the front 6 inches off a cabinet. I was happy with the results. I had HaRuMaN design a similar box for the second one. Good luck!

Do you have a picture? It may serve as a good starting point. It shouldn't be too difficult for me to do. I'm just thinking how to make it one contiguous piece with different height marquees. I'm thinking of having Star Trek in the middle since it's the highest flanked by Stargate and robotron on the sides.

If I had to, I could create three separate boxes and screw them together, but I'm trying for a seamless look. Perhaps a piece of black plastic t-molding in between to separate them.

What type of lighting did you use on yours?

[nitrogen_widget]

It's not low. It's about 6 inches below the drop ceiling (perhaps soffet is the wrong word.....ill have to take a pic and post it when I get home so you can get a general idea).

I have a table saw and a hand router. Since the wife and I have a building for her practice I have the standard amount of general handyman ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- lying around. I'm not well versed in micro woodworking skills at this point but am willing to start somewhere. I don't know if making individual boxes would be better as I would like to daisy the led lighting together to make them one switched fixture.  I'm thinking if I can do it it would be nice to have it stained wood like the rest of the house, but was opened to others ideas just to widen my pool of options.

Yotsuya,  if I wasn't in between jobs at the moment I would order one from him. Matter of fact,  I would start my attempt at a multi William build and pick up a nice bartop that I saw another member put together for trades.  Alas it's not in the cards for me at the present time.  My wife has me on the emergency spending bill her government passed last week which curtails all spending with the exception of getting my car fixed and getting my cat his emergency surgery ( we think he swallowed something and it's not passing).

I think your use of the word soffit & my lack of reading comprehension confused me.
I read heater "vent" for some reason.

different heights huh?
Well i don't think one contiguous piece will work.

I'm thinking something close to a picture rail except the rail is on both the top & bottom to secure the marquee in place.

[Admiral688]

Here's a picture of the area for clarification.... I may have used the wrong term as I'm a better data engineer than a handyman....

[bfauska]

For the different sizes that marquees come in I think you'd be best off building the whole thing at one height without any divisions between marquees and then finding a way to mask them all to the same size, maybe like the matting on a painting? That way you could swap pieces in or out as your collection changes and it would make the construction much easier. If the ends are removable then you could attach the trim pieces that hold everything in place permanently or if the ends were permanent then you could use the trim pieces as keepers and unscrew them when you needed to take something out. The angled trim pieces have LED tape that you can find on amazon or cheaper from ebay, it's pointed at the wall so that the whole unit can remain fairly shallow and still get diffused light by bouncing it. Here is an image I whooped up after your question gave me a wild hare. I don't have time to label the different parts just now but maybe it makes some sense anyway. I'll check back and answer any questions if there are any.

[yotsuya]

That's a fine suggestion, bfauska.

[BorgDog]

Nice use of a french cleat there bfauska.      I have to keep remembering that for more projects.

[Admiral688]

Yes gentlemen, thank you all for the input. I like the idea of matting as that makes it simpler for me and the toe pieces keep me away from wasting time with a router....not like I couldn't do it, but left don't have the proper setup to route long straight slots for the proper grooves. I basically got it to fix a floor and haven't touched it since. I should be able to get everything from ac Moore when I get home tonight.

I need to practice with the tools anyhow... It will give me something to keep me busy during my job search. When I land something I'm definitely getting one of your Nintendo bar tops if you're still making them bfauska! (it's the one I referred to earlier).

Time to let them fix my car (Damn thing cost $3800 at the stealership) and check in on my restoration partner, Mr. Boink.

[Malenko]

Here's a picture of the area for clarification.... I may have used the wrong term as I'm a better data engineer than a handyman....

Thats a bulkhead not a soffit.

[Admiral688]

Here's a picture of the area for clarification.... I may have used the wrong term as I'm a better data engineer than a handyman....

Thats a bulkhead not a soffit.

Ah.... Told ya I didn't know what I was talking about

[Admiral688]

Does anyone know where you can get the trim that holds the led tape?

(BTW: Mr Boink got released and is relaxing in his bed instead of the bottom of my cab now)

[lamprey]

Does anyone know where you can get the trim that holds the led tape?

Do you mean something like an aluminum channel? Like this?
http://www.amazon.com/39-4-Aluminum-TAMI-Channel-Light/dp/B00H2G0RMG

[Admiral688]

Yea....I recall seeing something similar in wood for crown molding which would work for the inside of the frame.

[Admiral688]

Finally got around to doing these! Here's the first one....

[DeLuSioNal29]

Nice!  Although it's begging for Satin Black paint.  :-)

D

[Admiral688]

I still have to take care of the color, but I just had enough spare time to get the box done for the first one. I was thinking paint, but found a nice dark stain I'm going to try out while I'm waiting for the led hardware and to arrive.

[Admiral688]

Anyone know how to print some reduced side art? I'd like to put a mini version on the sides.