My second build : Pinup. Finished. Now with plans.

[yamatetsu]

I was browsing for arcade cabs and found this one :



I like the shape, so I'm going to build my version of it. Mine will be slightly bigger since I'm going to use a 20" monitor versus the 17" one used in his cab.

I will be using 'birch multiplex' wood (that's what it's called in Germany anyway) and black acrylic. The concept goes like this :









The pinups will be done using the 'inkjet to wood' technique, the dark shapes will be done using a dark stain.

This is going to be a vertical cab with a 20" 4:3 monitor.

Right now I'm waiting for the wood. I have given the sheet to a carpenter to get some boards cut out of it, so far he has promised to have it done yesterday, today, and now friday.
I'm also waiting for good weather, it has been raining cats and dogs all week long.



Some final pics, more at the end of the thread.

















Plans and measurements can be found here. 

[harveybirdman]

sweet concept!  Any way to make the ladies bigger?  Or are you limited with printer size?

[emphatic]

Nice concept!

[yamatetsu]

sweet concept!  Any way to make the ladies bigger?  Or are you limited with printer size?

Unfortunately I am pretty much limited to A4 size. I believe the printer could go a teensy bit bigger, but I have to print on paper that doesn't absorb the ink, and that will probably be hard to find bigger than A4 size.

[harveybirdman]

In that case have you considered placement in the top corner or nearer to the CP?


It's freaking cool either way, just spitballin.... 

[yotsuya]

Glad to see it looks like you're doing it as a single player cabinet. I'm not sure how well that would work as a two player.

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[yotsuya]

In that case have you considered placement in the top corner or nearer to the CP?


It's freaking cool either way, just spitballin.... 

I agree with James, put them in the corners, otherwise there's too much empty space around them and it looks unfinished.

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[yamatetsu]

   

   

I think the ones in the middle look best.

I agree with James, put them in the corners, otherwise there's too much empty space around them and it looks unfinished.

I'm planning to stain the wood a bit darker, so that the pinups do not stand out so much.

[yamatetsu]

Glad to see it looks like you're doing it as a single player cabinet. I'm not sure how well that would work as a two player.

Yep, I think pbj once said that it's 99.9% single player, so I figured that I might as well make the controls comfortable for me.

[JDFan]

I think the ones in the middle look best.

I agree with James, put them in the corners, otherwise there's too much empty space around them and it looks unfinished.

I'm planning to stain the wood a bit darker, so that the pinups do not stand out so much.

THink he meant more like this location wise

[harveybirdman]

Thanks for that yeah...

Though I like the one in the upper back as well....

Matter of opinion really, no one is going to look at this when complete an say.... meh the pinup could be in a more aesthetically pleasing location.... They'll be all, "Does it play Galaga?"

[yamatetsu]

Hmmm. That doesn't work for me at all. I don't know why, but at that position it just looks like a randomly slapped on sticker to me.

Now I'm torn between placing them a bit higher but still centrally and placing them in the upper corner. Shapewise they would fit into the corner, but it would lead the eye to the corner instead of the whole side. Placing them centrally would lead the focus at least more to the side's upper half, but then they just kind of float there.

I'll have to experiment with the staining, I hope to be able to darken the wood so that the girls do not stand out so much, maybe even to the point that you only see them at the second glance. That would make the placement less of an issue. 

[harveybirdman]

Play around with reversing image maybe? Make sure they are at least mirrored ( with all due respect to edoking)

I love where JDFan put it, but I think we can all agree we're excited to see where this goes regardless of where you decide to place the pinup.

Nevermind on the mirror I see now you already have it properly done.

[yotsuya]

See, and I think that small smack dab in the middle it leaves too much negative space. At least in the corner looks like a style choice.

Your cab, of course.

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[JDFan]

One of the reasons I like the front placement is if the machine is set next to something else (ie. another machine, or a wall) you will be more likely to be able to still see them rather than having them covered up. 

Also I would probably use a router and actually cut the inner outline into the cab and then stain darker than the rest of the side. 

[yamatetsu]

One of the reasons I like the front placement is if the machine is set next to something else (ie. another machine, or a wall) you will be more likely to be able to still see them rather than having them covered up. 

I simply do not like that placement. I would rather not being able to look at something that I like than being able to look at something that just does not look right to me.

Also I would probably use a router and actually cut the inner outline into the cab and then stain darker than the rest of the side. 

I would actually do that, but I do not have a router. I just own some basic tools, i.e. a jigsaw, a drill and a palm sander, so I am a bit limited in what I can do.

I will use a darker stain on the outlines, so that the wood grain is still visible.

[Kier]

Just a thought on the inkjet printing. I believe they do make special paper for it. But I have also heard of people using wax paper. I once messed around a little with it using the backing for avery sticker sheets and it worked quite well.

Regarding location - I like the middle version the best. The front the 2nd best.

Nice concept.

[rablack97]

Is it me or is nobody seeing laser etched instead of decal?

[yamatetsu]

Is it me or is nobody seeing laser etched instead of decal?

Decal ? The pics will be mirrored, printed onto the backing of sticker sheets and then pressed onto the wood so that the ink is transferred to the wood. The pic will not be transferred completely, which gives it a kind of retro vibe.

Here's one I made a while ago.

Just a thought on the inkjet printing. I believe they do make special paper for it. But I have also heard of people using wax paper. I once messed around a little with it using the backing for avery sticker sheets and it worked quite well.

I will stick to the sticker sheets, I don't want the pics to be crisp and clear, I'm looking for a kind of old photo look.

[Vidiot]

Just wanted to comment and subscribe. I love this concept. Cant wait to see how she turns out!

[wp34]

That is a really great design.  Reminds me of a combination between a "lowboy" and a cabaret but much more aesthetically pleasing.  Is  'birch multiplex' a type of plywood?

[leapinlew]

This is pretty much an anti-bartop design. Like, it's the bottom half of the cabinet and a bartop is the top half.

[yamatetsu]

That is a really great design.  Reminds me of a combination between a "lowboy" and a cabaret but much more aesthetically pleasing.  Is  'birch multiplex' a type of plywood?

It seems to be. From what I have read, it has a minimum thickness of 12 mm (a bit less than a half inch) and consists of at least 5 layers of equal thickness. In contrast to plywood they use a different way to glue those layers together, but don't ask me what that difference is. No idea. It looks like this.

[yamatetsu]

Yay ! I got my wood today !

I'm going to have a problem using both ink and stain : If I stain the wood first, it won't take the ink after that. If I put the pic on the wood first and stain it, the stain will destroy the pic. So I figured that I will have to put the pic onto the wood first and then do something to it that seals the wood and prevents it from taking the stain.

I took a scrap piece of wood and transferred the pic onto it. Then I printed the pic a second time, cut it out, put double tape onto the back of the 'frame' and put the frame onto the pic on the wood. Having now that masked everything off but the pic, I used a type of beeswax on the pic to hopefully seal it.
I also put three strips of frogtape on the wood to form a rectangle, this was to test whether I can use frogtape to mask the stain.

I then used a brush to apply the stain and wiped the excess off. Just a rush job to see whether it works or not.

This is the pic :



This is the result :



As usual, the camera does not get the colors right. The pic took a bit of stain but is still recognizable. As you can see in the upper left corner, frogtape works.
Next time I will try spraying the pic with colorless matte lacquer, that will hopefully seal it off better.

[yamatetsu]

The sides are cut.

[JudgeRob]

I thought you weren't going to do a second build? 

I wish the images were bigger.  If it is going to look retro and kind of "grainy" anyway, can't you print smaller parts and join them together?  The seams might not even be noticable.  I like the look and technique.  Very cool.

[yamatetsu]

I thought you weren't going to do a second build? 

Heh. I have resisted for a long time 

I wish the images were bigger.  If it is going to look retro and kind of "grainy" anyway, can't you print smaller parts and join them together?  The seams might not even be noticable.

I have done a tiled test print on 4 A4 pages. The pics look good even at that size, but transferring them on the wood getting a good result is simply impossible. When I print tiles, I get a border of 4mm on each page that has to be cut off. Aligning a ruler to the exact border of the print and cutting that wobbly 'paper' with a scalpel is challenging. If the rules touches the ink, you ruin the print. If you somehow manage to cut 4 prints without messing them up, you have to flip them over and put them onto the wood, aligning them without seeing the picture. That is pretty much impossible.

I came up with the idea to doubletape the prints on a piece of cardboard first, which at least allows you to align them while seeing the picture. I made the mistake of using thick cardboard, which led to the ink only being partially transferred.



I probably would get a much better result if I used thin cardboard paper. But if you look at the picture, you will notice the vertical white line. That is the seam. Now imagine the pics being perfect and still having that seam. It just doesn't work.

[Kier]

Have you tried wax paper? You could custom cut it, spray adhesive to what ever size paper or cardstock you need for backing so it doesnt wrinkle when you print on it.

I have never used wax paper for it, but I read it would work.

[yamatetsu]

The paper is not the problem. The backing of sticker sheets is nearly perfect for this, but I'm limited to A4 size by my printer. To get a bigger size, I would have to do a tiled print, cut off the borders without messing up the ink, somehow align them perfectly (ain't gonna happen) and then I still would get clearly visible seams.

So I'm going to stick with A4 size. Right now I'm experimenting on how to transfer the pics first, then protect them from getting wiped out by the stain. Masking everything but the picture off and giving it a generous coat of clear spray lacquer, letting that dry for a day and then staining it seems to work.

[Kier]

Got ya.

I just bought a 11x17 inkjet for just those few projects that A4 wouldnt be enough. I waited 2 years but found 1 at Staples for $56 I think it was.

Good Luck. I think its a great idea. Will look sharp when you figure it out.

[ppv]

Different process to transfer image to wood, bit more involved though.
But, it uses laser printing, so you could use an oversized printout from staples...

[yamatetsu]

Change of plans.

I found out that this lady looks horrible when printed in A4 size, the pic is too low quality.



So her replacement will be this lady :



The white areas between the chair legs will be hard to mask off, but I believe the result will well be worth it.

Different process to transfer image to wood, bit more involved though.
But, it uses laser printing, so you could use an oversized printout from staples...

I'm from Germany, I don't believe that there is someting like staples in my area. I'm comfortable with the A4 size, so I'll stick with that.

Staining.

I have been merrily staining away and have learned a few things.

- While you can put on the next layer after 3 to 5 hours, it takes 8 days for the stuff to fully cure. This sucks.

- If you buy two cans of stain, always check if it is indeed the same color tone. I bought a 250ml can and a 750ml can, same manufacturer, same color, but the stain from the small can is noticeably darker. I found that out the hard way after having done 3 layers on the inside of the cab's right side with stain from the small can and then having done the left side's inside with the stain from the large can. Sanding down 3 layers of stain to the bare wood sucks. Staining it again sucks.

- It is a very good idea to tape off the wood's edge when staining. The excess stain WILL run down the edge and onto the wood's other side.

So far I have finished two small pieces of wood and the inside of the cab's left side. The right inside needs two additional layers. I will let the left side dry for a day, then I'll put the pic on it.

[ppv]

I'm from Germany, I don't believe that there is someting like staples in my area. I'm comfortable with the A4 size, so I'll stick with that.

  Do what works for you! Love the cab line and the design BTW. Very unique!

[pbj]

I kind of liked the seam.  Gave it that old billboard look.

[yotsuya]

I kind of would like to see what it looks like stained with all the lines and no pin-up art.

[yamatetsu]

I kind of liked the seam.  Gave it that old billboard look.

Imagine a clear, crisp image divided by uneven horizontal and vertical seams. That probably won't look good. Also, I'm too chicken to try that, this has to work first try.

I kind of would like to see what it looks like stained with all the lines and no pin-up art.

That's impossible. It goes picture -> stain -> lines. If the wood is stained first, it doesn't take the ink any more. I can do the dark checker board pattern on the front piece which is already stained and show you that, but that's probably not what you have in mind.

[yotsuya]

So it is. Well, enjoy the process.

[BigCurtis]

To overcome the problem with using the multi-page layout issue, you might be able to get a large piece of poster paper (large enough for your full image and then some), then, only cutting off the edges which would overlap another tile, tape the first printed inkjet piece down to the cardboard using the remaining margin edges. For the next piece, only cut off the edges which overlap, and tape it down (using remaining edges), do the next the same and so on, until you have them all laying there flat, aligned "perfectly", taped down to the poster paper. If you try to go 3x3 tile wise or larger, the inner pieces will need to retian their sides, and outer pieces will overlap the "dead zone".

Another quick trick - instead of trying to print & cut to exact edges, have the art on your tiles overlap enough to offset any sloppy printing, you can still line up the image without having to be the worlds best scissor handler.

Anyway, then you would lay the side panel onto the image (this part will remain tricky and in need of a skilled eye, I wouldn't try it will a full cab, but a cabaret side and smaller I would), and finally tape the whole poster paper contraption to the wood from the underside (use a few boards like mini-saw horses to elevate the poster paper and slip some tape under) so it's very firmly in place, then carefully flip the whole thing and do your image rub down.

Thickness of poster paper "support" layer will impact how easy/well you can rub the image, and the thickness of what you're printing on will determine how well overlapping works.

One final thought, you can also print on to transparency paper so you can see the image from both sides, and then you can try aligning from "the top". Again, having the art on the tiles overlap will help avoid gaps/misalignment.

[yamatetsu]

To overcome the problem with using the multi-page layout issue, you might be able to get a large piece of poster paper (large enough for your full image and then some), then, only cutting off the edges which would overlap another tile, tape the first printed inkjet piece down to the cardboard using the remaining margin edges. For the next piece, only cut off the edges which overlap, and tape it down (using remaining edges), do the next the same and so on, until you have them all laying there flat, aligned "perfectly", taped down to the poster paper.

That's exactly what I did, and it didn't work. I think that due to the fact that you only can tape the tiles on three sides, they have leeway to move vertically a bit when you rub the poster paper, causing the seam to appear.

Anyway, then you would lay the side panel onto the image (this part will remain tricky and in need of a skilled eye, I wouldn't try it will a full cab, but a cabaret side and smaller I would), and finally tape the whole poster paper contraption to the wood from the underside (use a few boards like mini-saw horses to elevate the poster paper and slip some tape under) so it's very firmly in place, then carefully flip the whole thing and do your image rub down.

That side panel is approx. 27" x 46.5" and irregularly shaped. Trying to lay that onto the image without seeing it and hoping to hit the perfect position sounds like a bit of a stretch to me, especially when doing it for the first time. I won't risk ruining the panel doing something that just might work, but probably won't.

Status update :

So far I have done 7 test prints with smaller pics, all 7 were perfectly transferred to the wood, the last two not only survived the staining but also look pretty good.
So today I printed the marquee pic, transferred it to the wood, and of course the wood didn't take all the ink     I just love this.

[BigCurtis]

Have you looked into the wood-burning route? There's a similar technique using toner-based prints (i.e. laser-printer/copier) images and a wood burning tool. Being laser-printed, you don't have the smudge danger with the inkjet method, and the end result seems in-line with the style you're going for (though some experimentation may still be necessary to get the final result you want).

A quick writeup google found for me: http://www.maidendshade.com/2011/11/how-to-transfer-images-with-wood.html

Concept is the same, except you're using the flat heating tool to re-heat the toner and transfer it from paper to wood.