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Author Topic: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?  (Read 5243 times)

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AndersHP

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Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« on: January 15, 2017, 07:39:52 am »
In the YouTube videos many seems to make the bezel around their screen of MDF and then cutting the hole for the screen area.
This offsets the screen a lot, and I want to have the screen as close to the plexiglass covering it as possible.

Could a solution be to just spraypaint the plexiglass black from the backside (naturally after masking out the screen area  ;D) ? Or maybe inserting a black piece of paper as the bezel?


thomas_surles

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2017, 08:05:20 am »
Yes. I see it done all the time.

JDFan

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2017, 10:34:53 am »
Poster board works well also !

Le Chuck

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2017, 11:26:08 am »
I prefer to get black core framing board.  Any big box art/craft supply will carry it in the framing section.  Just ask for black core sheet, usually under $20 and the sheets are huge.  Enough to do four bezels easy.  It's sandable for smooth edges and black through and through. 

behrmr

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2017, 01:28:07 pm »
In the YouTube videos many seems to make the bezel around their screen of MDF and then cutting the hole for the screen area.
This offsets the screen a lot, and I want to have the screen as close to the plexiglass covering it as possible.

Could a solution be to just spraypaint the plexiglass black from the backside (naturally after masking out the screen area  ;D) ? Or maybe inserting a black piece of paper as the bezel?
Yes. This works great.

BadMouth

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2017, 01:30:02 pm »
I prefer to get black core framing board.  Any big box art/craft supply will carry it in the framing section.  Just ask for black core sheet, usually under $20 and the sheets are huge.  Enough to do four bezels easy.  It's sandable for smooth edges and black through and through.
I've done the spray paint a couple time s and it turned out great. 

I've been wanting to lay down a design with pinstriping masking tape (K-tape or Testor's) before painting the black.  Then peel the tape & spray to fill in the stripes with a different color.  With the different color paints being level with each other and the plexi in front of them, I bet it would look pro.

behrmr

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2017, 10:26:30 am »
If you want some custom art there are printers that can print your art and reverse apply it to plexi and cut to your spec.  I've used escape pod online and I think it's like $90 for a custom printed bezel.  It makes a nice clean finished and professional looking bezel.   

lilshawn

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AndersHP

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2017, 08:23:20 am »
Thanks for the answers, I will do this on my arcade!
How do you fix the bezel after dropping it down on the screen... Black silicone along the sides, or? Would prefer to avoid visible screws...

lilshawn

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Re: Making a thin bezel - painting plexiglass from backside?
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2017, 06:41:20 pm »
there is a prexisting ledge/lip on the inside if you note on the bottom,left, and right sides in the second photo. also a slot in the top the glass slots into. the bottom of the glas sits in the ledge.