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Author Topic: The Grid....  (Read 182349 times)

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gingecko

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #280 on: August 02, 2019, 12:32:05 am »
Yep, I set that one up!

As I was about to pull the trigger on the Emerson, I got another idea. Will hold off on that one right now.

As for Control Panel height...I ended up cutting an inch shorter so that the wife can play too. It's now about 37" from ground to top of control panel. If it was just me, I would've stuck at 38", and I'm about 5'10" when not slouching.

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #281 on: August 07, 2019, 12:10:47 pm »
Thank you J_K_M_A_N, and gingecko for the input.  After debating on it for some time and modeling endlessly in SketchUp, I decided I would cut 1.5" off the bottom which brings the control panel height to 38.5".  It oddly balances the ratio of below control panel and above control panel heights better than before, so I think it actually improves the profile of the machine.

Didn't get any time to work this last weekend, but I should this weekend.  For now it's drawing lines and sit and wait:


Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #282 on: August 13, 2019, 10:34:44 am »
Got some time again on Sunday and a little yesterday.  Decided to tackle the base as I would like to be able to start assembling the lower half soon.  I bought some casters from Penn-Elcom as they were rated to handle a heavy load.  The metal frame on them is 3.25” so I was grappling in the design phase on how I would mount them.  I came across 3.5” redwood while looking around home depot and thought it would be perfect so I grabbed the default 10ft. piece:



I thought this would also help to add weight to the base to lower the center of gravity…just in case.

My usual techniques failed as a jig saw cannot cut through as the blade starts to bounce on the wood it’s not able to cut on the downstroke, started to get unruly.  I had borrowed a co-workers very basic circular saw with a very old blade and figured screw it:



Cuts didn’t come out too bad:



But the blade wasn’t long enough to make the cut on one or even two goes, so I had to repeat the above on all 4 sides.  Got me my rough cut and then it was off to routing for a smooth edge……errr:



As you can tell I could have really used a good table saw or circular saw as it became a pain in the ass to cut, lower, cut, lower, flip, change bit, cut, raise, cut raise.  Doing this for 4 pieces and 2 sides each translated to the better part of the morning/afternoon.  I did get my dimensions right and did have clean surfaces so that’s a plus:



Next was routing out the necessary areas to fit the castor.  I struggled with this for awhile as it took quite a long time drawing circles for me to realize that the caster frame wasn't actually a circle but was straight near the edges.  So as I was short on time and because I wanted to get something done and this wasn’t going to be something anyone would see I decided to trace the outline as best as possible and freehand a template.  Didn’t come out too bad:



Placed the template on top of the piece:



which presented an issue setting up a stable cut, so this was the best I could come up with:



Could really have used a nice vice, but this worked:





Routed the other piece:



Was pumped to put it together:



Dooohh!!



Oh yeah it has bolts, duh.



Cut some more out free hand and finally got what I was looking for:







That’s was far as I could get before the clock ran out.  One thing I’ve noticed is that the redwood is softer and is more easily dented, and chips easier when routing.  Overall I think it will work well but I don’t think I would use it for anything that you would have visible on the outside of a cab.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2019, 01:40:28 pm by Arroyo »

Mike A

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #283 on: August 13, 2019, 10:51:43 am »
 Nice work.

I am interested to see how this will all come together...Especially since it has to be done by early December. :bat

uptown47

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #284 on: August 13, 2019, 10:58:16 am »
Great update as usual.

I bought these casters for my build:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017GLWKXK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But yours look sooo much better. It seems like it's all starting to come together now. Looking forward to the next update :-)

bperkins01

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #285 on: August 13, 2019, 11:00:23 am »
Nice to get some shop time in!

May need to add a chop saw to the tool stable...   :applaud:
My Arcade Cabinet Build and other projects here:
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gingecko

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #286 on: August 13, 2019, 11:49:54 am »
Those are sweet castors, where did you get them? Adding those things is way trickier/time consuming than I expected, so I'm glad I at least got that part done.

Looking good!

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #287 on: August 13, 2019, 06:10:15 pm »
...Especially since it has to be done by early December. :bat

Yeeaaahhh about that, you wouldn't have a time machine handy would ya?

May need to add a chop saw to the tool stable...   :applaud:

I know I am probably embarrassing you right now Master Kenobi.  I promise I'll do better.

I bought these casters for my build:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017GLWKXK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But yours look sooo much better.

Those look like they'll work just fine.  I don't think there's any rule on this sort of thing, just whatever works for your requirements.

Those are sweet castors, where did you get them?

Cheers Bud.  They're from Penn-Elcom, link here:  Penn-Elcom Heavy Duty Recessed Castor W8075

You have to call them to get it in black.

bperkins01

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #288 on: August 13, 2019, 09:14:24 pm »
You are doing great work - keep it up!


My Arcade Cabinet Build and other projects here:
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gingecko

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #289 on: August 14, 2019, 01:07:49 am »
Nice that the wheels are enclosed and they have screw holes all over the edges. Sure would make mounting a lot easier!

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #290 on: August 19, 2019, 12:04:18 pm »
Managed to get the base built.

Here are the leg levelers (Twisted Quarter off E-Bay) that I am using opposite the castors:



Actually thought about posting this pic for help but after thinking about it more I realized the adjustable bolt should be below the plate, like the one on the left.

These are the braces I’m using that I found at Home Depot.  Only problem was they weren’t designed with screws in mind, but rather for large bolts.  So I used the drill press to cut holes and then the countersink to get it flush with the #10 screws that I am using (2.5” long). 



I got the good tip from bperkins to make sure the screws cover 75% of the width of the material, that was helpful info.  I used large clamps I bought to hold everything together while drilling and screwing.

An issue that I had was that the leg levelers if mounted directly to the wood would end up being higher up than the castor wheels.  So I needed to route down wood and lower the mounting plates.

Probably didn’t need to be this accurate, but I figured screw it, why not make it pretty and build a template:







Double sided sticky tape and it came out good:



Used a chisel to make those rounded corners fit a right angle so the mounting plate would fit.

Next was drilling out the hole for the bolts.  Setup a support for the wood and used the drill press (forstner bit) for a straight plunge:





And done:






Jumped up and down on it a number of times just to make sure and it feels rock solid.  The leg leveler mounting plates and castor plates act as additional reinforcement in addition to the braces.

I also managed to cut a number of rectangles and fix the height issue by lopping off the roughly 1.5” off the bottom of the side pieces.  Won’t bother posting pics of rectangles…..unless BYOAC is THAT boring today…hehe.

I’m keeping track of progress in SketchUp to see what’s been cut (in green), and what is outstanding……getting there:


« Last Edit: August 19, 2019, 02:48:14 pm by Arroyo »

gingecko

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #291 on: August 19, 2019, 12:21:08 pm »
Niiiice. Great looking base.

So you used double sided sticky tape to hold your jig in place while routing? I'd be worried that my router would fling that through the neighbor's window. Mine is such a beast, I want to get a nice palm router for smaller jobs someday.

I've been keeping my ToDo list in a Google doc and breaking it down by section/tasks. Works decent enough for me. I like your visual diagram checklist though. Looks like you're 2/3 of the way there?

Mike A

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #292 on: August 19, 2019, 12:35:41 pm »
Quote
Looks like you're 2/3 of the way there?
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #293 on: August 19, 2019, 01:20:00 pm »
So you used double sided sticky tape to hold your jig in place while routing?

It's actually 3M Scotch double sided mounting tape.  It's stupid strong, so strong in fact I have a tough time separating it after I'm done with the template.  I avoid using it if possible as it's more time intensive to setup, and it can take a small amount of material off when you remove it (just a few fibers, sometimes more).

Quote
I like your visual diagram checklist though. Looks like you're 2/3 of the way there?

In my head the things already built.  When I walk into the garage it feels like I just started.  I am getting faster though, and the wife is freeing me up more for time.  I've actually considered taking time off of work just to move this thing along :o
« Last Edit: August 19, 2019, 03:07:50 pm by Arroyo »

Mike A

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #294 on: August 19, 2019, 01:21:20 pm »
Quote
I've actually considered taking time off of work just to move this thing along :o

You are taking your first steps toward the dark side. Don't look back.

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #295 on: August 19, 2019, 01:24:35 pm »
Quote
I've actually considered taking time off of work just to move this thing along :o

You are taking your first steps toward the dark side. Don't look back.

You know you are getting old when this sounds better than a weekend in Vegas.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2019, 02:16:27 pm by Arroyo »

bperkins01

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #296 on: August 19, 2019, 01:28:04 pm »
Ok.  Funny.  I’m on a plane at this moment.  To Vegas. 
Business trip
Nice work! 
I use double stick tape all the time. I’ll send a link to the stuff I use.  Perfect for woodworking and holding Templates



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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uptown47

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #297 on: August 19, 2019, 02:29:05 pm »
Quote
I've actually considered taking time off of work just to move this thing along :o

You are taking your first steps toward the dark side. Don't look back.

You know you are getting old when this sounds better than a weekend in Vegas.

Ha ha!! Yep, I can identify with that... I was watching a mucky film last week on pornhub and paused it so I could take a closer look at how nice the coffee table looked....

Great update as always Arroyo :)

javeryh

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #298 on: August 19, 2019, 03:45:59 pm »
Wow sick - talk about attention to detail.  Love it.   :applaud:

bperkins01

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #299 on: August 19, 2019, 04:44:42 pm »
Pricier than I remember..
But this stuff is the perfect balance of double stick tape - not so thick that it creates a gap, yet not so thin that it can't stick to wood grain.

I use it all the time for template routing - in fact - if you use too much - it can get difficult to pry stuff apart.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodworking-tape-1-x-50
My Arcade Cabinet Build and other projects here:
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Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #300 on: August 26, 2019, 11:36:28 am »
Well Yots, you wanted the wallet opened, how’s this?: :o



Bought the suggested track saw from bperkins, and broke the bad news to the wife (better to beg for forgiveness?)

It’s lived up to all the hype and more.  I cut out 4 pieces with detail in the time I would normally cut 2.  In addition I took MikeA’s advice and bought a good Shop Vac (so sick of wasting time sweeping dust and getting it everywhere).

Here’s a sample of the saw cut:



The best part about the saw is you just lay the track on your line, flip on the saw, and you’re done in 15 seconds.  I really should have bought this from the beginning, it would have saved a ton of time.

It also let me cut the important angle pieces that I was dreading:





It’s really easy to do with the saw, just change the angle, line it up, and go.  One thing about cutting those angels though, make sure you cut anything in the middle of the piece first otherwise you may have trouble clamping:



I got lucky and found the scrap from my angle cut out and came up with the above fix so that I could
cut out the holes for the hand holds:







Test fit some pieces and was really happy everything is nice and tight:



Finished up by cutting out the coin door.  I noticed that some people didn’t cut the rounded edges and sometimes the corners of the cut would show behind the coin door.  So I busted out the compass:



And used the saw again cause any excuse I could find I did.



Then finished off the corners by hand routing following the marked out curve (couldn’t figure out a better way to do this):



Done:



The only pieces left (besides the control panel), are the curve support pieces, (so that I can attempt to kerf the coin door front) and control panel triangle pieces.  There’s also the monitor mounts, and the angled cuts for the supports (I might save that for later), and then it’s start putting this thing together.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2019, 03:47:18 pm by Arroyo »

bperkins01

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #301 on: August 26, 2019, 11:50:52 am »
Now that's some fine woodworking.  :applaud:
My Arcade Cabinet Build and other projects here:
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https://bperkins.wordpress.com/

Mike A

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #302 on: August 26, 2019, 11:54:10 am »
Lookin good.

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #303 on: August 26, 2019, 11:14:10 pm »
Beautiful!  Love those angles.   :applaud:

uptown47

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #304 on: August 27, 2019, 04:55:58 am »
The cuts from that saw look perfect! Great update.

Are you going to make the coin slots actually 'work' (i.e. add a credit to the machine) or are they just for show?

:-)

javeryh

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #305 on: August 27, 2019, 03:06:24 pm »
Dude.  Holy crap.  It looks great.   :cheers:

Also, I think you just convinced me to buy the circular saw and the guide thing.  I'm so sick of jigsaw + pattern bit on the router to cut anything straight.

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #306 on: August 27, 2019, 03:35:16 pm »
Circular saw and guide is a great combo for keeping things on-the-cheap.

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #307 on: August 27, 2019, 04:03:03 pm »
Man these things are a labor of love, but I'm really glad I didn't just buy a cabinet.  I've learned so much by taking on this project, and the support and knowledge from all you folks is priceless.

@bperkins - namaste my man.  Your council continues to keep me on track.

@Mikey - That Shop Vac saved ---my bottom---, good call.  This things gonna be show ready for December  :laugh:

@Laythe - Cheers, although from watching your project looks like cutting wood is just half the battle.  It's a long way to go (I'm still taking notes BTW).

@uptown47 - Yes, actually I originally had dedicated coin buttons but scrapped them.  I want people to have to put a coin in to get the original feel.  But I'll put in a button combo so I (and a few other insiders) don't have to every time.

@javery- Do it, you won't regret it.  Saves time and hassle, so you know, you can get back to your projects  ;)

@opt2not - Yup that would be cheaper for sure.  Only difference is you'd have to measure out the offset and draw the line, which adds some time/potential for accuracy issues, but yeah a lot cheaper.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2019, 04:37:12 pm by Arroyo »

gingecko

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #308 on: August 27, 2019, 06:42:00 pm »
I went the make your own sawboard route. For ease of use, it’s been awesome. Slap it down on the edge of the line and cut away. I’m not sure it was ever very accurate, but since I finally learned how to check a board edge for straightness, I found out after all this use, it’s far from it. I used a melamine board for the sawboard, which could potentially get dinged up and might also be why it’s not so straight. But I like to think I was careful with it.

But really to get straight cuts, something like that tracksaw with metal guides is gotta be where it’s at. I had figured my circular saw would be my primary cutting tool, but seems like I get much better results from the jigsaw and router.

Making angled cuts on my sawboard, like you did, was just about impossible. I think I really discovered the imperfections while troubleshooting an angled cut I was trying to make.

Kudos on your purchase and this can only mean that we will expect even more cabs after this one!

Arroyo

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #309 on: August 27, 2019, 08:16:25 pm »
Kudos on your purchase and this can only mean that we will expect even more cabs after this one!

I’ve got at least three more in my head, and two restorations :cheers:.

Ad·dict:
noun

to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively....



Yup that’s me.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2019, 04:29:27 pm by Arroyo »

uptown47

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #310 on: August 28, 2019, 05:03:25 am »
@uptown47 - Yes, actually I originally had dedicated coin buttons but scrapped them.  I want people to have to put a coin in to get the original feel.  But I'll put in a button combo so I (and a few other insiders) don't have to every time.

Sounds good. I built a fruit machine a year or two ago and it has a working coin mechanism for coins and it pays out in £1's and 10p's (UK) depending on how much you win. It all works brilliantly. I did consider adding a coin mech to my upcoming cabinet but have decided against it and prefer to go down the route of just a button... but now you've got me thinking and I might just see if there's room to put one in and then do the same as you and have a button as well. :-) :-)

bperkins01

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #311 on: August 28, 2019, 06:36:07 am »
I have the coin door - when I'm first "teaching" someone to use the machine - they are all dumbfounded..

Show them the scroll / select buttons... (blank stare)...
Get them to select the game...  (blank stare)...
Explain the controls that are lit up are the ones for the game... (blank stare)..
Game doesn't work w/o a quarter...  (Show them the quarters I keep up on the ledge next to the screen)
   ...  That will get more of the oh (duh look)
Press the start button .. ok I kinda remember that..
Then they remember playing the game from years ago..

..  Then I show them the *hidden* coin button..

I love the coin door



« Last Edit: August 28, 2019, 06:58:33 am by bperkins01 »
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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #312 on: August 28, 2019, 06:55:02 am »
Dude.  Holy crap.  It looks great.   :cheers:

Also, I think you just convinced me to buy the circular saw and the guide thing.  I'm so sick of jigsaw + pattern bit on the router to cut anything straight.

Been seriously looking over circular guide options for a while. This is a great example of quality work with one. Wonder how it compares in ease of use to a clamp on guide.

Arroyo, how you enjoying that Festool brand? I never tried anything from them before.

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #313 on: August 28, 2019, 07:05:26 am »
You are going to want to take out a second mortgage if you want to buy Festool.

In my opinion they are not worth the extra money. I used their stuff at a woodworking class I attended.

Their circular saw is like 400 bucks.

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #314 on: August 28, 2019, 08:24:02 am »
Festool is too rich for my blood, but Dominos are the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

They probably make a ton of sense for arcade building, too.

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #315 on: August 28, 2019, 08:38:16 am »
I love the Festool stuff..  Agreed it is super expensive..  Its like a Mercedes...  You can only complain about the price..

The track saw is special IMHO..  The sanders are great too..  Some of the other stuff I would not get (drills, etc)
Of all their tools - its the only one I would pay retail for..  (I worked at Woodcraft a number of years ago .. Festool provided discounts to us back then..  The discounts got the tools from ridiculous down to expensive) 

But if my track saw disappeared - I'd get it again.
I've done some research and all of the copycats are not quite there..  but... it is at a premium.. no doubt about that.

 

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #316 on: August 28, 2019, 10:10:08 am »
I love the Festool stuff..  Agreed it is super expensive..  Its like a Mercedes...  You can only complain about the price..

The track saw is special IMHO..  The sanders are great too..  Some of the other stuff I would not get (drills, etc)
Of all their tools - its the only one I would pay retail for..  (I worked at Woodcraft a number of years ago .. Festool provided discounts to us back then..  The discounts got the tools from ridiculous down to expensive) 

But if my track saw disappeared - I'd get it again.
I've done some research and all of the copycats are not quite there..  but... it is at a premium.. no doubt about that.

Kreg makes a 48" guide for $80.  Can be used with most any saw.  I've been thinking about pulling the trigger but I'll probably wait until I think I'll actually need to use it.  The pocket jig thing they make is good but I wonder how good the saw guide will work (also I can't tell if you can make angled cuts (accurately).  I assume you can angle the saw blade but it might create a small gap between the edge of the guide and the line you are trying to cut.

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #317 on: August 28, 2019, 10:16:19 am »
I went back to the store and asked about the Kreg guide because I was curious..
The guys told me it was not so good..  granted... they were judging it against the Festool which is the standard by which all track saws are judged.
But goodness is in the eye of the beholder...

If you make bevel/angle cuts with the Festool saw - it cuts perfectly on the line.  The track thickness is designed into it.. It cuts on the line.. period.
A regular track with a regular saw will cut on the line at 90 deg (of course)...  but they will have gaps when creating bevel cuts..
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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #318 on: August 28, 2019, 11:28:17 am »
The Shop Vac has allowed me to work in the garage as dust was such an issue in there I stopped a long time ago.  This means I can get some work done during the week!



I needed to cut the support pieces (blue arrow) for the curve below the coin door so that it can match the curve on the side panels:



Printed first and traced:



Used my bender board and brackets again:



(Had to trace again to the left of the one to the right to capture the support of the brace on the right).



Needed the router table for this one as I don’t know how else you would cut this…..



Second pass on the back side with a straight piece of wood (cut most with a jig saw first of course):



Almost there:





Last pass on the back.

Now I use that as a template to cut 10 more…..this will probably present its own challenges and if I were to design this again I would probably make this a bigger piece so that it’s easier to work with….

« Last Edit: September 20, 2019, 01:18:10 pm by Arroyo »

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Re: The Grid....
« Reply #319 on: August 28, 2019, 07:23:23 pm »
Sorry for the delay, got the above out before hitting the road for work.

Arroyo, how you enjoying that Festool brand? I never tried anything from them before.

I don't have anything to compare it to other than the circular saw that I borrowed from a co-worker which I used with the straight edge (pics above on post #282).  Not having to measure the offset and account for the thickness of the blade is what makes this tool really handy.  It speeds up the process tremendously and removed any fears that I might screw up the cut.  I really like it but as has been mentioned you definitely pay for it.

(also I can't tell if you can make angled cuts (accurately).  I assume you can angle the saw blade but it might create a small gap between the edge of the guide and the line you are trying to cut.

As bperkins mentioned it is as simple as cutting the straight edges.  Lay down the track on your line, adjust your angle, and start cutting.  All of the angle cuts in the above pictures from yesterdays post were done with the machine.

I should mention that I'm cheap by nature, but it has burned me a few times in that I end up buying the same thing more than once, or a few times because it wasn't built to last.  I've also lost a lot of time and created a lot of frustration when buying cheaper stuff.  So I'm much more open to spending money if I know the product will save me time, frustration, and be built well enough to not have to buy again (at least not for a long time).

Long term I want to have a CNC machine, but even a CNC can't make the beveled cuts, or cut thin lines like the saw can for kerfing.  Therefore I figured I would put my money into this rather than a table saw, as it is:

1.) Easier to setup angled cuts, (no need to use a miter, like on a table saw).
2.) Does not require that your piece already have a straight edge to ride a fence (table saw).
3.) Virtually limitless range in cutting(most table saws have a limit on how far you can set the fence).
4.) Takes up a lot less space.
5.) Is still much cheaper than a good table saw.


Only disadvantage that I can see is working with smaller pieces a table saw would be better, and for some angle cuts (as I just found out last night/today) the table saw would probably be easier.  I plan on elaborating when I can cut and show pics.

This project has made me really evaluate what my time is worth.  If something can speed up the process to have more time with the family, work, workout, hell anything, then that is increasingly becoming very valuable.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2019, 01:20:08 pm by Arroyo »