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Author Topic: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]  (Read 122892 times)

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Arroyo

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Forced me to get off my @$$ and get a new version of Photoshop - so probably should be thanking you :cheers:

javeryh

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Forced me to get off my @$$ and get a new version of Photoshop - so probably should be thanking you :cheers:

Haha - either way I'm really grateful for the assist.   :cheers:

So this afternoon I managed to make a little more progress on the CP.  Takes me 3 hours to do something that in my head feels like a 20 minute job.  Anyway, here's what I did:

  • Added some bondo to a corner that had gotten chipped when I made the panels way back when.  I mixed up a batch, slapped it on and awaited 30 minutes for it to dry.
  • Sanded the entire CP smooth. 
  • Hit it with 2 coats of BIN Zinsser primer from a rattle can
  • Sanded the entire CP smooth.  It's not perfectly flat but I don't think it has to be because the CPO material is so thick it will hide any small imperfections in the panels.  I am using the good stuff from GameOn Grafix.
  • Wiped down the entire thing with a damp rag to remove dust and let it dry.
  • Used my trusty Awl to punch the holes in the CPO where the buttons and joystick will go.
  • Used a few spring clamps to hold the CPO down in the right place using the holes to line everything up (I had previously marked the hole locations on the control panel).
  • Very carefully peeled back the bottom half of the CPO and cut off the plastic backing with some scissors.  It is worth noting that I cut the backing oss above the bend in the CP.  I thought it would be best if I had the top part stick down in place at least a little bit right away.
  • Slowly pressed the CPO to the CP working from the bend in the middle down to the bottom to make sure there were no air bubbles
  • Removed the clamps and peeled off the remaining plastic backing to the CPO
  • Slowly pressed the CPO to the CP working from the bend in the middle up to the top to make sure there were no air bubbles
  • Used a razor to trim away the overhang (the CPO was about 1/2" larger than the CP all the way around on purpose).  This was BY FAR the hardest part.  I had a fresh razor but still didn't get an absolutely **perfect** line.  Close enough so that no one will notice but still...  This is a great reminder why I would NEVER make a cab to sell to someone.

Here we go:


Chipped corner:


Bondo!


Sanded:


Primed:


Ready for Art!


Clamped:


Finished!






I hope to drill out the holes tomorrow.  The plan is to cover the areas to be drilled with painters tape to avoid any tearing.  Going to be tricky because the front panel is 3/4" thick so I need to remove extra material from the back so that the Japanese buttons can clip into the holes.   :cheers:

Jimbo

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #322 on: October 20, 2018, 05:36:55 pm »
Good job.  I have all this fun to come...

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #323 on: October 20, 2018, 06:32:39 pm »
Good job.  I have all this fun to come...

Thanks.  It is fun.  But stressful somehow. I know it won't come out perfect and I know I'll see the imperfections from now until the end of time but it should be good enough to fool most everyone else!  I am a little worried about the buttons fitting.  I measured a ton but I have feeling there is some dremel work in my future behind the front panel...

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #324 on: November 12, 2018, 01:03:38 pm »
OK long time with no posts on this project but I have been doing stuff behind the scenes.  Well, Arroyo has been doing stuff for me behind the scenes heh...  He has been helping me tweak the artwork for the control panel (yes, I'm redoing it) in addition to his previous work on the side art. 

After living with the CPO for a few days as shown a few posts up, I decided I didn't really like the white area that covers the bend in the CP.  It wasn't aligned 100% on the curve and was really distracting to the overall design.  Also, due to poor measuring on my part the buttons on the front were about 7/32" (5.5mm) too high.  Any attempt at drilling out the holes meant I'd clip the top panel and getting the buttons nuts on seemed like it would be impossible without major dremel work as shown here:



Arroyo graciously redesigned the layout:

Before:



After:



The white line is gone and the top area blends nicely into the bottom area.  It's going to look great.

With the side art and CPO fixed Arroyo even created a Sketch-up model for me to show what (I hope) the finished product will look like. 



I'm motivated to finally finish this up.  I'm ordering the artwork this week and hoping it arrives before Thanksgiving weekend when I should have a few days to work on it. 

HUGE thanks to Arroyo.  He has gone above and beyond in helping me out.   Now it's up to me to get it over the finish line...  :cheers:

Jimbo

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #325 on: November 12, 2018, 06:23:50 pm »
That looks sweet :)  Looking forward to seeing this finished... now stop making excuses and get off your a*** ;)

Arroyo's sketchup skills are clearly better than mine!  :notworthy:

Arroyo

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Get’r done javery. :cheers:

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #327 on: November 15, 2018, 03:33:35 pm »
Artwork has been ordered.  Hope to wrap this up before the holidays!   :cheers:

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #328 on: November 28, 2018, 01:25:20 pm »
Alright... my prints came in a few days ago and yesterday I was able to get the marquee and CPO installed while I stayed home from work for the plumber (frozen pipes ugh).  What's that?  The marquee and CPO were already installed you say?  Yeah about that...

I know I have problems but the more I stared at the marquee the more and more I disliked what I had done with the installation.  As I think I mentioned already, in order for everything to fit, I centered the image on the marquee (the UFO + lettering) and did not center the lettering itself.  Bad move.  I thought the letters being off center would add something interesting to the design but I was wrong.  There is a reason that marquees center the lettering (for the most part I'm sure there are examples out there like Tempest or whatever).  So I had it reprinted and I recut it making sure the letters were centered in the frame.  The UFO gets a little cut off but not by much and I think this is much more pleasing to the eye.

Here are the before and after shots (the after isn't lit but you get the idea):

Before



After



Next up was the CPO.  Version 1.0 did not line up properly - I hated the white line separating the top and front panels and the art was a little crooked as you tell by the line running across the top edge.  The worst part was that the buttons on the front of the CP were about 3/16" too high up so there would not be enough room to drill without hitting the top panel.  Arroyo did an awesome job tweaking things for me (cleaned up the colors and lowered the 4 front panel buttons).  Version 2.0 of the CPO went on very easy and it looks great.  Here is the before and after:

Before



After:



I also have the vinyl side art, which I plan to install either one day after work this week or sometime on the weekend.  I am a bit stuck though on what to do.  The vinyl is oversized so that I can trim back to the edge of the cab with a razor.  How can I line up the art perfectly?  I have that white border running all the way around that is offset from the edge by 3/4" or so.  This needs to be as close to uniform as possible but when I lay the art over the side panel I can't see the edges!

In order to solve this problem I cut a piece of plexiglas with my pattern bit and router to exactly match the side panel.  Then I can lay the plexiglas on top of the art and get it perfect and then move the art + plexi to the side panel and try to line up the edges.  The issues I'm having are (1) getting the vinyl art to "stick" underneath the plexi so that I can move the art and plexi as one piece to the side panel to line up (scotch tape?) and (2) the vinyl art is in between the plexi and the side panel so it is difficult to line up the edges exactly with the vinyl art in the way.

I'm not even sure I'm making sense.  I've done side art before but I've never had to be so precise when laying it down.  Is there a trick I'm missing?   :cheers:
« Last Edit: November 28, 2018, 01:26:55 pm by javeryh »

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #329 on: November 28, 2018, 01:35:49 pm »
I liked the marquee better the other way. :dunno

Lining up the side art would be much easier without that white border line. If only someone would have suggested that....

All of that aside, I really like the artwork on your cab. Everything from the design to the colors is excellent.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #330 on: November 28, 2018, 01:54:14 pm »
I liked the marquee better the other way. :dunno

Lining up the side art would be much easier without that white border line. If only someone would have suggested that....

All of that aside, I really like the artwork on your cab. Everything from the design to the colors is excellent.

Haha thanks.  I remember a certain someone suggesting I ditch the white border.  Oh well... wait until you see it - the colors are awesome.  The whole thing pops.

As for the marquee, it is super easy to swap out so I'm going to live with the current version for a while.  I will admit the actual pictures make the first one look WAY better due to the back lighting.  Who knows, since I can't stop harping on stuff I'll probably change my mind 5 more times before finishing up.  there's actually not that much more to do:

1.  Install side art
2.  Install t-molding
3.  Drill out button holes
4.  Install buttons and wire everything up.
5.  Play some Final Fantasy VII... haha no.  I'm thinking Metal Slug will be first game I boot up.  Can't wait!

yamatetsu

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"] (ARTWORK IS *NOT* FINAL!)
« Reply #331 on: November 28, 2018, 05:05:41 pm »
I also have the vinyl side art, which I plan to install either one day after work this week or sometime on the weekend.  I am a bit stuck though on what to do.  The vinyl is oversized so that I can trim back to the edge of the cab with a razor.  How can I line up the art perfectly?  I have that white border running all the way around that is offset from the edge by 3/4" or so.  This needs to be as close to uniform as possible but when I lay the art over the side panel I can't see the edges!

In order to solve this problem I cut a piece of plexiglas with my pattern bit and router to exactly match the side panel.  Then I can lay the plexiglas on top of the art and get it perfect and then move the art + plexi to the side panel and try to line up the edges.  The issues I'm having are (1) getting the vinyl art to "stick" underneath the plexi so that I can move the art and plexi as one piece to the side panel to line up (scotch tape?) and (2) the vinyl art is in between the plexi and the side panel so it is difficult to line up the edges exactly with the vinyl art in the way.

I'm not even sure I'm making sense.  I've done side art before but I've never had to be so precise when laying it down.  Is there a trick I'm missing?   :cheers:

Align the plexi and the vinyl. Doubletape the vinyl to the plexi so that it can't move around. Cut the vinyl along the plexi edges. Remove the doubletape. Apply the vinyl to the cab.
                  

Arroyo

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #332 on: January 15, 2019, 01:25:20 am »
1.  Install side art
2.  Install t-molding
3.  Drill out button holes
4.  Install buttons and wire everything up.
5.  Play some Final Fantasy VII... haha no.  I'm thinking Metal Slug will be first game I boot up.  Can't wait!

Ahem.......well?

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #333 on: January 15, 2019, 09:21:56 am »
1.  Install side art
2.  Install t-molding
3.  Drill out button holes
4.  Install buttons and wire everything up.
5.  Play some Final Fantasy VII... haha no.  I'm thinking Metal Slug will be first game I boot up.  Can't wait!

Ahem.......well?

yeah... about that...  soon - I promise!  Too much real life and I can't seem to get ahead of it.   :cheers:

firedance

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #334 on: January 15, 2019, 10:51:13 am »
"good things comes to those who wait" ;D

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #335 on: March 02, 2019, 01:00:28 pm »
So Mike just reminded me of the sick artwork he designed for me but I didn't end up using so I got motivated in between kid activities and while the wife is at work to finally install the side art.  What a pain.  Didn't take long but it was really tricky and gave me fits until I figured out what to do.  More details later but I'm happy with how it came out (and happy I decided to leave in that  :censored: white border that was such a :censored: pain in the :censored: to line up).

HUGE thanks to Arroyo for finalizing the art and keeping me motivated.  Thanks bud.   :cheers:





More later.  I'm going to *try* and make some serious progress this weekend...   I want to install the t-molding so bad but the CP ned to be finished first I think because it is a tight fit as is and the t-molding might make getting it in and out very difficult.

Anyone got any ideas on how to actually attach the CP so that it can be removed somewhat easily for maintenance? :cheers:
« Last Edit: March 03, 2019, 10:00:59 am by javeryh »

wp34

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #336 on: March 02, 2019, 07:46:02 pm »
That artwork is really amazing.  The design is great and the colors pop.   :applaud:

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #337 on: March 02, 2019, 09:03:33 pm »
Looks great. Would have been better with my artwork though.

Jimbo

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #338 on: March 03, 2019, 06:12:18 am »
Looks great mate - cracking artwork!  :applaud:  Glad you finally got around to it!

Quote
Anyone got any ideas on how to actually attach the CP so that it can be removed somewhat easily for maintenance?

I had the same issue with my Videotron bartop, and solved it with brass inserts and small black domed hex bolts.  Granted you can see the bolts in the corners, but they're pretty low profile, and it's a breeze to take the CP off and put back on now.  It depends whether you want anything visible like that or not.


javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #339 on: March 03, 2019, 10:07:57 am »
That artwork is really amazing.  The design is great and the colors pop.   :applaud:

Thanks - I'm really happy with how it is coming out.  Definitely a one-of-a-kind piece.  I treat my cabs more like a piece of art instead of something that is supposed to be functional, which is why everything takes 10x longer than it should.

Looks great. Would have been better with my artwork though.

I kind of agree but it's too late for this project, unfortunately.  Maybe the next one...

Looks great mate - cracking artwork!  :applaud:  Glad you finally got around to it!

Quote
Anyone got any ideas on how to actually attach the CP so that it can be removed somewhat easily for maintenance?

I had the same issue with my Videotron bartop, and solved it with brass inserts and small black domed hex bolts.  Granted you can see the bolts in the corners, but they're pretty low profile, and it's a breeze to take the CP off and put back on now.  It depends whether you want anything visible like that or not.

Thanks!  I'l have to go reread your project thread again for the details.  I'm not opposed to the hex bolts.  I've been thinking of how I was going to secure the joystick to the CP and bolts that go all the way through and show are the best I could come up with.  The MDF is only 1/2" so just screwing in from the bottom might not work over time.  The black looks fine and blends in (plus lots of classic cabs had bolts showing).

Where did you buy the bolts?   :cheers:

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #340 on: March 03, 2019, 10:38:05 am »
Visible bolts don't bother me. Real cabs had bolts all over the place.

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #341 on: March 03, 2019, 10:53:16 am »
I’m probably more than a little bit bias :D, but that looks awesome!

I bet black T-molding would look good too, I can mock it up in SketchUp if you’d like.

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #342 on: March 03, 2019, 11:12:06 am »
Thanks!  I'l have to go reread your project thread again for the details.  I'm not opposed to the hex bolts.  I've been thinking of how I was going to secure the joystick to the CP and bolts that go all the way through and show are the best I could come up with.  The MDF is only 1/2" so just screwing in from the bottom might not work over time.  The black looks fine and blends in (plus lots of classic cabs had bolts showing).

Where did you buy the bolts?   :cheers:

I got the bolts and the threaded inserts from Ebay I believe... although I'm in the UK. But I'm guessing they do those sorts of things your side of the pond.  Good luck!

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #343 on: March 03, 2019, 11:35:03 am »
I’m probably more than a little bit bias :D, but that looks awesome!

I bet black T-molding would look good too, I can mock it up in SketchUp if you’d like.

Thanks again.  I'm pretty set on the white t-molding... mainly because I already bought it.   ;D

I got the bolts and the threaded inserts from Ebay I believe... although I'm in the UK. But I'm guessing they do those sorts of things your side of the pond.  Good luck!

Thanks - I'll take a look.  I may take a ride to Harbor Freight or Home Depot this afternoon and poke around.  This seems like the best solution for me.  4 bolts should do the trick and I avoid clunky hinges.  I'm thinking 1 bolt in each corner will get it done.  Just need to add blocking on the inside for the threaded insert. 

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #344 on: March 04, 2019, 12:56:52 pm »
OK.. a little more detail on how I installed the sideart.  I really had a hard time figuring this out and I probably thought about it entirely too much.  I started off with some videos but then ended up just taking some pics because I couldn't hold my phone and actually work at the same time.  These are all only 30 seconds each and not that good but whatever.

















What I actually ended up doing was:
  • Trim the side art to roughly the size I wanted with some scissors.
  • Place plexiglas bezel on top of the artwork and eyeball it to line everything up.  I have a decent eye for this stuff so it wasn't too hard.  I confirmed measurements with a ruler going all the way around and it was mostly dead on.
  • Use double stick tape to hold the plexiglas bezel to the artwork.
  • Run a VERY sharp (brand new) razor along certain straight sections of the plexiglas and remove the excess artwork.
  • Lightly clean the surface of the side panel with glass cleaner to remove debris.
  • Using the exposed edges of the plexiglas panel, line it up with the actual side panel and clamp down in place.
  • Remove the plexiglas (carefully)
  • Lift up one side of sideart, remove backing, cut away with scissors and then apply art to cabinet panel with squeegee to remove air bubbles. 
  • Repeat for other end
  • Use razor to remove excess sideart that is overhanging the panel.  This is not as easy as a lot of videos make it look.  It took several passes and some patience for me to get it exactly right.
  • Repeat all steps for the other side panel.

More later.  I'm motivated to finish this up but kind of scared to death to drill holes in my CP.   :cheers:
« Last Edit: March 04, 2019, 12:58:40 pm by javeryh »

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #345 on: March 04, 2019, 02:42:41 pm »
Looks ace mate :)  :applaud:  Scary part done.  I had to enlist the missus to help with mine!!

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #346 on: March 11, 2019, 01:26:24 pm »
Looks ace mate :)  :applaud:  Scary part done.  I had to enlist the missus to help with mine!!

Thanks Jimbo.  I made some more progress over the weekend.  It's not going fast but I am getting there.  I spent about 2 hours drilling out 7 holes in my control panel for the face buttons and joystick.  I ran into some issues but I think I can overcome all of them.  Anyway here are some videos and pics.  Not sure why I keep making these awful videos but whatever.







OK, we pick up from the videos here and at this point I've drilled down 1/4" for each of the buttons.  This was not easy at all.  I was using a brand new 30mm forstner bit and the CP material is very difficult to drill through.  It is awesome because it will resist wear and tear but drilling the buttons wasn't easy.  The bits also didn't drill through 100% clean like a razor would but it did a good enough job that any rough edges are hidden by the button bezels.  I was going about 1/16" at a time and cleaning/vacuuming each hole as I went so it took a while.  I also don't own a drill press so I had to make sure I was as perpendicular to the CP as possible.  The button placement is so tight that being off by 1/8" would ruin it.







Next, I flipped over the CP to drill out the buttons from underneath for the button nuts:



Look how crazy tight the buttons are going to be!



And here is everything drilled out:



And some shots with all the buttons in place:







One thing I'm not a fan of is the black dustwasher.  I think I'm going to swap it out for a white one.  Also, I'll go into more detail on another post but the joystick placement is going to be tough to get just right.  The mounting plate sticks out of the top of the control panel by about 1/8" more than I would like it to.  I could lower the stick by that amount but then this throws off the symmetry of the CP artwork (the dustwasher will not be centered in the box).  Not sure what to do yet but I'm leaning towards trimming the plate a little bit if possible.  Not sure.  I'll take some pics later tonight so you guys can see what I mean and hopefully come up with something.

Overall, I really like how this is coming out.  The reason I didn't drill out the 4 admin buttons was because I did not own a 24mm bit.  I was going to fake it with a 1" bit but decided against it after doing a few test holes.  So I spent the $11 on Amazon and the bit will arrive tomorrow.  Once those holes are finished I just need to figure out how to attach the CP to the cabinet with the hex bolts I picked up.  Then construction wil be complete and I'll just have to install the monitor, add t-molding, and wire everything up.  So close!   :cheers:


leapinlew

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #347 on: March 11, 2019, 08:13:05 pm »
Freakin stud!

Nice work.

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #348 on: March 11, 2019, 08:13:44 pm »
Embedded video is great. Good upgrade.

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #349 on: March 11, 2019, 08:19:15 pm »
For the dust washer, what if you borrowed some of the graphics you had and got a clear dust washer with the graphics adhered to the bottom?

Like the button outlines you have on the front of the panel:



Give some contrast but keeps with the theme.


EDIT:  Couldn't help myself:

« Last Edit: March 11, 2019, 11:34:05 pm by Arroyo »

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #350 on: March 12, 2019, 09:06:31 am »
Haven't logged in to here in ages but after going through this thread I had to post a comment, great looking machine and look forward to seeing it all complete.  8)

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #351 on: March 12, 2019, 01:03:47 pm »
Freakin stud!

Nice work.

Thanks Lew - been a looooong time coming.  I'm relearning everything on this build but having a lot of fun with it.  I wish I had more room in my house so I could just keep building.

Haven't logged in to here in ages but after going through this thread I had to post a comment, great looking machine and look forward to seeing it all complete.  8)

Thanks!  I'm also looking forward to it.  ;D 

I have a lot of stuff to figure out though.  Mainly getting the ServoStik to talk to the Raspberry Pi/Retropie.  I think that's my biggest remaining challenge.  I also want to make a custom splash/loading screen for the front end.  Not sure how to do that either.... slow and steady!

For the dust washer, what if you borrowed some of the graphics you had and got a clear dust washer with the graphics adhered to the bottom?

Like the button outlines you have on the front of the panel:



Give some contrast but keeps with the theme.


EDIT:  Couldn't help myself:



Sick!  yeah - let's do that!  How do I do this?  Clear dustwasher and then the decal?  Any chance you can create the decal for me at the correct size so I can get it printed?   I can get you measurements of the dustwasher tonight.  What a great solution!  :cheers:

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #352 on: March 12, 2019, 01:31:59 pm »
EDIT:  Couldn't help myself:


Sick!  yeah - let's do that!  How do I do this?  Clear dustwasher and then the decal?  Any chance you can create the decal for me at the correct size so I can get it printed?   I can get you measurements of the dustwasher tonight.  What a great solution!  :cheers:

I can edit the file to any size washer you want, just scale it up or down, it’s high resolution so no sweat.  I just did this for my panel, came out great although I’m not sure if the graphics work on mine. 
You can either get a place to reverse print it with the adhesive on the front of the graphics (I only tried one place and didn’t like the results, saw some of the adhesive.). What I did was get the print and use Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA if searching) and then attached the graphic on the underside of the acrylic dust washer with some white vinyl under the graphic to protect it.

I bought a stupid amount of OCA and have some clear dust washers.  If you pick your printer I can either send you the material or put it together for you and send if you’d like...

Could simplify this if you put the graphics on top of the washer as a lot of places have adhesive backed prints.  Either way happy to help.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2019, 01:38:36 pm by Arroyo »

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #353 on: March 13, 2019, 05:32:04 pm »
Very nice work Javeryl! I need to get off my butt and finish my cabinet
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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #354 on: March 14, 2019, 11:46:42 am »
I can edit the file to any size washer you want, just scale it up or down, it’s high resolution so no sweat.  I just did this for my panel, came out great although I’m not sure if the graphics work on mine. 
You can either get a place to reverse print it with the adhesive on the front of the graphics (I only tried one place and didn’t like the results, saw some of the adhesive.). What I did was get the print and use Optically Clear Adhesive (OCA if searching) and then attached the graphic on the underside of the acrylic dust washer with some white vinyl under the graphic to protect it.

I bought a stupid amount of OCA and have some clear dust washers.  If you pick your printer I can either send you the material or put it together for you and send if you’d like...

Could simplify this if you put the graphics on top of the washer as a lot of places have adhesive backed prints.  Either way happy to help.

Awesome - thanks for the offer as usual.  I think I might have a clear dust washer lying around.  I'll have to check.  It probably would look cool if the graphic was adhered underneath but probably harder to get just right.  I'll try it both ways and see how it goes.  I'm guessing spray adhesive will leave some visible residue between the print and the plastic?  I'm definitely going to play around with it because I love the idea.

I think all I'll need is the art file once I get you the measurement of the dust washer.   :cheers:

Very nice work Javeryl! I need to get off my butt and finish my cabinet

Thanks!  I know what you mean - it's hard to find the time to work on these projects. 

My plan this weekend is to drill out the admin button holes (the 24mm bit arrived yesterday), mount the joystick and figure out a way to attach the CP to the cabinet.  If I can get that finished on Saturday between all the kid activities I'll go ahead and add the t-molding and try and secure the monitor in place.  That's really all I have left on the construction side of things.  The rest will be figuring out Retropie... ugh.

Mounting the joystick might end up being a pain due to the mounting plate being a little larger than I wish it was.  What do you guys think about routing out 1/4" of material to drop the mounting plate into?  Right now the CP is 1/2" thick - I don't really mind the height of the joystick as-is but that extra 1/4" depth may save me from having to somehow make the mounting plate shorter.  Here is what I'm talking about:



Of course, this doesn't take into account mounting bolts, which I hope would not get in the way.  I cannot really move the joystick location because it would throw off the symmetry of the CP.  I would also have to drill completely through the top of the CP in order to secure the joystick in place (so bolt heads will show).  Not a huge deal but curious to hear how you guys would deal with this issue.   :cheers:

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #355 on: March 14, 2019, 12:22:43 pm »
I'm guessing spray adhesive will leave some visible residue between the print and the plastic? 

Haven't tried that but I'm guessing it would.  In my research the Optically Clear Adhesive was the only viable solution.  Print shops do have the reverse prints which have adhesive already on the front, but I saw splotches on the one I ordered, and with the OCA I don't.  As mentioned I have a lot of it if you want me to send you some as they seem to be only for sale in larger quantities, but maybe you would want the extra on hand for future projects.

Quote
I'm definitely going to play around with it because I love the idea.
I think all I'll need is the art file once I get you the measurement of the dust washer.   :cheers:

Sounds good, I'll wait to hear from you.

« Last Edit: April 25, 2019, 11:08:40 am by Arroyo »

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #356 on: March 14, 2019, 04:34:25 pm »
Quote
Mounting the joystick might end up being a pain due to the mounting plate being a little larger than I wish it was.  What do you guys think about routing out 1/4" of material to drop the mounting plate into?  Right now the CP is 1/2" thick - I don't really mind the height of the joystick as-is but that extra 1/4" depth may save me from having to somehow make the mounting plate shorter.  Here is what I'm talking about:



Of course, this doesn't take into account mounting bolts, which I hope would not get in the way.  I cannot really move the joystick location because it would throw off the symmetry of the CP.  I would also have to drill completely through the top of the CP in order to secure the joystick in place (so bolt heads will show).  Not a huge deal but curious to hear how you guys would deal with this issue.   :cheers:

I'd say first off, determine how it plays being shorter vs longer... pick the one you prefer. Don't skimp on playability over the hassle of having to shave the mounting plate - you'll kick yourself.   Secondly, bolts showing is cool.   :cheers:


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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #357 on: March 14, 2019, 04:37:03 pm »
I cannot really move the joystick location because it would throw off the symmetry of the CP.  I would also have to drill completely through the top of the CP in order to secure the joystick in place (so bolt heads will show).  Not a huge deal but curious to hear how you guys would deal with this issue.   :cheers:

Is there enough space to mount the joystick sideways? Turn it 90 degrees and wire it accordingly?
                  

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #358 on: March 14, 2019, 05:28:31 pm »
How about removing some of the mounting plate. Looking at mine I could lose an 1/8 and still be able to use same bolt holes.

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Re: javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]
« Reply #359 on: March 14, 2019, 07:27:16 pm »
WOW! Blast from the past! Nice to see you still active. Your work is always spot on, great job. I'm due for a bartop someday.