Control panel fixing

[Aqualung]

Hi everybody!

Well, I'm a newbie here, and surely I have a newbie question, but I hope that you arcade masterminds could help me.

I'm new in the art of making arcade cabinets. I did some projects for my own cabinet (in fact, it was more based on LuSiD's project, with some changes) and I got a little problem: fixing the control panel on the cabinet.

In fact, I play hard a lot (especially when I'm losing   ) so I want the CP to have the best fixing way, and if possible a way that I can remove it with ease.

What do you recommend to fix the CP on the cabinet? "L" brackets (or as we call it here in Brazil m

[rampy]

http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm

Happ sells the type of clips/clamps that many arcade cabinets use to secure their panels....

FWIW I think I'm going for a combination of the these clamps and an "L" bracket or wooden brace as well.  I'm thinking of using a carriage bolt from the top of my control panel through the wood, through the "L" brace (which would be mounted of course securely to the cabinet) and then a "wingnut" to secure the carriage bolt.    You could use a regular nut, but a wingnut is easy to hand tighten loosen.

That's just what I'm considering, maybe others on the board will be of a different opinion... I've heard of people using velcro... or a piano hinge on one end and some other type of clasp (like the happs one linked above) on the sides)

Good luck, and hope that helps!

Rampy

ps your english was fine, and totally understandable!

[hyiu]

a few things were suggested and I think they're wrothed mentioning on mounting control panel....

we need something secure yet its easy to open/dismount.

piano hinge is a good thing if you want the top to open....
(you can buy it in home depot)

those Happs panel clamps are very good....
I'm using those now.... I used 4 clamps to hold down a control panel... (very tight...)  but you might want to try the distance to have the correct distance... (its a littel tricky the first time... can't be too close... can't be too far...)

also.... some people uses those window latch.... those will also close tight....

and yes... if you just want to secure and no need to take out, L brackets and corner brackets will do just fine....

hope it helps....
       

[neuromancer]

Good English -- better than some people who grew up with it.

I would not use L brackets. If I were going to go that route, I would just screw two strips of wood inside the cabinet, and attach the panel to that.

At least one person here has used heavy duty Velcro.

Bob

[Aqualung]

Thanks neuromancer, hyiu and rampy for the help, I'll be considering all of your alternatives, especially the piano hinge/clamp for the CP top. But I got a little scared about using clamps too to fix the entire CP to the cabinet.

What I thought: as I will not take the CP out every time (in fact, after I move the finished cabinet to my room and fix the CP, it will be removed only if I have to move to another house (not likely), I'm about to cut two pieces of wood to make the CP base that will be glued together: one in a "U" shape to incase on the cabinet, and the other one over to be the "true" CP base, and fix them with 4 "L" brackets inside the cabinet (I will have easy access because the coin door piece of wood will be really a door).

Some sketches (don't mind the text in Portuguese and the metric-like measures):

http://www.nightcap.hpg.com.br/sketch1.jpg

As you can see, the "U" shape wood is slightly wider and longer (around 30" x 13") than the other one that will be over (1 1/2" smaller, both wide and long), because I intend to do something like in this another sketch (now English-friendly ):

http://www.nightcap.hpg.com.br/sketch2.jpg

It will be the same for the 4 sides.

What do you think? I guess even Superman and Hulk would play NBA Jam together without destroying the CP.