Main > Project Announcements
Arcade Bones (Marquee & Dashboard graphics finalised)
Bones:
Saturday night update continued.....
When my wife got home (daughter was fine no stitches required), I asked her to help me put the CPO onto the template.
The first step was to peel off a small section of the adhesive back and line up a straight edge which I firmly pressed down and it stuck into place.
Getting some sticky tape I attached it to the peel away section on the back of the print like some extension handles. The idea was my wife would pull the tape at a steady rate and I (with socks on hands) would work the material down as it unwound removing the adhesive back. (They were black socks in case this is important to the reader.)
This really didn't work. The tape came off once, another time it got stuck somewhere it shouldn't have, I believe the idea was good but perhaps my set-up or preparation wasn't. The help of a third person in hindsight would have been a bonus.
Getting frustrated i grabbed the tape my wife was holding and ripped the whole back off in one go and it just fell nicely into place. I reminded myself anger leads to the dark side and later apologised to my wife for getting grumpy at her.
So the CPO was stuck down now and by magic it lined up everywhere but it looked terrible. It had bubbles and creases and looked extremely poor.
However, I am glad I did this. It made me realise that this application method was not going to give me the results I wanted and I am glad I learned it now rather than later. Also happy I had the foresight to get two prints done.
Regardless of how poorly the print went down I could still use this as my template so I consider the exercise a success.
Bones:
Saturday night update continued....
Next step was to drill some holes in the Lexan (Safeguard).
I layed my template over the top of the Lexan and put some scrap wood below and clamped up. I started drilling small pilot holes right through the print and let me tell ya, no problems!
When I drilled in to far and the chuck came in contact with the print it left a mark, but didn't tear/shred the CPO. If you can get the stick-down process right, I would recommend this type of material for drilling. The material it is printed on is called polypropylene.
There were no problems during this stage, it went like clockwork.
Bones:
Now came the part I feared.
Seriously, I was freaking out like a grandmother who just ate a hash cookie by accident. Ever since reading about the dramas of putting big holes in Lexan I had become incredibly cautious about this. Also not having the Lexan brand I was even more concerned.
To drill the holes for the buttons and joysticks I had purchased a 28mm spade bit. (At least I think it is called a spade bit)
With my cordless drill I started very slowly taking care not to press too hard or melt the product or crack the material or 100 other problems I have read about in these pages.
First hole, second hole, third hole, fourth hole
Bones:
Saturday night update continued....
After my triumph with the Safeguard, I repeated the pilot hole process this time with my actual CP. I removed the template and was left with lots of little holes in the correct places.
The battery in my drill had had enough. I went out into the street where my neighbours had gathered for the weekend drinks and I had a single beer. They were headed down to the pub for a meal but with night quickly approaching, I borrowed a real drill from one of them and decided against going. I thought while the kids and wife were out having dinner and the sun was still up (just), I should do as much as I could.
Again using the
Bones:
Saturday night update continued