"The Varsity Club" Dual Monitor Arcade *Reconstruction has begun* 12/29/09

[mccoy178]

I received the overlay today!  I was very nervous to open the package, but I must say, I'm very impressed with myself.(I knew Scott's part would be good, I was sweating what my artwork would look like printed out).  Scott had emailed me and said that with a background I was using, the color was brown.  He had printed a copy and I about crapped.  So, I took the background out and sent it to him and he still had to correct the black because it had a RGB of 3,3,3.  So, to make a short story long, it all came out beautiful in the end.   Now to get the metal and continue on!

Also, I have decided to add one of those infrared keyboards to the bottom of the monitor bezel to shine on the cp overlay above the trackball.  More details will follow once I get the device in my hands.

[escher]

Also, I have decided to add one of those infrared keyboards to the bottom of the monitor bezel to shine on the cp overlay above the trackball.  More details will follow once I get the device in my hands.

That's awesome.  I'd love to do that, but I can't justify dropping the cash at this point.  I've got plenty of other necessities to sink money into. 

[markrvp]

I received the marquee today!  I was very nervous to open the package, but I must say, I'm very impressed with myself.(I knew Scott's part would be good, I was sweating what my artwork would look like printed out).  Scott had emailed me and said that with a background I was using, the color was brown.  He had printed a copy and I about crapped.  So, I took the background out and sent it to him and he still had to correct the black because it had a RGB of 3,3,3.  So, to make a short story long, it all came out beautiful in the end.   Now to get the metal and continue on!

Also, I have decided to add one of those infrared keyboards to the bottom of the monitor bezel to shine on the cp overlay above the trackball.  More details will follow once I get the device in my hands.

All I heard was, "blah, blah, blah, I'm too big of an asshat to make pics of my new artwork."

[mccoy178]

blah, blah, blah, I'm too big of an asshat to make pics of my new artwork.

[mccoy178]

blah, blah, blah, I'm too big of an asshat to make pics of my new artwork.

[mccoy178]

blah, blah, blah, I'm too big of an asshat to make pics of my new artwork.

[mccoy178]

blah, blah, blah, I'm too big of an asshat to make pics of my new artwork.

[markrvp]

Looks great, asshat! 

[NinjaEpisode]

I can only imagine the pain that Scott felt having to print that being that he's a Michigander.

But as usual, Scott's work is flawless.  Nice job McCoy!

[nullb0y]

wow asshats have weird artwork pictures

[markrvp]

wow asshats have weird artwork pictures

ROTFLMAO!!    

[mccoy178]

At least it's not cardboard!

[markrvp]

At least it's not cardboard!

Ooooooooh!  Touche!

[nullb0y]

you too can now own my cardboard podium!
it is poosted in buy sell trade

[mccoy178]

Sweet offer, but I'm gonna give it a shot on my own.   Anyways, I went to the metal shop and bought an 18x48" piece of 16 gauge aluminum.  It is excellent!  I was going to have that same company punch the holes out, but I have access to a metal cutter for the angles on the sides and a few drill presses to attempt the holes myself.  Since it is aluminum, I think if I properly clamp the work down, I shouldn't have any issues.  I guess I'll find out.  BTW, the metal was $28.

[quarterback]

Looking good man.   But I can't wait to see some of those translucent leafs all lit up!

[mccoy178]

I am mulling over the idea of adding a marquee.  I am planning on using a betabrite sign like my last cabinet, but I think I can pull this off.  More updates to come!

[mccoy178]

Here is the initial idea for the marquee.  I want to cut out the top of the cabinet to match the block "O", thus the white area.  I need input as to what colors do and don't work for light coming through.  I just made this to get a start. 

[NinjaEpisode]

You need a tag line under The Varsity Club...something like:

"Creating 'O' Faces Since 1959"

At least that's what came to mind when I see that giant O.

[mccoy178]

Here is how I created the holes in my cp:

Since this is my first attempt at working with metal, I thought a little tutorial could help future noobs.

First, I mounted my artwork to the 16 gauge aluminum:


I then cut the dog ears off the control panel and the edges to pretty it up using this tool:


I purchased a 3/4" greenlee punch that actually has an inside diameter of 1 1/8th".  In order to use the punch, a 3/4" bolt is used to pull the two halfs together to finish the hole.  The following pictures are of the greenlee punch new and the drill press with the drill bit ready for action.  On a side note, while drilling  the holes, there was some minor marks made on the art from hot shavings.  This could probably be avoided with a clear piece of plastic over top for protection.



Here is a pic of the holes after predrilling is done:


Here is the greenlee punch on a sample piece.  I used a 1" wrench to tighten the two sides together.  It worked like magic!


NOTE: 1 1/8th is not big enough for leaf switch buttons.  I used a drill bit to hollow out the holes big enough to get the buttons to fit.

[mccoy178]

Here is the cp after the punches were made.  The extra material is just little pieces of the artwork.

[mccoy178]

Okay, new marquee.

[Timoe]

Oh wow, you're actually working on something now?

I'm starting to get hyped.

[NinjaEpisode]

 

[markrvp]

NOTE: 1 1/8th is not big enough for leaf switch buttons.  I used a drill bit to hollow out the holes big enough to get the buttons to fit.

Please go into more detail here as this seemed to be a major issue a few weeks ago for another user installing leafswitch buttons in a metal panel with 1-1/8" holes.  What drill bit did you use and how did you keep the holes centered?

Also, how much was the Greenlee punch and where did you get it?  How difficult was it to drill that huge ass 3/4" hole?

[mccoy178]

I have access to a huge range of drill bits at college.  The hole was just barely too small.  I didn't use those to start because of heat concerns, since the artwork was mounted.  After the fact, I just honed each one out one by one.  It took a minute.

The Greenlee punch was $40 !  It is amazingly easy to use though and made a nice hole.  Drilling the 7/8th" hole was fairly easy, just nerve racking.  I had a buddy with an air hose blow off the shavings as I went.  I would shut the drill off everytime and center the artwork under the drill.  I had the drill set to a low speed, and it worked great without a clamp.  Since the bit was larger than needed, I wasn't too worried about it being a hair off.

[markrvp]

So the bit bigger than 1-1/8" was a solid bit as opposed to a hole-saw-type bit?  I've never even seen one that big.

[mccoy178]

At OSU, they have a huge assortment of metal bits.  I don't want to even imagine what the cost of those are.

[mccoy178]

Okay, I went to a machine shop in my town.  I didn't even know the place existed and the guy has a milling machine!  He's a private owner who just does it for fun!  I see many projects in the future.   Anyways, he machined out my trackball circle and recommended to use a dremel tool to widen the other holes.  So, I came home, used some bees wax on the bit as to not get the bit all gummed up with aluminum and the holes widened right up.  Here are some pics of the trackball hole, my wife trimming those little tabs off the leaf switches, the dremel bit used, and the bees wax.

[mccoy178]

Here is a pic of the buttons sitting in the cp.  (I couldn't resist)

[markrvp]

How are you going to attach the control panel to the CP wooden box?

[Tiger-Heli]

NOTE: 1 1/8th is not big enough for leaf switch buttons.  I used a drill bit to hollow out the holes big enough to get the buttons to fit.

Just wanted to point out that the picture on the box says the hole diameter is 1.12 or 28 mm, and 1-1/8 would be 1.125.  This could account for the holes being too small.

(Although I am not familiar with the post MarkRVP mentioned, so it is possible that a true 1-1/8 would also not work).

[mccoy178]

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?Q=&I=LXC025#tech

I plan on using this product to hold my metal cp to an mdf backing.  I have a bunch of "c" clamps to use.  Do you think this will stand the test of time?  I don't want any bolts showing through the top and by routing out the mdf, it can hold everything like I need it in case anything needs replaced.

[mccoy178]

Here is a tutorial on how I made my cp underlay:
First, I marked the underlay to match the overlay:


Second, I cut off the excess pressboard, so that there is about an 1/8" left on all sides:


Here is the underlay before routing:


Here is the overlay sitting on the underlay as I was getting ready to secure them to each other:


Here is how I secured the overlay to the underlay.  I used some extra pieces of pine:


I used brad nails to hold the overlay in place.  It worked perfectly:


I used the flush trim bit to match up the two pieces.  Came out well:


After flushing the pieces, I marked the locations of all the holes:

[mccoy178]

Next, I drilled the holes for the spinners.  Here is the cross hairs for one:


Here are the three tools I used to make the hole in the aluminum and the underlay:


Drilling the pilot hole:


Finished Spinner Hole:

[mccoy178]

Now the fun part.  Here is how I finished the underlay tonight.  It's been a long six hours.

Here is the underlay with all the markings complete:


First thing I did was flush the trackball plate:


I drilled all the holes first before routing:


I cut out the center next:


Here is all the router bits I used on this stage of the project:


I set the depth of the router to match the plate thickness:


Trackball routing finished:


Double Checking Depth:

[mccoy178]

I had to cut the material out for the leaf switches.  Since the fit would be really close if they were set straight, I angled the cut out at 45 degrees.  It took me a minute to draw it all up, but well worth it:


Here is the underlay after the button sections have been cut out:


I next turned the underlay over and routed out the joysticks and the spinner areas.  I first set the depth of the router to match the joystick:


Here are my markings for the areas to be routed.  I made them a little big to allow adjustment once the metal is mounted:


Here is the areas routed out:


Almost ready for priming, just the tmolding slot left:


Tmolding routed.  Centered to compensate for the metal thickness:


Here is the paints that I used:


Primered Grey:


Painted Black:


Whew!  I'm freaking tired!  I'll fill in the blanks better later whenever I wake up.

[MYX]

Wow, lotsa stuff accomplished. You worked really late eh'. Can you explaine just a little bit more about the bee's wax while dremmiling? I have totally coated my grinder bits with aluminum and can't get it off. What dies the bee's wax do? (please don't reply none of your bee's wax  )

[markrvp]

I thought I was the only person that worked until almost dawn on projects.  You'll feel like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- today.

Originally you were going to weld threaded bolts underneath the panel for mounting the joysticks and trackball.  Now you are using a wood underlay.  The Midway 49-way sticks are not that tall and in wood I would mount them recessed from the top.  It appears you are attaching them to the particle board from underneath which is now very thin.  Is there enough wood material there to attach them to?

I'm not questioning your decisions, I'm asking for additional information on how it all is supported.

[mccoy178]

Wow, lotsa stuff accomplished. You worked really late eh'. Can you explaine just a little bit more about the bee's wax while dremmiling? I have totally coated my grinder bits with aluminum and can't get it off. What dies the bee's wax do? (please don't reply none of your bee's wax  )

The bees wax keeps the bits from getting gunked up with aluminum.  Worked like a champ!

I thought I was the only person that worked until almost dawn on projects.  You'll feel like ---Cleveland steamer--- today.

Originally you were going to weld threaded bolts underneath the panel for mounting the joysticks and trackball.  Now you are using a wood underlay.  The Midway 49-way sticks are not that tall and in wood I would mount them recessed from the top.  It appears you are attaching them to the particle board from underneath which is now very thin.  Is there enough wood material there to attach them to?

I'm not questioning your decisions, I'm asking for additional information on how it all is supported.

I ended up not using the bolts because of heat issues.  I didn't want to melt the artwork from spot welding.

I have attached 49 ways from the bottom before.  They are just as thick as the wood, so if I think there will be an issue, I plan on using a brace of sorts across the opening to give it extra security.