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Battle Chasers Upright - Frankenpanel started!

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Boz:
Update: July 16, 2006

Due to my miscalculations yesterday (see "Update: July 15, 2006" above) I opted to simply move forward instead of redo-ing the base from scratch. I couldn't see the benefit, other than aesthetic, to having a shallow base. A full base is fine. After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that "IT'S JUST WOOD". Given the total cost of this cabinet, the wood will end up being less than 10% of it. If it's so horrible that I can't live with it, I'll just get more wood and build another one.

Much better day today. The mistakes I made with cutting the sides are fixable and involve only filling in wood or sanding some rough edges down to meet the spec I laid out. One big surprise to me was that I'm actually quite straight with a circular saw. I bought all this material to create the sawboards that Drew gave instructions for, and I didn't even set them up. I took a chance with the first cut. I guess I've used the saw enough now that I have the hang of it.

The first mistake I made wasn't realized until after I had cut the sheets. I said I wanted a control panel that was 37" from the ground. This is the perfect height for me as I'm standing in front of the cabinet at the player 1 position. I took into account the 1/2" I'd need for the caster wheels and the 1/2" lip all around the cab (the two sides will be 1/2" expanded from the inner planes). I accounted for the control panel height as well. My problem was that I wanted at least *some* angle to the control panel (naturally). So, I added 1" to the back of the plane that the CP will be resting on. It provides the desired tilt, but drops the very front of the control panel more than an inch below the 37" I was going for. I didn't even think about it until after the sheets were done. I think I can fix this by cutting the CP resting place flat, then attaching some kind of angled wood to the bottom of the CP.

The other roll your eyes moment came when I drilled a 3/8" pilot hole for the beginning (or maybe it was the ending) of my jigsaw line before I was through cuting. Long story short, I wasn't paying attention to the *correct* cut lines amoungst the many miscellaneous lines I had drawn. Oddly, this same hole is on exactly the same angled piece that I was talking about above. Yup, I think that settles it then. I'll shear that angled piece off completely, and add angles to the CP itself.

One other thing has me a bit concerned and I don't know if I need to be. Several sheets of this 11-ply plywood has warped since being here in my home. It was perfect for about a week when I noticed it start warping. This warping has resulted in a deviation of at least 1 1/2 if not 2 full inches (!). I hadn't intended on adding that much of an inner structure (aside from the monitor base) given the strength of the two large sides. But now, I think I may have to frame out the entire thing so that I have something to push my warped wood against, forcing it into a square shape. The alternative is a cabinet that is exactly 32" wide at the very top and the very bottom, and 33 1/2" in the middle.

At any rate, here's today's flickr photostream.

Boz:
Update: July 18, 2006

This was a really good day and for the first time since I began working with wood and power tools, I actually felt like a carpenter. My measurements were very accurate and my cuts were all very straight. It was a good day to be proud.

Pics and captions at flickr:


Setting up side 1







Setting up side 2





Cabinet Up-N-Rolling

Boz:
Update: July 19, 2006

Not much of an update today. I got a late start and had to run to the depot for more wood.

I spent quite a bit of time figuring out how I was going to get the most out of the plywood sheets I had left. I was able to cut all the major remaining pieces with exception of the control panel. For the control panel I needed to make another run to HD for more wood. The three sheets I originally bought have gone by fast.

Now I'm in a bit of a quandry.

I would like my control panel to be 60" wide. Yeah, it's pretty big. A width of 60" won't allow me to use the width of a standard 4 x 8 sheet as the width of the control panel, so I have to lay it the other direction on the sheet. However, My CP mock-up, whose size I *do* like, is 27" deep. Standard sheet goods are 96" x 48".

27 x 2 = 54
60 x 2 = 120

Essentially, I need two full sheets to cut my proposed control panel to size if I am to keep it that size. I want this cabinet to be done right, but now I'm wondering whether or not to expend the extra dough for another sheet of plywood.

I could, potentially, use two smaller pieces that I'll have left over for the bottom considering no one will see it, but then I worry about structural rigidity. I could shore it up from the inside using 2x4's or 1x2's, but then I'm eating into the space inside the control panel.

What to do, what to do.

Oh... and here's an interesting little development. I couldn't find a particular hardware item at either Home Depot or Ace Hardware. It's called (I think) a "T-Nut". You'd use something like this to add steel threads to a thick peice of wood so you can use a machined bolt for attaching something.

Here's a couple of images (courtesy Arcade Bones - "Last Stand"):



I found it unfathomable that I couldn't find this piece in either of these two locations in a city the size of Phoenix. I may actually have to order some online. Crap!

NightGod:
I've seen those at every Lowe's I've ever been to, if you have one of those near you, check it out.

My experience so far is that Lowe's is, hands down, the best stocked and widest selection of the major hardware chains. Followed by Menard's, then Home Depot, with Ace Hardware running somewhere past that. Lowe's will have stuff that other stores don't, and have four slightly different choices of the same thing.

Boz:

--- Quote from: NightGod on July 20, 2006, 02:49:25 am ---I've seen those at every Lowe's I've ever been to, if you have one of those near you, check it out.
--- End quote ---

Fargin EXCELLENT!!! I swear, I was just about to order some online. Thanks NightGod, I have a Lowe's near the house.

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