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Mounting your Control Panel??
djsting:
Why not use the real thing and get yourself some panel clamps? You can either yank some off an old cabinet or buy new ones from http://www.happcontrols.com/index.html?http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm! (look under 'Amusements' -> 'Accessories' -> 'Cabinet Accessories' from the home page to find them) and cost $4.80 each.
Sorry, I could not get this thing to take the pic of the clamp so you will have to visit the website to see it.
Homebrew:
Those happ panel clamps look nice and beefy, but they're a little pricey at $4.80 a piece. By the time you paid shipping, it probably cost you $15-$16 for a set. I used window sash latches on mine, not the kind you normally think of though(tried those too, they sucked). I'll try to take pictures tonight of what i'm using. The work very well for me, my panel is nice and tight. Best of all, i think the set of 2 cost me like $4 from Lowes. I'll see if i still have the bag so i can get the part#.
-Kevin
SirPoonga:
--- Quote from: CitznFish on March 12, 2003, 12:17:18 am ---
--- Quote from: SirPoonga on March 11, 2003, 11:42:01 pm ---http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab17.jpg
I have the brass l-brackets to guide the CP and the latch in the center to hold it down.
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i'm looking and looking and i still cant figure it out. just that one latch holds it down? I see 2 brass 'L's on the sides, but why do you need those? it looks liek the wood would guide itself down..am I looking at the picture wrong?
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The l brackets keep the cp from moving from side to side. The latch (from my double dragon II cabinet) hold it down. Well, the latch AND the shelf.
http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab11.jpg
I am goin to redo the shelf and make it level with the top of the CP and screw a 1x1 on the back of the cp so the shelf still holds the cp down.
Minwah:
I was thinking of using some clamp things that are used on stuff like kitchen/bathroom cupboard doors. Not sure what they are called, but here's a poor attempt at an ascii pic:
[Control Panel here]
_________________
l __ l
l___l l___l
__
_______l l________
[Cabinet here]
The part which I have labelled as on the control panel has ball-bearings facing inward towards each other - when the other part of the clamp clips in, the spring-loaded ball-bearings hold the parts together. The tension of the bearings is adjustable using grub-screws.
I am not sure without testing whether you can get a good enough 'hold' for a control panel. But I suspect this would be fine for sticks / trackball etc. I am a little doubtful whether the clamps would hold say a steering wheel panel (ie a lot of possible leverage).
Anyone used these?
Wade:
Here's how I'm doing mine. It was really the simplest and first thing I came up with, but it requires no tools or special latches and will be VERY strong.
I have a 2x4 support going across the cabinet right under the control panel. The CP actually rests on it, basically. It looks like you have a similar board going across yours.
I am putting two large bolts in that board, face up. Then putting a nut on each one and tightening them down. The nuts are countersunk into the board and tightened with a socket. Then just about 1.5" of the bolt is sticking straight up. Two holes match up in the bottom of the CP box and a couple of wing nuts hold it down. The CP top hinges like most. So if I want to remove the panel for moving, I don't even have to get tools.
The only thing I might add is a lock to the rear of the CP box that locks the top of the CP down. It isn't needed, since the cab is only used in my house, but lifting up the CP is basically the key to disassembling the entire cabinet, so I feel it should be lockable.
Wade