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100% wood rectangular box
unclet:
My control panel box is 100% MDF. Of course I painted the the box black. Once I painted it I realized that if I rested by wrists on the top (whichwas now painted black) the black paint would wear off over time (ie: my wrists and hand movements using the joysticks would result in the rubbing of the black paint, thus making it lose it's shine and show wear). As a result, I plexi-ed the top.
I would go to the local arcade and check out which type of top you feel comfortable with and then simply note the dimensions. My personal control panel top slopes from a back height of 8-1/4" to a front height 7" and covers 17" deep.... hope that helps. Note, the slope is gradual.
You can also hold a separate pencil in each hand at the same time and pretend they are joysticks. If you hold them comfortably (as if they were joystifcks) you will notice the slope of your forearms from your elbow to your wrists.....this is the slope I would recommend using. After all, it is your forearm and wrists which will be resting on the control panel top most of the time while you play.
Oh yeah, a sheet of 4'x8'x3/4" MDF board is about $15.....pretty cheap if you ask me and gives much better looking results if you do plan on simply leaving the "wood" look.
skirge66:
just a thought, my skin tends to be very dry, and messing around with bare mdf just sucks the moisture out of my hands, not sure if anyone else has this problem, but it can be painful, not sure how well painting would work, but i wouldn't use mdf unless i had a decent coating of paint, lexan, or laminate on it
armad1ll0:
I use a difference of 1" for a 10" width box section for the grade on my top surface.
unclet:
I guess the MDF did not bother me atall, although you sparked my memory......I seem to remember someone saying they some people might have a reaction to MDF due to the type of glue they use in making it. I mean when you cut the MDF, the extremely fine dust which is created gets all over and some people have a skin reaction. :o
I believe this is what I read somewhere....oh well. I would you a mask, goggles and gloves then... ;)
PS: Love these face things --> :) ;) :D ;D
skirge66:
i wouldn't play around with it any other way...besides i'm a super safety freak. like to keep all the body pieces where they belong insides on the insides etc. ;)