Main > Project Announcements
I have finally started my cabinet!!! (Now With Pictures! 13-APR-2008)
Jdurg:
Just a quick update here. I've gone to Home Depot and picked up a router, jigsaw, and shopvac. I've had some "issues" learning the jigsaw, but the router and some quick re-draws of the layout have made a very nice recovery from it. Some more routing and hand-plane work will straighten out all edges. I'm going to take my first photos once the entire layout has been cut and smoothed, the button holes drilled, and the joystick/trackball/spinner areas routed out. I nearly shed a tear tonight when I saw the first rough outline of my CP come into fruition. Before I start work again on the 2nd of January, I believe that I will have my CP top all cut out and complete. Then I'll work on the sides and bottom, get my I-Pac4, wire it up and have a fully functional CP that I'll test out on my laptop.
This is way too much fun, and I'm learning a lot about woodworking. I now understand the "bug" that states "1 cabinet is never enough". I'm seriously thinking of working on a cocktail cabinet when I get done with this one. I think I need a pay-raise. ;) ;D
Jdurg:
Finally, the CP has been cut out and smoothed. I have learned that my jigsaw isn't nearly as bad as I thought it was. I just needed to learn how to use it properly. Now, I am very confident in cutting a straight line with it and cut the entire outside of the panel with the jigsaw.
For the rough part that was left after cutting close with the jigsaw, I cleaned it out with a hand planer. The hand planer was an incredible pickup. The edges of my CP are now ultra flat and smooth and any imperfections that exist will be covered by the t-molding. The hand planer brought me right up to the line that I had previously drawn out.
I also bought a new spade bit for cutting out the button holes. This new bit is razor sharp on the middle point, the edges, and the side parts. Therefore, it rips right through the plywood like it's nothing. The other set of spade bits I have are fine for small holes up to about 1/2 an inch wide, but anything larger and they just don't have the cutting ability. They'll probably be great for when the Plexiglass/Lexan needs to be cut.
Now I do have some "fears". One of my button holes ended up kind of elliptical thanks to the spade bit getting dull and me trying to figure out a way to cut through the wood. Thankfully, it shouldn't be too much of a problem since I'll be putting a flat overlay on top of the controls and the elliptical button hole won't be seen. (I plan on getting some poster board to put over the CP top and then the artwork on top of that, and a thin layer of Lexan/Plexiglass over that).
The measurements, however, of the CP aren't exactly what I'm hoping they'd be. They seem to be about 1/8" off in areas. I really hope this won't be too much of a problem when everything is built. Especially since cutting out this CP is a very time consuming process.
So yes, the CP does look like something a first-timer has done but it's not horrible. ;D
Jdurg:
Ahhhh........... It feels good to pretty much be done. ;D All of my button holes are cut out, the bolt holes have been drilled, the edges have been straightened out and cleaned, and the damn thing looks like a CP now. ;D I still need to cut out the area for the trackball and the spinner, but I have to wait for those to arrive before I start. As a result, I'm taking a bit of a hiatus on the CP until the rest of the parts get here. Once they arrive, I'll draw the outlines onto the CP, cut out the parts that need to be cut, then break out the router and start recessing the joystick and trackball area. I have to say, the thing looks pretty damned good.
I am a bit pissed, however, that when I measured out the location of the P1 and P2 button, I somehow measured off of the wrong line for the P2 button so it is sitting about 1/2" lower than the P1 button. I'm thinking about taking the router and "moving" the hole up a little bit, then using some bondo to fill in the part of the hole that's too low. I'm going to be putting a thin layer of posterboard over the top of the CP, then the artwork, then the Lexan/Plexi so in the end it won't be seen. I just want to ensure that the button is secure. The other option is to completely fill in the hole with Bondo, let it cure for a few weeks, then redrill the button hole.
Pictures will come once it is all cut out. ;D (As I can't find my camera right now).
Jdurg:
Well, a little bit more has been done. I STILL can't find my camera, so sadly there are no pictures yet. :( Still, I was able to get some more clamps and with the clamps, a straight piece of lumber and my router, I routed out the opening for the 4-way joystick!!!!! :applaud: The joystick fits nice and smoothly inside the opening, and the four bolt holes line up nicely. I did screw up pretty bad on the recessing, however. The bit worked a little bit loose so on two of the sides the inside routing wound up being about 1/8" deeper than on the other sides. The joystick still fits in there nice and securely, but it looks pretty ugly inside. Thankfully, nobody will ever see that. To correct the mistake, I've taken some thin strips of wood and this stuff called "Plastic Wood" to build up a layer for the joystick to rest on. I'll then seal the filler and woodstrip with a strong material to make sure it doesn't work its way loose and mess up my electronics. Again, it's all going to be internal and won't be seen so I don't think it will be a problem. I just need to make sure that the "Plastic Wood" doesn't crumble away with all the jostling it will get. As it's drying, it's getting more and more like a piece of MDF so my fears are slowly going away.
It was kind of emotional for me when I dropped the joystick in there and it fit properly. I then went and put in a few buttons and for the first time ever had the makings of a functional control panel. Also, I realized that I didn't route deep enough so I need to remove some plastic from the corners of the 4-way so that the bolt heads can be recessed and below the surface.
Before I routed out the 8-way joystick holes, I decided to make a jig in order to make the routed out areas more consistant and clean. That jig is currently in the basement drying and I'll attempt the routing tomorrow. I really hope my measurements were right. I should probably try this out on some scrap wood first. That would probably be a good idea. heh.
Jdurg:
A few little updates. The trackball, spinner, and trackball mounting plate still haven't arrived yet so I haven't been able to route out those areas and drill a hole for the spinner shaft. I also still need to fill in the one button hole that I kind of messed up on. Otherwise, the CP is in good shape.
The slot-cutting bit for my router arrived the other day, so I'll need to go out and practice using it on some scrap wood to get the feel for it.
I also ordered some 1/16" Lexan for the top. I figured that since I'm using 3/4" Plywood for the panel itself, I can just put the thin 1/16" Lexan on top of that and not worry about how much higher than the edge it will be. (Though I could feasibly get 1" thick T-Molding and just trim where needed). I also hope that the 1/16" thickness will make the Lexan more workable for me. I ordered enough to have plenty of scrap to work with so I'll get my practice in.
Finally, I still need to work out how I want to cut the bottom and sides of the CP. Should I cut the bottom panel the exact same size as the CP Top using a pattern cutting bit on my router, or should I trace the outline of my CP Top onto the other 3/4" plywood sheet and then measure in 3/4" on each side and cut the bottom part so that it will bond to the CP sides? I'm thinking that if my CP bottom is the same size as my CP Top that it will be a bit stronger and if I use a good putty and sanding job on the seams, when the CP is primed and painted it will look seamless.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version