Plexi or no plexi...that is the question...

[Paulson]

 For control panels...what are the pros & cons?

[bemerritt]

plexi will will get scratched up rather quickly and easy. it's also not the easiest of materials to cut and drill wholes in without cracking it.

ive heard of people using lexan as an alternative

[TOK]

plexi will will get scratched up rather quickly and easy. it's also not the easiest of materials to cut and drill wholes in without cracking it.

ive heard of people using lexan as an alternative

Lexan (polycarbonate) is easier to work with, but I think it scratches even easier since it's soft.
They are both fine for home use, and won't scratch if cleaned with a soft damp cloth.

There are probably a couple dozen threads on the pro's and con's.

[shardian]

You are really better off just getting a good quality adhesive laminated CPO. First off, your game will never be subjected to hardcore route abuse ever again. Secondly, a good quality size piece of plexi is almost as expensive as a repro CPO.

Now if you like plexi, then have at it. My Xevious Control panel has a molded plexi cover and it looks sweet. It came with the panel though - I would have never went thru that kind of effort.

[Paulson]

 Thanks fellows, I just noticed Mamemarqees.com might have the answer?
 
 Our Control Panel overlays are covered with Polycarbinate laminate (also used for bullet proof glass!) which offers a very tough, scratch resistant and textured surfaces. This will last a long time and take a lot of abuse. Don't settle for vinyl laminate!
                         
 Bullet proof sounds good to me

 Thanks again.

[AtomSmasher]

Yup, you can make an excellent control panel either with or without plexi, so it mainly just comes down to personal taste.  Most of my time in the arcades was spent in the early to mid '90s, so I pretty much only remember playing games with plexi covered CP's, which is why it feels more authentic to me to have plexi on the CP.  Many members here will tell you they have the exact opposite memory, so they didn't want to use plexi. 

Both options work well, so you just have to decide which one would make a more authentic arcade experience for you.

[GAtekwriter]

I plan on having a LARGE sign above my arcade that says "Please remove all rings, watches, and bracelets before touching my cabinet" - it'll never work, but I can try, right? 

I was told that the Lexan I purchased can be bought with a "scratch resistant" coating but I'm going to try with regular Lexan first... if it gets bad, I'll consider scratch-resistant later.

Jim