hinged control panel tops...how to secure them or keep them from rattling

[severdhed]

hey guys, i see alot of you have hinges on your control panel tops, i was just wondering how you fasten the other side?  do you just use gravity to hold it in place? or perhaps some kind of latch.  how do you keep it from rattling against the box during intense gameplay?

in my last panel, i didint use hinges, i used two strong magnets to hold the lid down, and used adhesive foam weatherstripping to keep it from rattling.  although i found that after a few times of opening it up, the weatherstripping is tearing and coming off.

i am just about done building my new control panel and box, and this time i used hinges.  i had to leave a small gap at the back so that there was room for the panel to open up..  i think gravity will be more than enough to keep it closed..but i am looking at what might be the best way to keep the noise down from the wood hitting together. 

i've considered using felt pads, or i found some weather stripping that has a vinyl coating and you staple it down...but i'm just not sure which would be the best

any ideas?

[ViciousXUSMC]

I bet dynamat would work great: http://www.dynamat.com/

Its what I used in car audio installs, its not only a good shock absorber due to the rubber like material its made of and self adhesive, but its a sound dampener, so thats what its made to do is hold back sound.  Its night & day after installing this stuff in a car.  If you lined the whole CP with it you wouldn't even be able to make a sound with it when you beat ti like a drum, but for your scenario just using it on the friction points should work.

[muffin man]

to be honest i use velcro

[CheffoJeffo]

to be honest i use velcro

+1

[Malenko]

I like the way factory Mortal Kombat machines do it, a latch on both sides a hinge in the front. I can take a pic when I get home.

[drventure]

Dynamat is excellent stuff, but, if you're doing much with it at all, you can find aluminum backed tar paper for MUCH cheaper. I got a huge roll, 3 feet wide and 40-50 feet long for 30-40$, and it works exactly the same as dynamat.

Unfortunately, that was ages ago and I don't have any links. I'll dig around and see if I can find something.

About the hinging and securing a top. One possiblity are those super magnets. I like the ones from Rockler. Their 1/2 inch round and have a surprisingly strong pull. drill out a 1/8" deep hole on the underside of the panel and on the top of the side so the mags line up and epoxy them in place. When you close the panel, they clamp down nicely.

You actually might have to play with it a bit to get the right amount of release, otherwise, you could end up needing a lever to pry them apart!

But,the velcro idea is pretty good too and that industrial version holds incredibly well.

[brock.sampson]

I'm with Malenko.  I use two of these http://happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm.  Reach up through the coin door and flip the latches.

[drventure]

Cool. Another Venture Bros fan!

I like those latches, but that's assuming you can access the inside (or that you can mount them on the outside, maybe on the back). In my case, that wasn't an option<sigh>. I really will build this thing different the next time round!

[javeryh]

I'm with Malenko.  I use two of these http://happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm.  Reach up through the coin door and flip the latches.

This is exactly what I use.  I tried velcro but over time I noticed the CP moving (slightly) during an intense game.  the CP latches secure it in place super tight.

[ghettodish]

My clamps are on the outside. It works out great for my 5 hot-swappable panels:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=35549654&albumID=2311221&imageID=51132182#a=2311221&i=51132192

[DeLuSioNal29]

I have a piano hinge on the front of mine.  I use panel clips to hold the whole control panel in place (just 2 for a quad panel secured from the inside, accessible through the coin doors).  But the panel is so heavy that is stays closed just fine and doesn't shake at all when playing, so I don't need to secure it closed in any way.

~ DeLuSioNaL

[DrFrag]

I've used latches:



Accessed through the front fold-down panel.

I've heard velcro works well too.