What do you put around the monitor glass?

[monkey puzzle]

Just a quick question. I'm building my first cab (nothing fancy) and it has a 22" LCD widescreen PC monitor, with a piece of Smoked glass in front of it. What do most people put around the edges of the glass to stop you seeing in the cabinet? Can you get a bezel for a widescreen monitor, do I paint in black, or what? Just wondered what most people do.

[javeryh]

I made a bezel out of matteboard for my LCD and had the glass rest on top of it.  Nothing is secured - the monitor sits in the MDF frame I made and the bezel and glass sit on top of that.  Gravity does the rest.







You can't see anything but the screen (only when it is on) otherwise it looks completely black in there.

[garnerb350]

I did the poor man method...I took tape and marked my area...and painted the rest with black paint...
Scroll down on this link and you can see my cab...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=90308.0

[monkey puzzle]

Thanks, these both sound like good methods, but I would still like to know what other people think. Could anyone give me a bit more advice on the paint method please. Is any particular type of black paint preferred? how many coats? e.t.c

[severdhed]

i used plexiglass instead of glass over my lcd monitor.  i taped off the viewable area with blue painters tape, then spray painted the back side of the plexi with flat black spray paint i bought at walmart for 97cents.  i put about 3 coats on, then removed the tape.  it gives you a nice glossy look from the front and was cheap and easy to do.

[garnerb350]

I did the same as severdhead, but I used the same paint I used for the cab ( duramax black latex)

[ArtMAME]

I paint the plastic bezels on any white computer monitor I put in a cab.

Cheap flat black spray paint works very well.  Adheres way better than the expensive spray paint that is supposed to be used for plastic.

Don't use the gloss black stuff.  Too shiny.
The plastic spray paint is too shiny as well.

[garnerb350]

Damn I forgot all about that....Artmame is right ....I had a 21 inch white monitor...I unscrewed my plastic bezel off and painted it with flat black...I did that to make sure that nothing would distract the viewing pleasure.... My glass covers it nicely

[monkey puzzle]

Thanks for advice. I have a can of car spray paint in my shed, should I use this or is it worth investing in some matt or flat black paint?

[1UP]

I made a printed bezel frame.  Looks much nicer than black!  Like a classic cabinet.

[garnerb350]

Depends on what your wallet and patience is like...


1UP has the holy grail of cab design...( everytime i see it, it blows my mind...)

I did  mine with blk paint, and eventually I am going to place an instruction chart on the bottom of my bezel (probley vinyl)....

Matte board is a little bit spendy( where i'm at )...then you have to take the time to make sure the measurements are straight and have a way to have it stay in place and yada, yada, yada...and when you are drinking beers and operating power tools, you kinda forget things and misplace priorities...(LOL)

The point is that its really up to you, how you want your cab to look...dont over engineer...your main goal is that you are wanting to hide what is behind the glass... Make the cab that you always wanted... 9 out of 10 people who come to play wont even care what type of bezel you may have....

[TheShanMan]

There is also this approach, if you want more of an arcade authentic style cardboard bezel:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=17175.0

[1UP]

Matte board is a little bit spendy( where i'm at )...

Poster board, about $1.99 at most art stores!  Many colors available.  If it needs to be stiff, back it with scrap cardboard.  Or you can get some black foamcore at Staples for about $5.

I have redone my bezel once, getting ready for another probably once I get my D9200 installed.  First was just black foamcore for the temp 21" TV I was using.  Second time I printed some simple blue lines to frame a larger monitor, plus instructions for CP rotation.  I am looking to get something a little more flashy this time, but with the D9200, I only have about an inch on all sides...

[ivwshane]

I made my bezel out of mdf and painted it black and then place the glass on top of that.

[garnerb350]

Poster board, about $1.99 at most art stores!  Many colors available.  If it needs to be stiff, back it with scrap cardboard.  Or you can get some black foamcore at Staples for about $5.

When I hear matte, I think of the photograph  framing matte...(which is spendy)....Where i am from we call poster board ( what you describe) "gatorboard"...Call it a photographer thing, i dont know...That what i was taught....

Sorry....

[Visitor Q]

I made a bezel out of matteboard for my LCD and had the glass rest on top of it.  Nothing is secured - the monitor sits in the MDF frame I made and the bezel and glass sit on top of that.  Gravity does the rest.







You can't see anything but the screen (only when it is on) otherwise it looks completely black in there.

Yup... More less what I did with mine as well.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=87205.0

[thecheat]

I'm using a piece of black foam core for my bezel. The back of the board is cut to the outside of the bezel. The front side of the board is cut to display only the screen. With a lot of patience and razor blades, it turned out pretty decently.

[Siris]

Anyone know where to get this PDF from the link TheShanMan posted?

Build_Your_Own_Bezel.pdf

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17175.0;attach=3251

[Dragonman73]

Does anyone happen to know of a seller that sells plastic bezels for 21" monitors?

 I can find 19", 25", and 27" bezels all day long but no 21" 

[saint]

Anyone know where to get this PDF from the link TheShanMan posted?

Build_Your_Own_Bezel.pdf

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17175.0;attach=3251

I assume you mean the one wj2k3 posted?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/attachments/Build_Your_Own_Bezel.pdf