Insert Coffee - Circuit problems

[BobA]

Your woodworking skills are superior to most on this board.  I would have to say that most use power tools over hand tools.  I applaud your skill     The coffee table looks like it will be a work of art.

[Ond]

This is coming along well, these classy artistic furniture cabs are rare, the last impressive one I remember was by pixel..cuddle. somebody,  can't, quite recall his name 

[AlienInferno]

Very nice.  Beats anything I could make.   

[EightBySix]

Thanks for the nice comments guys. I think the soft lighting must have you fooled 

Hand tools are a more attractive option when:

• You have no power in the shed, without trailing an extention socket from the house
• Your work area is 8' x 6' with no proper ventillation
• You usually only get chance to work late when the kids are asleep

Also, I find them relaxing to use, which you can't really say about a table saw or router. Perfect antidote to a technical IT job where you dont really 'see' what you make.

Got chance to do one of the longer sides today. Looking forward to doing the top.

[Richard_Nixon]

Technical IT job? Looks like you should have been a carpenter!

[Green Giant]

If you keep up with this kind of quality, are you sure the wife will let you put an arcade inside it?

[EightBySix]

Update time

Really been trying to get time to work on this lately, we went away for a few days, so I booked a couple of extra days vacation so I could have some shed time sort out the packing. I ended up nursing the little one through a bout of chicken pox instead  . Still, looking on the bright side - if she had come down with them later it would have ruined the holiday. Here's an update of the work I managed to get done in the odd hour here and there since.

A leftover piece of oak veneered MDF from a desk I made was big enough to get the table top pieces I needed. Should tie in nicely with the desk too. Here's the mdf in question, complete with test holes, practice cuts from previous projects etc .


I was lucky - the test cuts nearly cost me dear in terms of what I had left, but the gods were with me and I just managed to get the cuts I needed from it with my jigsaw. 



The edges had to be nice and straight, to avoid any gaps when I put the edging on. The plane took care of that (although I'm finding that MDF is playing hell with my nice sharp blades)
Notice the 2 pieces in the vice at the same time - The plane takes care  of the straight edge along the length, but its too easy to rock in the other direction in you're not careful and make the edge out of true. Two together gives a wider surface and helps me keep it square.



Next I cut the edging to an approximate length.


I've discovered that I cant cut a straight line with a hand saw  - I tend to wander off the line as I cut down. Some wordworking forums I've visited suggest it can happen if your saw teeth need adjusting. I'm more inclined to think it's because I cant stand square to the bench because of lack of room to stick my arse in the other direction. 
To the table saw then, to nibble the ends until they are true. Normally I wouldnt bother to be so accurate, but it would show here if I dont get it right. Heres the end result:



Time to break out the biscuit jointer. I love this thing. I used to use  dowells to joint stuff like this, but biscuits are much more accurate, and the little bit of side to side movement they give you is a lifesaver



Came across a problem when I test fitted the edging - they tended to sag. They are pretty thick pieces and quite weighty. The glue would have probably held them in place, but I think its good to have things mechanicaly strong in their own right. An extra biscuit through both the MDF and solid wood seems to sort it.



Time for a test assemble. Heres a pic of the carcass. The side panels are 6mm oak veneered ply - but the ply is only on one side. Makes sense I suppose - no point paying for the extra when its hidden. You can see the pale side here on the inside.



And another angle. The gaps at the top of the drawer hole sides will close up then I tap the top rail fully home. I hope! 



Got a bit snap-happy when I put the top panels on. Still - pics is pics  . This is just a test fit. There is no glue here, and I've not used any nails or screws yet in the entire thing. It seems pretty stable.



From the end:



And from the top



So next thing to deal with, are the holes in the side where a drawer should be, containing the control panel. Best joint to deal with that is a dovetail joint, so it naturally resists coming apart when pulled. Traditionally, half-blind dovetails are used so they dont show from the front. So that's my next challenge. I've never made any half blind ones before, so I'm practicing on scrap. Here's my 2nd attempt (the 1st was on softwood and wasnt pretty)



I'll have another couple of trys before I let myself loose on the actual wood I bought for the CP.

Thanks for reading. I'll be moving onto more buttons and joysticks type stuff soon!

[yotsuya]

Actually, I think I'm more excited to see more of your table making than the arcade-y stuff! Great job!

[Louis Tully]

.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Very nice work.  I'm a Normite woodworker (if it can't be done with a power tool it probably won't get done) but I recognize the hand tooled work as the higher art. 

[Santoro]

Wow.   Love the idea, love the craftsmanship.  Love the 'arts and crafts' feel. 

Watching this build for sure, nice work so far!

[EightBySix]

Couldn't resist popping the screen in to see what it will look like during play  



The bank of LEDs will be below the veneer of course, like I described earlier.

[AlienInferno]

Looks great man.  Definatly enjoying seeing more of this table come together.  It's going to look awesome when completed.

[wp34]

 

That looks beautiful.

[Green Giant]

Actually, I think I'm more excited to see more of your table making than the arcade-y stuff! Great job!

Seconded.

[kahlid74]

Actually, I think I'm more excited to see more of your table making than the arcade-y stuff! Great job!

Seconded.

I love the hand tool wood working.  Just classy all the way to the bank.  Keep up the great work!

[EightBySix]

Some more progress to report. I did a glue up quite a while ago, and while its an exciting step for me, it doesnt really make for good progress pics for you guys, so I waited till I had some more stuff to share

I did have a moment of drama when I was taking apart the dry assembly, when I was pulling a joint out. It kind of popped out whilst I was still pulling and I heard a crack on the opposite joint :-O Luckily it didnt break all the way through and with a dab of glue, all was well.


See that box on the right? Its a massage chair, and if you look carefully you can see it shaking. I got it out from on top of the wardrobe where it had been since Christmas to check it for useful motors and gears as suggested by (I think) Dr Venture. The moment the family saw it they were all 'hey - I'd forgotten about that - lets have a go!' so it was spared from dis-assembly. It's now back on top of the cupboard.

Since the glue dried the table has become useful in it's own right as a piece of furniture - its already been used for various other 'projects'. Could this be the woodwork equivalent of making a cab playable before it's finished?


thankfully - progress continued, in the shape of a hunt for a means of opening and closing the table. I previously bought a linear actuator, which is beautifully smooth and quiet, but also very slow. I timed it, and it would have been around 45 seconds to open fully. long time to wait with coin in hand. No, problem - I could use a lever to amplify the movement. I would also need a mechanism that I saw which would allow both table top pieces to move at the same time. Like this:



All getting a bit complicated though, especially with little room to play with. An idea struck. Why not just drive the gear from the table equalizer slide? Much easier, but hard to find the rack and pinion components at a sensible price, and I would also need some sort of housing for them to slide in.

After much pencil top biting, I thought I would use a threaded steel rod, with captive nuts to slide apart when the rod is rotated. It's possible to get threaded rods with one half left handed and the other with a right handed thread. They tend to be quite specialist though and therefore pricey. I looked into cutting my own threads on each end of a bar, but was told I would need both left and right handed dies which again were expensive. (Do you think they were laughing at me as I went - like when the apprentice is sent for a left handed screwdriver, or striped paint?)

Solution? Cut the threaded rod in half, and spin each in opposite directions using bevel gears, which would also allow me to mount the motor at right angles to the bar - a good space saver for me.

So - I bring you the Luxo-Slide. Here are the progress pics, starting off with a means of making sure the sliding components are perfectly square. This is a shooting board. You hold the workpiece against the stop and slide the plane on its side to trim a tiny sliver off the end.


Paused to sharpen my stuff - the blades were shot to ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- after working MDF. If you ever need to sharpen blades on the cheap, look up the 'Scary Sharp' method, which involves glueing various grades of wet and dry sanding paper onto glass.


Then I needed to drill two holes, one for the threaded bar and one for the captive nut.


Took me a while to work out how to hold a nut captive whilst the rod spins. Wandered the local DIY superstore for inpiration and saw these dowel nuts - you might have used them in flat pack furniture. Even better, I got them for 45p each in a local ironmongers instead of the £7 for a pack of five the superstore was asking.


Chopped the threaded rod in half with a Dremmel - also was chance to post a picture of me making sparks, which is surely a right of passage for manly projects.


Got a motor with the correct RPM to spin the bar, which fits nicely into the side of the Luxo-Slide. While testing though - the noise is way too loud. Lets face it, a motorised table slide is bling - there is no reason it couldn't be opened by hand, so if I'm doing it, it has to be classy. A table that sounds like a vacuum cleaner is just not cool. Pressing ahead though. I can always soundproof, or get a differernt motor.


Heres the finished mechanism.


Closer up


And as it will fit in the table



Need to add the electronics, limit switches etc. Turns out this is the same kind of problem as a rotating monitor, only linear instead of circular. the info in the MRotate section was just what I needed. Thanks to DaOldMan!


Video anyone?


 

[Santoro]

whoa.

[drventure]

I was wondering how this was progressing, You did not disappoint!

Awesome

when I was pulling a joint out

Totally, thought you were going somewhere else with this 

About the motor. Yeah, I had the same noise issue with my jukebox mechanism. I ended up buying a real Linear actuator that solved all my issues. Noise seems to be generally inverse proportional to speed. You might see if you can find an even slower motor or a speed control for the motor you have.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Man that brings back memories:


The worm drive luxo slide version looks awesome.  Adds sweet automation to your top notch woodwork.   

[Ond]

Beautiful work!  Noisy motors are pain, unfortunately the timber would act as a bit of sounding board as well, I'll be interested to see what you come up with.  Isolate the motor mount with rubber bushings maybe?  You can now claim full membership as a "manly maker of sparks".  I claimed this for myself waaaay back.    

[emphatic]

Whoah. 

[Le Chuck]

You da
This is wonderful to watch. 

What LA were you using that takes that long to open?  I know you can buy variable speed actuators but that does raise the price quite a bit. 

[kahlid74]

Wonderful!  I love the design and it's use.  I'm excited to see it move the monitor back and forth.

[EightBySix]

I'll be interested to see what you come up with.  Isolate the motor mount with rubber bushings maybe?

I've got a 3 point noise reduction programme.
1. Replace motor. I butchered the LA and got a nice one to use instead. Not so convenient in terms of mounting, but thats for another post
2. As you suggested. Also, where the assembly fits into the table. going to get somy nylon washers where the retaining bolts on each end of the rod meet the wood.
3. Grease! I reckon if the rod is greased it will absorb some rattling and vibration. I'm a bit concerned about the effect it will have on the oak though. Any suggestions anyone?

What LA were you using that takes that long to open?  I know you can buy variable speed actuators but that does raise the price quite a bit. 

It was made by Linak - an LA31
I watched ebay for ages to find one that was quicker, and still have the extention i needed, but plumpled for that one in the end.

Wonderful!  I love the design and it's use.  I'm excited to see it move the monitor back and forth.

Thanks. You may have misunderstood though, the monitor stays where it is - the mechanism opens and closes each half of the table top that cover it.

I've attached some linear actuator butchery pics, for you sickos that get a kick off that kind of thing 

[GregD]

This is beyond impressive?  Great woodworking skills.  Were those half blinds cut by hand?

[EightBySix]

yessir. They dont connect without gaps though, but I need to practice more. Especially before I have a go on the CP

[GIZMOGAMES]

Almost a month since your last post not that i was waiting in anticipation MUCH lol
And WoW awsome woodworking skills yes i find im limited with a no power 8/6 shed too but im willing to run the extension way across the garden when the weather permits me and i empty the thing lmao

i have a few ideas regarding yr draw/controls also so your initial idea of the draw front closind to create the flat palm rest is ok but why not create a drop down control as you have said ill post some sketches for what i mean its not that difficult really as youve demonstrated the open/close of the top surface so well making a drop down control panel will be childs play

goes to sketch ideas two mins ......

tum te tum te tum Aha here we go
i know i think yr kids could of drawn better but i HOPE it gives you an idea of what my idea would entail :S

so below is my 1/2 rate paint idea its just a matter of creating a slider to do the same direction as the way yr going possoblity to do with draw sliders or a similar idea like yr motorised opener see what ya think and HI im GIZMO DrNicks brother lol yes ive joined the newbie section of the forums he MADE me do it honest guvner lol

[EightBySix]

Wow - what a detailed update, thankyou. And I get where you are coming from with the pictures. I did consider a design similar to that, but couldn't get over an issue with the joystick sticking out when in the closed position (the 3rd picture down in your diagram). I could recess it by the length of the joystick, but then I would need to make the fold down section longer, so that it didnt hit the table underside. That would have made the table twice as thick, which is something I wanted to avoid. (I added to your pick to explain)


Your idea works if I had the joystick built into the table top, but I've moved back to having it in the drawer. (hmm, just reviewed my thread and I dont think I mentioned that  )

this is the plan now. I'm kind of committed to it.


Update wise - I've been busy frying motor driver chips. Kind of fed up with that for now, so have moved on to getting the LED matrix to work. I'll post another update soon, when I have something more visible to show.

[swaffar]

This is a great build... as far as frying chips, sounds like you need some diodes.

[GIZMOGAMES]

HaHaHa i like it and yes i see your point about joy height to depth adding to have to make a deeper draw its still a masterpiece of craftmanship tho non the less and thanks I TRY ya know lol remind me to QUOTTE that in my signature when i design it 

[EightBySix]

Heres my documentation of my attempts to make the table sliding mechanism quieter.

The motor that I took from the linear actuator runs almost silently. The catch was that the shaft was the wrong diameter (I deliberately chose the previous one to match the gears).
A friend gave me the idea of putting epoxy resin on the shaft to build it up to a little thicker than I needed, and then apply some sandpaper to it whilst spinning - like a lathe. It worked a treat, with a really good push fit and perfectly centred.


Next up was to mount it. I had a nice neat little hole for the last motor, but this is much more hefty. I glued a platform to the slider and tried to chisel out a hollow to match the motor case. Much more difficult than I anticipated - especially since it needs to align the gears - there isnt much room for error.
BYOAC to the rescue - Whilst reading Ond's bondo bible thread - I adapted the use of the plastic film to make a mould out of silicone sealant.


 It took a while to dry, but after a couple of days I had a perfectly fitting motor mount, it grips really well and its rubbery, which should absorb some vibration.



Next up was the points at which the threaded rod meets the wood. I wanted some sort of bushing to reduce the friction inside the drilled holes through the wood. I lucked out here. The kids were having a drink with a straw and it turns out they were a perfect push fit (the straws - not the kids). Then I got a box of assorted rubber washers which I paired with matching metal ones where the nuts met the wooden blocks.





The result? Not much difference actually. It felt more sturdy but I think most of the noise is coming from the gears.

A friend of mine recently restored a space harrier cab - the sit in kind that moves with the game. He had some special grease for the mechanism there and he gave me a tub.
Unfortunately, the speed of the gears just meant it became an effective grease spray. Still, you dont often get to schedule a lunchtime meeting with a work collegue to secretly hand over a tub of marine grease. It was a special moment.

It was a bit of a hassle swapping the motor lead polarity back and forth whilst I tried to pin down the source of the noise, so I started work on the electronics to do it via a switch, which I'll need later anyway. That brings me back to my last post about frying chips. The IC is supposed to have internal diodes to protect it, but I guess they werent manly enough. I'll try again with some external ones.

And then my veneer arrived, which will cover the LED matrix, so I've moved onto that for a while.
Update soon!

[drventure]

And then my veneer arrived, which will cover the LED matrix, so I've moved onto that for a while.
Update soon!

Now that post is one I'm looking forward too!

Yeah, I tried some of that on my home built "linear actuator" too. Nothing worked very well.
I suspect the only true way to quiet it down is to slow the motor down significantly.

[darthpaul]

I love this stuff, the concealed controls are genius, really great work. 

Yeah, I tried some of that on my home built "linear actuator" too. Nothing worked very well.
I suspect the only true way to quiet it down is to slow the motor down significantly.

Mine are loud as well but the coolness factor overrides the noise.

[EightBySix]

This has been the culmination of lots of work. Still not quite there, but enough to post.

Bit of background on the veneer. When I came to order I realised that you cant get single sheets of veneer as big as I wanted. You have to get 'matched' sheets and glue them down carefully. That wasnt going to work for me, as I'm not gluing anything. You can buy, however - larger flexible sheets of paper backed veneer. I bought some and the smell of the oak when I opened it was wonderful!

For some reason I had assumed the paper would be white, and therefore not cause any problems for me with lightt transmission, but it was brown, which I guess is a more appropriate colour for most uses.

The sheet I got was enough for 3 'bezels' - so I figure that gives me three goes to get it right.

I set off by getting a sheet of thin, but large paper from a flipchart, and cut out a template. My pencil followed a little ridge in the steel monitor surround, so that worked OK. I want a little strip of this silver to show. I think it looks better framed that way. You can also see the drawer slides I'm using in this pic to attach the table tops.


When I was happy with that, I taped it to the veneer and cut it out with a sharp hobby knife. You can use scissors for this stuff too... this is veneer side down.


Then I had to sand a portion of it so that it would let the LED lights through. I had to get rid of that brown paper, so I sanded it from the back. It didnt take too long, and the paper helped because I could see the wood emerge as I got close.
Here's a pic of the sanded portion.


And holding it up to the light to check as I went. Got a bit close for comfort in places.



Here is the LED matrix hardware, fitted into a recess in the back of the monitor panel.

Took me a while to think of a way to hold each of the 3 boards that comprise the matrix. Because I had to route out a stepped recess to hold them, I reckoned there wasnt enough MDF left to hold a screw. I remember my Dad making picture frames, pushing nails into the side of the frame to hold the glass and thought a similar approach would work. Its a tricky business though, with a pair of pliers and a pin hammer. One slip here means I scuff up the circuit boards.
I ended up with a low tech approach. If you look carefully, you'll see the drawing pins (US translation - thumb tacks) that I used. Pushed in at a slight angle gives a really tight fit.


And here is the circuit I built up to control them. I ended up using PicBasic to write the code to drive them, leaning heavilly on some stuff I googled. I had to make the connector on the right, to allow me to interface the connector for the LED matrix boards.


Here is a pic of it all put together. Ignore the line in the glass - its actually 2 glass shelves I borrowed from a bookcase that make a nice fit... Who's betting it will stay that way... When I replace them, I might look into non reflective glass. I'll see how it looks when the monitor is on.


Now here's the rub. It's not bright enough to see well in the daylight. I dont think the LEDs are as bright as when I did a proof of concept earlier. Not a disaster though. The datasheet for the boards recommends a supplimental 5V 1.5A power supply. Mine are powered from the same circuit that sends the signals, so hopefully it will improve. Here are some night shots though, to give you an idea at what it will be like.



And with the lights off too...



So I'm off to Google a little power supply, and see where that leaves me.

[drventure]

Bright or not, that is one of the slickest looking led assemblies I've seen 

Undoubtedly, you can find some brighter leds, but that's fantastic looking.

[CoryBee]

Holy snap, good work on this, I really like that idea for a coffee table arcade. I though of one before but this takes the cake! 

[Santoro]

Damn that's clever!

[RetroRik]

Hi EightBySix.

Always liked the arcade in a table idea. I was looking at doing this myself until i talked myself out of it.

Why not do what i was going to do. ( if its not too late.? )

As you pull out the control panel, the glass covered screen angles towards you 30 degrees giving you a more natural viewing position.

You won't need to lean so far forward then.

Im sure a simple modified pulley/gear setup inside could achieve this. With your motor  it can all happen at a push of a button at the same time.  

Lovely work so far mate.

RIK

[Player 3]

Excuse me as a I retrieve my jaw from somewhere. Must've dropped it after seeing the LED matrix working.