The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: GregD on February 21, 2012, 03:13:50 pm
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I have begun construction on my first build. It is a slim cabinet with a 20 Dell 2007FP IPS panel for a monitor. The design is a mashup of the many slim cabinet projects that I have seen on this forum. It is certainly inspired by Knievil's Evolution build as well as Alfonzotan's build. It has a depth of 17.5" and is 24.5" in width. I will be running Hyperspin as my front end. The control panel will be the typical Knievil design with 3" trackball, spinner, dedicated 4-way stick, and two eight ways with 6 player buttons each. I have ordered led strips for the marquee since I don't have a whole lot of space for the light. I will be using 4" car speakers and a Lepai amp for the sound. I build the cabinet from 3/4" MDO which has been great to work with. I have run into a few problems along the way since I am not really using plans to build this. Routinh the slot for the t-molding was one of them. I screwed that up pretty good because my router plate was sitting a fraction of an inch lower than my router table. It has been challenging learning how to try and get this right the first time. I have good woodworking skills and a great shop with a cabinet saw, router table, jointer, 14" bandsaw, floor standing drill press, and even a wide belt sender. Even with all of this it has been a challenging project. Kudos to those of you who build beautiful cabinets with limited tools. That takes patience and some ingenuity. My next step is to finalize the artwork. I have always liked the cosmic frostbite image in green. I know it isn't very original so I am looking at doing something different. I am having a real hard time naming the machine. I know that it will be something cosmic so if you have any ideas for me I would love to hear them. Anyways, here are some pictures of my progress so far. Tonight I work on the keyboard drawer and the front door. I have to mill up some edge banding material out of hardwood for the door since I am using MDO plywood and the edges would be exposed. Thanks to everyone for the inspiration.
The profile
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=179613;image)
On the base with the back, top, admin panel, speaker panel, and monitor attached
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=179621;image)
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Looking good. Have heard of MDO but I haven't seen it in these parts yet.
I recently discovered Superlight MDF and I've been pretty giddy about that. Perhaps MDO is even better?
Great choice of monitor. Use them in all my builds.
No need to raise the bar, just build something you will be happy with.
Installing a couple of spinning, glowing disco balls in the sides of your cabinet may get some ooohs and aaahs from the gang here (or maybe not) but you need to make something you can live with. Have fun with it!
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This is off to a good start, I was sitting here going over a few ideas for names "Cosmotron Express" or just "Cosmotron" came to mind.
:cheers:
Ond
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Pay attention to the two guys posting above, and you'll be fine.
I'm extremely flattered to see the reference to my build above, but all I did was rip off Knievel and severely test my wife's patience for several weeks. My main accomplishment was raising the stock price of wood putty manufacturers...
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Thanks all! Kind of a little bit giddy because Knievel and OND replied to my post. Them being kind of legends around here and all. Is that strange? HA!
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Here is my next problem. I didn't want to buy marquee retainer so I decided that I was just going to run a 1/4" dado on the top and bottom of my marquee box so that the two 1/8" acrylic panels that sandwich the marquee art would just slide in. The top of the machine is removable with a couple of screws to access this.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=179623;image)
So, no problem. I did that and it looks like it will work. The problem is that I planned on using t-molding on the front face of the marquee area but I cannot run the groove for it now since it will intersect the dado groove that I ran for the marquee acrylic and end up just cutting the the entire corner of the wood off. Do you think that I can remove the "T" from the t-molding and just glue it onto the edge of the plywood?
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You can try that and see how it works... might want to make a very shallow channel in the middle to help line up the remnants of the "T".
Another option: make fake marquee retainer. I bought a strip of this stuff at Lowe's (couple of bucks for 6' if my memory serves) and trimmed with tin snips to make two retainers. Added screw holes, painted it flat black, and it passes for actual marquee retainer perfectly. Cheap and easy.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=46202 (http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=46202)
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Look at some T molding before you try to install it with the T leg cut off. The molding I've used has a lot of curve out the outer part which is flattened out by the flat edge of the workpiece. You're going to be fighting that curve without the barbs of the leg holding it in the slot.
Here's another cheap hardware store idea: I went to the closet section and got the hook rail that a lot of modular shelving systems use to hang from. It worked great on my switchcade cab.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=113237.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=113237.0)
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So I just walked the aisles at Home Depot looking for something that could be used as a marquee retainer and I had no luck. Looks like I am going to have to buy the real thing. My question is this, will the front part of the retainer cover up the edge of the wood around the marquee box. Tough to put this into words but, is the front of the marquee retainer 3/4"? I do not want to see a shadow on the marquee when backlit. Thanks
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the ones I've seen are 1/2" or less but i've never bought dedicated retainer parts. I used 3/4" material and I incorporated black into the bottom and top of my marquee to go with it. Sometimes people cut tapers in the top and speaker panel to get around that.
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Thanks all! Kind of a little bit giddy because Knievel and OND replied to my post. Them being kind of legends around here and all. Is that strange? HA!
I get giddy whenever those guys post in any thread! is THAT strange? ;D
Great start man, will be following your build.
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I would suggest some iron-on edge banding from your local hardware store. They sell that in black.
Or this would be another option..
http://www.t-molding.com/store/product.php?productid=69&cat=5&page=1 (http://www.t-molding.com/store/product.php?productid=69&cat=5&page=1)
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I think i have some edge banding lying arount from a black melamime project or I will just use a thin stirp of wood.
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And i got my LED strip lights in and these things are awesome. They might be too bright on a 12 volt supply but they dimmed nice when I tried a 9 volt supply from an old cordless phone.
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This is my best shot at a control panel. Not thrilled about the name but my kid came up with it. The button halos need some work to make them consistent in shape and size. I hate photoshop.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180291;image)
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Looks nice to me (but it is fairly similar to my own build :D). I think I have that same monitor. You can buy plastic corner guards in lots of colors online to use as a marquee retainer. I got mine from www.kofflersales.com (http://www.kofflersales.com).
ETA: I used MDO in my cab -much better to work with than MDF. But I had a few pieces with an exposed edge that I used MDF for. You can get MDF in smaller sizes than 4 x 8 for this.
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Nice work! :applaud: I like the idea of MDO. I used BC sanded 3/4 ply for the three cabs I've built. Works good, just a lot of finishing involved. For my marquee, I used angle aluminium from the depot. I painted it black, and attached it to the cab with three counter sunk, flat head screws. I used the 3/4 X 3/4 stuff.
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The MDO has been great to work with. I build cabinets and use it whenever they are going to be painted. Takes paint really well. Much better than MDF in my opinion because it isn't as glossy. I am not going to use anything for a marquee retainer. I am going to use the dado slot I created and cover up the exposed edges with the peel and stick black PVC edgebanding that Knievil recommended above. We'll see how it goes. if not, I will just use some melamime iron on banding. The cabinet is in primer now. I just finished the box for the control panel. That took a while to get perfect with the slope and the miters all the way around. I should have the paint finished up by the end of the weekend with the keyboard drawer and the front door installed.
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Lots of progress over the last few days. I completed the priming and painting of the cabinet and I am really pleased with the finish. I rolled on the finish with a foam roller and there are no line marks in the paint. There is a slight texture but it looks good. I installed the LED strip lights in the marquee and these things are great. I can't imagine that there is a better product out there for lighting a marquee.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180808;image)
They just stick in place. I did use a few strips of two sided tape just to be sure they wouldn't fall off.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180812;image)
I also got the 1/4" solar grey plexi from Tapp installed. It fit perfect but I did have to remove the admin panel and widen the dado groove I made for it to sit in. I also got the speakers and amplifier mounted.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180810;image)
They keyboard drawer was a PITA to get right but I got it done. I just need to put the hinges on the door to finish that off. I used peel and stick edgebanding T-Molding.com instead of marquee retainers. My marquee glass will sit in grooves instead of being retained. It should make for a clean look. Here is where I'm at.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180838;image)
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Holy spotlight Batman, that's a nice player blinder in the marquee.
Great work but why so many led strip rows? A single strip is crazy bright.
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The lights are shown with a 12 volt power supply. I won't be using that. I tried it with a 9 volt supply and it dimmed significantly. If I have to remove rows I will.
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I also found a really inexpensive LED dimmer that I could throw in there.
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Holy crap, that's bright. That cab will be able to pull double duty as a lighthouse. :laugh:
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I also found a really inexpensive LED dimmer that I could throw in there.
Why not just remove 2/3 of the LEDs and power them from a 12V line from your computer?
3 strips will be more than enough light, and then you have plenty of left overs for future products. Those strips are great for anywhere.
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I would definitely remove a couple of strips, You got enough light coming from that marquee to light up a football pitch :o you would probably burn or melt the marquee itself with the wattage currently shining outta there :)
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In all honesty, I didn't know you could cut the strip. My thought process was that I could step down the voltage but I will use all the lights to get absolutely even coverage.
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In all honesty, I didn't know you could cut the strip. My thought process was that I could step down the voltage but I will use all the lights to get absolutely even coverage.
Look closely at the strips. About every 3 inches there is a little white line in between the solder pads. You can cut right there. You don't have to be concerned with voltage/amp control when cutting.
3 strips evenly spaced will be plenty bright. Right now at 12V I would imagine that spotlight would bleed too much light through a marquee printed on cardboard.
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T-molding is on and the front door is installed on the hinges. I had to use hot glue on the right side for the t-molding due to a router mishap. It worked pretty well. It was a PITA though. There is one part where I screwed it up but I will probably be the only one who notices it. Removing some of the lights tonight and cutting the plexi for the marquee. I am sending my control panel off to get printed. I did have a black and white template printed at Staples so I could continue working on the control panel but I am nervous that the template and the completed artwork won't be the same size. Should I be nervous? Has this been known to happen?
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180968;image)
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looks lovely!
if you haven't drilled any holes or stuff on your control panel i would wait till you get the print back. just too be safe.
oh and i think you can remove the ''Not raising the bar at all'', your work is top class dude!
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looks lovely!
if you haven't drilled any holes or stuff on your control panel i would wait till you get the print back. just too be safe.
oh and i think you can remove the ''Not raising the bar at all'', your work is top class dude!
+ 1 Nice clean build, your attention to detail is paying off.
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Here is the artwork so far. Opinions please.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180984;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=180986;image)
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I think the glow around the title is too strong. Tone that down a bit and increase the font size some.
Secondly I would remove the title or shrink it on the CP. Then bring the trackball down as far as it can possible go. You want the trackball as far south as it can possibly go for golden tee.
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I'm not loving it to be honest I think your well put together cab deserves better. What is the font? Do you mind if I tinker with the art design a little bit? I completely understand if you feel like telling me to butt out.
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Absolutely! The font was Space Mission or Mission Space. I am awful in Photoshop.
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I got some time to draw some marquee artwork up for you today, see what you think, if you like it I'll do the CP as well, I might need to get that planetary background source if you still want that. The only thing I'd add to the Marquee is a white line around the text to lift it up a bit rather than a glow effect, I'm happy to that on another version. :cheers:
(http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/Ond_photos/ArcadeNebLowres.jpg)
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That is outstanding. I love it. I am not locked into the planetary background at all since it has been used so many times. I would actually prefer not to use it. Thank you very much OND!
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Looks great! :applaud:
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That is outstanding. I love it. I am not locked into the planetary background at all since it has been used so many times. I would actually prefer not to use it. Thank you very much OND!
No worries mate, my pleasure, it still needs a bit of tweaking and adjusting. I'll adjust color tone to match the green on your cab a bit better and do the white outline for more snap. Can you provide me via PM with the dimensions for your marquee so I can match that. Also if you can send me (via email) what you've done on the CP I'll use that as template for the layout etc. It will take a few days after that. The planetary background whilst cool has been done to death. The creative cogs are turning i n my head! Trrrussssst me. >:D I will provide hi resolution print versions once we've got it right.
:cheers:
Ond
P.S. Ya gonna do sideart?
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Thanks OND. This is beyond generous of you. I have sent the PM and the email. I wasn't going to push my luck with sideart since it took me forever to get to where I was at. I was thinking of doing some sort of round logo for the side or something in the future but I am really not concerned about it. Thanks!
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Hey Greg, I see your colour choice is very similar to my next art work. This may of be of interest to your project. My kick plate art work can be used as side as as well. If interested let me know and i'll get something up for ya too...
No worries for me about changing the text to something like ARCADE NUBULAR either. ;D
options for the blank middle area (coin mech, initial logo, favorite arcade char, vacuum vortex...)
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Thanks OND. This is beyond generous of you. I have sent the PM and the email. I wasn't going to push my luck with sideart since it took me forever to get to where I was at. I was thinking of doing some sort of round logo for the side or something in the future but I am really not concerned about it. Thanks!
Thanks, I have the CP file now. Here is the final version of the marquee. I'll do the CP over the next few days. I will email the hi-res copy of the marquee to you also. :cheers:
(http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/Ond_photos/AarcadeNeb-2Lowres.jpg)
I'm quite pleased with it, I'd happily put it on a cab that I'd built. I'd go with wol-nz's offer of the side art, it looks very cool. If he's willing can I suggest you have the ARCADE NEBULA text run vertically on that design instead of horizontal in the same font as the rest of the cab. It would suit the slim line profile very well then. (Just a suggestion). Hmm that art gives me an idea for the CP also......JOINT EFFORT! ;D
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This is great work OND. I really appreciate it. I like your artwork Wol-nz. Do you think that could be made into a round logo for the sides of the cabinet? Thanks
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So as in 'round' you mean [not full side art] - if so then this would be what your after...?
BTW - i can place some meaningful text around the halo - like
space the final frontier
or
black holes aint they a :censored:
or
look it's a big one
I'm just saying ideas here...
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So as in 'round' you mean [not full side art] - if so then this would be what your after...?
BTW - i can place some meaningful text around the halo - like
space the final frontier
or
black holes aint they a :censored:
or
look it's a big one
I'm just saying ideas here...
I was suggesting the text be stacked vertically i.e. above and below the halo.
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FIGHT! FIGHT!
The artwork is looking fab.
What a lucky guy to have 2 such talented individuals helping you out!
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Wol-nz. Thanks. That logo is bad-ass. And yes, I am very lucky to have these talented individuals helping me out!
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Hey Greg, I'm heading for the hills for a few weeks and won't have my PC with photoshop. So... here is the current version of the logo http://www.mediafire.com/?p0q033te0b6dmmm (http://www.mediafire.com/?p0q033te0b6dmmm)
I hope OND can add that special flare (as i think his creative gears are working) - i agree with the vertical text suggestion, only thing is it bumps the cost up as you have to print full side art (but hey how many times are you gonna do this right :dunno :laugh2: )
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Thanks. I am heading to Mexico on Thursday for a little vacation myself. Thanks for your efforts and have a great trip.
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Here's my go at some side art using some of wol-nz's content and some of my own combined. This is what I was thinking with the text in a vertical arrangement.
(http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/Ond_photos/AN-SideArt.jpg)
I had a go at the CP art the other day but wasn't satisfied with the results, I have a cool idea for it though, I'll try again on the weekend.
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Here's my go at some side art using some of wol-nz's content and some of my own combined. This is what I was thinking with the text in a vertical arrangement.
(http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/Ond_photos/AN-SideArt.jpg)
I had a go at the CP art the other day but wasn't satisfied with the results, I have a cool idea for it though, I'll try again on the weekend.
Visually very striking, but the font makes it a bit difficult to read the word "NEBULA" in this version. Might cause confusion if you didn't already know what the name was...
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Where the hell were you guys and your free insane photoshopping when I was building my cab?
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@ alfonzotan - Lets see if Greg likes it, point taken about the font readability though, I can say its easier to read when the image is larger.
@ Green Giant - sorry big green fella! ;D my little art offerings are pretty random and infrequent, if someone can pay my bills for me, I'll go into it full time :P
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I made my cab back in 2006-2007 time frame. Back when you were probably designing retro furniture for your kangaroo.
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Greetings from Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. OND, I really like that design for side art. It is done really well. I have no problem reading it. You both have crazy photoshop skills. I am very grateful for this. i can't wait to see what you come up with for the control panel. I may have to move both the player one and player two controls in towards the trackball about an inch. I have plenty of room to do this. I measured the cp box yesterday and player one joystick and last two player two buttons mght be a tight squeeze.
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Having some issues with my audio now. No matter which power supply I try, I am getting some feedback from the Lepai Class T amplifier. I hear sound through the speakers when I move my mouse??? Does anyone know of a way to suppress this?
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Hey Greg,
I finally got this out! :) See what you think, Hi-Res version emailed to you.
(http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/Ond_photos/ARCADENEBULACPver11.jpg)
:cheers:
Ond
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This looks great OND. I feel like I hit the lottery when you recognized my pathetic photoshop skills and decided to help me out with this. I am sending everything to get printed today. Thank you for everything.
A shout out to wol-nz for the collaboration on the side art as well. Thanks for your help!
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Those drill holes for the joystick buttons are backwards, right? Was it supposed to be like that? I skimmed the thread and didn't see anything where you wanted the joysticks on the right, but I might have missed it.
Lookin good.
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Those drill holes for the joystick buttons are backwards, right? Was it supposed to be like that? I skimmed the thread and didn't see anything where you wanted the joysticks on the right, but I might have missed it.
Lookin good.
Yes, I saw that. I removed that layer from the .psd file as I didn't want the button holes to print anyways. Thanks
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I dont know how I missed this first time around.
Excellent work, GregD! I do however agree with others that your marquee light is awfully bright, but not trying to drag you down.
Another suggestion, and it has already been mentioned, is the trackball looks a little high on the CP.
OND, that artwork is perfect! Is there anything you cant do? You and Mountain make me wanna give up! LOL
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I dont know how I missed this first time around.
Excellent work, GregD! I do however agree with others that your marquee light is awfully bright, but not trying to drag you down.
Another suggestion, and it has already been mentioned, is the trackball looks a little high on the CP.
OND, that artwork is perfect! Is there anything you cant do? You and Mountain make me wanna give up! LOL
Thanks. I have since fixed the led strips in the marquee. I removed almost half of them and changed to a 9volt power supply. Should do the trick. I actually moved the trackball down 1" from the original template. That is as far as I could go without rebuilding the box for the CP. I am also worried about it being far enough down for Golden Tee. I used Knievel's control panel template and then moved the trackball down 1" so I at least know that it is a well tested control panel design. Hoping it will be ok.
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Im sure it will. Looking forward to seeing this baby in action!
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Those drill holes for the joystick buttons are backwards, right? Was it supposed to be like that? I skimmed the thread and didn't see anything where you wanted the joysticks on the right, but I might have missed it.
Lookin good.
That is just a small addon from OND. Down there in Australia everything from joysticks to toilets work backwards.
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This looks great OND. I feel like I hit the lottery when you recognized my pathetic photoshop skills and decided to help me out with this. I am sending everything to get printed today. Thank you for everything.
A shout out to wol-nz for the collaboration on the side art as well. Thanks for your help!
My pleasure Greg, damn, I dunno what I was thinking with the joystick layout, I swear I wasn't drunk :lol. As you say it makes no difference to your printed copy if you've removed that layer, nevertheless I've provided a corrected version (with standard straight buttons) as well for reference if you need it.
(http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss251/Ond_photos/ARCADENEBULACPver12.jpg)
......... You and Mountain make me wanna give up! LOL
I know you're kidding but you are the last person this hobby needs to quit as your recent recognition justly proves ;)
:cheers:
Ond
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Now that one ROCKS. Great job, Ond.
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I guess you're not printing those markers but the knievel center section is still flipped. just in case wanted to mention it.
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So...I am going to try Souldraw.com for the artwork. A couple of people on this board have used them with good results. They are MUCH cheaper than any printing service stateside.
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Here is the final artwork after being converted to CMYK so that I can use a dirt cheap Chinese printing company. Got my invoice today and they charged my $48 including shipping for the side art (which is two 9" x 16" decals), two CPO's (I got a Matte lamination and a glossy lamination so I can see which is better), and the back-lit film marquee. Just hoping the colors are the same when the printed material arrives. The CMYK think makes me nervous. The proofs they sent back in jpg format look perfect when opened in some programs and a little off when opened in others. We'll see. Thanks to Ond for the artwork!
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=183120;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=183122;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=183124;image)
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I'm really interested to see what that back-lit marquee looks like from souldraw.com I'm thinking about ordering the same exact stuff.
Keep us posted when it arrives.
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I will take some nice pics when the art comes in. The control panel overlays are being printed on adhesive backed vinyl with a lamination. Obviously these wont be Gameongraphix quality but it is going under acrylic anyways. The UV rating is listed as ver good for this type of printing. It is a $48 experiment.
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Out of curiosity, what sizes of everything did you order from them. I chatted with Shady on their online form and he mentioned that there was a minimum order of 10sqft but I wasn't sure if tha was I each material or if I could for instance get - couple marquees in the backlit material and then the adhesive vinyl sticker for the cp overlay to total my 10sqft or if I would have to get 10 in each material.
I love your build by the way.
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I also had to do a minimum of ten square feet which is why I grabbed two control panel overlays, one in matte and one in glossy. Thanks for the kind words.
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Souldraw sent me a picture of my completed artwork today before it went to the shipper. Looks good to me. The colors seem to be accurate. Also, they seem to have a really cool leopard print blanket that they use for a photo background.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=183265;image)
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Sweet leopard print. :laugh2:
That picture looks pretty washed out. I bet the artwork looks really nice in person. Looks like all the detail is there at least. Can't wait to see it on your cab.
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Looks great, let us know how the printer's quality turns out when it arrives. I just got quoted for a full wrap from these guys for very little. Kinda feel like it's too good to be true...
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Hopefully it arrives within the next couple of days. The anticipation is killing me and I really want to get the control panel finished.
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Did our artwork ever come?
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Artwork came today and I am very pleased with it. The marquee is really nice. The vinyl decals for the sideart and cpo is pretty thick. I got a cpo in matte finish and glossy. I will be using the matte version. Overall, it was worth the money. I will get some photos up tomorrow. I have the marquee installed and it lights nicely.
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How thick is the marquee material? Is it stiff enough that it doesn't wrinkle?
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How thick is the marquee material? Is it stiff enough that it doesn't wrinkle?
It is pretty thick. I wish I had something to compare it to but this is my first time around. It is white on the backside and it is a relatively thick film. It lights really well with three strips of led tape. I have it sandwiched between two pieces of acrylic and there are no wrinkles.
The glossy printed material seems to scratch kind of easily. I am using the matte finish for the control panel and wish I also got the matte for the side art. It still looks good though.
Laying out the control panel now which is making me really nervous. I don't want to mess it up. The buttons and joysticks don't seem too difficult but getting the trackball cut precisely is what is worrying me. My control panel is three layers. 1/2" mdf for the bottom with the joysticks and trackball (with mounting plate) top mounted to it. Then a layer of 1/8" luan to cover that layer and to apply the control panel art to and then a 1/8" sheet of acrylic. The lip around the trackball will not protrude all the way through the luan layer so I think it will look kind of strange. Is it common to cut the acrylic with a 3" bit or do most people cut it smaller so that there is no gap around the trackball?
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on the trackball hole - get it drilled the size you want in a piece of scrap wood. then, use the piece of wood to guide a router in cutting the circle flush or beveled as you like. Most times a 3" hole saw will not get a nice hole done in 1/8" plastic.
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Good idea. I will use the router for the trackball hole in the plexi. I am going to do it on scrap first as well. I don't want to mess this up.
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Can't you just use your control panel hole for the template? I'm assuming you already have the hole cut in your CP. Clamp down your layers and use a flush trim bit in the router from the underside of your CP. That way you know that all the other layers will be lined up. From there you can use a chamfer cut on the top of the acrylic if you want.
(I haven't ever done this either so I'm by no means giving expert advice, just how I envisioned it :))
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I actually won't be cutting a circle hole in the control panel because the trackball will be attached to a plate. I will need one size circle for the middle layer (1/8" luan) and another size hole for the acrylic layer.
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Got it. That is what I was missing. :angel:
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As promised, here is a pic of the marquee all lit up from Souldraw.com
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184093;image)
Here are the decals installed on the side. I am thinking I should have gone bigger with these. You live you learn.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184095;image)
I also started to drill the panel tonight but I hit a dead end. I got a high quality hole saw bit to do it. I sandwiched the acrylic between the 1/2" MDF and the 1/4" luan and started to drill. I stopped after it started smoking. I had my drill press on its fastest setting but it wouldn't get through. I pulled up the bit and this is what it looked like.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184097;image)
Not sure what to do now. What went wrong? I am sure that I have seen a bunch of you guys cut your panels with hole saw bits. What should I use? A forstner? A spade bit? Should I just cut the MDF with the hole saw bit and then break out the plunge router to cut the plexi using the MDF as the template? Help!
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Forstner bits are worth the extra money but can be a bit hard cutting plexi. It would be easier and more reliable drilling the wood the.use a flush trime bit in a router to cut the plexi ( youll have to make a pilot hole in the plastic to get the bit in).
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1. Drill a hole the size you want for your trackball opening into a piece of wood - like 3/4" plywood or MDF. this is the template. you may be able to do this with a hole saw but a router with a trammel guide (circle cutter) will let you get more exactly the hole size you need if it's not a common hole saw size. Hole saws aren't that great for drilling thick wood and don't work for plastic at all.
2. Carefully drill a small pilot hole, either with a 1/2" or 5/8" twist bit as needed to allow your bottom bearing flush cutting router bit to poke through - in the middle of the area in the plexi where the trackball hole will be. Back this up with wood underneath the plexi and watch for melting, you can crack plex with heat build up. basically make sure the bits cutting shavings of plastic, not melting globs of plastic. vary the speed and pressure until you get white shavings of plastic.
3. Locate the template underneath your plexi where you want the hole to end up.
4. C clamp everything together, very tightly, in alignment. Double check/measure to confirm it's where you want.
5. stick the router bit through the pilot hole.
6. Route around the circumference of the hole in the template. Go around a couple of times to make sure you've got a smooth cut. keep the router base flat on the workpiece and don't let it tip to the side. vary your feed rate as needed to avoid melting.
You may be able to save that hole saw with the melted plastic by dipping it in acetone or laquer thinner to soften the burned plastic, then scraping it off with a piece of wood or something. Check back if anything isn't clear.
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If you've got 1/4" plexi, you'll need to look into a 45 degree chamfering or beveling bit to avoid a sharp edge around your trackball. Route this before you unclamp your plex from your template, after the flush cut, for best results. Thinnier plexi, not a big deal.
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I guess I will have to route the panel. I thought it was going to be nice and easy to do with the drill press. I probably will need a new sheet of plexi too. I didn't even take apart the three pieces to see if the plexi was all burnt up.
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Lookin' sweet with the graphics in place. What did you use for the screen overlay, smoked plexi?
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Lookin' sweet with the graphics in place. What did you use for the screen overlay, smoked plexi?
Thanks. Yes it is 1/4" solar Grey plexi from Tap Plastics.
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Thanks. Yes it is 1/4" solar Grey plexi from Tap Plastics.
Sweet, that's prob what I'm going to go with. Do you find that it hides the wood bezel well, where the only thing really visible is the display?
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Well....I broke my plexiglass when I was trying to drill wuth the holesaw. Had to go to the Depot for another sheet. I got the mdf drilled out for the buttons and the joysticks using a forstner bit. I will use that as a template to cut the plexi. Question. Should I just go at the plexi with a pattern bit or should I drill holes and drop in a flush cutting bit?
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Not sure what you mean by pattern bit. if you mean a self drilling pilot point bit designed for paneling, or a rotozip thing, no, I wouldn't recommend it. Predrill a hole for a flush cutting bit that is bearing guided.
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A pattern bit is what is used to cut dovetails when using a jig or for cutting a recess for a trackball mounting plate. You can plunge it unlike a flush trim bit.
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Don't plunge a router bit through the plex, you'll get more burning/melting. drill the hole with a sharp bit and use a flush trim bearing guided bit.
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Good project. I like the marquee, and agree the side art could be a tad bigger, but i like it too.
I have found that hole saws are not very good at drilling through MDF. the sawdust packs up between the hole saw teeth and the holesaw quits cutting, so it starts getting hot.
If you use a hole saw, I think it is best to drill a little, then remove the saw and clean out the teeth. It is very time consuming, but sometimes you may have to use it for big holes if thats all you got. (A shop vac works good for cleaning the teeth, unless the saw is hot enough to burn the sawdust, then you have to use a toothpick or similar to get the crusted dust out of the teeth.)
I have found a spade bit cuts through mdf pretty good, but you need a piece of scrap beneath the piece being drilled or the bottom of the mdf piece may try to splinter when the spade breaks through.
I have also found spade bits do well on plexi, if you clamp the plexi between two pieces of wood and drill through one layer of wood and through the plexi.
But by far the router is the best, following TopJimmyCooks procedure.
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I use a little brass bristle toothbrush when I have to deal with a gummy holesaw.
Sideart on an evo cab is tough, the aspect ratio is less automatically pleasing for art. my cab doesn't have any sideart, just some painted pattern. I like the size of the decal. I might go around the edges with a fine point black sharpie so the white of the vinyl backing doesn't show so much/blends in more to the black background.
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Which materials did you select when you ordered from souldraw.com? I'm considering ordering from them as well
I'm trying to decide if the CP overlay should just be a poster print since it's going to be covered with plexi.
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TopJimmy has great advice but if you want to drill Plexi/plastic you need to read the pinned topic in woodworking about drilling plastics. Essentially the guy in there tells you that you want to go slow with a dull bit. You essentially want to "scrape" the plastic away. The problem with hole saw's is that scraping with them on Plexis is sometimes difficult.
I've had great success on plexis with Forstner at the slowest speed my drill press can go at or my Dremel Trio and it's circle attachment. That way I can keep it a "perfect" circle.
So yeah, if you want to use a drill, go read the Plastics thread and follow the advice that guys gives about drilling/cutting plastic.
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Which materials did you select when you ordered from souldraw.com? I'm considering ordering from them as well
I'm trying to decide if the CP overlay should just be a poster print since it's going to be covered with plexi.
The CPO and sideart were vinyl decals. The marquee is Backlit Pvc Film.
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TopJimmy has great advice but if you want to drill Plexi/plastic you need to read the pinned topic in woodworking about drilling plastics. Essentially the guy in there tells you that you want to go slow with a dull bit. You essentially want to "scrape" the plastic away. The problem with hole saw's is that scraping with them on Plexis is sometimes difficult.
I've had great success on plexis with Forstner at the slowest speed my drill press can go at or my Dremel Trio and it's circle attachment. That way I can keep it a "perfect" circle.
So yeah, if you want to use a drill, go read the Plastics thread and follow the advice that guys gives about drilling/cutting plastic.
I got it all finished up today. I just drilled each button and joystick hole withna regular twist bit and then i used the flush cutting router bit to finish it off. I did the same with the trackball hole.
What do you all do tonsecure the plexi to the control panel top? Will the buttons themselves be adequate to hold it down or should I put some screws in the corners?
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Two options. You can use very small carriage bolts or the combination of buttons and then the tmolding around the edge will hold it in place. My tmolding ended up being a bit wider than the plywood that i used so i offset the groove so the tmolding spans the ply and plexi. I may still have to use carriage bolts though. I need to finish my art first.
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Late to the party on your holes in plexi question but I have only ever used a panel pilot bit to make my holes.
It's basically a drill bit/trimming bit in one..
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=30184&cat=1,46168,461 (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=30184&cat=1,46168,461)71
As for securing it, the buttons and t-mold will take care of that. I've never had an issue with the plexi trying to lift up.
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I probably should figure this one out myself but anyways.... I am going to start wiring my panel (first time doing this). I figured that I would use some sort of terminal block for the ground wires from each switch and then just run a couple of grounds into the KeyWiz. Can anyone point me to the right type of terminal block? I will be using 24ga wire. Terminal blocks do this right. I can put a bunch of grounds in one side and then just have one coming out the other??? Thanks
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GGG's got fully enclosed euro terminals. Auto parts stores have divided terminal strips. Radio shack has euro's for eye watering prices. or you could just use a wirenut or solder >:D
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Ugh. I finished the control panel top. Got the joysticks and trackball mounted and went to fit it on the control panel box but found that I didn't account for the bolts from the trackball plate when sizing the box. The bolts will not fit inside the control panel box. Now I have to rebuild the box or somehow extend it out an inch or so. Just when I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.....
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Could you just cut the bolts down a little?
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Drill clearance holes in the bottom inside of the cp - no biggie.
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Won't work. I need about an inch or more depth to the box. I will figure out a way to extend it in an aesthetically pleasing way :)
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Post a picture of what you have going on there. I'm having a hard time picturing it....
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Post a picture of what you have going on there. I'm having a hard time picturing it....
Here is a crude illustration of what is going on. The trackball case itself fit nicely inside the box but the mounting plate bolts do not.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184473;image)
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I had this happen on one of my builds. I ended up drilling a hole/slot in the cp box to make room for the bolt. Fortunately it was contained within the ply so it wasn't visible from the outside.
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I think I am going to append a kerfed rounded piece onto the front of the box to match the profile of the control panel top. I was going to hinge the control panel top in the front so I may need to find another method.
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Lots-o-ways to go about it.
If it were me, I'd route (or drill) a recess into the area where the nut fastens and cut off the bolt even or below the underside of the CP panel.
Excellent build btw. :cheers:
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Lots-o-ways to go about it.
If it were me, I'd route (or drill) a recess into the area where the nut fastens and cut off the bolt even or below the underside of the CP panel.
Excellent build btw. :cheers:
Hmm. I will look into this idea although the mdf is only 1/2" thick. Might be a little difficult but I am going to try it. Thanks for the idea and the compliment.
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Agree with Badmouth, counterbore your nut. even if you only have an 1/8" of mdf left, there's no pullout load on a trackball so it will hold fine. On my previous comment I thought you were saying the nut holding the TB assembly to the mounting plate was fouling the bottom of the cp case, but you were saying the plate to cp top bolt was fouling the front of the CP case. I didn't read it right.
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I made some progress on the control panel today. I have everything drilled, the cpo applied, the t molding on and all the controls mounted. I should be wiring this weekend. I just need to hinge the control panel somehow and clean up all of the components and wires inside the cabinet. Here are some awful cell phone pics. Thanks
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184556;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184552;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=184554;image)
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I used European style hinges on my builds. They work out very well and allow the panel to lift up and out, allowing for clearance from the front of the control panel box. They're also very easy to install and adjust.
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So I really wanted to have one of those really nice and neat wiring jobs on my control panel. It just didn't happen. It is very difficult to keep organized and I may have lost a little patience. It isn't the worst that I have seen but it doesn't compare to some of the wiring jobs I have seen on this forum.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=185047;image)
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Jeez, thats neat! Mine looks like a birds nest!
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I thought I would put some closure on this project thread as the cabinet is in place and fully functional. Still the occasional emulator problem but I am working those out as they occur. A big thank you to everyone on this forum that helped me with this. It was a great winter project and my family and I will enjoy it for years. Special thanks to Ond for getting me over the artwork hump.
Here is a crappy cell phone picture.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=187459;image)
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I'm happy to have helped Greg, I'm never totally sure how things will turn out when doing artwork for others but this look like a successful outcome, overall a nice clean build and the trackball looks just like I imagined it would in the middle of the nebula vortex! :afro: Your project is done before mine :P
:cheers:
Ond