The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: DaOld Man on October 24, 2008, 03:49:48 pm
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Ok, Ive been working on a copy of Mountains juke box for a few weeks now.
I have most of the parts together and have started on the wood work.
Here I am thus far:
Motherboard: 2.4 gig P4 Dell Optiplex 260 computer with 512 meg ram
Dell Optiplex power supply.
15" ELO touchscreen monitor.
80 gig HD.
Dell speaker bar.
Griffin Powermate (Still debating whether or not to use it.)
Current plan is to use XLobby for the juke software.
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Sweet. Is 80GB going to be enough? I'm putting a 640GB one in mine (it was only $70!) so I won't ever have to worry about space. I can't wait to see some progress. At the rate these things are popping up I'll have more than mountain's example to go off of because I work so slow!
:cheers:
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Thanks JH, I only hope that mine turns out near as good as yours.
Im hoping the 80 GB will be enough. Im not planning on saving any videos, so I guess I will find out.
Now on with the project, and a few pics to get started:
The mother board (with PCI expansion board):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111189;image)
Heres a closer look at the PCI expansion board. This baby has got to go!
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111191;image)
And here is the board removed. Means less space needed for MB:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111193;image)
Here is motherboard attached to a regular monitor, in test mode. The CPU fan is in a very weird position (remember, just testing):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111195;image)
And here is the same 15" ELO touchscreen model that I think everyone else is using:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111197;image)
I am at a bit of advantage over the rest of you guys.
The touchscreen monitor arrived with a broken node (the little probe thing in the corner of the screen.)
It works as a monitor just fine, but the touchscreen part is dead.
I called the company and they said they would send me a replacement. I asked for a return procedure and they said to just keep it.
So I have a broken monitor to get all my measurements and correct fittings with.
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I had the same problem with the first monitor I bought too. The transducer had a wire broken off and they sent me a replacement. I plan on operating on it sometime soon and building another juke (portable)
Good luck with the build! :cheers:
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WHEEEEEE!!! :woot Another one to follow. :applaud: mountian has started a fad. :laugh2:
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Cools 8)
You can't have too much of a good thing :)
Are you planning on building it to the 'mountain bible' or are you making any changes?
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Wow! There's loads of these popping up!
Good luck with the build, hope it turns out awesome ;D
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Thanks!
I plan to keep it as close to Mountains as I can, but I lack the skills that he has, so we shall see.
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Ok, I am working 6 12 hour shifts in a row this weekend and next week, so jukebox work has temporarily come to a halt.
I have been taking some pictures of my work up till now, so I will try to catch up a bit on the project status.
here is the Gx260 MB laying beside the monitor, for size comparison:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111237;image)
I was thinking that it looks like a perfect fit!
The motherboard is attached to a metal backplane. I removed the motherboard from this back plane for now.
On the back of the monitor, I laid out a piece of paper. I then traced the vesa mounting holes with by rubbing a pencil over the holes.
I then laid the motherboard backplane on top of the monitor's back, and positioned it where I wanted it. I then taped the paper to the backboard. I now had a drilling guide:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111239;image)
(Sorry about the quality of the last pic, sometimes they turn out good, sometimes not. Maybe when I have some free time I can learn to use the camera).
Here is a pic of the motherboard laying where it will be mounted to the monitor:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111241;image)
Notice one screw in the monitor housing lined up with a slot in the backplane. It's the only one that lined up. I used it to hold the backplane steady while I measured.
I removed the backplane from the monitor, stencil still attached with scotch tape.
I punched each vesa hole in the stencil with a center punch, then removed the stencil and drilled the holes in the backplane. Here it is drilled and positioned on the back of the monitor:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111243;image)
Notice the bright area in upper left corner of the last pic?
This is where a plate on the motherboard attaches to the backplane. I dont know what the plate is called, but it raises the motherboard off the backplane about a quarter inch, and the CPU heat sink attaches through the motherboard to this plate. I could see right away that this plate was going to interfere with one of the mounting holes I had drilled.
I removed the plate from the motherboard and attached it to the backplane. I then marked the drilled hole on the plate by sticking a pencil through the hole form the backside of the backplane.
I then marked an oval on the plate so that it can have room to slide back and forth on the backplane. The plate is attached to the backplane by sliding the motherboard towards the front of the backplane. I then drilled and cut the oval out of the plate with a drill and dremel tool:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111245;image)
A better shot of the modified heat sink plate:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111247;image)
And here is the plate test fitted to the backplane:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111249;image)
You can see that the vesa mounting bolt head will clear the motherboard because of the raised mounting holes on the plate, and the plate will clear the bolt. The plate will be able to move to lock it in place on the backplane.
*More to follow when I have more time. *
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CPU Heatsink/Fan modification.
This motherboard has a fan that mounts to the back of the computer case. A plastic cowl makes a 90 degree turn towards the CPU heat sink. This allows the fan to suck air across the CPU heatsink and exhaust out the rear of the case. That is in a normal situation.
But this aint normal.
I wanted the fan to suck air across the heatsink, but I needed the fan to exhaust at a 0 degree angle to the heatsink, not 90 degrees as father Dell intended.
So I mounted the fan directly on top of the heatsink.
I used piices of 1 inch aluminum angle iron to attach the fan:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111324;image)
I used one piece of angle on each side of the heatsink, and fastened heatsink and fan with some sheet metal screws.
Heres the other side and teh bottom of the heatsink:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111326;image)
Here is fan/heatsink mounted to CPU
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111328;image)
I may use a spacer between the fan and heatsink, Im worried about the fan being to close, maybe not drawing the volume of air it needs to. But with MB on the bench, the CPU is not getting hot at all.
Ok, here is motherboard attached to the backplane, and the whole works attached to the monitor. I used 4 mm bolts with 1/4" spacers to separate the MB from the monitor.
The motherboard wont be covering any air vents in the monitor, but I thought it sure wouldnt hurt to allow a little air space between the two.
See the brilliant way of propping the whole works up at 90 degrees for test purposes?
(Patent is pending):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111330;image)
And here is the rig being tested. XLobby is installed, but not done tweaking it yet.
The Griffin Powermate is also hooked up. (It dont like me, probably why it is frowning in the picture):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111332;image)
* Stayed tuned for more updates *
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Ok, I woke up early today (I will be paying for it tonight I know), so I decided to do a little more updating.
I had two power supplies that I examined for use on this project.
One was a regular ATX box type Compaq power supply. I wanted to use it because it is pretty much the norm, but I didnt have the room on this project.
So it's off to Ebay to find a power supply made for the slim case Dells.
The power supply is trim and slim, but it had a plastic doo-hickey on the end, which I think is to fasten it to the dell case. But for space's sake, I had to get rid of it.
After scratching my head and drinking a beer over it, I figured the only way to get the piece off was to remove the fan. (I had to break the "warranty is void if this label is broken" seal. Does this mean I cant return it to ebay if it goes bad?)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111364;image)
After removing the fan, the plastic thing came right off.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111366;image)
Now I have a power supply to use on this juke:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111368;image)
(Please dont tell anyone about me breaking the sacred seal.)
Ok, thats about all the pics I have for now. I do have some of the woodwork I have done so far (not much work done yet), but they havent been uploaded to my computer yet.
Take care, and thanks for looking.
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Thats brilliant!! I am using the same Dell motherboard and monitor for my juke, I think i may try mounting my board to the monitor too. :cheers: Hopefully I have some room behind it to do it. I have a few of those Dell power supplies like the one you have pictured. They are extremely quiet and thin, perfect for jukes :)
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Thanks logik!
Im thinking that this setup would be good for a bartop arcade too.
May be what I use this touch-broken monitor for.
Good luck with your juke, I will be following your progress..
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Man what a beautiful day.
I had already attempted to make the two pieces that will rotate against each other, but I didnt like the way it turned out.
But I will touch on it a bit.
I cut two pieces of 1/2" MDF, one a 1/2" shorter than the other.
I then marked the center with a chalk line to each corner.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111684;image)
I then set up my circle cutter to cut out the center hole.
I had to route out a space for the bit to clear in the nylon block I used.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111686;image)
I then attempted to mark the holes for the magnets. I have 10 magnets so there needed to be one at every 36 degrees.
This was very hard since I had already cut out the center hole, and I decided to scrap these two pieces and start over.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111688;image)
So I cut two more pieces the same size.
I fastened them together with 4 screws. I marked the top piece again with the chalk line.
My chalk line was a little off on one corner, so the center was off. I corrected it.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111692;image)
I then fastened my protractor with a small nail right to the center mark.
I marked every 36 degrees from 0 to 180.
I then twisted the protractor around and lined it up with the 0 and 180 marks, then I marked out the remaining 36 degree marks.
I then traced the round part of the protractor, making a circle, which gives me a good drill mark on each 36 degree.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111690;image)
I then removed the protractor
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111692;image)
I then laid out the lazy susan bearing on a piece of paper, and marked each mounting hole.
I then lined up each hole with a straight edge and marked the center.
I then punched the nail through the center mark and attached the template I had just made to the center hole of the top board. A little piece of tape helped to hole it still.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111696;image)
I then drilled holes for the lazy susan bearing mounts.
The inside holes went through the bottom board.
I drilled the holes very small, and I circled the ones I will use on the top piece.
I also drilled out the magnet holes.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111694;image)
I then used a hole saw to cut out the very center of both pieces.
I then removed the 4 screws and separated the 2 pieces.
I drilled out the holes in the top piece for T-nuts which will fasten the lazy susan to the the top piece.
Here are the two pieces with the lazy susan bearing installed for test purposes.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111698;image)
And here it is rotated a little more than 90 degrees.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111700;image)
After I was satisfied that the magnet holes still lined up in all positions, I separated the two pieces again.
I cut both pieces 15 1/2" in length. But since the skin will add 1/4" to each side of the top, I needed to cut it down a 1/2"
So I put the top in my table saw and cut 1/4" off each end.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111702;image)
I am kinda worried that the 15" is going to be long enough. It will be very close.
I know it doesnt look like I got a lot done today, but I found that my table saw was cutting about a 1/16" out of square, so I had to adjust the blade. I hadnt done this before so I had to find the manual and figure out how to do it.
The manual says it is factory set and shouldnt need adjusting but it told how just in case.
I found one of the locknuts on the adjusting screws was loose, so I guess thats how it got off.
This took me a good hour.
Come on weather, hold out another week or two!
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Another beautiful day yesterday.
I got the bottom box put together and a plate made out of acrylic.
First, the box.
Here it is, being clamped in my high tech state of the art clamping device:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111881;image)
Another pic for good measure. Notice the mark for the cutout for the power entry module? Something tells me I should have cut this out before gluing the box together.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111883;image)
I could have sworn I took some pictures of the cutout for the dell speaker bar, but I guess I didnt.
I will try to get at least one when I release the box from the clamping device.
Next up is the plate I made out of acrylic. Now this was an experience in itself.
It took me two tries until I got one I liked. Then I had the brilliant idea of trying to polish the 45 degree edge with my dremel tool. The dremel had a cloth like wheel on it, but it took a bite out of the edge of the plate. You can see it on the right side of the plate. I got to try to fix that today.
Cutting out the hole for the Ethernet connector was a real pain too. It's a little "whoppy-jawed" but it's going to have to do.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111885;image)
Thats the RJ-45 Ethernet connector at top of picture.
I plan to install a speaker jack and a switch on this plate.
The speaker jack will be the kind that turns off the speaker bar when you plug in headphones or external amp adapter.
The switch will allow me to start up in Windows for maintenance purposes.
(I installed this type switch on Stevies Juke and I am very happy I did.)
Notes about polishing the edge of the acrylic:
After you cut the 45 degree angle, the router bit leaves terrible marks.
I first used 100 grit sandpaper to take out the big marks.
I then used a dry SOS pad to take out the sandpaper marks. I then used a lot of elbow grease and a dry cloth to rub it slick.
It still doent shine like Mountians did, but I havent bought any of that polish that he used yet. So more to follow...
This plate gave me some good trial experiences.
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It's looking awesome, though as days go by I'm so glad I don't have to worry about machining acrylic!
Looking at everyone elses and yours it would seem the base vs screen dimension is about 5" high - I reckon we've fit the speakers in my thread in that space and have the correct volume for the sub. This worries me as everyone else is using the dell speaker bar, I'm assuming cos of space restrictinos.
That's why we haven't gone for a detailed IO panel but I'm beginning to have doubts.
Have you considered fitting dedcated speakers in the base area or am I missing something ???
CHEERS!
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Thanks drawful!
I think my base is 4 1/2" tall.
yes, Im using the dell bar because of space.
I will have an external amp jack on the back, so I can plug in a stereo or even a better set of PC speakers.
The dedicated speakers will be the dell speaker bar.
Ok, another beautiful day and I got a little bit done.
First, here is the speaker bar sitting in the hole I cut out for it.
The hole is a little big, but it shouldnt show after I get the acrylic on it.
I like the grill on the speaker bar, I sure hope I can keep it showing.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111916;image)
Here is a pic of the speaker bar inside the box. I put tape over the port holes to keep dust out.
I also keep the sound bar in a plastic bag when not using it for test fitting. Dust is everywhere in my work area.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111918;image)
I burned up a straight router bit today. (JaveryH, I feel your pain). I thought it was going to catch the wood on fire there was so much smoke:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111920;image)
Here is my I/O panel laid in position on the back of the box. I got the hole cut out for the power entry too (thats what I burned my router bit on. I finished it with the jigsaw):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111922;image)
Here is a shot of the bottom box front:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111924;image)
Here is my service mode switch and external amp jack laying beside the I/O panel.
I also have the holes drilled in the panel for these two devices:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111928;image)
The I/O panel with ethernet jack, service switch, and phono jack installed. It is dusty. You can also see the holes I drilled in the box for this device.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111930;image)
And here it is temporarily mounted for fitting test:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111932;image)
And here is the inside view. I have since cleaned up the rough edges around the holes:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111936;image)
I plan to get some black allen-head bolts to attach everything. I think this will look a lot better than the silver bolts I have now.
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Hey that bit looks like mine!
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111920;image)
Mine was from a cheap craftsman set that is about 20 years old. Time to get some new ones I guess. The Juke looks like its coming together good. Good work. I am using a dell MB as well for my project. I drilled some holes in the heat sink and used zip ties to fasten the fan after removing the shroud. Seems to work OK so far. (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=111827;image)
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Thanks for the kind comments, jthompson!
I cant remember the brand of that bit, but it was a good one. I used it on my rotating monitor project and the first juke box I built. Im sure it was run backwards more than once.
I got some work ironed out that was nibbling on the base of brain today.
First, I laid a magnet shell and a magnet disk between the two rotating pieces. It is a tight fit, so I will have to countersink them a bit. Wont be able to do that until I install the laminate. (Which, BTW, I ordered yesterday. Lowes says it may be a couple of weeks wait on that.)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112021;image)
Here is a pic of the magnets, shells, and disks. I ordered them from the same place Mountain did. (Rockler).
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112023;image)
After a lot of thinking about a stop, I came up with this. Its a piece of aluminum angle. I plan to fasten two blocks on the bottom for this piece to contact and stop rotation.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112025;image)
I found that if I stop so the magnets line up to help hold it, it will be about 17 degrees off 90.
Or I could go 17 degrees past 90. Either way Im not too happy with it.
Whats your opinion? stop before 90?
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112027;image)
Or after 90?
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112029;image)
I havent decided yet what to use for stops. I thought about a small block.
Here is a long piece laid in just for reference. My dog keeps stealing small pieces of MDF that hit the floor, and I hate to cut this piece yet. I thought about using it in the corners of the box.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112031;image)
Im also having the same problem Mountain had with his lazy susan bearing. It rocks back and forth slightly. I dont have the tool he used to fix his. I tried vice grips, but maybe I just ran out of patience. I decided to move on to the top part and leave this alone a bit.
I cut the MDF 15" long. it turned out to be 15 1/16", which may be better, because Im worried that 15" might not be wide enough.
I marked the center of the board and another mark down from the top 7 17/32".
I drilled my 1/4" pivot hole.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112033;image)
Then I got out the mighty circle cutter (inspired by Mountain's design), and proceeded to cut in circles. (Correction: half circles.):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112035;image)
I then marked it out, using Nvts' drawing (adjusting measurements for my width).
I also changed his marquee base width to match the cut out for the monitor width.
I dont know, I still havent decided if I am going with keeping both the same width.
Heres a pic with the marquee cut out marked in pencil, and the powermate knob laying approx where nvts has in his drawing (above marquee base line):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112037;image)
Here is a pic with the knob laying pretty much center of the marquee base line:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112039;image)
What do you think? Im leaning towards knob center of marquee base, but I will have to drop the monitor down more.
Now, another question:
Which do you prefer, the edge of the MDF close to the knob, or a little distance between the edge of the MDf and the edge of the knob?
Here is a pic with lines drawn to illustrate both:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112043;image)
Well, I guess thats it for now.
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Well, Ive been studying nvts' drawing and it looks like his volume knob is center of the marquee base line.
Looks like he has his marquee base line higher than I do mine.
Im sure glad I didnt fly in and start cutting.
I plan to lay it out again with marquee base higher. Will see how it looks. I think I will print out nvts drawing and take it out to the shed with me tomorrow.
I sure dont need to rely on my memory.
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DaOld Man - This is how I laid mine out (the drawing isn't to scale but the dimensions are accurate). I tried to make the border look consistent from the sides of the monitor cutout up and around the top:
(http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4817/marqueefs7.jpg)
I struggled with the layout for a few days at least. I think I drew it out about 5 or 6 times before settling on it. Hope this helps.
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One thing that is hard to tell in your pictures is how wide the sides are between the edge of the monitor and the edge of the MDF. Both Mountain and javeryh have a very small amount of material between the sides and the monitor. This makes for a bit of worrying when making the T-molding cut I beleive. That is why I made mine a bit wider and have more meat on my sides. This also makes my marquee not line up, as I did want all the space open still.
Here is the picture of javeryh's
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/SM8U9d1rdsI/AAAAAAAAA8w/lKFzEy8IlU0/s400/Juke+091408+018.jpg)
and one of the thicker side of mountains. (I don't think he posted one of where the cord is...)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=100972;image)
and a bad shot of how much wider mine is.
(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d78/Nvts/Juke/MarqPlexiTemplate.jpg)
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Thanks guys.
James, your drawing helps a lot. I see where you have the marquee base line raised too. I looked at mountains again, and his looks to be the same. So, next plan is to raise the marquee bottom.
Thanks for the pics nvts. Pics are always best for me.
My juke will be even narrower than mountains, so I am worried about it.
I think I will go ahead and cut out the monitor hole and see how it looks before I do a lot more work on the marquee.
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Just a quick update. No pics this time around.
I have the marquee area cut out. I settled with a cross between javeryh's and nvts' designs.
I plan to post the measurements later.
Cutting out the shapes in this juke box is a real pain in the asbestos.
I am going to go with the 15" width. I know I will be beating myself later, but after I add the extra 1/4" of the skin thickness on each side, I think the slot cutter will leave enough meat to hold it together.
Been playing around with the griffin power mate too. I really wish I could find a dual 50 K ohm audio taper pot with a push switch on it. A on/off switch would be an extra bonus but not really necessary. The push switch would be nice to use as a "press to mute" function. It needs to be momentary on. (Push on, release off).
If somebody could point me where to find one of these I would greatly appreciate it.
Now back to work...
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I only researched as far as skim reading the PDF at the link below, but sounds like it might do what you want...
http://www.vishay.com/docs/51031/p11.pdf
Apart from the boot-up unreliability, what's the problem with the Powermate?
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Thanks drawful!
I will go through the pdf file later. Looks like I can design what I want.
My biggest problem with the powermate is the boot up problem.
I just dont trust it.
Plus the cost is pretty high for a hobby such as this. But that boils down to whether you want to lay out the cash for it.
It would be real neat if they just offered the guts and the knob at a lower cost. But they dont.
I used a pot on my first juke and it works great. I couldnt find a big knob like the powermates though. I did find one later on ebay.
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By bootup problem i assume you are refering to id not being identified everytime. Someone on my forums had this issue and it turned out to be the drivers. They obtained some other drivers and it worked everytime from boot up.
This is the thred
http://www.freeboxjukebox.com/Forum/index.php?topic=580.0
They mention it in there and there is a link i think.
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Thanks Barry.
Version 1.5.3 came with the PM.
I think this is the one they are talking about over in the other forum.
I couldnt get it to do right either.
I think I only tried it on my desktop.
Ive got parts laying everywhere right now, as soon as I get some time I will put the jukebox PC back together and try V 1.5.3 on it again.
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I wish to invite everyone to a party being thrown by me, for me, in honor of me winning the "Idiot of the year award"!
I had the marquee area pretty much the way I want it.
Had the monitor opening all measured and marked.
Then I had the brilliant idea to go ahead and cut the front piece off the board I was using, just to make it lighter so it would be easier to cut out the monitor hole.
Not a bad idea.
So I marked 1 inch below the monitor opening mark, to give me a good amount of meat on the front bottom piece.
My first minor mistake was just making two small marks and not drawing a line all the way across the board.
I put the sawboard on the piece to be cut, lined it up all nice and straight.
I was really happy with it.
Now my big dumb mistake. I lined the saw board up with the line I had drawn for my monitor bottom.
But wait, it gets better. I cut the piece without double checking!
I noticed my mistake when I saw that I had written "monitor edge" on the board, unfortunately the sawboard covered this message.
Now I got to make this piece all over again!
Several hours of work flushed down the toilet.
:banghead:
I may take this as a blessing and make the new piece a little wider.
Here is a pic of my mistake.
You can see where the mounting flange of the monitor overhangs the edge of the board.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112165;image)
And here is another, top view:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112167;image)
What a moron I am I am.
Now to put salt on my gashing wound, here is a pic of how the marquee area turned out, with power mate positioned for clearance checking:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112169;image)
I thought it turned out pretty good.
Here is a pic with the bad piece positioned on the bottom plate:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112171;image)
My first reaction was "How can I fix this?"
I thought about adding a 1" wide piece to the bottom, but the sides around the monitor is going to be so thin (5/16") that I wouldnt trust it holding.
Then I thought maybe I could use this piece for the back. That would save a lot of cutting on the back piece.
Maybe I just need to start over? My 1/2" MDF work table is getting smaller.
After making a circle cutter, a sawboard, then messing up the two rotating plates, I may have to run out and buy another sheet if I keep screwing up.
I need a hug. :'(
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Assuming you're going down the laminate route, with an acrylic front I don't think the additional piece at the bottom is such a bad idea.
Sure, when you're assembling everything it might not be the strongest, but with the laminate and a single sheet of acrylic surely it'll be more than strong enough?
It's crappy when things don't go right, I've had a few the past few days - hope you can work around it! :cheers:
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Don't sweat buddy. If you have enough material and want to make one the same size just clamp your existing piece to another bit, trace round, jigsaw the excess and then flush trim it to size (just make sure not to flush trim the smaller part!)
Not so bad eh? :)
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I'm with Franco, use the one you cut off the template for a new one. You might have spent hours making that one, but it would only take 30 minutes to make another one just like it. The Home depot I go to has 24x48 inch precut MDF that I used for mine, since I can't carry a full sheet around in my car.
The other thing I would check is how much clearance you have with the cables that come off the ports on the motherboard and the side of the shell. The picture that you had it mocked up sure looked like it would be forced past the edge of the monitor too far. That made mine shift more to the right side, so there would me more room for cables off the side.
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Thanks guys.
I took the wife out to eat today and while we were in town (30 miles away), I stopped by lowes and picked up my laminate. They first said it would be a least two weeks, but I got a call today saying it had come in.
I picked up a straight pattern bit today, so Franco, I think you have an excellent idea of just using the bad piece as a template, and this new bit should work very nicely.
When I got home, I glued a 1 1/4" piece to the bottom. The glue is drying now.
But I dont think I will trust it. I think I will go ahead a make a new one and add at least 1/2" to the width of it.
I wanted it to be as small as possible, but its better to have too much room than not enough.
NVTS, I attached the cables and all to the MB when it was mounted to the monitor.
Its going to be tight, but I think it will go. The one Im most worried about is the VGA cable. I tried to find a 90 degree cable, but I cant.
If I give myself more width, that will give the cables more room too.
I can also shift the motherboard more to the right if I have too, but not much, because I plan to stand up the power supply on that side.
Oh well, time for me to quit whining and get back to work. I got to work 12 hour shifts this weekend, and Im pretty sure we have a maintenance outage next week, so that means 12 hour shifts for me most of next week too.
So I probably wont get a lot done next week.
why oh why cant they just mail me my paycheck??
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Bumped just to let everyone know the status of this project...
Whew.. what a last 7 days! Worked 79 hours in 7 days.
Got off on time today so I went back to the shed.
I decided to go ahead and make a new front, since the piece I glued to the bottom of the one I screwed up didnt look too good.
Plus I went ahead and added another inch to the width.
Now the width (before skin) is 16".
The wood width around the monitor cut out was 5/16" now it is 13/16".
I quit after cutting out the marquee area, because I am little wore out. (hey, it's my thread and I'll cry if I want to.)
Anyway, sorry no pics tonight maybe I will get some fresh ones tomorrow.
Tomorrow is supposed to be cold, even calling for snow flurries, so I may have to fire up the kerosene heater.
I plan to cut out the monitor area, cut out the back, add 1/2" to each side of the bottom plate and the speaker box. And hopefully get all this done tomorrow.
Keep your fingers crossed for me. One more mess-up and I just may have to kill myself.
(jes kidding, I havent done that in the last 51 years, probably wont now.)
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Got some work done today, after sleeping in a bit (I missed the morning cartoons dag nab it!)
Had to fire up the kerosene heater and it did good at keeping me nice and warm.
First, I cut out the hole for the monitor, which I had marked last night. I used a jig saw first, then set up rails to guide the router pattern bit to cut right down to the mark.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112734;image)
I didnt take pictures of the setup for each cut, but I basically had to lay out rails to guide the router bit four time.
Here is the finished product:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112736;image)
Next I laid the monitor into the cutout and marked for the sensor wires on one side:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112738;image)
Then I marked the other side for the buttons:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112740;image)
I noticed after my first cut that I had the monitor upside down when I marked the clearances DOH! I fixed that. Here is the sensor wire side:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112742;image)
Here is the front of the monitor, laying where it should be when project is finished:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112744;image)
I had been wondering why everybody was cutting out for the top to go into the wood more, now I see.
The mounting plate on the top of the monitor is closer to the front than the bottom mounting plate.
Now I will have to router out a bit to make the monitor sit level.
how much did you guys cut out? (Depth wise?)
Looks like it doesnt need much at all.
Here is my final shot for the day. I call this my 2001 Space Odyssey shot:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=112746;image)
Next on the to-do list:
Router out for monitor top mounting plate.
Cut this front piece off the board. (Hopefully correctly this time).
Cut out laminate (or acrylic) routing guides for marquee, monitor, and speaker bar.
Add 1/2" to sides of speaker box and get speaker box ready to laminate.
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Cut out laminate (or acrylic) routing guides for marquee, monitor, and speaker bar.
Got the router guides cut out. They turned out pretty good.
Had a little bad luck while cutting out the speaker guide. The sleeve on the pattern bit that holds the bearing down against the cutting part came loose and allowed the bearing to walk up the shaft of the bit. The bit went wild before I could stop it, cutting a dip out of the guide. Im hoping I can fix this with some well placed wood putty.
I looked at the monitor mounting plates again, and they now appear to be the same, so Im thinking about not routing out for those, unless someone can give me a good reason why they did theirs.
Didnt get to work on this today, but hopefully tomorrow afternoon I will get the 1/2" additions added to each side of the speaker box and be ready to laminate it.
Then I got to make the jukes back.
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Looking good!
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Thanks Javeryh.
Here are some pictures of my routing guides I made.
I plan to insert these guides into the cutouts for the monitor, marquee, and speaker bar after I glue the acrylic on the front.
I will then use these to guide the router bit to cut out the overhang I need in each of the acrylic openings. I can then remove the guides.
First, here are the guides for the marquee and monitor:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113097;image)
And here they are test fitted into their respective cutouts:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113099;image)
And here is the speaker bar guide:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113101;image)
You can plainly see where my pattern bit bearing messed up on me.
And here it is installed. I will have to place it insid eteh speaker box, and extend the bit up far enough to reach it:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113103;image)
I now have two pieces cut for each side of the speaker box to make up for the extra inch I added to the width of the juke box.
I had to bring the box and the pieces in the house to glue, I am afraid it is too cold out in the shed for the glue to set up good.
The kerosene heater keeps me warm, but the parts of this project are still cold.
I am waiting for the wood pieces to get to room temperature.
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Got the 2 pieces glued to the speaker box. It is now the correct width:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113170;image)
I thought about a potential problem down stream.
The router guide I made for the speaker bar wont work with the 45 degree chamfer bit, so I tried to cut it down to fit the hole in the box.
The router broke the piece and ruined it.
So I made another one:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113168;image)
Here it is fitted into the hole:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113172;image)
I still need to cut out the area between the two round holes.
I still havent figured out how to do that, guess I am afraid the router with the pattern bit will break it.
This is going to hold up the applying of the acrylic and laminate because I want to be sure the router guide will fit before covering the hole with the 1/8" acrylic.
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I got the speaker bar router guide finished.
It took me a lot of work.
I first drilled 1-1/4" holes between the two on the ends.
I then cut between the holes with a jig saw. This left a very rough edge.
I used my dremel tool to bring the cut right to the line, then I finished it with a lot of hand sanding. I had to be extra careful because of how thin the edges are.
Before I did anything I coated the entire outside edge with carpenters glue and rubbed it in good. I think this strengthened the piece of mdf considerably.
Here is a pic of the finished piece:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113252;image)
Here is a pic of the guide laying on the speaker bar:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113254;image)
You can see how the opening in the acrylic will hopefully line up with the speaker grill.
I also applied laminate to the top and the two end sides of the speaker box.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113256;image)
The corner needs a little more work, the white stuff you see near the front is actually a small piece of painters tape that Im having a hard time getting out.
I used the tape to protect the top edge from scratches from the laminate cutting bit.
(This may not have been necessary, I dont know.)
I have to pick up some wood putty tomorrow. The cutout for the power entry module is a little big around a couple corners. I need to fix that before applying the laminate to the back. I dont want a crack around the module.
I also need to figure out how to hold the speaker bar in. Im thinking 4 L brackets that will let me run two springs around the back of the bar to hold it snug against the front acrylic.
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wow - looking good. I love the router guides.
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Thanks JaveryH!
Ok, I got the L brackets laid out for the speaker bar.
I placed the speaker bar where it should reside and laid the L brackets where I think they should go.
I then marked the holes on the wood. Then I flipped the box over, and using a tape measure, duplicated the marks on the other side.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113419;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113421;image)
I then drilled the holes from the front side. I countersunk the 8/32" T-nuts so they would be below the surface of the wood. The L brackets will fasten with a screw into the T-nut.
I placed a small piece of aluminum tape over each T-nut, to keep the laminate glue out of the screw holes.
Sorry about the quality of this pic. It is very cold out in the shed and I think I might have been shivering.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113423;image)
I then brought the project indoors, where it is warm.
I applied the glue to the back of the laminate and the wood. I waited about 15 minutes for the glue to get tacky.
I then laid out my round wood dowels and placed the laminate on top.
I lined it up best as I could, I cut the piece about an inch too wide and too long, to give me some "play" room.
I then removed the dowels one at a time, pressing the laminate down in the direction of the next dowel. Hopefully this squeezes out most of the air.
I then used a wood biscuit rolling pin to roll it out. (I dont have a J roller).
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113425;image)
Notice the rough edge on the laminate in the last pic? This chipped while I was cutting it out. Using the wood dowels allowed me to position the piece to leave the chipped area outside the trim zone.
I let the glue set up for about 10 minutes, then I flipped the whole box over and applied the 1/8" acrylic.
I applied it basically the same way as the laminate, except I roughed up the surface to be glued a bit with some 100 grit sandpaper. (Thanks for that tip, Mountain!)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113427;image)
Now it's bed time.
Tomorrow before going into work, I plan to trim the acrylic and laminate.
I am thinking of spray painting the inside of the box black.
If I have time tomorrow I would also like to cut out the holes. (Cant wait to try out my router guide!)
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Looking good DaOld Man :applaud:
Do you have an intended finish date?
Enjoy your sleep :)
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Nice! For what it's worth, I used industrial strength velcro to hold my speaker bar in place. I put a very thin strip (1/4") on each side of the flat front panel and it's not going anywhere. I thought about brackets and drilling holes in the speaker bar but then my wife said, "why not just use some velcro?" :cheers:
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Looking really good DaOld Man! How long do you think you have to go til you're done?
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Thanks guys!
I overslept. Wife is at work and house is nice and quite. The dog didnt even bug me, which is unusual, but he's been by my side throughout this project so maybe hes a little tired too, or maybe hes getting old too?
:)
Franco, my intended finish date is Dec 25, my wifes birthday.
She knows Im doing this, (it's kinda hard to hide from her), and she has already said that it's ok if I dont finish by then, but I am trying to make it.
(What did I say earlier about not setting deadlines? :) )
Jav, that sounds like a good idea, I guess I missed that about the velcro in your thread, I can still do that if my spring idea doesnt do right.
Drawful, I have some days off next week, so Im hoping to get some serious work done then. I would hope to get the woodwork finished in two weeks, then I will have a couple of weeks to install and fine tune the electronics.
Ive only got a couple of hours until work today, so I am going to try to spray paint the inside of the speaker box. I think I will wait about the routering until tonight. (Sorry neighbors, but hey it's for a good cause.)
What is left to do?
Cut all holes in speaker box.
Mount magnets and see how much I will need to counter sink them.
Start on top box back. (I think the front is finished.)
Apply skin.
Apply laminate to top box.
Cut T-molding slots.
Cut out hole for the Powermate (you better be good to me, PM!)
Then probably 100 things I havent thought of yet.
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Ah cool. Its my GF's birthday on the 31st (NYE) but im planning on giving it to her on Xmas day. Here's hoping we all get finished in time :)
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:cheers:
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Jav, that sounds like a good idea, I guess I missed that about the velcro in your thread, I can still do that if my spring idea doesnt do right.
I'm a bit behind actual progress in the thread... I lost some steam making all those mistakes so I'm kind of taking a break. :cheers:
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Ive got a feeling you are about to throw a few logs on the fire and get that steam built up again.
I worked on the juke this afternoon, since I was off work.
But first, a pic from yesterday showing the paint on the inside of the speaker box:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113456;image)
And here is the laminate trimmed and holes cut in the top:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113458;image)
Here is the back, holes cut. Hmmm, does that cutout on the right kinda look like a snowman?
May be a sign of things to come??
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113460;image)
Ok, now the good part.
I turned my circle cutter upside down and used it like a router table.
I cut a hole in the center to allow the laminate cutter bit to stick through.
I then inserted my router guide:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113462;image)
Here is the bit, ready to cut:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113464;image)
I then just ran the bit's bearing around the router guide. I had to hold the guide in with my fingers while cutting, so I had to be extra careful.
Here is the result:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113466;image)
I then swapped out the laminate trim bit with the 45 degree chamfer bit and repeated the process:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113468;image)
It looks pretty rough. I dressed it up quite a bit with some 100 grit sandpaper. Ive got to go back and review how everyone else is polishing the edge.
Next I installed the speaker bar L brackets:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113470;image)
Then I inserted the speaker bar and ran a wire around it and the L brackets. I need to pick up a proper sized spring, but this is just a test fitting.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113472;image)
And here is the truth or dare shot:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113474;image)
I am very tempted to remove the paper backing on the acrylic, but no, not now.
Ok, I then removed the speaker bar and inserted the 4-40 T-nuts for the magnet cups:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113476;image)
And here is the magnet cups installed:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113478;image)
I hit a bit of a snag with the magnet cups.
I ordered 4-40 flush allen bolts for the magnet cups.
This is about the only size bolt that will fit in the cup's hole. Also it has to be flush to fit low enough to clear the magnet, so the magnet doesnt "ride up".
The bolts I ordered was 1/2" long, which I figured would be long enough, since the T-nuts go into the wood a bit.
But I was wrong. The bolts wont reach the T-nut.
So, I got to see if my local hardware store has any 4-40 bolts 3/4" long.
Im using regular bolts in the picture, to get a feel for how the magnets and the plates are going to clear.
I had to counter-sink the cups a bit. I cut out the laminate on each hole with a forstner bit. Im hoping the thickness of the laminate will be enough to allow the cups and the plates to clear.
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I temporarily installed the power entry module and the admin plate.
I took a picture, and then I noticed in the picture that I have scratched the laminate on the back.
It was probably when I had the back on the table, probably some shavings or drill chips got between it and the table. (Man I wish I had masked it all off with tape.)
Anyway, see the scratches under the admin plate?
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=113490;image)
There are more scratches around the upper edge.
Can someone please tell me how or if I even can, remove these scratches?
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It's looking great DaOld man!
removing scratches. First thing I thought of was (boot) polish as they're on the back, then that car wax stuff with colour in it.
I googled it too and someone mentinos car wax for removing scratches from matt black laminate... Someone else mentioned toothpaste, but not the gel kind.
Cheers
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Thanks drawful! I will try the toothpaste first since it is readily available.
I got the 4-40 bolts from the hardware store this morning. They are not allen type, but slotted, but they will work.
It hit me that what if I ever have to remove the magnets? These things are strong, and Im not sure I could get them out if need be, so I removed the T-nuts in the bottom part and used regular 4-40 nuts. This should allow me to remove them if necessary.
(And it will be, because I will have to remove them before I cut the T molding slot.)
Anyway, I installed the magnets and discs. Im not sure Im going to like the rotating. My lazy susan bearing has a lot of slop in it, which allows the bottom of the juke to tilt.
I plan to try and fix the slop like mountain did.
Those magnets are very strong. I will have to separate them from the discs even more.
I think I will try to counter sink the discs the same way I did the cups.
Im starting to wish I went with the no-rotating design like the rest of you guys did.
Its not too late, providing I can get the acrylic off the front of the speaker box.
But I have come a long way to admit defeat! Maybe too far.
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I will try the toothpaste first since it is readily available.
I'd try it on some scrap first, just in case.
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Looking good DaOld Man!
For polishing I used P120 grit where necessary (I had quite a good finish so It didn't need it every where, I used it more for blending), then P320, P600, P800, P1200 before using the Novus 3 step polishing kit. The stuff is amazing!
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Thanks guys!
Drawful, I tried the toothpaste, it didnt work. The scratches are not that noticeable, of course under a different light they may be.
They are really more like marks than scratches. I didnt notice them until I took that picture.
And they are on the back (Thank God), so I'm not going to let this slow me down.
But I may try some of your other suggestions before I get to the end.
I am considering it a lesson learned. Im taking the extra few minutes to mask off everything from now on.
Thanks for the advice for polishing the acrylic Franco! I need to get some sandpaper of those grits and that novus stuff. Id be happy if the edge of my acrylic turns out half as good as the ones on your pink juke.
Last night when I got home from work I played around some more with the rotating magnets. I decided to remove the magnet disks and just try the bolt heads, and they work a lot better. The turning motion is not as jerky, and there is plenty of clearance.
So I will have to see how it works when I get all the weight on top, but for now this is looking like the way to go for me.
A note about these magnets. They are very very strong!
I would not recommend using these anywhere near a CRT monitor. The T-nuts on top, that I installed to attach the disks with, are strong enough to hold a screwdriver when you touch it to them. And thats with the magnets about a 1/4" away from the screw thats in them.
Im kinda worried if this will affect the hard drive, but I think the HD should be shielded enough to handle it.
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I'll let you know what effect, if any, the magnets I ordered have on my hard drive. I think I'm going to be OK but I am planning on installing 10 rare earth magnets to hold my back panel in place (3/8" diameter). I will be boring some holes in the case to hold them so hopefully that will provide some shielding. I might also use less than 10 of them depending on the seal I can achieve. They are very strong but I want the panel to look like it is fastened in place and not just hanging there - I definitely don't want any light escaping...
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Thanks Jav.
I had an idea to improve the way the juke turns on the base and cut down on the magnetism inside the juke.
I made an armature out of a cheap pizza pan.
I first cut the rim off the pizza pan (a 12" one-- cost 3 bucks).
I then laid the flat piece under the juke bottom and punch a hole in each magnet position.
I then used a stick with a nail in each end.
One nail was used as a pivot which I inserted in the center of the metal disk.
I then used it like the circle cutter to make a mark around the outside of the screw holes.
I then moved the outer nail in 3/4" and made another mark on the inside of the screw holes.
I then used metal cutters to cut out both lines.
I wound up with this:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114032;image)
I attached the bottom to the speaker box and it turns a lot smoother.
It doesnt free wheel when it is between magnets.
The screws on the inside still attract a screwdriver, but they are not nearly as strong as they were before I added the armature.
The armature "shorts out" the magnet force by directing the force to the next magnet.
I also had to alternate the north and south poles of each magnet.
The armature keeps a force on the bottom throughout the rotation.
When the screws line up with the magnets. they still lock in, but the whole operation is smoother.
I also got the back cut out.
Here it is next to the front.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114034;image)
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Great idea with the armature! I would never have thought to do something like that. Keep it up, looks great!
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Have few questions about the monitor. Looking at your pictures I have exact same model. Was wondering what are the two twisted wires (black and red) with insulated female connectors are for. Also, the monitor appears to be always ON, is there any way to turn it OFF? According to the manual there should be ON/OFF switch at the bottom but I don't think it is there. And lastly with the sensing wires attached to the face of the monitor I don't think there is a way to mount it up against a black plexi. It looks like there has to be about 1/8" gap between the bezel and the monitor. Is this is how you are planning to mount it? Thanks for your help.
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Thanks drawful!
Hello Reko.
Those black/red twisted wires are for a speaker.
They go through the monitor chassis down to a circuit board on the inside, lower right corner. Im pretty sure the board is an amplifier for the speaker.
I wont be needing this function, so I unplugged the circuit board and removed it.
I cut the red/black wires from the plug and pulled them out of the chassis.
There is a small board on the side of the monitor with some small push button switches on it.
One of these switches is the power button.
I dont remember which one. I suggest you plug it up and experiment.
I need my monitor to stay turned on all the time, since I want it to come on and off with the computer. But I suppose you could solder a couple of wires to the monitor's on/off switch and use an external button to power it up. The board with the buttons is removable, I thought about taking mine off, but I figured I may need to adjust it later.
And Im not sure if the monitor would come on or not with this board removed.
Also, yes, I figured I will need about a 1/8" gap between the acrylic on the front and the monitor screen.
Im planning on using some foam stick on insulation stuff around the edge of the acrylic hole to fill the gap. (I think this is what Mountain used on his.)
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Thanks for the reply. Just as an FYI, the manual for the monitor is available here:
http://media.elotouch.com/pdfs/manuals/008521_f.pdf
Go to download section for drivers.
I did notice that you don't have a small board at the bottom corner of the monitor, assuming it is an amplifier I'll be removing it as well.
Keep us posted with your progress. Regards.
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Thanks for the link Reko!
Ok, here are some measurements for the front and back panels.
Edited to include mm measures.
Please double check your measurements before cutting anything. I used a conversion chart off the net to enter these values and I cant guarantee its accuracy.
The back, AS BUILT:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114113;image)
The front, AS BUILT:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114115;image)
Edit: Added juke bottom. AS BUILT:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114117;image)
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and now one in the metric system ;D
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Ask and ye shall receive.
Check out the pictures again.
Be sure to read the warning.
I got the converts here:
http://www.gujmedia.de/_content/20/11/201144/How-to-Convert_A4-quer.pdf
But I cant guarantee its accuracy.
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What skin are you using for the Xlobby? I downloaded BONG2 created by Baddabing.
http://xlobby.help.googlepages.com/skins
It works and looks great. But I can't figure out how to get visualization to work. I am using winamp and pressing visualization button starts it in the winamp, but it just runs in the background. The other thing that does not work is the net radio. It is just trying to connect to some IP address which is probably no longer in service. Any Xlobby experts willing to help?
Thanks.
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Not an expert but I can tell you a little about the net radio problem. Most of the stations that come with that build are gone. I looked into and remember finding a utility that would help import current ones into Xlobby. Google should help you find it.
Keep up the good work DaOld Man!
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Mountain,
What skin are you using?
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thanks for the measurements. helps me a lot thinking ahead for my build
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Thanks Mountain, coming from you means a lot. You are the guy who started this you know. (BTW, have your ears been burning, especially when Im working late and messed up a piece I had been working on for hours? ;D )
Reko, right now I using the default skin that came with Xlobby, I may change it to the Bong, thats the one I used on Stevies Jukebox.
Cant help you with the radio, I never got that far into it yet.
Here are a few pics to catch up on my progress.
This is the front and back temporarily setting on the bottom, just to give me a feel of how its going to look:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114209;image)
And here is a shot with the marquee back plate. I used 3/8" wood dowels to brace and separate the three pieces.
I laid the three pieces down flush and got them all lined up then drilled 3/8" holes through all three pieces. After I unclamped everything I found that i had the front turned backwards, so I had to clamp then down again and re-drill so the dowels would line up. Man seems like I have screwed up every time I turned around on this project.
It's just about ready for the skin. I may run some braces across the front and back, horizontally. I have vertical braces installed, with tape so they dont get glued. I will remove them later:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114211;image)
Speaking of screwing up... here is another. I cut out a slot in the back for an air vent. I first drilled two holes with a paddle bit, then cut out the wood between the two holes with my router.
See the boo boo in the upper left corner? I took the router just a tad too far.
Hopefully I can wood putty it up.
Also notice in this picture that I cut a relief from just below the bottom of the hole to the top? The plan here is to cut out the laminate the same shape as the hole, then slide a piece of perforated metal between the laminate and the wood.
We shall see how that turns out..
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114213;image)
I dont have anymore pictures, but I have since glued the front and back to the bottom.
I have also puttied up the boo boo in the air vent.
Next up: Glue the wood dowels, maybe put in a horizontal brace, then apply the skin.
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Got some major work done last night before I went to work.
First, I got the marquee back properly positioned and glued to the wood dowels:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114329;image)
I couldnt wait. I had to test fit everything to make sure it was going to fit before I applied the first skin.
Everything fit perfect. Plenty of room for the cables:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114331;image)
Of course I had to fire up and play some Hootie:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114333;image)
I removed all the parts. (It dont take long at all). I now placed teh first skin in a test position.
Notice my high tech weights?
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114335;image)
I had an idea about stretching the skin tight.
I stapled two blocks on each edge of the skin, one was to act as a catch to hold it against one side:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114339;image)
And the other end I installed some bolts that I could tighten against the bottom to stretch the skin nice and smooth.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114337;image)
I did a test run without any glue and it worked great.
But when I put the glue on and placed the skin back on, something didnt do right.
I dont know if I moved the skin a little (it slides easy on the wet wood glue), but I got a little pucker on one corner.
So I tightened the bolts to try to straighten it out.
I must have went too tight, cause the staples pulled out.
I was working like a mad man then.
I managed to get it all smoothed out with some C clamps and I put some serious weight on top. (An old computer and a monitor).
I just got home from work and removed the C Clamps and the weight.
It looks like it will be OK.
I am going to crash for awhile, but hopefully this afternoon I can trim it up with the router.
I will try to get some fresh pictures then.
I think the idea of the screws will work, maybe I need pieces of 2X4's with some screws instead of staples.
I got one more skin to go so maybe I will try that method again.
I am not looking forward to putting on the laminate.
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Nice save there Old Man. When you make a stretcher system like you did you need some serious holding power. Staples aren't made to hold that much force. What probably happened is that you were a little off in your alignment on the glue up. That would have caused the pucker you experienced. Your plan for the second skin should hold nicely.
When the time comes for the laminate make sure the the first short edge is square with the long edge. This way you have a good guide for the application of the laminate. It would also be a good idea to do a test fit prior to applying the glue. Once contact cement touches it is stuck good and you will more than likely ruin the laminate if you need to reposition.
Keep us posted.
Michael :cheers:
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Applied the second layer of skin last night before work.
This morning I trimmed it up and here is the "size compare to a can of beverage" pic..
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114387;image)
I used the same skin stretching method as before. Except this time I used screws in the blocks instead of staples. It worked out pretty good. I would have used the spring clamps like everyone else but I only have a couple. The old 10 ton computer and monitor came in handy again.
You know, I think one layer of skin would have been strong enough for this project, but I sized the speaker box for the two layers so i went ahead and put on the second one.
Thanks for the advice on the laminate Micheal. This will be my first time applying laminate on anything other than a flat surface. So keep your fingers crossed for me. How about stopping by and giving me a hand? ;D
Next on the list:
Apply laminate to bottom and trim and cut holes.
Apply laminate around skin.
Apply laminate on back.
Make rabbet cut for back panel.
Apply front acrylic.
Cut out front acrylic.
Cut out T-molding slots.
Cut out hole for the powermate.
I dont work fast like most of you guys on here, so I wouldnt bet on me getting all that done in one session.
On a side note, stopped by the hardware store today and picked up some glazing points and some 3/16" foam weather stripping.
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It's looking great! What are the don't-know-the-name-are-they-t-nuts? for around the monitor bezel?
Are you going to make the Dell speaker br serviceable / removable? After my experience of a blown tweeter on day two of it being complete, it would seem like a good idea.
Faster! :cheers:
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looking good :) keep it up!
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Thanks guys..
Those nuts you are talking about drawful are exactly what you called them, T-nuts.
I think lowes has some bigger ones, but to get the small sizes I need (8-32 and 4-40) I had to get them from this hobby site:
http://rtlfasteners.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?
And yes, the speaker bar will be easily removable, hopefully I wont ever need too, but who knows?
I will also be able to use other speakers by just plugging them into the jack in the back, which will cut off the speaker bar.
Im sure a set of logitechs with the thumping bass would sound a lot better than the bar.
Thats why it was important to me to install that jack.
BTW that really sucks about your blown speaker. Is it going to be hard to change out?
Edit:
if the above link to rtlfasteners doesnt work, try this:
http://rtlfasteners.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=RF
Then look in the left menu and click on blind (t) nuts.
I guess those T-nuts are also called Blind Nuts.
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Ok, Ive been busting my family jewels trying to get this project knocked out.
Here is a quick update.
This is the DVD rom I am installing in this bad boy:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114594;image)
I got it very cheap off ebay. The guy said it quit seeing Cd's on him. I hooked it up and tried it out, so far it's doing good for me. But if it craps out I will just buy a new one and replace it.
Here is the special IDE adapter installed:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114618;image)
Here is the bottom laminate, trimmed and holes drilled:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114598;image)
side laminate applied:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114600;image)
back laminate laid out for fitting (not glued on yet):
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114602;image)
Back laminate from inside. I inserted a brown paper sack piece to keep the gap for my perf metal in the air hole from closing shut:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114604;image)
Here is a shot of the air hole, with perf metal inserted for test view:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114606;image)
Here is DVD test fitted:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114608;image)
Here is the front acrylic applied.
Im jumping a few steps here cause I forget to take pics.
All holes are cut.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114610;image)
When I cut the 45 degree chamfer, something happened in that corner. I dont know if the bit pushed my cutting guide up or what, but I noticed that the corner was rounded out by the bit.
I was ready to cry.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114614;image)
I have since sanded it out a bit, I'm hoping it wont look too bad.
Here is a shot with the monitor test fitted. You can see in this pic that the right corner rounded a bit too. But it's not near as bad as the left corner. I think if I use a router guide system again, I will fasten it down before routing:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114612;image)
Here is a shot of the marquee area after polishing with the novus 3 step system.
Man this stuff does wonders. I may polish it again though, because I can still see some very tiny scratches.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114616;image)
In the last picture you can see where I tried spraying some Rustoleum Metallic Paint in the marquee area. I thought this would reflect the light from the led bar better.
It turned out more gray than shiny like the top on the can. I also spray painted the rest of the inside black before I cut out the front acrylic, but since it was spraying in a hole, most of the paint didnt stick, so it turned out very splotchy to say the least.
Well thats it for now.
Next I got to finish the acrylic polishing, cut the T-molding slot, and cut the rabbet cut on the back.
Then I got to construct the back panel.
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Good progress. Have you noticed in the original Mountain's juke the cutout for the speakers and rear panel are black at the edge. I don't think this is laminated MDF, looks like a different material was used. Are you planning to paint the edge black, right now you could see MDF behind the laminate. Do you know what I am referring to, or should I post a pic? This is one of the steps that I keep wondering about, not sure how this is done. Can't be just the laminate, don't think it is thick enough.
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Are you talking about the air hole? (sixth picture up from here.)
I hadnt noticed that you can see the MDF behind the grill, thanks for pointing that out.
I think I will paint the mdf around the hole black. That should fix it.
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Yes, this is the one. I was trying to figure out how it is done, don't mean to critique or anything. Hope it didn't come across this way. If you look at Mountain's pics, it almost looks like a different material was used all together for the speaker opening and rear panel.
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No, I didnt think negatively about your input. I value input, good and bad.
I have never been a good carpenter, and it shows I know, that I am still learning, so I appreciate all the advice and help I can get.
Now, the perforated metal I am using is different from Mountains, but I couldnt find what he used at Loews, so of the designs they had, I got the one that i liked the most.
I have since painted the inside of the air vent with a black permanent marker, it looks a lot better.
Mountain did his speakers different from mine. I placed the speaker bar where its grill would show, whereas Mountain made a grill for his.
Look at Javeryh's thread, he copied Mountains speaker grill I think. I think NVTS copied Mountains grill too.
You have to go back quite a few pictures to see my speaker setup.
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Can't be just the laminate, don't think it is thick enough.
Actually, that is what I did. I covered the panel with cabinet grade laminate (the long oval was already cut in the MDF) and then flipped the panel and routered 1/4" of the MDF away from the opening to allow the speaker grill to be mounted as far forward as possible. The laminate edge does not "hold" anything, the speaker is mounted seperately. I sanded the edges of the laminate with 600 grit sandpaper, then 1000 to give it a finished look.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=101315;image)
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If I am understanding it correctly, the edge is laminated and the excess laminate is routed off? The same for the rear panel?
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If I am understanding it correctly, the edge is laminated and the excess laminate is routed off? The same for the rear panel?
This may help you understand how I did it.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114676;image)
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got it, thank you
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Thanks Mountain for that tip about the T-molding slot depth. I was really worried about it, because there is not a lot of room on the 1/2" MDF for 3/4" T-molding.
Ok, I got all the T-molding slots cut.
Got the speaker box finished, it's ready for the wire works.
Got half the T-molding installed on the top box.
Dont have too many pictures yet, but here are a few.
First, a sneak peek of how I plan to do the powermate back light.
I used some 1/4" by 1-1/2" fender washers for support. I drilled the holes in the washers to 3/8".
Here it is in a test mode. I plan to have the washers and bolt hold the plexi until the glue dries, then remove the washers and bolt out the back and install the ole PM.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114696;image)
Here is the speaker box. Protective plastic has not been pulled off the t-molding yet.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114698;image)
If you notice the T-molding is hanging off the edge just a slight amount.
I didnt notice this until I had already cut the first slot. I think it looks pretty good, so Im keeping it like that.
Here is a closeup of the speaker bar. This pic doesnt do it justice:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114700;image)
One last shot, with slightly different angle:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114702;image)
I also got the rabbet cut made on the back. No pic of that yet.
Next to do:
Finish installing t-molding on top box.
Cut out the back panel.
Install mounting block for USB ports.
Start putting the guts in this baby.
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If you notice the T-molding is hanging off the edge just a slight amount.
I didnt notice this until I had already cut the first slot. I think it looks pretty good, so Im keeping it like that.
I didn't notice til you mentioned it ;)
It looks great! Is the speaker grill a different colour or is it the pic? I think it contrasts well if it's the former.
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Thanks drawfull..
That grill is the actual sound bar speaker grill. It is a little off from the chrome of the T-molding, but it matches pretty good I think.
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Alrighty! This juke is finished, all except some more software tweaking and some cd ripping.
I am posting a few pics. I have a lot more of the build process between now and the last post, but since Im pressed for time right now, I will update with more pics later.
First of all, let me thank Mountain for his spectacular design. I just wish i could match his craftsmanship.
Also thanks to Javeryh, NVTS, Drawful, and all the others who helped me on this project.
If you decide to make a copy of Mountains juke, let me warn you. It is not as easy as Mountain makes it look.
First pic (and these pics are not too good).
Front shot with a tribute to Mountain in the foreground.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114879;image)
The back:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114881;image)
Power cord, LAN network cable and mouse and keyboard plugged in:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114883;image)
Front, turned a little bit:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114885;image)
Merry Christmas to all. May God bless and be with you always.
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Front shot with a tribute to Mountain in the foreground.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114879;image)
:laugh2:
Thats awesome!
This really turned out nice, you should be very proud. I suppose I made it look easy just by the way I post my progress. :dunno This build almost killed me and consumed just about every free moment of my time for a month. I am glad you liked the design enough to make one of your own. I hope you get as much pleasure out of it as my Dad has.
Merry Christmas!
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Yes, congrats Daoldman... It's indeed a lot more work then i thought.
Question. do you like the plexi front for the speakers? Or would you rather have done it with black mat laminate?
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:applaud: :) Great job Daoldman! Turned out great! You must be very happy. :) :applaud:
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Thanks guys. I forgot to mention you franco for help credit. I am sure I forgot to mention a lot of people, so let me re-phrase it and say thanks to everyone for helping me. This forum is a very good resource.
I am very happy how it turned out, but there are a few messes I made. I will probably point them out later.
Martijn, I thought about using the acrylic or the laminate for the speaker front a long time. I finally decided that I think I would go with the acrylic. I figured it would match the top better.
I think I was right, but you tell me.
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I few more build pics.
The powermate mount.
As I mentioned earlier, I wanted the powermates blue led to shine around the bottom of the knob. I used clear plexi as the spacer.
Here it is glued to the front:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114901;image)
I used crazy glue to glue the spacer. This is a mistake! Even though I tested it on a piece of scrap, the crazy glue stuck to the paper and even burned the acrylic a bit around the disc. I had a hard time getting the paper off the acrylic and it looks like crap. At least it is sort of hidden behind the knob.
Note to self: dont use crazy glue on acrylic ever again!
I then took a small mirror out of one of my wifes old makeup compact things.
It was perfect for the 1-1/2" hole I cut in the mdf.
I wrapped a piece of foam rubber weatherstripping around the outside perimeter of it.
This was to keep the light from the marquee from getting in.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114899;image)
I then mounted it behind the powermate with a small metal brace. The brace was in my junk box, I'm not sure what it came off of, but it looks like it may have came from a cd rom or something.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114903;image)
Sorry about the flash flood on that last pic.
And here it is looking from the front, with the high dollar knob installed:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114905;image)
The idea doesnt work too well. The clear plexi doesnt throw out the blue light like I thought it would. You can see the blue light if you look behind the knob, but it wasnt the bling effect I really wanted.
I think the mirror may be too close to the led, I may try putting a spacer between the two later.
I thought about moving the led to the front part of the powermates circuit board, but I figured that was way too much work. The led is SMT, and it looks pretty crowded on that tiny board.
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Here is a shot of the marquee back and monitor and motherboard plate mounted.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114907;image)
I had a problem with the touchscreen not working. Mountain suggested that something may be touching the lines on the inner edge of the screen.
The foam weatherstripping was touching, so I removed the weatherstripping and it worked.
But I didnt like the way it looked with the weatherstripping removed, so I put more weatherstripping on and moved the monitor away from the front by pacing washers between the monitor mounting brackets and the MDF. This worked.
Here is a shot of the speaker box:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114911;image)
The two MDF blocks above the fan are rotation stops. I mounted an aluminum L bracket to the top box.
The bracket extends through the bottom and about 1/2" inch into the speaker box.
These stop blocks stop rotation in both directions at about 36 degrees past the 90 degree point, or top box perpendicular to the speaker box.
The block below the fan is just to fasten the fan to.
I used tie wraps to hold the speaker bar in. I wasnt happy with the way my spring idea turned out. The tie wraps work great.
You can see the wiring for (left to right), external amp jack, startup mode switch, and Ethernet jack.
On the other side of the box you can see the power entry module.
You can also see the fan and the speaker bar power wired to a speaker cable going back on top. This supplies power for the fan and speaker.
Here is the back panel, before laminate applied:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114909;image)
Notice the rabbet cut around the marquee area. Also notice the holes for the USB jacks.
I cut the holes on the wrong side and had to re-cut them.
Here is the grill, test fitted in the rabbet cut:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114913;image)
Here is the laminate after cutting it to the same shape as the panel, and laid on top of the panel for test fitting:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114915;image)
Notice the knick on the left side? The router got away from me. Also notice the splotch of glue right below the knick? This was from a sticker that the laminate had on it. I figured it would just peel off, but no. I had to work on it quite a bit to get all the residual glue off.
Next I applied contact cement to both pieces and after it dried, i inserted the grill into the rabbet cut.
I then laid the laminate on top of the board, with wood dowels between the two.
I carefully lined the two pieces up and then removed the dowels.
I pressed them together with a rolling pin.
I then cut out the hole for the power on button, and the USB ports. (I triple checked the holes before cutting the laminate.)
I then mounted the switch, which helps to hold the grill steady.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114917;image)
Well thats all for now...
Hope Santa was good to you all.
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:applaud:
Nice Job
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Thanks Lew...
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Looking good. ;D
Try wrapping the foam rubber weatherstripping around the mirror with aluminum foil when you put it back a bit farther. You want the light to bounce off the sides, and the weatherstripping is likely absorbing some of the light. You probibly also need something to disperse the light when it passes through the spacer instead of just hitting the back of the knob.
I bet you could use some of that funky plexiglass that bends more light to the edges that you see in a few store displays where the edge looks impossibly bright, but I cant recall what that stuff is called.
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Looking good. I will be following your steps soon enough, monitor is already in.
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Thanks Nvts, I may try that.
Thanks to you too, Reko, I cant wait to see the progress on your juke.
Here are a few more pics.
Needless to say the wife loved it, Im on the good list for a change LOL.
A cd being ripped with windows media player. I havent figured out yet how to do the ripping from Xlobby.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=115131;image)
Another shot with XLobby up:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=115133;image)
Placing a DVD in the drive:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=115135;image)
Here is Windows desktop. I havent figured out how to play DVDs from XLobby either. Have to exit to windows to play with media player.
Thats me and my wife on the desktop:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=115137;image)
DVD menu:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=115139;image)
And DVD playing:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=115141;image)
In case you havent guessed it yet, Andy Griffith is my wifes favorite old TV show, except it has to be the older black and white ones.
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Dang it looks like a mountain clone! Nice work.
Andy Griffith is the best tv show, EVER! Season 1-5 is BW, then Barney leaves and they go to color.
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It looks great da Old Man :cheers: :applaud: :cheers:
Hope the wife likes it and appreciates all the heartache and effort!!
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Here is the special IDE adapter installed:
I have a spare DVD player from a portable lying around, where do get your adapter?
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Thanks guys...
Drawful, my wife really does appreciate it. She's almost afraid to touch it, afraid she might break it. I have a truly good woman.
Nvts: I got my adapter off ebay, I think I paid around 10 bucks for it, including shipping.
It's called a slim drive to ide adapter.
A quick google search turned up this one, but you may want to shop around for a cheaper one:
http://www.eyo.com.au/prod_L-IDE-SlimCD_proddesc_Slim_CD_DVD_drive_IDE_Adapter.html
Also search for it on ebay. Im pretty sure you can get a type that adapts to usb instead of ide, if that will suit you better.
I searched for "slim to ide" (minus the quote marks) on ebay and found this one for $4.99, with free shipping. It looks exactly like the one I bought.
Clicky (http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Notebook-Slim-DVD-CD-RW-ROM-Drive-to-IDE-Adapter-PC_W0QQitemZ270318452808QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item270318452808&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50)
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Turned out very nice! :cheers:
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I've been out of commission for a while but I wanted to make sure to let you know how great everything turned out. I really like the DVD tray on the back - great idea. Now I need to hurry up and finish mine! :cheers:
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Turned out very nice! :cheers:
Thanks Logik, I appreciate it!!
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I've been out of commission for a while but I wanted to make sure to let you know how great everything turned out. I really like the DVD tray on the back - great idea. Now I need to hurry up and finish mine! :cheers:
Thanks Javeryh!!
You know you are the one that "pushed me over the edge" in my decision to build a mountain juke, when you started yours.
I cant wait to see yours finished.
Now, a little update.
The griffin Powermate works most of the time, using the version of software that came with it (V1.5?) (Thanks Barry Barcrest for the suggestion.)
But it still fails to initiate sometimes, so I have decided to replace it with a pot.
I think I will go with some blue leds that should light up the circle around the knob a lot better.
I will try to get more pictures of that journey.
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Here is Windows desktop. I havent figured out how to play DVDs from XLobby either. Have to exit to windows to play with media player.
Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and have been lurking around for a couple days admiring the work you have done. Maybe I will find a use for some of my old computer parts after seeing this, just have to convince the wife we "need" one.
I have been playing around with Xlobby for a little while and started to think about a skin that would be basically only for jukebox use and that is sort of how I found this forum, so I have some knowledge in xlobby already. You can set up Xlobby to autoplay DVD's and CD's. If you go into settings (f2), then to the Misc tab, there is a section there for autoplay. Many of the skins already have events set up and pop up screens created so all you have to do is assign the proper event. when you enter a cd or dvd it will pop up and ask you what you want to do. I think the DVD player most use by default in there is Zoomplayer though, so some tweaking would be needed for media player, although zoomplayer pro is only $30 or so and has good integration with Xlobby so it may be worth it to you.
Another thing I noticed you guys talking about was the internet radio issues. There is a plugin available for Xlobby now for shoutcast. You would need to add some screens to the BONG skin if you wanted to use it, but many of the newer ones have it integrated already. It really works well and would be a great addition to a jukebox with internet access.
If I get a nice skin completed sometime that is good for jukebox implementation I will let you know and you guys can try it out and let me know what you think. I am certainly not a skinning master but I have been able to customize a few with good success.
Thanks and keep up the inspiring work.
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i could really use some help with xlobby as far as internet radio and autoplay. your help would be greatly appreciated.
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I have been playing around with Xlobby for a little while and started to think about a skin that would be basically only for jukebox use and that is sort of how I found this forum, so I have some knowledge in xlobby already. You can set up Xlobby to autoplay DVD's and CD's. If you go into settings (f2), then to the Misc tab, there is a section there for autoplay. Many of the skins already have events set up and pop up screens created so all you have to do is assign the proper event. when you enter a cd or dvd it will pop up and ask you what you want to do. I think the DVD player most use by default in there is Zoomplayer though, so some tweaking would be needed for media player, although zoomplayer pro is only $30 or so and has good integration with Xlobby so it may be worth it to you.
Another thing I noticed you guys talking about was the internet radio issues. There is a plugin available for Xlobby now for shoutcast. You would need to add some screens to the BONG skin if you wanted to use it, but many of the newer ones have it integrated already. It really works well and would be a great addition to a jukebox with internet access.
If I get a nice skin completed sometime that is good for jukebox implementation I will let you know and you guys can try it out and let me know what you think. I am certainly not a skinning master but I have been able to customize a few with good success.
Thanks and keep up the inspiring work.
Hello, and welcome to the board!
Build your wife one of those mountain jukes and she will probably let you build any arcade you want after that.
Thanks for the advice on the playing dvd's. I have XLobby setup to pop up the play box, and I downloaded a trial version of Zoom Player, but I cant get the xlobby command to work. What is the syntax of that command?
Also, I would love to see any skins you have made for Xlobby.
Internet radio sounds good too.
My wife originally said she was going to put the juke where she works (walmart Pharmacy), if they will allow it. I figured there was no way I could get on their network without causing a stir, so I didnt want internet on it.
But she has left it at home, uses it while shes working in the kitchen, so now im thinking of putting a wireless NIC in it, so the radio part would be good now.
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DaOld Man,
I got the audio CD to work in Xlobby following directions posted above. Let me know if you need any help, it is very straightforward.
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DaOld Man
When you click the play button from the pop up window does it even launch zoomplayer, does the pop up even happen?
Also do you have any AVI files or other movie types loaded to play through xlobby and if so have you gotten those to work?
You may need to go to the File Types tab in the set up menu and set the path to zoomplayer, and also make sure you have one set up for Video_TS files. You can try this paramater for DVD's
/DVD /PLAY /F %playlist%
Which skin are you using...modified Bong or Bong2, I can play around with one those when I get home tonight and make sure I can get the DVD pop up to work.
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I dont have any movies saved to hard drive (I only have 80 gigs of space).
The popup does pop up in xlobby but when I press play dvd, nothing happens.
I just want to be able to plug in the dvd and have the movie play in xlobby.
Pressing play on the popup would be ok.
I think I am using the default skin. I will have to double check and get back with you.
I will have to check the file types tab.
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whats that blue led doing there behind the speaker gril?
turn it off :P
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That blue led is internal to the speaker bar. I kinda like it.
It was originally supposed to match the blue ring around the volume knob, which was a failure.
To turn off the led I would have to take the speaker bar apart, which IMHO is impossible for a normal human being without destroying the thing, so the only option I would have would be to cover it up, which I could cut out a piece of laminate that would separate the speakers and cover the led.
The way I mounted the speaker bar, it would be very easy to sandwich a thin piece between the bar and the acrylic. But I will talk to the wife and see what she thinks, it is hers anyway you know.
What is everyone else's opinion on the blue led in the speaker bar?
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I like the look of the LED :cheers:
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I like the LED too... Nice job on this dude.
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Thanks guys, I think the led will stay.
Thanks for the kind words Barry!!
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Nice to see this project get wrapped up. Looks good!
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Do you have any interior shots with the computer installed?
Also, did you use construction paper or something to trap the light behind the marquee above the monitor? I'm thinking about a similar solution because the thing is heavy enough and I don't want to make it any heavier by adding more MDF, if possible.
I've been reading over this thread again - your juke is really sweet.
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Thanks jthompson!
Javeryh, thanks for the kind comments..
I used black poster board for the marquee back.
I didnt attach the led strip to the poster board, I attached it to the wood dowels that I used for front to back spacers.
The poster was left over from my rotating monitor project, I think it was 1/8" thick. Got it at Hobby Lobby.
Here are a few pics of the computer, I will try to get more later, I should get a good chance when I replace the powermate with a regular pot.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=117445;image)
Notice how the poster board droops down? I plan to fix that too.
This is a shot of the hard drive, before DVD rom is installed.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=117447;image)
Here is the DVD rom installed. (Pic is a little blurred).
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=117449;image)
I will try to get more pics later..
Edit: These pics got deleted by Saint because of something being corrupted.
Let me know if anyone wants to see them, I will re-post.
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Thanks for the pics! I was curious because I'm trying to figure out how to cram everything inside. I have the room but it's not working out exactly how I planned (nothing ever does). How did you attach the posterboard? It looks like there is a strip of tape on each side - are you concerned about that failing over time? I think I'm going to go the posterboard route - I just need to think of how to mount the novamatrix light and allow for access to the volume knob.... just in case. Also, is there a concern about heat and the paper catching fire?
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Is the marquee spelling of Rhythms intentional (regional) or a typo?
Fantastic work with the juke, just bought a touchscreen myself to make myself one :o
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Thanks for the pics! I was curious because I'm trying to figure out how to cram everything inside. I have the room but it's not working out exactly how I planned (nothing ever does). How did you attach the posterboard? It looks like there is a strip of tape on each side - are you concerned about that failing over time? I think I'm going to go the posterboard route - I just need to think of how to mount the novamatrix light and allow for access to the volume knob.... just in case. Also, is there a concern about heat and the paper catching fire?
I tried tape to hold the ends up, but it didnt work, so the tape is doing nothing.
The poster board is attached with two screws to a mdf rib that I installed earlier:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114329;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51525.0;attach=114211;image)
I hope this helps. You can probably just glue the back piece of mdf (rib) to the inside of the skin then attach the poster board in the same fashion. I wouldnt attach the light strip to the cardboard though, but if your rib is deep enough, you can attach it to that. Right now, the bottom of the poster board rests on top of the monitor, but it is sagging, so I plan to do something different. (Run a thin piece of wood across the two dowels to hold up the cardboard.)
Im not worried about fire, everything is pretty cool. The big grill in the back, the small one at the bottom back, and the fan pushing air from the speaker box seems to keep everything cool.
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Is the marquee spelling of Rhythms intentional (regional) or a typo?
Fantastic work with the juke, just bought a touchscreen myself to make myself one :o
Thanks! And good luck with your juke. Eyes will be watching!
;)
About the rhythms. Yeah thats a typo. I had planned on getting someone to professionally redo the whole thing for me later because I ran out of build time, but the wife wont let me. She says it adds character to it. (Is that a good thing??)
I should never get in a hurry on these projects, but I always do.
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JH,
I dont think I posted this picture before, but here is the led strip before attaching the black cardboard.
I used L brackets. I attached the LED strip to the L brackets, then fastened the L brackets to the wood dowels with wire ties.
I also lined the mdf rib with aluminum duct tape. Worked out pretty good as a reflector.
The bottom edge of the led strip is just about even with the bottom edge of the mdf rib.
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DaOld Man,
What kind of glue you were using to attach the skin, was it the carpenters glue? Thanks.
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Yes, I used Elmers Carpenter's Wood Glue.
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Finally got around to doing some needed updates on this juke.
First of all, I removed the very un-reliable Griffin powermate and replaced it with a 50K ohm dual audio pot from mouser.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123391;image)
I then bought a PC audio extension cord from Radio Shack (#42-2492).
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123389;image)
I then laid out the lengths I would need from the motherboard's audio jack to the pot,
and cut the cable.
I then stripped the outer jacket off both ends. I removed the aluminum foil shield, being careful not to cut the drain wire (ground). The lead on the left still has the foil on in this pic.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123393;image)
I then cut the wires to the length I needed. I slid heat shrink tubing over the ground wires.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123395;image)
Here is the wires soldered to the pot.
The grounds attach together on the pot tabs. The red and black wires from the female plug attach to the center posts of the two pots. The red and black wires from the male plug attach to the outside tabs. (This is very important.) I also insulated the connections with heat shrink.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123397;image)
Here is the pot before soldering the wires. the pot is mounted where the powermate originally did. I'm also using the powermate knob. It fits this pot perfectly.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123399;image)
I then made the backlight out of a piece of acrylic. I cut a (almost) round circle, then drilled holes to mount 3 super bright leds through it. I then attached the leds in series, along with 2 resistors. I used some of the PC audio extension cable to connect the leds to 12 volt power.
Here is a picture with everything installed. The leds are very bright, you can see the blue shining through the led lead holes.
I also used the bracket I used to hold the mirror behind the powermate.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123401;image)
Here is the light from the front, with the knob removed. very bright.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123405;image)
Here is a shot of the dell speaker bar plugged into the female cable.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123403;image)
Here is a shot of the front. The knob hides most of the light.
(but it looks a lot better in real life.)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123407;image)
And here it is from the side. picture came out blurred.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=90051.0;attach=123409;image)
I also reprinted the marquee.
The pot works much better than the powermate. It works everytime.
The powermate, not so.
I turned the volume on the dell speaker bar all the way up. i also turned the volume on the windows audio all the way up.
I also had to replace the feet. I used some rubber pad thinggies, but they collapsed under the weight, so i bought some that are made out of hard rubber. much better.
Sorry about the quality of these pictures. The juke looks a lot better in real time.
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Looks Great! ;D
Too bad I didnt have the Griffin Powermate figured out and the install tutorial done a little sooner!
Great job on the Jukebox! ;D
Fordman