Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Yourname942 on February 05, 2013, 11:57:47 pm
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Does anyone know what the standard/common/ or recommended thickness plexiglass to use for the control panel/marquee/ bezel cover?
Thanks.
Edit: also what type of tool do you need to cut it to the shape/cut the holes for the buttons/joysticks?
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what type of tool do you need to cut it to the shape/cut the holes for the buttons/joysticks?
Selfie shares his wisdom and experience here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,119165.0.html) -- stickied in Woodworking Forum.
Scott
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As far as thickness goes, it really varies. I choose 1/8 inch on a 5/8 panel. This allowed me to hide the edges with the T molding.
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As far as thickness goes, it really varies. I choose 1/8 inch on a 5/8 panel. This allowed me to hide the edges with the T molding.
Ditto.
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Sry, I should have clarified a bit more, I'm using 3/4" mdf. What thickness would you suggest? I'm not sure which to use that still lets the t molding to be flush.
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Do you already have the T-Molding? Looking at T-Molding.com, they have 13/16 inch and 1 inch sizes. That means you'd need either 1/16 inch Plexi (which is pretty thin), or 1/4 inch plexi to accomodate those sizes of T-Molding.
Alternatively, you could round the bottom of the 3/4 MDF so the height at the edges is 5/8 and then use 1/8 plexi and 3/4 T-Molding. IMHO, 1/8 plexi is the easiest to work with and 3/4 inch T-Molding has the most options (colours, etc).
Or another option is to just redo the panel with 5/8 MDF and use 1/8 plexi per the above.
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nah I don't have the T molding yet.
What would be the better option to use 1/16" or 1/4" plexi for:
- control panel
- bezel cover
- marquee cover
I appreciate the help.
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It depends on what is behind them. 1/16 inch will be extremely flexible*. So you want a solid surface to brace it against. For a CP, this is not an issue. And thinner plexi will make it easier to cut and drill out the necessary holes.
But for something like a marquee, if you have a light-up marquee, you probably won't have a solid surface behind it. So 1/4 inch would be better in that case.
* Just as a disclaimer, I've never worked with anything quite that thin. Thinnest plexi I've used is about ~0.08 inch, which is pretty close to 1/16th.
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Alright, ty. I think I'll just stick with 1/4 plexi for all the parts.
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For the bezel I would recommend glass over plexi. Graylite 31 will really make the colors pop. Also, it is less prone to scratching.