Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: skyblast on November 25, 2008, 01:49:50 am
-
Recently finished my first mame cab and thus far I am very disappointed with Lexan. You look at it wrong and it scratches. You can forget whipping it down after dust gets on it. Initally, I was under the impression that this stuff was bullet proof...which I'm sure it is but why then does it scratch and scuff soooo easily?
I'm at the point now where I am seriously considering having a professional glass company come out to custom cut me a piece of glass to cover the monitor. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for...oh wait...Lexan is relatively expensive.
I next plan to make a bar top and would like to use some type of plexi glass to cover the control panel. That's what most people do right?
Any recommendations on what to use? I'm afraid that if I were to use Lexan on the control panel it would look like crap relatively quickly?
Any thoughts? Right now this is the only thing that is holding me up. Thanks
-
I haven't gotten to that stage of my build yet, but from what I have seen over the last year on this site is that the preference is for precut-then-tempered glass (the silicate glass glass), often times slightly tinted to increase perceived contrast. The next in line is plexi. After that I see some comments about using lexan...
When I get to that stage of my build, I plan on using what most arcade machines have historically used, plain old tempered glass.
EDIT: My post was for front glass over the screen, the preference I see for the CP on this site is plexi, although it does scratch much more easily than tempered glass.
-
And don't forget the stiffness of glass. With glass you have a perfect mirror for ambient light sources. With plexi or lexan it's more like a laughing mirror. These sheets are very difficult to mount in a perfect flat plane, they always bend a little bit. I'm gazing into the top-lexan sheet of my MacMini and o boy are the window frames distorted in it.
-
Lexan is a trade name for polycarbonate. It machines easily but this also means its easier to scratch. Acrylic (plexiglass) is harder to machine but its also more scratch resistant.
If I was you I would definitely go for tempered glass. Its often cheaper that poly/acrylic too.
-
I might want to add something counter to what myself and other responders have posted. Once glass is tempered, it CANNOT be worked. No cutting, no drilling, etc. Just wanted to add that so you dont get stuck. Tempered glass would be best, but make sure to have ALL work done to it before it is tempered. Trying to drill or cut glass after being tempered will give you all sorts of little 3mm sized glass trinkets....(I guess you could resell them after mounting them to rings and necklaces....)
-
Trying to drill or cut glass after being tempered will give you all sorts of little 3mm sized glass trinkets....(I guess you could resell them after mounting them to rings and necklaces....)
;D
-
I use lexan to cover my monitors, as do many arcade games. Mine seem fine.
-
I bought a sheet of Acrylic from Home Depot (36"x36") for $24. Used if for both my monitor and marquee - no problems.
-
I have a piece of acrylic over my 52" LCD television to protect it from my 15 month old little boy. That stuff is about indestructible and has yet to get a scratch.
-
Wow, thanks everyone. I think I will go with tempured glass as soon as my Lexan goes the way of Corey Feldman.
-
I have one machine with a Lexan (polycarbonate) overlay. It does scratch easily. I clean it with a spray bottle with a mix of dish detergent and water. As long as you get it damp before you start wiping it won't scratch.
Plexi is much more scratch resistant but easier to crack while cutting it.
-
I wanted to use Lexan but I couldn't find any in the size I needed. I ended up going with an acrylic from Menards called "Optix".
It router as very easily and seems pretty scratch resistant (although I applied it only last night and haven't tested it much).
-
Smokey Glass is the best when placed in front of the monitor (either stand-up or table-top).
Lexan works very well for control top surfaces, but care should be taken when cutting as it has a tenancy to break when drilling/cutting. It does develop slight scratches over time, but if used as a CP surface, it really isn't noticeable. For sure if you were viewing a monitor through Lexan, that probably isn't a good setup. (IMHO). Glass is much better.
-
Smokey Glass is the best when placed in front of the monitor (either stand-up or table-top).
Lexan works very well for control top surfaces, but care should be taken when cutting as it has a tenancy to break when drilling/cutting. It does develop slight scratches over time, but if used as a CP surface, it really isn't noticeable. For sure if you were viewing a monitor through Lexan, that probably isn't a good setup. (IMHO). Glass is much better.
Lexan drills/cuts like butter. It's acrylic that has a tendency to break when drilled or cut.
Lexan is great for CPO's...but I use acrylic for bezels and marquee overlays.
-
I'm happy with the lexan on my CPO. I clean the dust with a microfibre cloth. Haven't had many problems with scratching. It cut easily and it wasn't very expensive. Maybe $30? If it starts to show serious wear and tear, I'll just cut another sheet next year.
-
If you're going for the 90's conversion cab look, go with acrylic over the CP.
It is not as shatter resistant as Lexan, but it more optically clear, and harder.
If you want a classic cab look, get .010" Lexan laminate over your CP art.
That, or silkscreening directly to the metal, is what was used on almost all the dedicated cabs.
If you look at all the classic round-front Williams cabs (Robotron, Joust, Sinistar, etc...) they all have Lexan overlays.
Likewise alot of the classic Midway cabs had the same thing (Tron, DOT, etc...)
The pebbled finish on the Lexan overlam helps it hide the scratching that is so visible when the surface is polished.
-
Are any of these available in odd sizes? I need my width at 29 1/4 inch.
Any links online? I guess tempered glass sounds preferable. Any suggestions on odd sizes would be great!
I'm just looking to getting it for my bezel, not for my control panel.
Thanks!
-
I went the expensive route and used abrasion resistant polycarbonate on my control panel. No scratches so far but then again I'm not done:o
However I went tempered glass for the monitor and it makes the system look that much nicer!.
-
@nickynooch: Regardless of whether it is glass, lexan or acrylic you want to use, the shop should be able to cut it to whatever size you need.
-
I decided on glass along time ago so that is what I am going to buy when the time comes.
-
@nickynooch: Regardless of whether it is glass, lexan or acrylic you want to use, the shop should be able to cut it to whatever size you need.
Thanks! I think I'm just going to go to a local glass store to make the work easier than hunting for a place online.
-
Just to give you something to compare with....
I shopped locally and found that most everyone wanted to charge me a setup charge to cut/temper the glass. I got all kinds of prices (locally) ranging from about $70 to over $200 (crazy, I know).
This place (although probably the farthest away from me here in South Florida) had the best price.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=82241.msg865815#msg865815
-
Even though I picked my glass up locally, http://www.onedayglass.com/, was actually the same price including shipping.