First Cabinet Build: I have no idea what I'm doing

[barrymossel]

I really don't think it's wired correctly. The light on the inlet goes off when you switch the strip.





Or maybe you have some short circuit?

[Mike A]

How did you cut the hole for the outlet socket? Did you smear peanut butter on the cab and let a rat chew through it?

[barrymossel]

How did you cut the hole for the outlet socket? Did you smear peanut butter on the cab and let a rat chew through it?

[Titchgamer]

How did you cut the hole for the outlet socket? Did you smear peanut butter on the cab and let a rat chew through it?

PMSL!!

Thats quote of the year there!

[obizues]

How did you cut the hole for the outlet socket? Did you smear peanut butter on the cab and let a rat chew through it?

For a guy that comes in and throws tantrums when people tell you to shove off you really don’t mind coming into a thread, being a jackass over and over again, and then getting butthurt.

I always wondered what happened to alternate timeline Biff, and here we are.

Edit: grammar

[Mike A]

I don't get hurt when people come after me. Bring it on. You must be confused. Maybe it was the electrical jolt you took.

There is a difference between not knowing what you are doing, and just not caring. This is a total hack job.

You are hacking your way through this project with no regard to how it will look in the end.

You deserve ridicule for gnawing a hole in the cabinet and sticking that receptacle in there. Have some freakin' pride in your work.

Instead of whining about me, freakin' fix it.

You should be embarrassed to show that picture. I made a joke because I didn't want to tell you what I really think.

This is not a matter of being a beginner or not having the right tools. I would totally understand that.

You can try to insult me all you want. It won't make that stupid hole in your cab any straighter.

[javeryh]

At least no one will see it.

For future reference, you should plan for and cut these holes prior to glue-up.  Makes things much much easier.  But, we don't all think of everything so next time, lay out the hole in pencil.  Using a large drill bit, drill holes in each corner as close as you can get.  Eyeballing it is usually fine.  Then use a jigsaw (or hand saw and connect the holes.  You can clean up the edges with a rasp but since the power socket has a bezel you don't really need to be perfect... 

[obizues]

At least no one will see it.

For future reference, you should plan for and cut these holes prior to glue-up.  Makes things much much easier.  But, we don't all think of everything so next time, lay out the hole in pencil.  Using a large drill bit, drill holes in each corner as close as you can get.  Eyeballing it is usually fine.  Then use a jigsaw (or hand saw and connect the holes.  You can clean up the edges with a rasp but since the power socket has a bezel you don't really need to be perfect...

Yup, that’s what I did. Definitely should’ve cut the hole before assembly,but I didn’t  so I drilled holes in the corners and cut.

Like you said though, no ones going to see it so I wasn’t too worried. 

[Titchgamer]

Regarding your problem:

Firstly and I dont mean to sound patronising here but have you checked the fuse in the IEC socket?

If so Have you checked if there is one in your power strip?

If both ok check the continuity between your IEC socket and your power strip.

[obizues]

Regarding your problem:

Firstly and I dont mean to sound patronising here but have you checked the fuse in the IEC socket?

If so Have you checked if there is one in your power strip?

If both ok check the continuity between your IEC socket and your power strip.

I haven't checked the one in the strip actually so I can do that   

It just seems so weird a strip I used for a total of 30 seconds would have blown a fuse while I hooked this up..

[Titchgamer]

Regarding your problem:

Firstly and I dont mean to sound patronising here but have you checked the fuse in the IEC socket?

If so Have you checked if there is one in your power strip?

If both ok check the continuity between your IEC socket and your power strip.

I haven't checked the one in the strip actually so I can do that   

It just seems so weird a strip I used for a total of 30 seconds would have blown a fuse while I hooked this up..

Well if somethings wrong it takes a fraction of a second to blow

[JDFan]

Regarding your problem:

Firstly and I dont mean to sound patronising here but have you checked the fuse in the IEC socket?

If so Have you checked if there is one in your power strip?

If both ok check the continuity between your IEC socket and your power strip.

I haven't checked the one in the strip actually so I can do that   

It just seems so weird a strip I used for a total of 30 seconds would have blown a fuse while I hooked this up..

Well if somethings wrong it takes a fraction of a second to blow

What is weird is that the power is coming from the Wall to the IEC socket then to the Power Strip -- Yet when the toggle on the Powerstrip is toggled - the light on the IEC switch turns on/off !! -- The Power strip switch should have nothing to do with the incoming AC power to the IEC so should not be turning the IEC light on/off !

[Titchgamer]

Regarding your problem:

Firstly and I dont mean to sound patronising here but have you checked the fuse in the IEC socket?

If so Have you checked if there is one in your power strip?

If both ok check the continuity between your IEC socket and your power strip.

I haven't checked the one in the strip actually so I can do that   

It just seems so weird a strip I used for a total of 30 seconds would have blown a fuse while I hooked this up..

Well if somethings wrong it takes a fraction of a second to blow

What is weird is that the power is coming from the Wall to the IEC socket then to the Power Strip -- Yet when the toggle on the Powerstrip is toggled - the light on the IEC switch turns on/off !! -- The Power strip switch should have nothing to do with the incoming AC power to the IEC so should not be turning the IEC light on/off !

I missed this bit!

That would suggest a major wiring fault to me, Something dragging the juice down to earth maybe?

[obizues]

I don't get hurt when people come after me. Bring it on. You must be confused. Maybe it was the electrical jolt you took.

There is a difference between not knowing what you are doing, and just not caring. This is a total hack job.

You are hacking your way through this project with no regard to how it will look in the end.

You deserve ridicule for gnawing a hole in the cabinet and sticking that receptacle in there. Have some freakin' pride in your work.

Instead of whining about me, freakin' fix it.

You should be embarrassed to show that picture. I made a joke because I didn't want to tell you what I really think.

This is not a matter of being a beginner or not having the right tools. I would totally understand that.

You can try to insult me all you want. It won't make that stupid hole in your cab any straighter.

[obizues]

I missed this bit!

That would suggest a major wiring fault to me, Something dragging the juice down to earth maybe?

So that would mean that I literally wired it up wrong?  Once again, that is strange since the leads are on snug, and it's wired up the same way it was when it worked before.

It's wired up using the same as this tutorial:

[Titchgamer]

Its hard to say for sure.
Ime a English sparky and dont really deal with American stuff!

However from what I remember of your supply (please correct me if I am wrong!) is its 110v centre tapped to 55v each phase or line or whatever you call it over there.

Now my thinking is (partially assumptions) that if the neon lights up on your IEC socket when the power strip is off then you are probably good up to that point.

But if its going off when you turn the switch of the strip on it would suggest to me its taking 1 or both of your lines down to earth.

It would also suggest its a problem after the strip switch so either the switch itself or something plugged into it.

I could be miles off like but thats my thinking atm :p

With the strip off check your output voltage from the IEC socket is correct.

If that is ok turn the strip on and see what voltage you have then.

If its different check between each line and earth.

[PL1]

However from what I remember of your supply (please correct me if I am wrong!) is its 110v centre tapped to 55v each phase or line or whatever you call it over there.

Standard U.S. household 110 wiring doesn't use phase difference for 110 outlets.

When you measure voltages with the black multimeter lead on Ground (green), you should get:
- 117VAC on Hot (black)
- 0VAC on Neutral (white)

Now my thinking is (partially assumptions) that if the neon lights up on your IEC socket when the power strip is off then you are probably good up to that point.

But if its going off when you turn the switch of the strip on it would suggest to me its taking 1 or both of your lines down to earth.

It would also suggest its a problem after the strip switch so either the switch itself or something plugged into it.

Agreed.   


Scott

[Titchgamer]

However from what I remember of your supply (please correct me if I am wrong!) is its 110v centre tapped to 55v each phase or line or whatever you call it over there.

Standard U.S. household 110 wiring doesn't use phase difference for 110 outlets.

When you measure voltages with the black multimeter lead on Ground (green), you should get:
- 117VAC on Hot (black)
- 0VAC on Neutral (white)

Now my thinking is (partially assumptions) that if the neon lights up on your IEC socket when the power strip is off then you are probably good up to that point.

But if its going off when you turn the switch of the strip on it would suggest to me its taking 1 or both of your lines down to earth.

It would also suggest its a problem after the strip switch so either the switch itself or something plugged into it.

Agreed.   


Scott

Thanks for that Scott

But in that case yes prob the either the “hot” or “neutral” going to earth.

More likely the neutral at a guess if its not blowing any fuses etc but a quick voltage check should confirm or deny

[Vigo]

Did you just prime over the speaker grills? Dude, it's 3 screws.....

[yotsuya]

Did you just prime over the speaker grills? Dude, it's 3 screws.....

And the handle too!

[obizues]

Did you just prime over the speaker grills? Dude, it's 3 screws.....

Yeah, the grills are a different black.  Doesn't show up well in pictures but it looks much more gray in person.  Long story short- they needed to be painted if I wanted it to not stick-out from the rest of the color on the panel.

And the handle too!

This one I fought with.. same with the hinges.  Apparently that's something you put a lot more thought into than me.  I'm may end up removing the handle altogether.. we will see.

[Locke141]

Take your time Man.

I know it can be frustrating when you don't make as much progress as quickly as you would like, but it sound like your making lots of mistakes that will bother you ever time you look at this cab. More importantly, it sounds like you are taking real risk with your life. Power  tools and the electricity from the wall can kill you.

[obizues]

Take your time Man.

I know it can be frustrating when you don't make as much progress as quickly as you would like, but it sound like your making lots of mistakes that will bother you ever time you look at this cab. More importantly, it sounds like you are taking real risk with your life. Power  tools and the electricity from the wall can kill you.

Lol, I’ve been doing this for months. I’ve been taking my time.  And yes I shocked myself.  It wasn’t because I was hurrying, it was because My arm slipped because I was sweating. 

I don’t think I’m “risking my life,” nor do I really know where you are getting that from. Much less what power tools have to do with anything else you mentioned.

[Vigo]

It really comes across that you are rushing, and that just isn't related to power tools. I'm noticing a lack of research and a lack of care.

Bring it back to my primer comment two posts up. I pointed out how removing 3 screws could have prevented you from getting primer on speaker grills. Your response was more or less that you wanted to paint them anyway. That is fine if you wanted to paint them, but you just slapped some primer on installed grills. Aside from the fact that the primer isn't for plastics, that primer is meant to be thick to cover wood stains that normally can be seen through paint. That thick layer is only partially on those speaker grills, meaning when you paint it black, the edges where the primer stops will be visible through and you will have lines on your speaker grills now.

Second, you have primer filling the edges where the speaker grill meets the wood. That will always now look goopy instead of sharp and crisp. Your screws will be partially filled with paint and if you ever do need to remove the speaker grill, the black layer will likely scrape off, showing only white primer.

What you should have done is taken the speaker grills off, painted them separately if you felt it necessary, and then put them back on after all painting is complete.   

This isn't an isolated item. I am noticing a lot of areas where a little extra care would have made a world of difference, like your patch job on the miscut speaker hole. You put your patch wood there, that is fine, but then you cake on some sort of thick putty, sand off extra and paint the wood. What you should have done is repeated the process until you came away with a smooth product. If you weren't getting the gaps filled like you want, then use a thinner putty, or get something like Durhams water putty where you can control the thickness. Dill, sand, repeat, repeat, repeat until you are feel the surface is glass smooth. Only then should you put your first coat of paint over your job. (While you are at it, you could sand the entire board to remove the wood grain).

Just looking to help, bruv. There is a solution to every problem, you just have to set a bar for yourself and plan to constantly hit above that level before moving on.

[obizues]

Just looking to help, bruv. There is a solution to every problem, you just have to set a bar for yourself and plan to constantly hit above that level before moving on.

Your comments are fair and you make some good points. This being my first wood-working project I am very much in over my head, and that was something I accepted and called out the beginning.

I was hoping that documenting this could allow others to learn from my mistakes if they were also as green as I was.  Instead I’ve been sent a significant amount of feedback that they won’t be posting their projects at all publicly.

Unfortunately, instead of feedback like you just gave me on applying the primer to the grills that causes streaking, other users like Mike A decide to just come in and blast my project without any substantive feedback.  Ironically  at the beginning of the thread I’m told I’m spending too much time on things that won’t be able to be seen.

While you and others have given helpful information, others are very toxic in this community filled with gate-keeping and elitism.

Long story short, I can see where that may come off as rushing from the outside or not researching.

However, for my next project I’ll likely also stay off of these boards.  The alerts for positive/helpful comments are almost half of the total submitted.

I’m enjoying my project for sure, but I’d be lying if I said this board hasn’t soured the experience.  Based on others that have responded directly in this thread or privately,  I’m not the only person that feels this way.

I don’t take offense easily, and no one here is going to really hurt my “fee fees.”  But if you want a realistic answer as to why I’m not engaging more, spending more time researching, or bouncing ideas off of other users, here’s the true answer.

[Mike A]

I gave you plenty of good feedback you turd nugget. Read back through all the posts. I was trying to help you from the beginning. Your complete lack of respect for your work soured me. You have been hacking your way through this project like a monkey with a chainsaw. It became evident that any advice was being
 ignored.

[obizues]

I gave you plenty of good feedback you turd nugget. Read back through all the posts. I was trying to help you from the beginning. Your complete lack of respect for your work soured me. You have been hacking your way through this project like a monkey with a chainsaw. It became evident that any advice was being
 ignored.

You are either completely oblivious to reality four you are just too angry person. Either way, I just feel sorry for you

[Mike A]

Talk to the people on this board who have met me in person. I am far from angry. Put the chainsaw down for a minute and listen to people.

[obizues]

Talk to the people on this board who have met me in person. I am far from angry. Put the chainsaw down for a minute and listen to people.

I have enough PMing me. Why you don’t you just do us both a favor and stay out of the thread like you said you would a couple times now?

[javeryh]

I hate to see people have bad experiences on these boards - I've learned so much over the years (and I'm still learning all the time).  Generally, people on this site are WAY into the hobby (passion!) - but you should know that most of us aren't here because we want a means to play classic arcade games.  There are a ton of ways to do that.  Most of us see the entire cabinet as a piece of art that just so happens to play video games.  The finished product, the process of getting there and recreating the arcade experience at home are all equally important.  Just this weekend I placed a small dish filled with quarters next to my DK because I felt that something was missing by just pressing the hidden coin button.  I spent the next 3 hours playing the cab just because of that one change.  It's a little nuts but that's the point.

I agree with Vigo's point though - the reason people are being a little hard on you (and they are) is because your work product comes across as a lack of care or a lack of effort.  That probably isn't the case because you are here asking questions and you are excited about your first build.  However, things like the handle on the door or the patched speaker panel, to be blunt, do not look good.  With a little more time and a little more effort, these things can be easily avoided.  Even though you freely admit you have no idea what you are doing you should still be able to patch a hole, sand it smooth, patch again, sand it smooth, prime, sand, paint etc. so the finished product looks presentable. 

We were all in your shoes at some point and got through it and we all vowed to make the second cab even better.  Keep at it.   

[obizues]

It's a little nuts but that's the point.

That's good context.

However, things like the handle on the door or the patched speaker panel, to be blunt, do not look good.

I'd agree with this as well, I didn't (and still don't really) understand how to put a camlock on the side of the back panel that swings open, and I haven't been able to find an example on google.  I'd assume it would go just far enough away so when it's locked it the arm goes across the opening, but that is a guess.

Even though you freely admit you have no idea what you are doing you should still be able to patch a hole, sand it smooth, patch again, sand it smooth, prime, sand, paint etc. so the finished product looks presentable. 

This has been the bane of my existence. 

I clearly should have cut before mounting, should've measured correctly, and I did try and patch, smooth, prime, sand, and now it is where it is.  I forget who gave me the advice, but their opinion was that it was as good as it was going to get.  This is the "real" reason I didn't want to take off my speaker grills either and just prime them separately since I didn't want to further screw up the patch job.

Perhaps There is a way to really remove that board even though it's glued, however I haven't had any luck removing wood glued pieces without causing more damage than originally.


Ultimately, I don't mind feedback no matter how rough, as long as there is advice that comes with it.... and I think I've shown that throughout the entirety of the thread.  The question that I will have to answer, and will others, will be "is it worth weeding through the crap to get to the advice" for my next project. 

Furthermore, I would ask people in this forum that make up the community if this is the type of board they would have wanted to join as someone completely new.  If some of these users want to simply only deal with other "professional" level builders, I get it, then it doesn't matter.  If the community ever wants to grow people, expand, or how to bring in new ideas after the initial fumbling, then they community is not doing itself justice.

[javeryh]

Everything is fixable, including the speaker panel.  I don't think I would try and remove the piece if it has been glued in.  You are correct in that it will cause a lot of damage unless you have a Dremel and are very careful with the cut.  My advice would be to find some thin wood veneer, cut it to size (you can use a razor and a straight edge at that thickness), glue it right on top and repaint.  You can get something 1/16" thick or less and because this is under the marquee, you will not notice it assuming you can fit it in there nicely.  Don't forget to trace the speaker cutouts - those don't have to be perfect because the edges will be covered by the speaker grill bezel.

As for the cam lock, this is something you just buy and figure out as you go.  Drill the hole, pop in the hardware and figure it out.  They all come with different locking mechanisms because the manufacturers know each situation is slightly different.  You may get a perfect fit or you may need to add some material to the back of the lip of the door for a snug fit.  Here's my latest cam lock install: 

Here are some pics that will hopefully help: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,157460.msg1655972.html#msg1655972

[Zoomie]

The easiest people to mock are going to be the people who need the most help.
I agree that some of obizues' work looks rough (and this is coming from a rank amateur) but I'm glad most people here are offering solid advice to improve it.

Great posts javeryh.  It's always hard to read sarcasm or attempts at humour on the internet but it's easy to read genuine concern.

[Buick455]

However, things like the handle on the door or the patched speaker panel, to be blunt, do not look good.

I'd agree with this as well, I didn't (and still don't really) understand how to put a camlock on the side of the back panel that swings open, and I haven't been able to find an example on google.  I'd assume it would go just far enough away so when it's locked it the arm goes across the opening, but that is a guess.

I posted this back on the 9th of Aug, you musta missed it.

https://youtu.be/f-eeUCmjvVE?t=1592

[Nephasth]

Ask for advice...

Get plenty of advice...

Ignore the advice...

And wonder why the advisers become annoyed...

 

[obizues]

My advice would be to find some thin wood veneer, cut it to size (you can use a razor and a straight edge at that thickness), glue it right on top and repaint.

Great call.  I didn't think of this.

Here's my latest cam lock install: 

Here are some pics that will hopefully help: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,157460.msg1655972.html#msg1655972

Thanks!

[obizues]

I posted this back on the 9th of Aug, you musta missed it.

https://youtu.be/f-eeUCmjvVE?t=1592

That I did.  Thanks!

[obizues]

Ask for advice...

Get plenty of advice...

Ignore the advice...

And wonder why the advisers become annoyed...

 

To be fair, a lot of people have been very helpful, as you can see above.  If I'm being honest with myself, I've probably ignored some good advice because I simply stopped going to the board after notifications because I just didn't want to deal with a vocal minority's negativity and silliness.

[obizues]

With the cam lock being at the top and the examples I see either folding down on bartops or coming out (I think) on the big one, is that a concern? Obviously I already have hinges on my back panel.

Or does it really not matter that I have hinges on mine since a bar is going to block the door from opening regardless and the key should pull on a swing to the side as easy as a swing down?

[yotsuya]

With the cam lock being at the top and the examples I see either folding down on bartops or coming out (I think) on the big one, is that a concern? Obviously I already have hinges on my back panel.

Or does it really not matter that I have hinges on mine since a bar is going to block the door from opening regardless and the key should pull on a swing to the side as easy as a swing down?

Yes. Stop overthinking it. It will work just fine.