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Making a cost list for a bartop
justinjstark:
I'm looking at building a bartop soon. I'm trying to put together a thorough cost list so I know ahead of time how much mac 'n' cheese I'll have to eat over the next few months. :-\
I have some friends and family interested in these so I want to make more than one. Hence I'll be using all new parts from retailers as opposed to skimping on parts on ebay or buying an old computer off craigslist. (Besides, a mini-itx is about the only motherboard that will fit in this small thing.)
(marquee) To cut costs on this bartop I will not backlight the marquee. This way I can adhesive the marquee on and border it with t-molding. So I can cut the expense of plexiglass, the light, and the smart power strip needed to turn the light off. Emdkay has a heck of a deal on prints.
(control panel) I have the control panel designed. It is 2 player. I don't think I will be using any artwork on the cp since it is so small but I plan on covering it with plexi.
(wood) I'm not sure if I want to use MDF or birch plywood or what. It may depend on whether I paint it or stain it. Heck, if I use a good plywood then I can do either.
I thought I would share my expense list with those also looking at building a cab. It is amazing how all of the little things (like nuts and bolts) add up. Here is my cost list thus far:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiGFdPchNRnGdG8xWUVuTzRiVVFTckNKeEVrdDdfSXc&hl=en
Italicised items are costs which are guesstimates. I really want to be able to build this thing for less than $500 total and that is looking doable.
Is there anything I am missing? Anything that I can get cheaper or do better?
EDIT: Yikes. I just realized that I did not include a monitor (the most obvious part) in the list. So much for my $500 budget.
EDIT2: I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy the lcd monitors on ebay. As long they are the same size/aspect ratio and have standard vesa mount holes they will all be uniform. And a used one would be about half the price. I'll do more shopping around to get my costs down.
LeedsFan:
Have you considered using LED strip lighting to light a marquee up? It's cheap and can take 12V from the PC supply. Will make the finished cab look nicer than an unlit flat marquee.
HanoiBoi:
Am I missing speakers in your spreadsheet?
Yeah, I wouldn't skimp on the marquee with regard to lighting. If you do need to add speakers, you might want to up to the smart strip. If so, this would/could also be used for the lighting as well.
There are some Smart Strip knock offs that can be found much cheaper and work just as well. I bought one on sale for, I think, $10. From Amazon or Newegg or somewhere.
You say that friends and family are interested....are they looking for you to 'gift' these builds or are they willing to pay? If they're waiting to see what you can do, then definitely spend a little more for your 'sample' build to keep their interest.
You are obviously planning this as well as you can. With that mindset, do some future thinking...would you rather spend ~$500 now to have a bartop that looks rather bland with no light, no artwork, and no frills? Or would you rather spend another ~$200 now to have a machine that looks like it cost $2k from Sky Mall?
Oh, one last thing..Ramen noodles are delicious too and come in various flavors. ;)
javeryh:
Don't skimp on the marquee! That's what gives these things the "wow" factor - especially if it is custom artwork designed by you. It's not that expensive to add one either - you need a power strip anyway for the computer, monitor and speakers. A light from Walmart or Home Depot is like $12. The only real cost is printing the marquee which could run you $30+ depending on where you get it printed.
Also, whatever you come up with as your budget - add 30%.
BobA:
+1 javeryh
The marquee is what makes a cab pop. Do not skimp on the backlight and mounting. Also consider a larger HD 500 GB or more.
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