Main > Main Forum
Making a cost list for a bartop
justinjstark:
--- Quote from: LeedsFan on October 28, 2010, 01:45:15 am ---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.
--- End quote ---
Good idea. Would something like this work to plug directly into the PSU?
http://www.amazon.com/MOTORCYCLE-BRIGHT-ACCENT-FLEXIBLE-Aquarium/dp/B002SG3JIO/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1288274449&sr=1-1
It is only 9" but the marquee is only 15.5". I'll see if I can find a cheap one that's about 12".
Dr Zero:
Here are some other options
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5256
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.34991
I got the square shaped ones to replace the fixtures in a airstream project and they have done pretty good also.
justinjstark:
--- Quote from: HanoiBoi on October 28, 2010, 08:06:06 am ---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. ;)
--- End quote ---
Doh. I forgot the speakers also. I'll go for the logitech S220 2.1s ($28) if there is room for the small subwoofer and the logitech S120 2.0s ($10) if there isn't. I've had really good luck with these speakers and they are very cheap.
I cannot find any inexpensive smart strips. All of the ones sold in big box stores are $30. The cheapest I found on amazon was $23 + shipping. The cheapest on newegg is $30. If I wire up an led strip to the PSU as LeedsFan suggested then all that would be running constantly are the speakers and I don't see that being a problem.
You guys are right that a backlit marquee would be much nicer. Then I have to worry about the plexi, marquee retainers, lighting, ... much more of a hassle but you are right that I should just do it. I'll have to figure out what to use as a retainer. Last time I used some window molding which is very cheap although I had trouble attaching it. No glue in the world would stick to that stuff.
On the up side. I found a nice 4:3 17" monitor on craigslist for $50 that I will pick up this afternoon.
justinjstark:
--- Quote from: Dr Zero on October 28, 2010, 10:20:14 am ---Here are some other options
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5256
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.34991
I got the square shaped ones to replace the fixtures in a airstream project and they have done pretty good also.
--- End quote ---
Very nice...and free shipping. :applaud: The only problem is that my marquee is 15.5" wide and the square lights are 50cm = 16.7in. Is there any way I can cut some of the lights off?
leapinlew:
How big is the bartop going to be? I'd save money on the internals if possible. Money spent on artwork and finishes adds much more to your cabinet. Much like a house. No one cares about your awesome subflooring.
I've built many cabs and I've used older parts and newer parts. I do prefer using new stuff when possible, but older stuff can work fine. Theres a fine line between spending all your time trying to get some old clunker working, but you can find some decent machines around.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version