Mini Bar Top project

[agent9]

Hello.  I am starting a new project building a miniature cabinet out of a netbook (MSI wind u100).

Here are some visualizations I worked on for the cabinet (created in sketchup, beauty renders were then textured / rendered in c4d...this is my first time using sketchup so any pointers would be great)




for some reason the backgrounds on the c4d renders got destroyed when I uploaded them, but you guys get the idea I am sure.






I havent fully decided on the art yet, but am thinking of doing a classic SF2 wrap on it, by taking all the original graphics and adjusting them to fit the smaller format.

So I picked up the netbook for $130 off of ebay with a somewhat busted keyboard (which is fine with me since I am going to remove it anyways).  I also have ordered and received an ultrastik, 6x gold leaf buttons, and 1p button.  Still waiting on a usb powered LED strip for the marquee, and a USB hub.  The plan is to make the USB hub / power switch / light switch / speaker switch accessible from the back.

I was going to build it all out of 1/2" MDF, but after going to lowes and not finding any 1/2" MDF, I went with a high quality plywood. 

After getting mame / hyperspin set up on the netbook, I realized how many of the games are really a 4:3 ration, and am thinking of giving the screen a little more vertical space within my design.  This will give a little more space for bezel graphics and simply balance the screen better. 

I also have some 1/2 t-molding and a router bit on the way for the edges.

I do not have any question as of yet, I am just getting ready to start diving into a little of the woodworking.  Any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated.  I am really excited about this project, cant wait to dive into it even deeper.

Thanks,
a9

[BobA]

Nice looking models for your first time using Sketchup. 

[Louis Tully]

.

[DaOld Man]

I agree. I fooled around with sketchup for a few nights and finally just gave up on it.   

[emphatic]

Nice design! 

[Termin8tor]

I agree. I fooled around with sketchup for a few nights and finally just gave up on it.   

+1

Nice design! 

+1

[Santoro]

Love the design! 

[agent9]

Thank you so much for all the positive feedback!  I work in C4D a lot, so having some 3d experience probably made sketchup a bit easier, but I found a few basic things helped a lot and made it much easier to work with:

1) Make everything a group or instance (group if its a one off, instance if you are going to be using multiple copies of it).  When you create a group or instance you can not accidentally edit it (like when you move a box right up against it, your group will not accidentally become part of that box).  Instances are also nice because if you change one it will change them all.

2) make guides for everything: Make lots of guides, and dont be afraid to delete guides to keep your work space clean.

3) use the other camera views: working from directly above or to the side of object helps a lot when your trying to move something.

4) figure out how their snapping works.  Sketchup has a really intuitive snapping system, if you want to align something with the edge of something else, just hover the mouse over that edge for a moment and it will snap to align.

anyways.  Give me a few and I am going to post netbook tear down pics.

[agent9]

In typical form I did not take a picture of the netbook before starting to take it apart, but its a MSI wind u100, it looks like every other netbook out there.

Here it is with the back cover removed, was super easy to get it off.  you just unscrew every screw on the back and remove the battery, then it gently comes right off.


a close of of the Wifi card, I really just wanted to have a reference picture to see how the antenna cables connected


HDD / Ram / Wificard removed



Here the screen has been disconnected and removed from the base (and turned around).  I noticed the LCD connector was not a ribbon cable, this is great means I have more options on how I mount it.  After getting it all apart I think its goung to mount really nicely, since the motherboard is basically upside down in the netbook.


Here the bezel to the LCD has been removed.  I am really happy to see how nice the frame for the LCD is, it does not take up a lot of space, and should be really easy to mount.  You will also notice the two ends of the Wifi Antennas (green circuit boards on the top left and right), these can be mounted anywhere in the case, so they will not need to be near the LCD  There is also a little web cam and mic in there, these will both be discarded.


And here is the LCD all by itself.  Once again really pleased with how simple this is.


here is the back side of the LCD, I was really happy to see how much extra cable there is in that insulated sleeve.  This should allow me to mount it just about anywhere I want.


One issue I have been thinking about is how to mount the power plug, since it is side mounted.  Looking at the mobo and seeing where the cooling fan is, i am thinking giving it an extra 1/2" on that side where the power is would probably be good, and maybe allow me to not have to add an air vent over there.  I am going to mount the power block in the back of the cabinet so you can simply plug a molded cable into there.  I think I can probably take some of the extra plastic off of this power plug and really reduce how much space it needs along the side.


To mount the Mobo I think I am going to simply remove the keyboard and trackpad, and screw the top of the case directly into the cabinet, allowing me then really easy attach the mobo back onto the case.

Here are my measurements of all the bits I need:


Thanks again for all the kind words.  Once I get the plans all tweaked out I will happily share the sketchup file.
-a9

[yotsuya]

I agree. I fooled around with sketchup for a few nights and finally just gave up on it.   

PREACH ON, BROTHER!

[agent9]

Made some good progress on the cabinet build itself...

(I am not a very talented wood worker, but I think with a lot of sanding and some filler it will come out pretty nice)





Unfortunately I am out of town until friday, but cant wait to jump back into it.

It sounds like sketchup intimidates and confuses quite a few people.  When I have a little time I would be happy to do a tutorial on how to design a cabinet with it, from the ground up.  It really is a nice and intuitive program, just takes some time working in it.

[yotsuya]

It sounds like sketchup intimidates and confuses quite a few people.  When I have a little time I would be happy to do a tutorial on how to design a cabinet with it, from the ground up.  It really is a nice and intuitive program, just takes some time working in it.

I would greatly appreciate this. I'm one of those that learns best by just picking a program up and fiddling with it until I learn it, but I can't seem to wrap my head around SketchUp. A shame, too, because I'm ready to do some 3D models of ideas that I have.

[Unstupid]

First off.... Nice renderings!  Looks very cute.  Now questions:  why is the bottom panel of the marquee shorter than the top panel?  Where are your speakers going?  You going to put in any ventilation?  How are you planning on turning it on and off?  Is it going to be stable with the whole cab being so small and also the base being smaller than the rest of the box and there being nothing under the control panel?

[agent9]

All really good questions!

The bottom panel of the marquee is not actually shorter, where the marquee is going is very square, I need to cut and sand down the sides to make them match up.  I am thinking of putting the speakers up int he marquee, they are really little though, so I may just mount them near the monitor to get some sound through there, I am not expecting this to be a very loud cabinet.  I am going to try to do without ventilation, I am hoping with all the extra room in the cabinet the netbook will be able to cool down just fine.  Turning it on and off I am honestly still a little unsure of.  I am thinking of soldering the current power button off the board, adding wires, and attaching a momentary button at the back of the cabinet, along with the speaker switch / USB hub / power outlet.  It is a little deceptive in the pictures, but the control panel only hangs over 3", and is about 6" total, so the mid point is supported.  I am thinking  that mixed with the overall weight of the cabinet will make it plenty stable.  I will keep you updated.

I am anxious to get back to SF on Friday and dive back into the project.

[johncl]

Very nice design and excellent to see Sketchup used for this, I agree it truly is a very easy 3d modelling tool for these kinds of projects. I plan on using it for my DK bartop, similar to the one LeedsFan made.

Just wondering if the whole thing wouldnt be very small? The control panel doesnt seem to allow you to rest your hands on it much. I made a mockup cardboard version of the 50% scaled version LeedsFan did and it does have enough room to rest your hands on (DK has a very low stick also). I will swap some buttons around also to move the jump button a bit to the left as well to allow the right hand to rest better on the CP too.

Looking forward to seeing your progress on this. I wish I had such woodworking skills, I know that is going to be a challenge for me. I guess I should try MDF first as its perhaps easier to get a clean edge on it? Isnt plywood very easy to get rough edges on? Sorry, again my skills are terrible on this.

[kalars123]

Looking great so far watching with intense interest on how you mount and get the netbook working.

[agent9]

It is definitely on the small side, the plan is to have this sit on the window next to my desk at work.  I think the control will be comfortable enough for playing for 20 minutes or so.  This is all an experiment to really learn more about cabinet design, so i am sure I have already made some mistakes and will make more, but that is the nature of learning i suppose.

I am a very inexperienced wood worker, but it seems like three things help a lot 1) the right tools 2) patience 3) lots of clamps

I am now leaning towards a linux setup.  I have been really unhappy with XP, and know I can install a lightweight linux system that has full remote desktop capabilities, so once I get this built out a bit more I am going to dive into that.  I will also document this process, but would love to hear any advice and experience from the rest of the community.

Thanks!

[agent9]

Looking forward to seeing your progress on this. I wish I had such woodworking skills, I know that is going to be a challenge for me. I guess I should try MDF first as its perhaps easier to get a clean edge on it? Isnt plywood very easy to get rough edges on? Sorry, again my skills are terrible on this.

I try to use a more quality plywood, and a little sanding, and taking your time with the initial cuts results in a pretty nice finish.

[agent9]

I got back to my office to discover some new components:



- 1/2" t-molding
- t-molding router bit
- itty bitty usb hub
- mini blu-tooth keyboard and trackpad
- PCD stand-offs
- barrel lock
- sweet bubble plastic stick ball

and here is the USB led in action (I have a feeling it is not going to be quite bright enough, so I may end up grabbing a couple more of these).

[Le Chuck]

I use the same LED bar for my micros.  They are pretty bright installed but I would tuck in a second one for you bartop.  Looking tight thus far tho.  Keep it up. 

[agent9]

I use the same LED bar for my micros.  They are pretty bright installed but I would tuck in a second one for you bartop.  Looking tight thus far tho.  Keep it up. 

Just ordered two more.  They are really cheap on eBay.

[Unstupid]

That keyboard is f-ing awesome!  What is the model # and where did you get it, if ya don't mind me asking?

[agent9]

yeah, its a nice solution for a blu tooth keyboard. 

here is the link to the one i purchased:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I4RW8C/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

Its a generic chinese mini keyboard, if you search amazon for "mini blu tooth keyboard" you will see many version in a range of prices.  I also have playstation bluetooth keyboard by logitech that will probably also work, but is a bit more expensive.

I have not tried pairing it with XP or Linux yet, but it works with ios just fine.

[Le Chuck]

I have one, it's great for doing on the fly changes to my builds since I hate dragging out a full keyboard and mouse.  Works with everything I've thrown at it. 

[Vidiot]

I'm using one of those keyboards in my mini bartop as well. Mine is a cheaper RF version though.

[agent9]

Power button update:

I was a little afraid that adding an external power button was going to be really difficult if possible at all.  I was also a little afraid that experimenting with it I could destroy the netbook totally.

Good news is it was REALLY easy.

Here is the power button, it is attached directly to the motherboard, there are 4 leads coming out of it labeled A B C and D.


I plugged in the battery and used a short wire to short A to B, and wallah it powered right up.  I attached it again and it turned off.  Success.

Next step was to add some wires to A and B, I didnt want anything too heavy or rigid so I used a RC Servo cable I had laying around and stripped off the third wire.  I stripped the last little bit of insulation from each and tinned the exposed wire.  I used a very small amount of wire, the components are really tiny and I didnt want any extra solder in there, could make a big mess.  I soldered each wire to the leads (A and B).  This is not the strongest solder joint I have ever made, but I did not want to over-heat it and damage anything around.



Pretty pleased with the solder in the end.

I then turned the mother board back around and routed the new cables out of the back.



here it is all back together (well enough anyways)



I kept plenty of slack so I can attach the button however I need.  I then loosely attached a momentary switch to the cable ends.



I then plugged the LCD back in and pushed the button....



yay, it started right up.  once it booted I pressed it again and it dropped right into hibernation mode.

This is great, I am really pleased how easy and how well this is working.  My plan is to have an area in the back that has an exposed power plug, access to two ports on the USB hub, and three buttons, one for power and two on-off switches one for the LEDs in the marquee and other for a speaker turn off.  I may also use a momentary switch like the power one hidden below the control panel for a quarter button.

Unfortunately I am heading out of town for another week, but hopefully I can get back into the woodworking next weekend.

[agent9]

one more little update, I decided to order some USB powered speakers for inside the cabinet.  I have realized I want more sound then I am going to get out of the tiny netbook speakers.  I am pretty sure I can relocate the volume controls to the back of the cabinet with the other bits.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HP-2-piece-USB-multimedia-Speakers-GL313AA-/200753364071?pt=US_Computer_Speakers&hash=item2ebdd53c67#ht_2070wt_902

[Vidiot]

one more little update, I decided to order some USB powered speakers for inside the cabinet.  I have realized I want more sound then I am going to get out of the tiny netbook speakers.  I am pretty sure I can relocate the volume controls to the back of the cabinet with the other bits.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-HP-2-piece-USB-multimedia-Speakers-GL313AA-/200753364071?pt=US_Computer_Speakers&hash=item2ebdd53c67#ht_2070wt_902

Those look just like the Compaq set that I'm using in my bartop.


Mine seem to work well and sound great for a small cab.

[agent9]

Great to know.  yeah, they look like the same ones.  I hope I have space to fit them in the marquee, but it would not be a huge deal if not.  Thanks for posting the picture.

[agent9]

Finally have a little time back at the homestead to work on this a little.

I started by adding some support for the control pannel:


then gluing in the control panel top and fron pieces, as well as a small shelf below the main control surface for the plexi to sit on:




I then started to think that i should have probably cut the holes etc for the controls before glueing everything into place, I guess this is how you learn.  So I decided to cut out a piece of a wood matched in size and place the controls to make sure they are going to work:






ok, so, I am really glad I did this because it brought my attention to some issues:

1) the buttons seem really crowed.  I think I need to add at least 1/8" between each of them horizontally and probably vertically too.  Perhaps 3/16th between each of them and 1/8th between them verticaly.  To get the buttons mounted I needed to alternate putting the plastic nuts on upside down.



this did work just fine, but I am a little afraid I will not be able to get them working quite as well when installing into such a small space.

2)  The thickness of my wood is less then what I need for the joystick, even after I have 1/4" plexi on top of it.  On my little text board I did not screw in the receiver screws all the way, leaving a little room at the bottom.  This created enough of a gap that I believe everything will line up nicely with the plexi etc.  I initially did this so I could easily get the receivers back out, but ended up being a pretty nice solution.  You have probably noticed that the joystick mounting is going all the way through, I think I am going to have to do it this way then just add some wood filler to the top.  Should do the trick.

3) with the spiffy little shelf I added for the plexi to sit on, I have left too little space for the joystick to be mounted vertically the way I had intended.  So I am going to have to mount it vertically.  I think this will be really problematic, should just shift all the controls over about 1/4".



Side note: The joystick mounting kit from ultimarc comes with screws that are too big for the ultra stik 360.  I had to drill out the holes ont he joystick to make everything fit.  Really surprised that they did not fit out of the box.

so, final pic, and where I am currently at:



Tomorrow I hope to get the controller layout all sorted, I feel like I am pretty close.  After that I am going to start figuring out the screen and motherboard mounting.  Hopefully I can get some plexi cut this week for the marquee / screen cover / control board cover.  I kind of want to get that before cutting the final holes so I can do them both at once.

Does anyone know of a good technique for printing the marquee?  I have a really nice xerox color printer at work, and realy nice full size plotter.  I have a feeling however that it is going to look weird if not on a substrate designed to be back lit.  I plan on getting large decals printed for all the sides / etc (one of the print producer I work with thinks she can pull a favor and get it to me for free, which would be awesome), so maybe I will have a marquee printed at the same time.  If that does not work out I would love to hear any suggested printing places / options.

Thanks again, more soon.

[CoryBee]

Nice bartop! 

I just finished a couple of bartops cut from the same cloth. This makes me want to do a different model.

[agent9]

I lied, jumped into the control panel before the monitor / laptop mounting.  Really happy with the spacing the second time around.




Hoping to dive into the monitor / motherboard mounting tonight.  Was hoping to get some plexi cut, but looks like I will have to wait on that.

[johncl]

Enjoying your mini project here and I see you have the same buttons as I have. Do you plan to solder wires directly to them or is there some small wire connectors that can be used for this? I used some wire connectors for my joystick at least but I havent decided on my buttons yet.

Hoping for an update soon. - Its looking good and an excellent use for a small netbook. I think you can find these very cheaply now on ebay in abundance.

[javeryh]

I really love this little build... I wonder though, how do games look on the widescreen?  Are you going to mask off the sides with a bezel or something?  I wish it was easier to get 4:3 monitors...   

[PL1]

I see you have the same buttons as I have. Do you plan to solder wires directly to them or is there some small wire connectors that can be used for this? I used some wire connectors for my joystick at least but I havent decided on my buttons yet.

Both the Ultimarc Goldleaf buttons (6 white ones) and the square red one use common .110" quick disconnects available at Paradise, GGG, Amazon, etc.

The easiest solution, though is Paradise's 16 Wire Rainbow Pack with .110" Quick Connector.  1 meter wires with the crimps already attached.  They also have .110" daisy chain grounds.


Scott

[johncl]

Both the Ultimarc Goldleaf buttons (6 white ones) and the square red one use common .110" quick disconnects available at Paradise, GGG, Amazon, etc.

The easiest solution, though is Paradise's 16 Wire Rainbow Pack with .110" Quick Connector.  1 meter wires with the crimps already attached.  They also have .110" daisy chain grounds.

Thanks, I was unaware they went this small, I already have a crimping tool like this although I have previously only bought a larger connector (blue and red) for some other projects and that I could also use for the joystick in this. I prefer making my own wires as I generally try to make them as short as possible (the Ipac is sitting directly on the CP). Anyway thanks for the measurements, I will check if I can find them locally in a shop here before eventually ordering online.

[Woodshop Flunky]

Love the shape of this bartop! 

[CalixPapi]

Did this ever get finished? Love the design, I am tryinng to do a mini bartop with an old dell laptop.

[TheDude]

Same question. The shape of this bartop is really nice !:)