Someone call the cops! I stole a Jukebox!! MAGNETS??? [03.05.2009]

[javeryh]

Go ahead and pull the trigger javeryh.  The specs are the same.

Thanks for the quick response!  It has something called HD Audio - does that matter?  I want to be able to connect to the Dell speaker bar and toggle to audio out to a home theater (same as mountain).   

[Kaytrim]

You're good to go.  There is still a standard speaker out connection.  The motherboard has the ability to put out high definition sound but it is optional to use.

[javeryh]

You're good to go.  There is still a standard speaker out connection.  The motherboard has the ability to put out high definition sound but it is optional to use.

Awesome.  I just ordered everything.  It was about $230 shipped for everything.  I just thought of something though - without a CD-ROM drive, how do I install windows and everything?  Can I copy the contents of my XP installation disc to a USB drive or something and run the install off of that?   

[DaOld Man]

You're good to go.  There is still a standard speaker out connection.  The motherboard has the ability to put out high definition sound but it is optional to use.

Awesome.  I just ordered everything.  It was about $230 shipped for everything.  I just thought of something though - without a CD-ROM drive, how do I install windows and everything?  Can I copy the contents of my XP installation disc to a USB drive or something and run the install off of that?   

I would hook up a cdrom, install XP and XLobby, then remove the cdrom. Of course you may want to rip your cds to the hard drive, if so you will need the cdrom for that.

[mountain]

Yeah, that's what I did. I hooked up an old CD-rom for instalation of windows and then left it out.

Hang in there buddy! You will be heading down the home stretch soon! 

[javeryh]

OK, it was DEFINITELY the 400 grit sandpaper that did the trick.  There are absolutely no pits and the bevel really shines!  I did the monitor opening tonight in about an hour and a half.   I think I can do both the marquee and speaker openings tomorrow night.  It's amazing - I sanded like a mad man the other night and the sandpaper just wasn't rough enough to do the job.  Anyway, I'm really happy about the way it turned out.   

[leapinlew]

OK here's where I'm going to have to ask for some help.... selecting the computer and parts...  I'm terrible at this.  Anyway, I know I want to get a mini-itx board so it will fit inside the juke.  I found this one for $70 on newegg which had 70+ reviews and an average of 5 stars so it should be OK:



Intel BOXD945GCLF Intel Atom processor 230 Intel 945GC Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121342

Did you order this mobo yet? I hope so...

[javeryh]

Yup.  I ordered it yesterday.  It was hard to find - I guess they aren't making them anymore or something...

[leapinlew]

Yup.  I ordered it yesterday.  It was hard to find - I guess they aren't making them anymore or something...

Something... I went to order a few of them and now they are gone? 

---daisies---!

[javeryh]

Yup.  I ordered it yesterday.  It was hard to find - I guess they aren't making them anymore or something...

Something... I went to order a few of them and now they are gone? 

---daisies---!

yeah, I had it in my newegg cart and it disappeared.  I had to get mine through PC universe.  They said there was only one in stock though so who knows if they will even ship it out.  I got the confirmation email that they received my order and it did say "in stock" at the time I ordered so hopefully it will arrive without any problems.

[Kaytrim]

There is quite a bit of change going on in the Mini-ITX standard.  A new 2.0 standard was released in June.  A slew of new boards are being released now or in the near future.  These new boards and standard will allow the dual core centrino and soon quad core centrinos to run in this small form factor.  Everyone is probably selling out of their current stock in preparation to stock up on the new boards.  There is more information on this site.

[Blanka]

That mobo is amazing! It's having the super-duper-ultra-deluxe-super-small-powerfull Atom processor and then someone decided it needed a power outlet to charge the Flinstonesmobile! What is that Gigantic Purple PLUG doing there? Don't even know what it is anymore (was on my C64 I guess talking 8kaud or something to some radio amateur MORSE antenna?). And where is that supersmall HDMI plug to connect it to that tiny flatscreen? We did not vote for another round of ANALOG CGA plugs!

Pleaze make an atom board like this:
4-6 USB 2 plugs,
line in/out with optical
FW 800
2x Gigabit
HDMI
On board BT/Wifi-N
Thats ALL folks!
And include a 45nm version of the GT 7600 or so for some decent graphics power.

[javeryh]

The monitor mount continues!  Here are some more riveting shots after a few more hours of work.  I used my razor to clean up the contact cement and the thin layer of MDF that was left on the Plexiglas after routing around the monitor opening. It is obviously quite time consuming. The contact cement is kind of rubbery and didn't want to come off unless I painstakingly picked at it with the razor.







This barely scratches the surface of what it took to mount the monitor in place - it looks all nice and neat for now but I can assure you it turns into a gigantic mess back there once I start freehanding with the router.   

More later.   

[javeryh]

Well, I'm getting there. I removed the MDF around the speaker opening and scraped down to the Plexiglas.  The next thing I did was remove quite a bit of material from the back of the front panel. This was done so the monitor will be able to sit almost flush with the Plexiglas. I say almost because of the 1/8" space needed for the "Transducer Wedge" on the front of the monitor.

This process was really no different than what I have been doing to remove the material behind the Plexiglas. I measured the distance from the edge of the monitor picture to the edge of the glass on all 4 sides (with the monitor on, of course). Then I laid out the lines, set up my router and a straight edge and cut out the rectangle so the glass would sit in the routed area.

Check it out - I am getting tired of photographing this thing!





These close-ups give you an idea of how I am setting the router at different depths to get the screen positioned as close to perfect as I can. I should also note that the cutouts here are not symmetrical. As you can see, I left 1/8" of material for the screen (glass) to rest on because I have to compensate for the "Transducer Wedge" located on the bottom left side of the monitor.





The red area I circled shows the Transducer Wedge - as many of you know, it sticks up approximately 1/8" from the glass. I had to route down to the Plexiglas in this corner in order for the monitor to sit as close to flush as possible. The wedge is against the Plexiglas and the 1/8" of MDF remaining provides support.



Finally, even though at this point the monitor is not completely mounted in place, I couldn't resist placing the screen behind the front panel and putting the volume knob in place for a quick picture.



I think I need to start thinking about artwork for the marquee area above the volume knob... and start trying to find a Photoshop expert to help me out!  I really like the "Rock Band" tribal art that Harmonix uses in the game on loading screens and stuff.  I think it would look cool as a background with some font laid out on top - the problem is finding suitable hi-res pics of the stuff and getting everything to look just right...  Oh yeah, I also have to pick out a name!   

[Franco B]

Its really coming on now!

Its a good feeling when you get the monitor in and turned on isn't it

[javeryh]

Its really coming on now!

Its a good feeling when you get the monitor in and turned on isn't it

It sure is.  As of my last post the monitor wasn't fit properly (I was almost there though).  If you look closely you can see the thickness of the MDF (1/2") between the Plexiglas and the screen.  I've got it sorted out now though.  I'm in the process of sanding the beveled edge (I should finish tonight) and then probably tomorrow night I'll glue the front panel to the jukebox shell - I'm nervous about that part!

The laminate I ordered last week should be arriving early next week and I hope to sort out the volume knob placement this weekend so I'll be ready for it.  I think I need to get it laminated before gluing the volume knob spacer in place otherwise it will be very difficult to cut the t-molding slot.  I'm hopeful that by the end of next week I'll actually be wiring and installing the various components...   

[mountain]

I think I need to get it laminated before gluing the volume knob spacer in place otherwise it will be very difficult to cut the t-molding slot.

Check out this post I made in my thread. You can see in the 3rd picture down that I glued a temporary spacer around the face to keep it level when routing the t-mold slots.

Lookin great by the way! 

[polaris]

is that top bit for a marquee, this thing is screaming art deco at me. you should put sunburst in there and backlight it. ill try and find some pics.

[javeryh]

I think I need to get it laminated before gluing the volume knob spacer in place otherwise it will be very difficult to cut the t-molding slot.

Check out this post I made in my thread. You can see in the 3rd picture down that I glued a temporary spacer around the face to keep it level when routing the t-mold slots.

Lookin great by the way! 

Thanks!  There is so much left to do I still can't believe how fast you built yours.  

That's what I thought those things were (after the billionth time I've read through your thread).  To make it a little easier on myself I'm going to route the slot before attaching the spacer.  I'm a bit nervous about routing the slot in the back because of the removable panel.  I'm keeping it at 1/8" thick + 1mm for the laminate.  This should give me enough room but I won't know until I try...  

[polaris]

the bottom bit of this, i think it could really suit the juke and i reckon its more wife friendly artwork, would make it more like furniture than a cab. with a nice glow behind it maybe even softly pulsing to the music, ooh i want one
im thinking a new take on those pre war radios

[javeryh]

I thought about something like that but I'm not sure...  I honestly have no idea what to do... I'm not sure I want something to "fit" the space like rays coming out of the center... I was thinking more along the lines of using something like this for a background somehow with font laid on top of it:




These are just examples and not the design I'd necessarily want but just something floating around in my head...

[mountain]

I originally planned on using real wood laminate for my Dad's juke. I wanted it to look like an old radio. This is the vision I had for the marquee area in the beginning which where the centered volume knob placement came from. The time frame I had to work with changed all that though.

[javeryh]

That is awesome.  I was thinking about adding something similar to the black font/dial part over top of whatever I came up with to give it a radio type feel to it.  I wish I knew how to use photoshop.

[DaOld Man]

I originally planned on using real wood laminate for my Dad's juke. I wanted it to look like an old radio. This is the vision I had for the marquee area in the beginning which where the centered volume knob placement came from. The time frame I had to work with changed all that though.

That would have been really cool.
I would love to get my hands on one of those (real) old radios and convert it to a juke (providing of course that there was no way to fix it to work originally.)

[javeryh]

I finally finished polishing the bevel last night and I don't have time right now to do a proper write-up but here is a "before" and "after" comparison to show the results.

I'll probably go over it once more prior to securing the monitor in place just to get it perfect but it is looking pretty freaking sweet!   

[Martijn]

good job, shiny 

what material is it?

[javeryh]

good job, shiny 

what material is it?

Thanks!  It's Plexiglas - 1/8" thick - solid black. 

[jthompson]

Man this thing is going to be sweet. I know Mountain started the trend, I might have to build myself one.

[javeryh]

Man this thing is going to be sweet. I know Mountain started the trend, I might have to build myself one.

Thanks!  The more people that build these things the better... 

[javeryh]

After countless hours of tedious work I finally finished the monitor mount! I was able to remove the remaining material behind the Plexiglas so the monitor would lie flush (well, offset by 1/8"). It is now ready to be installed!

This was by far the most complicated thing I've ever had to figure out on any project. After I finished routing out the material so the touchscreen glass would fit into the rectangular hole, I traced the irregular shape of the outside of the touchscreen. Then I had to freehand with the router to remove more material (leaving the 1/8" for the glass to sit on). Once that was done I had to roughly figure out where the Transducer Wedge would sit and remove additional material down to the Plexiglas.

Check it out:











The strip of exposed Plexiglas you can see on the side and bottom is where the Transducer Wedge will sit. Here are some rear shots of the monitor mounted into place. I had to remove 1/16" of additional material along the top and bottom for the mounting brackets to sit properly.











Yeah - it's kind of overkill but the more pictures the better I guess. It helps me to see things from all angles. Here is a closeup of the side with the wire sticking out. My wife thought I messed up the cut when I showed her the back panel without the monitor in there!



Here is a good shot so you can see just how thin the monitor is. There should be plenty of room in the jukebox shell for the computer components and adequate airflow/ventilation.



Finally, here are some shots of the screen installed! There is a 1/8" gap between the monitor glass and the Plexiglas which will be filled with some black foam weatherstripping when it comes time to install the monitor permanently.







I'm almost ready to glue the front panel to the shell!   

[Martijn]

Good Job !  Kudos to you on the lcd mount 

[Nvts]

That front panel is 1/2 MDF, right?

Is there anymore work needed to the shell to make the sides of the monitor fit inside the opening you have?  It would appear that the edges are closer to the sides then the opening would allow.  It looks like Mountain had to trim some of the sides out, was wondering if you planned for that.

[javeryh]

That front panel is 1/2 MDF, right?

Is there anymore work needed to the shell to make the sides of the monitor fit inside the opening you have?  It would appear that the edges are closer to the sides then the opening would allow.  It looks like Mountain had to trim some of the sides out, was wondering if you planned for that.

Yes!  Good eyes.  I have already put the panel in place temporarily and then tried tracing an outline of the extra material that I will have to remove in order for there to be enough room in there for the monitor.  I'm a little nervous that removing this material will somehow disrupt the structural integrity of the shell causing it to not line up perfectly with the front panel.  I will know for sure tonight when I actually make the cuts!   

[DaOld Man]

Looking good JH!
Is that a powermate I see in the last pic? Are you having any problems getting it to boot up right?

[javeryh]

Looking good JH!
Is that a powermate I see in the last pic? Are you having any problems getting it to boot up right?

I haven't really tried it yet but I am quite worried about getting it to work properly...

[mountain]

I'm a little nervous that removing this material will somehow disrupt the structural integrity of the shell causing it to not line up perfectly with the front panel. 

Don't be, the laminated top along with the 3/4" frame will keep it from springing.

[javeryh]

I'm a little nervous that removing this material will somehow disrupt the structural integrity of the shell causing it to not line up perfectly with the front panel. 

Don't be, the laminated top along with the 3/4" frame will keep it from springing.

Well, I did it.  I'll take some pictures tomorrow when there is adequate light.  I just got finished removing the extra material on the shell and I glued the front panel in place.  To give you an idea of how slow I work, I spent about 3 hours doing this tonight.  Whew!

It was tough to line everything up - I think it will end up being OK but I might have to smooth the edges with some sandpaper or something.  I think over time there was a little spring back since I cut the shape of the front panel about 3 months ago(!).  I'm being anal though - you can really only tell if you rub your finger over the edge.  Now I'm worried about the laminate sticking to the edge of the front panel properly.  I have 2 band clamps... I may have to buy one more for the laminate glue up (now I REALLY want the laminate I ordered to come in). 

I'm not sure why but my heart is racing right now like I just hope the glue dries OK and everything stays together.  I'm probably crazy... no, I definitely am.   

[mountain]

If mine sprung a little, I didn't notice. I pre-drilled pilot holes before I even trimmed out the face to ensure that it all lined up at the end. A little late to be telling you that I guess 

You won't need band clamps to secure the laminate. If you follow the directions on the contact cement, the laminate stay put. Invest in a j-roller to apply it.

[Santoro]

Looking really good - nice and clean. Can't wait to see the finished product!

[leapinlew]

Invest in a j-roller to apply it.

He said 2 things here that are true.

1. A j-roller does an awesome job at applying a lot of pressure evenly and quickly.
2. "invest" it'll set you back $10-$15 for the J-roller (more if you buy the shears). If you plan on using much more laminate you'll wish you had this tool. Also, I picked up some laminate shears


J-roller: $10-$15


Laminate Shears: $30-$50

At first I was hesitant to spend so much on the tools, but I'm glad I did.