Nvts’s mountain’s Jukebox (revealed!)

[Nvts]

I saw Mountains build of his Jukebox, and I thought I would like to make one to give to my girlfriend for Christmas.  She knows I am working on a project for her, but does not have a clue what it is.  I told her it was a monkey powered beer tap.

I’m not that particularly handy and have never made much, but I can follow instructions and have some tools.  I haven’t done much routing at all, but I have a nifty little attachment for my dremmel that sounds like it should help with the detail work a lot.  I am a bit concurred that this is out of my league, but I recall that I had the same sort of trepidation when I pulled the rear suspension out of the vette and rebuilt it.  It all worked out well, and this is much less dangerous to mess up.    I expect the same kind of documentation process that I did with that, so we should get the How To Build A Mountain Bartop fairly well documented between all the builds.

I just got the last part that was slowing the planning down and I’m ready to start cutting stuff up.  I just got the speakers last night and hooked my ipod up to them, and I’m quite impressed with the sound that they had without having a subwoofer in them.

The basic plan is the same as javeryh’s, as I have no need for the rotating base either.  I didn’t get a mini motherboard, I just went with a cheap but fairly ok system on craigslist, and will shove a bigger HD in for media.  I also believe that I will toss in an AM/FM radio device so she can listen to the radio as well. I plan to have larger speakers inside than the soundbars, as the system will not be plugged into a better set of speakers often.  Between bigger speakers, the larger MB, seeing how both Mountain and javeryh both had to route too much on the sides of the display, and wanting to have more room to work with, I am planning to make mine a little larger than theirs ended up.  I believe mine will be 24x17x12 ( vs. Mountains 20.75x16x11.5)

I have no idea what software I’ll end up using yet, but I figure that I can always go in later on and change it out.  I plan to have the audio ports poking through the back, and have a door that lets me poke around inside, use a CD Rom, as well as hooking up the other computer stuff for temporary other use


Parts List

Speakers - Klipsch Groove PM20 2.0 Speaker System- Black - $88
Computer – small form Dell OptiPlex GX260 – Craigslist - $85
ELO Touchscreen ET1545L – Ebay - $99
Powermate volume knob – Amazon - $36
Groovy Game Gear NovaMatrix Marquee Light (with wire harness) - $29
640 GB HD – Interweb - $76
TMolding – tmolding.com - $22
Plexiglass – Black 2025 1/8" 24" x 24" Acrylic - usplastic.com - $21
Wood, and stuff.

Here is the plan I had.  The extra inch I have under the volume knob looks oddly drawn, but I couldn’t get all the dimensioning stuff to attach to a rectangle with rounded corners, and I didn’t feel like mess with it any longer.  I haven’t cut anything yet, so I’ll take suggestions. I expect a lot of questions when I get to the wiring section unless javeryh keeps up with the steps that Mountain omitted.

[Martijn]

Lol, another one , Good luck ! 

[javeryh]

Sweet!  I'm like the middleman or something... I can't wait to see this thing unfold!   

[Franco B]

Awesomes 

Good luck! Im building mine for my girlfriend for christmas too, heres hoping we get some extra eggnog on christmas night 

[Nvts]

Updates are more for my own blogging so that I can kind of keep track...
Saturday. Make a sawboard (as seen in the woodworking forum).  and get the template cut


Practicing my drawing skills on the template.  Like my arc maker?  Wooden rulers are great.

Cutting the template out

I don’t have a circle jig, but I do have the attachment for my dremmel.  Might as well try it out.  It worked fairly well.


Time to make the frame parts.


I did the same thing on both the front and back.  I got farther away from my arc cut the farther into it I go, and the scraps show it.

Set up for cleaning the edges.

And away we go.

All done

I don’t have foerstner blades, but I do have a hole cutting kit.

They sure make a mess


Monday.  Cut a bottom, then make a couple spacers out of the wood I have around.  I would have liked a bit larger pieces, but I use what I have….

Time to put the whole thing together.  Its hard to hold everything alone, ain’t it?

It’s ready.

The first side 1/8 sheet goes on.  Much chaos entails.   I hope it holds.

[Nvts]

The first layer is done, and seems like it would hold just fine. I have some carpet tacks though, might as well make sure it will hold.


I routered the skin off


Trimmed the edges smooth, sanded the sides.  All ready for the second layer.



I had a bunch of trouble getting all four corners covered this time. Is there a trick to getting the thing lined up straight?  I had troubles on both layers, but more on the second layer. It’s on though.

I ended up having a 1/4 inch space on one corner that I slapped a little wood filler on, though I shouldn't need it.




Can't wait to start with the infamous front panel tomorrow.   

[mountain]

Cool! Another link to send to my Dad

Looking forward to watching you build this thing. Of course  would make it much easier to track

[Nvts]

yeah, I will, it's just that I took my external DVD player to someones house and I take my pictures on my DVD camcorder.  So far though, they look exactly like the two built before me, except a bit less polished 

[Nvts]

Tonight's work.  Trim off the second side skin to show the finished shell



Make the front panel.  (just like making the front and back frames, so no pics)


Used my square to make quick lines and gutted out the frame


rough cut the front and back panels off


Then I cut a board for the motherboard to mount on to.

Pictures tomorrow.  really.   I can't believe I own four computers, and they are all too old to have a dvd drive.

I do have a issue perhaps.  My bit lost the bearing, and chewed a little bit of the edge away.  It looks huge in the picture, but its actually really tiny.  Think it will affect anything?

[Nvts]

Updated my posts now that I have pics.  Adding in some computer gut shots.

[javeryh]

Finally some pics!  Looks great!  You are moving fast too.  As for the part where the router got away from you, I think some bondo would do the trick.  I'd put some on there and sand it flush with the front and sides.   

[Martijn]

Great work, as i want to build one myself someday, its great to see more ways of doing it

Its a race 

[Kaytrim]

Great work, as i want to build one myself someday, its great to see more ways of doing it

Its a race 

I have a different way of doing this stage.  As soon as I have some time I need to snap some pics and start updating my thread.

[Nvts]

I spent a lot of time trying to get stuff done, but nothing really got done.  <sigh>

How do you jig up cleaning the inside of the frame straight? 

[javeryh]

How do you jig up cleaning the inside of the frame straight? 

I was wondering how you were going to do it myself.  Before removing the material I used my router and circle cutting jig to make the circle part nice.  Now there's nothing to pivot the circle cutting jig on.  You can still do it but you'll have to make a 1/2 circle pattern and use a pattern cutting bit - that's how I did the sides and bottom (using a straight edge as my patten).   

[Nvts]

I'm still having trouble visualizing how to clean the sides off.  You end up just having something the same height as the shell next to it?

[javeryh]

I'm still having trouble visualizing how to clean the sides off.  You end up just having something the same height as the shell next to it?

Nope - the attached pictures show how I did it.  You will have to reposition the clamps as you move along the straight edge with the router (and use more than the three I have shown) since the clamps will be in the way as you go.  Hopefully this clears it up.

You can do the same thing for the curved part but you will have to make a template for the router bit to ride against since you can't just use the circle cutter.

[Nvts]

that is what I did at first, but it seemed too flimsy and things got messed up a bit.  I ended up doing both, kinda.   I made a surface that was the same height, roughly, and clamped a board on to it, but it didn't get as clean as you guys did.  Good thing no one will ever see it.

Off to start working on the front panel.

[Nvts]

Feel like it was a good day. 

De-cased the monitor


There sure are a lot of these clips.  They don't need to be reused, right?


Methinks that I will not like this wire thingie...


I made my panel jig

and since I have a circle jig for the dremmel, and not the router, I used the dremmel.  I feel much more in control of it then the router.



The dremmel cant quite do a 2 inch radius, so I changed it to it's minimum.


I cut out the speaker hole

and the monitor hole, so now it's all out, and looking great.  I did a once over with the dremmel with a sanding drum to smooth everything down a little, now its time to hand sand everything perfect.

[Martijn]

going fast !

[Nvts]

Blah, I screwed up. 

I trying to make life easier by just making the entire unit 24 inches tall. (the width of the precut MDF at the store), I now have an issue with the plastic sheet.  since it started 24 inches tall, adding the two 1/8 inch outer shell sheets, now its ~1/4 over 24 inches..  I should be able to router the bottom of the frame down a smidge to make it fit better, I would imagine.   

[Nvts]

I managed to shorten the shell. 

I took apart the volume knob.
The top knob slides off, but has a little bit of glue stuff in there.  I took a vice grips and pulled the plastic spacer off.

there is a felt washer in between and a washer and nut holding the pot to the shell.

I slide a blade between the plastic base and the metal body.

The next bit took some force.  the two halves of the knob are not glued, but are quite snug.  I stuck the smaller part into a vice, and a big plumber wrench on the large part, and managed to get the two parts apart.  The wire then slips out of the grove in the shell.


Traced out the pattern, and cut the backing off the spots, sanded them up, and glued it together.





Where can you pick up Nexus polish local?  I can swear that I saw it somewhere before, but I have not seen it in the places that I have been looking.

[javeryh]

I got my Novus online for $18 or so (three 8oz bottles).  I don't know where they would sell it locally but you could try NAPA or some other car parts store - that's where I go to get high grit sandpaper.

Your project is looking good - sorry to hear about your measuring mishap.  Is there enough room at the bottom opening to route away material for the speaker grill?   I also wish I used your method of taking the powermate apart.  Mine is completely ripped to shreds and I don't know how to solder. 

[Neverending Project]

I found Novus at a local TAP Plastics. Not sure if they have one near you, but I wouldn't have thought to look there. Just happened upon it.

[Nvts]

I read that moto shops have it to keep helmets clean.

Today's update:
Time to make a mess.  Plexi routering is messing and stinky.




Added in the bevels.  I was worried about routering the plexi, but it was easy, fast, and looks like it worked great.




Got the  bevels done and made the standard pose.



I got about a third done with the routering behind the plexi.  This scares me as I really dont want to mess up here.  I'll get close, and hand sand the rest down, methinks.

[javeryh]

You work so fast.  You are going to finish before I do for sure.

Lookin' good.   

[Nvts]

I have a goodly amount of time I can work on.  I don't work all that fast.  Plus, I can't finish before you, as I don't quite know how to finish it yet. 

I found the Novus kit at the local Harley place, $20.  Cheapest I could find online was like $25, with shipping.

Today's update has no pics, as I am working on the backside of the panel with the monitor mount, and me and my dremmel are having too much fun to stop

[Nvts]

Still working on the back of the front panel.  I think if I was to make another one, I would clamp the plexi to the panel, and route the inside stuff.  Then I could do all the detail work without worrying about the plexi.  Then only glue it and shape the outside edge once the back was ready.  Is there a reason that would not work that I am missing?

I now have it ready to start the buffing.  Slow going.

[DaOld Man]

looking real good  Nvts!!!

I am sure glad Mountain isnt charging a royalty fee for all these copies of his juke!

(oops, maybe I shouldnt say that. Disregard this post Mountain!)

[mountain]

looking real good  Nvts!!!

I am sure glad Mountain isnt charging a royalty fee for all these copies of his juke!

(oops, maybe I shouldnt say that. Disregard this post Mountain!)

[Nvts]

Couple days of sanding the plexi, and I'm now on the verge of using the Nexus polish.  The mecromesh Kaytrim posted on javeryh's post worked wonderfully.  Every different grit I used made me think it can't get any better looking, until I started on the next one.

I can't wait to see the polish work, and get some real work done.  All this detail work is annoying. 

[Kaytrim]

I'm glad you were to use the micromesh sanding cloths.  I use them when ever I put a minor scratch in the pleiglas tops on my sticks.  They have saved me quite a few times.  I need to get myself some of that polish though as there is still a slight haze after the last grit of the Micromesh.

[Nvts]

I finished with the plexi detail work, and it's an amazing difference that pictures cant really show the amount of improvement.  But I can try.



Next up, I was trying to fart around with making the backing of the monitor and the spacing for the touch screen wires.  I decided to not even fart with the spacing, and put a small strip of weatherstripping in as my spacer.  It appears to work great.


I then tried out DaOld Man's trick of putting the motherboard mounted onto the back of the monitor.  I added in some nuts to keep a little space between the two.





Now to read the threads again, and see what the next steps are.  I know I need to router a little room for the monitor on the shell walls, and I need to actually secure the monitor to the panel, but it's a job for tomorrow.

[DaOld Man]

Looking good nvts!
Im off my looong stretch of midnights, and tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful weather wise, so I am going to try to knock out some major steps on my juke.

[Nvts]

lets see.  this weekend I didn't get to work on it much, but after working on the front panel so long, even little things feel like actual progress.

I made the volume plexi spacer.  I didn't bother gluing a washer to the plexi, I just used two washers. it was a real quick item to make, especially with a dremmel to sand the excess off.



Got rid of the area for the volume guts.  the hole bit (taped off to measure depth) and the dremmel cleared the bit that was left.



I didn't know that I needed to push the volume guts through the plexi, so I needed to dremmel a little of the plexi out of the way.  I made the cut for the knob on the volume guts.  The spacer is not pretty, but works just fine, and no one will ever see it.


I then dremmel sanded a few areas inside the shell to fit the monitor parts inside the shell.  It's about ready to glue the front panel to the shell.

I then made a template for the marquee plexi.

[javeryh]

Looking good!  I like seeing the different ways people are approaching the same problems...   

[Nvts]

Yesterday I ordered the laminate ($52 <sigh>) and some speaker cloth.  I picked up a piece of clear Lexan Polycarbonate from Home depot to made the marquee holders.  I was able to get the front and back from the same 12x24 sheet. Took a bit longer than I expected, but since this was a part that can be visible, I took my time on it.


I cut out the pieces a bit larger than I needed, and dremmel sanded them down to fit better.  I used a marker to color the edge where I needed to trim, and sanded only till the color was gone.  That allowed me to do very small changes.
It's all in now, and ready for some art.


I posted a request for artwork in the artwork section.
My girlfriend is a big fan of Jackie Chan, the Simpsons, and beer.  I was thinking it would be neat to scan one of her autographed items from Jackie, and perhaps a shot of Homer and Jackie fighting, or one of Jackie strangling homer like Bart or something.

[DaOld Man]

Looking good Nvts!

[drawfull]

Must've missed this one somehow - it looks sweet nvts, great job on the plexi routing.

I either didn't read the thread properly, or it's not been mentioned - have you considered what software you're going to use? Forgive me if it's in the first thread or something, but I can't seem to see all the way back when I write this

Keep up the great work, can't wait to see the finished product!

[Nvts]

I either didn't read the thread properly, or it's not been mentioned - have you considered what software you're going to use? Forgive me if it's in the first thread or something, but I can't seem to see all the way back when I write this

I have not really worried about the software that much.  I figure that it's one of those things I can test out more after it is completed.  I have a hard deadline of Christmas.   I can always change the software once I try it out more, and my girlfriend tries some of them out.  I currently have Freebox on there, I believe.