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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: nyconx on June 16, 2005, 03:04:00 pm

Title: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: nyconx on June 16, 2005, 03:04:00 pm

I called up a local glass shop and got a quote for a piece of grey lexan for my cabinet.  It is 24 7/8" X 27" grey lexan with polished edges, quarter inch thick.  They quoted me $75.  Since I dont have anytools ect for cutting i cant do it myself.  How is this price?  Should I be looking around more?

Thanks

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: Stingray on June 16, 2005, 04:18:30 pm

I bought a piece about the same size & tint at a local plastic shop for about $12

-S

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: AlanS17 on June 16, 2005, 04:32:31 pm

You don't need the polished edges if this is just for covering the monitor. It's just wasted money. Either way, though, that sounds like a lot.

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: nickbuol on June 16, 2005, 04:46:25 pm

Sorry for a dumb question, but why the smoked glass?  I know others are doing it too, and I've been meaning to find out.  On my first cab (built in 1998 which I sold a week ago to work on my second cab), I had regular glass cut.  Not plexi, no smoked.  It worked well, but was tricky to keep in place due to weight.  I had to come up with a bezel (which I never got around to), so my TV was quite exposed.

Maybe that is the reason for the smoked (plexi) glass???

Please enlighten me.  Thanks!

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: AlanS17 on June 16, 2005, 05:01:38 pm

The smoked glass hides the fact that you don't have a bezel underneath (assuming you have no bezel) so you don't see everything around the inside of the machine. The image on the screen still shines through well, but nothing else does.

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: nyconx on June 16, 2005, 07:26:11 pm

I think my problem is that I called a glass shop.  I need to find a plastics company. 

What do you guys look under in the phone book to find a plastics company that would do such a thing? any helpful tips?

Thanks

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: Granger on June 16, 2005, 08:56:05 pm

As far as cutting the plexi/lexon yourself, a cutter goes for about $5. just score the plastic (using a straight edgeas a guide) and snap it off.

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: Stingray on June 17, 2005, 11:05:28 am

Quote from: nyconx on June 16, 2005, 07:26:11 pm

I think my problem is that I called a glass shop.  I need to find a plastics company. 

What do you guys look under in the phone book to find a plastics company that would do such a thing? any helpful tips?

Thanks

I know this sounds tricky, but I looked under "plastics". ;)

-S

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: TOK on June 17, 2005, 01:45:38 pm

I wanted to use the original bezel that came with my cab, but wanted the darker look, so I tinted with automotive tint. It made a HUGE difference in the appearance of the machine and was very inexpensive to do. I'm sure this could be done with clear plexi, too. I used 20% tint for mine, but even 15% (lower number is darker) would be good.
(http://home.comcast.net/~tok/mamecab/images/pdcab_untinted.jpg)(http://home.comcast.net/~tok/mamecab/images/pdcab_aftertint.jpg)

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: FractalWalk on June 17, 2005, 04:43:42 pm

Quote from: AlanS17 on June 16, 2005, 05:01:38 pm

The smoked glass hides the fact that you don't have a bezel underneath (assuming you have no bezel) so you don't see everything around the inside of the machine.

The other benefit is that it makes the picture look better.

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: tommy on June 17, 2005, 04:56:59 pm

Quote from: nyconx on June 16, 2005, 03:04:00 pm

I called up a local glass shop and got a quote for a piece of grey lexan for my cabinet.

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: AlanS17 on June 17, 2005, 06:09:21 pm

Lexan makes more sense for a control panel than for a monitor shield. Unless you plan on having some ape punching your machine, you might as well get the glass. It doesn't scratch like synthetics, it doesn't dull, and it's cheaper.

I had plexi on mine, though, and it's a good thing I did. A BIG friend of mine got mad at the game and punched the screen. He shook the whole machine. Yeah I nearly bum rushed him until it occured to me that he was twice my weight. Still, he didn't play anymore after that. Ah, the joys of having a machine that lives in a frat house...

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: IntruderAlert on June 17, 2005, 06:44:25 pm

I used to know a guy that smoked lexan

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: nyconx on June 17, 2005, 08:52:26 pm

I actually looked into purchasing it from home depot, menards(another home store) but came up short at both places.  Only menards had it in stock only it was 1/8", and for a small piece was $36 WTF?  Then at Home depot i would have to special order the .25 inch for around $100.  Thats insane.

I did look under plastic in the phone book but nothing jumped out at me that they would offer such a thing. I guess im going to start doing a bunch of cold calling of plastic shops to find someone that can get me some.  Didnt think this would be this tough.

Title: Re: Is this a good price for smoked lexan?
Post by: pogo on June 17, 2005, 11:04:04 pm

Try www.professionalplastics.com.  You can get a sheet cut to the dimensions you need.

.125" thick is ~ $22
.187" thick is ~ $29
.250" thick is ~ $39

you can probably find it cheaper if you look around but I just did a quick google search.