The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: javeryh on November 16, 2007, 12:35:57 pm
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OK, I wasn't sure whether or not to even post this until it was finished but what the heck (I need something to do to keep me busy at work today ;D). It adds nothing new to the hobby and is a (yet another) shameless rip off of one of Knievel's outstanding cabinets. Maybe I'll snap a few more pics or something along the way. Progress on this is going to be s...l...o...w... because I think I've reached the point where my wife hates this
hobby obsession. She went to her parents on Tuesday so I started working on this without saying anything. She's going to kill me. Anyway, here's the profile:
(http://bp3.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/RxwJyp4DKPI/AAAAAAAAAhU/a_xaNRgwKOc/s400/P1010103.JPG)
Plans for this are a 20" LCD running MAME, Daphne and some sort of Pinball emulator (I've never played any of those before). I'm also thinking about adding some hand buzzers for YDKJ and maybe even some SNES and NES games down the road. I want this to be as "wife-friendly" as possible.
The cabinet is going to be stained a dark reddish mahogany color to match the furniture in my house and I will add black "leather" t-molding. The CP will be the standard 2 player/6-button with trackball and spinner. I will likely install a working coin door too. I have no idea what to call this thing or what I'm going to use for marquee art... That's all for now!
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Is the cabinet going to be that skinny? Or is the picture stretched?
If picture is normal, I like the idea, but it may be a little crowded around the computer area?
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Progress on this is going to be s...l...o...w... because I think I've reached the point where my wife hates this hobby obsession. She went to her parents on Tuesday so I started working on this without saying anything. She's going to kill me.
Just wanted to point this out...
Good luck with your build and marriage. ;)
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Just wanted to point this out...
Good luck with your build and marriage. ;)
My wife doesn't like anything thats skinnier than her. ;)
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My wife would like a rotatable cp with a built in makeup set, and the monitor turns into a mirror.
Good luck man, I am a huge fan of your projects.
Started a blog yet?
Ratzz :cheers:
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My wife grudgingly puts up with my projects. Apparently I'm a better person (her words) when I have a creative outlet.
You should look into Future Pinball for your pinball emulator. It rocks.
Good luck with your project.
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im really looking forward to seeing this project come together.
are there other notable projects similar to this and Knievel's "woody"? like this one http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=72177.0 :) (/edit)
I haven't really seen many.... 'stained wood furniture style', traditional or otherwise.
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Just wanted to point this out...
Good luck with your build and marriage. ;)
My wife doesn't like anything thats skinnier than her. ;)
everything? OOOOOH SNAP! called yo wife fat. just kidding :laugh2:
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Wow. After diving into this project I have an even greater appreciation for Knievel's work. This is not an easy build. I'm having a tough time with all of the angled cuts. I'm new to this kind of stuff and I really could use some lessons on the tablesaw. I also just used my biscuit joiner for the first time - that thing is great (but also not as easy as it looks on TV). I've got a 3D cabinet now and it looks pretty good but of course all I see are the imperfections...
The wife is due home this afternoon so we'll see what she says! ... I did finish building a bookcase that she wanted done while she was away - maybe that will soften the blow!
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Wow. After diving into this project I have an even greater appreciation for Knievel's work. This is not an easy build. I'm having a tough time with all of the angled cuts. I'm new to this kind of stuff and I really could use some lessons on the tablesaw. I also just used my biscuit joiner for the first time - that thing is great (but also not as easy as it looks on TV). I've got a 3D cabinet now and it looks pretty good but of course all I see are the imperfections...
The wife is due home this afternoon so we'll see what she says! ... I did finish building a bookcase that she wanted done while she was away - maybe that will soften the blow!
Have you ever thought about beating her? See, it makes the other stuff you do seem minor. Trust me, just give it a try. One quick back hand and she'll straighten right up.
or!
When she comes home, be piss drunk and reek of stripper. Tell her you were thinking of building another cabinet but thought she wouldn't be happy about it so you went to a stripper joint and spent $300 with some of your friends.
Seriously, I got buddies who go out all the time and blow all their money drinking, gambling or strip joints. Makes my hobby of hanging around the house and building things of value seem not so bad. My wife recognizes this. One other thing you can do is make a cabinet to sell for profit. That way she can't complain about the money aspect of things.
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When she comes home, be piss drunk and reek of stripper.
In case you're wondering the scent is vanilla lotion and cigarettes. I'm trying to market this to nerdy college students so their roommates will think they actually got a piece.
But seriously, sell the idea to her as a party/entertainment thing. I caught hell for the hobby until I came home with a centipede and I blatantly stole leapinlew's juke plans. After that I can come home smelling of the Au De Mardi Gras (the name for the scent) and I'm still golden. Once a week her and her friends are listening to the juke while watchin Dr Phil and sippin some Strawberry Boones (actually it's probably a classy vino, but that's the first wine that came to mind).
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Yeah, the afore mentioned Future Pinball is pretty awesome...however the selection of tables for it rather sucks. You will find nothing over 1980 with Future Pinball.
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Yeah, the afore mentioned Future Pinball is pretty awesome...however the selection of tables for it rather sucks. You will find nothing over 1980 with Future Pinball.
Some of the home grown "originals" are pretty awesome. The platform authors wrote a table called "Sci-Fi Classic" that is incredible. A number of others are really good. Alien Poker, and Fire Power are tables I played a lot, and the sims of them are really accurate. The really old ones pretty much stink (1970's vintage Gottlieb tables for example), but the customs and newer ones are going to get a lot of play time on my cab.
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Try Visual Pinball... you will never run out of tables to try
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Is the cabinet going to be that skinny? Or is the picture stretched?
If picture is normal, I like the idea, but it may be a little crowded around the computer area?
It will be that skinny. The bottom edge is only 16" long and at its widest at the bottom of the CP is only 20". It will be perfect for the LCD monitor and won't take up that much space in the house... which is almost mandatory for wife-friendliness. ;D
My wife would like a rotatable cp with a built in makeup set, and the monitor turns into a mirror.
Good luck man, I am a huge fan of your projects.
Started a blog yet?
Ratzz :cheers:
Thanks! I'll run that by my wife - maybe she will be more accepting of the whole thing! I did start a blog but there's nothing really to it yet. I'm not sure if I feel like documenting the project in as much detail as the last one since Knievel already built one of these things. I like doing it for my own reference though when people ask questions months later and I can't remember the details so who knows.
Your project is coming along quite nice. :cheers:
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OK, I broke it to the wife this morning... as expected, she was not pleased but I also showed her the bookcase I built this past week and she loved it so that was good... then she asked if we could use the cocktail table I built which resides in our unfinished basement as our kitchen table. WTF? Even after 8 years of marriage, I swear I will never understand women.
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I cut the side panels to the control panel box. The two buttons are for pinball. I still have to mitre the bottom edge but so far so good. It is really tough to get a crisp line and a snug fit...
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It it really tough to get a crisp line and a snug fit...
** Havok considers making a comment about this quote, and a wife, but then remembers this is a family oriented site, and slowly backs away from the keyboard **
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Looks good!
Seeing those mitered CP box pieces is bringing back some memories. :)
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OK, I broke it to the wife this morning... as expected, she was not pleased
you live dangerously ... :laugh2:
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T-Molding Slot:
I routed the slot around the side panels to accept the t-molding. The hardest part as always was adjusting the depth of the blade on the router bit to cut the slot so it is exactly centered on the edge of the panel.
First, I installed a 1/16" slot cutting bit into my router. Next, I eyeballed the depth of the bit with the edge of a scrap piece of the same plywood panel I used for the sides and made a test cut. Then I flipped the scrap piece over to see if the slot cutting bit fit into the slot I had just cut. It wasn't exact so I made a small adjustment and tried again. The idea here is that when you flip the scrap piece over the slot cutting bit should slide into the groove you just cut - this is how you know it is exactly centered. I actually had to make about 5 test cuts before I got it perfect.
(http://bp2.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/Rz3wttsll9I/AAAAAAAAAjE/IOr29giHPBQ/s400/P1010147.JPG)
(http://bp2.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/Rz3wjtsll8I/AAAAAAAAAi8/joB_lfZqc6s/s400/P1010150.JPG)
Once I knew the slot cutting bit was at the right depth I just ran the router around the edge of the side panels where the t-molding is going to go - the ball bearing on the router bit runs along the edge of the panel so you get a nice consistent depth all the way around. Once everything was set up the cutting took all of 10 minutes. You can see the start of the slot I cut in the picture below. Pretty simple!
(http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/9601/slotjx8.png)
The cabinet glue-up is next!
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Oooohhhh ... shiny new router! ;D
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Well, here's the bookcase I built that kept me out of the doghouse! ;)
I will be painting it white this weekend...
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What a complete waist of wood and space.
:laugh:
leapinlew, that comment made me laugh my pants off (well not really of course).....
It's strange how women hate everything that is big (big TV's, big speakers, big cabs) but aren't pleased with a small size in other territories ::) ::).........weird ! :dunno
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Here we go!!! Check out this sick bit of woodworking I did for the base of the cabinet. I took a 2x4, cut it into 4 pieces and get this.... glued it together!!!! Oh yeah - check out the attached pics and start drooling....
:o :o :o
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Man, Norm Abram ain't got nuthin' on you! ;D
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All these angles are making me CRAZY!!!!
Well, I got some extensive practice on my tablesaw and it's about time. I am having the toughest time making perfectly square cuts for panels of plywood. I think I need to make a cross cut sled or something like that to run the panels though the saw without using the fence... also my fence seems to drift about 1/16" away from the blade and no amount of tinkering seems to fix it... I just need more practice, I think. Setting the tablesaw blade at an angle was no problem but running the piece through cleanly and perfectly straight was tricky. I'm just not comfortable using the push stick, the featherboard and the proper amount of pressure on the board. Also, I don't want to lose any fingers. Norm makes it look so easy!
Anyway, all of the 5 interior panels I cut for this cabinet needed to be cut at an angle on one end (or in the case of the top panel, on both ends). What a pain! I've attached some pics to show what I mean.
In the first picture you can kind of see the angle on the edge of the speaker panel - plus the two sweet holes I cut for the speaker grills. I used a holesaw to make those cutouts.
In the second picture you can clearly see the 45 degree angle I cut for the kickplate panel.
Finally, the third picture gives a sneak peak at the assembled cabinet as well as shows off how I had to angle the edges of the top panel and speaker panel so the edges would be perpendicular to the floor in order to accept the marquee properly. Fun stuff!
Oh, I have a question for some woodworkers out there - I tried to be as clean as possible during the glue up but inevitably some of the gluee squeezed out and dried on the surface of the cabinet. This is not good for staining purposes. Can I use a cabinet scraper to remove the glue or will this damage the plywood somehow? The top layer of birch is quite thin when you look at the cross section of the plywood. Any ideas? Thanks!
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is there a solvent for the glue at all?
if you gotta sand it off , go with the grain is all i can offer
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Looking good.
You should be able to sand it off carefully w/o too much danger to the birch layer.
If you are using normal carpenters glue you can come back right after gluing and clamping/screwing/nailing and wipe the glue with a wet cloth, that's the best way to clean it up, before it dries. I understand it's too late now, but sanding should work and in the future keep a rag handy.
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Here is a trick my Dad taught me about the table saw. First don't trust the fence to stay parallel to the blade and second ignore the measurement marks on the side of the table for the fence. Using a tape measure set up the fence to the proper distance from the blade. Next take a measurement to the nearest miter slot. These slots are made parallel to the blade. Transfer that measurement to both ends of the fence and lock it down. Now your fence is parallel to the blade. Make sure to double check your distance from blade to the fence.
Those angled cuts are a pain I know. I had the same issue with the bartop I made for Dad.
Now for the glue. If you used standard wood glue you should be able to re-liquefy it using a wet rag. Seeing that you are going to stain this use mineral spirits to make sure you get all the glue off. The mineral spirits will not soak into the wood where the glue is. A cabinet scraper will also help get the glue off the wood as long as it is good and sharp. Here is a good video (http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-14-barely-scraping-by/) on how to sharpen a cabinet (card) scraper.
TTFN
Kaytrim
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Thanks for the tips guys. I'm probably a ways off from staining it... I need to finish building the CP box - I want to stain everything at once. It's coming along...
I'll post some more pics soon of the glue-up - it's starting to look like a real cabinet and the proportions are perfect. I think it's going to be nice since this is the first "real" cabinet I've ever built... and maybe this doesn't even count...
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Alright people - check it out. I glued up all of the panels I cut and everything came together pretty nicely - angles and all. The joints are all quite tight and I'm happy so far. The cabinet was put together using #20 biscuits to help me line everything up. I LOVE my biscuit joiner - this was the first project I used it for and it worked great and saved a ton of time. On my last project I installed 3/4" x 1.5" cleats along all of the lines where interior panels were going to be placed for support. It was difficult lining everything up and required many extra hours of work. The biscuit joiner cut all of that out - plus it gives me added strength on all of the joints.
Anyway, not much more to say other than check out the pics! Stay tuned for the unclamping!!!
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Looking good javeryh. Is it me or do those bar clamps look like they are bending on the back panel? From what I am learning over on the Woodnet forums pipe clamps are better in the longer lengths for strength. You also want to be sure that you don't over clamp a joint. You could starve the joint for glue and then it wouldn't hold over time. This is because glue gains it's strength by soaking into the pores of the wood.
TTFN
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Looking good javeryh. Is it me or do those bar clamps look like they are bending on the back panel? From what I am learning over on the Woodnet forums pipe clamps are better in the longer lengths for strength. You also want to be sure that you don't over clamp a joint. You could starve the joint for glue and then it wouldn't hold over time. This is because glue gains it's strength by soaking into the pores of the wood.
TTFN
It's you. ;) Actually, it's the weird angle I took the photo at. The back panel is perfectly straight/square and I don't think I overclamped. Plus, I dropped glue in all the biscuit slots so I should be OK as far as stability goes. It's rock solid without the clamps... for now, at least... :cheers:
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Biscuits and glue should hold fine. The originals were held together with staples & glue. I'm convinced the staples were only needed until the glue dried.
My wife doesn't mind me taking my time on these projects, just so long as the mess/tools do not linger around forever.
Look'n good.
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Biscuits and glue should hold fine. The originals were held together with staples & glue. I'm convinced the staples were only needed until the glue dried.
My wife doesn't mind me taking my time on these projects, just so long as the mess/tools do not linger around forever.
Look'n good.
I hope you are right! The clamps are off and it seems very very sturdy. My wife doesn't mind me doing these projects either (I think she realizes I need a creative outlet since my job is so boring) but she does get annoyed when I want to work out in the garage for hours on the weekend and she's minding our two very small kids - that's a lot of work for her! Also, we are running out of room and these things are kind of expensive... I'm trying to spread costs out though and I try to build only one a year...
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Check it out people - I'm finally getting somewhere and from now on I'll actually have "something to work on" instead of random sheets of plywood sitting in the garage!
The cabinet is VERY sturdy and everything came together evenly and square. I'm really happy. After standing it up I realized how nice a full-sized cabinet is going to feel (well, at least height-wise). The CP area and marquee are set perfectly for someone of average size like me (6ft.). Overall the cabinet just feels right - Knievel did a great job with this design.
I'm hoping to be able to work on the cabinet more this month but with the holidays and stuff it's going to be tough. Hopefully I'll make some more progress before the New Year. Enjoy the pics!
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Oh yeah!!!! I don't amaze myself often but today is one of those days. Miters all over the place and everything is super tight!
OK, this is just a sneak peek at what I built today - it's a dry fit and it went together VERY nice - everything is within 1/32" or less. I'm in the process of deciding how to secure the joints...
Any thoughts?
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Looks good dude...
:cheers:
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Looking sharp! Good to hear the design is comfortable so far, I'm also 6' so you should be good. :)
So it would seem you have become a biscuit junkie. I can tell you that those joints are pretty much unbreakable.
You will destroy the material being held together before the joint gives out..as I have found out.
I did my CP box with biscuits as well. Just set your plate at a 45 degree angle like this..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/miter.jpg)
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Heh - that's my biscuit joiner! What size do you recommend? I have #20s but if I need to go smaller I have to hit Home Depot. Everything does feel comfortable so far. I'm excited about this one...
Also, do you have any plans for the CP top? I'm making mine a slight variation (different button layout and no 4-way at the top) but I'm not exactly sure where to place everything relative to the edges. Also, do you happen to remember the dimensions of the front? From the pictures it looks like you divided the panel into quarters and the two front corners in the middle are 1/4 and 3/4 of the way in from the left. Is that right? Finally, what are the lengths of each side? The overall dimensions I know are 14"x34" - is the side 12-1/2"? I'm trying to recreate the angled front...
THANKS! :cheers:
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I use #10 biscuits for everything. One in each corner of the CP box is plenty, and then a bunch (10?) to secure to the bottom.
Don't have plans for the CP but I have photoshop template of my original CP, which has the exact same layout.
I will e-mail it to you..
The sides of the top are 12" long and the front part is 25 1/2" long, centered. So 12 3/4" either way from the center point.
Draw those parts then attach them to get the angles.
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Thanks a lot! I cut all of the slots for the biscuits and did another dry fit. Everything is nice and tight (well, as tight as I can get it). I'm going to be using a lot more clamps for the final glue-up but this gives you an idea. I snapped a pic of one of the corners where 3 miters come together - not too bad.
I need to eat something and then I'll do the glue-up for real and start cutting out the CP top...
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Nice work so far Javeryh. What is the finish plan, stain and polyurathane?
TTFN
Kaytrim
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Nice work so far Javeryh. What is the finish plan, stain and polyurathane?
TTFN
Kaytrim
Thanks Kaytrim - you are correct. I'm going to put 2 coats of stain and 4-5 coats of poly on top... I'm a little puzzled by the directions on the can though. I chose "Red Mahogany" as my finish and on the can it says do not use that one color (out of all of them) with the poly. I'm guessing the poly will distort Red Mahogany or something so I have to think of something else. Minwax sells a bunch of different clear top coats - one of them is bound to work...
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Nice work so far Javeryh. What is the finish plan, stain and polyurathane?
TTFN
Kaytrim
Thanks Kaytrim - you are correct. I'm going to put 2 coats of stain and 4-5 coats of poly on top... I'm a little puzzled by the directions on the can though. I chose "Red Mahogany" as my finish and on the can it says do not use that one color (out of all of them) with the poly. I'm guessing the poly will distort Red Mahogany or something so I have to think of something else. Minwax sells a bunch of different clear top coats - one of them is bound to work...
It is possible that the oils in the poly will bleach the red in the stain. Your best bet is to take a piece of scrap and do some testing. You could also visit their website and ask them what would be the best topcoat to use with your choice of stain.
TTFN
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Looking great Javeryh :cheers:
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Read the whole topic. Great job! Can't wait to see the finished (pun intended) product!
~ DeLuSioNaL
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Thanks guys! This cab is an exercise in patience for me. It's much harder to find time to build with two kids instead of the one for some reason. Anyway, here's a little update:
The next thing on the list was building the control panel box. It was quite complicated since I decided to miter every single joint including the bottom panel.
The overall dimensions are:
- Bottom panel: 12" x 32"
- Side panels: 12" on the bottom edge; 5-1/4" on the back edge; 4-1/4" on the front edge (it's exactly a 5 degree slope).
- Front panel: 4-1/4" x 32"
- Back panel: 5-1/4" x 32"
- Every corner is mitered at 45 degrees
- The top edges of the front and back panels are mitered at 5 degrees to match the slope of the side panels so the control panel top will sit flush
- The two holes in the side panels are for pinball flippers
These dimensions are completely ripped off from Knievel's design but I haven't seen them posted all in one place so hopefully this will help someone. After cutting all of the pieces I did a dry fit for the side panels to check for squareness and if everything was going to fit together properly. Note that the box is upside down in this picture.
(http://bp0.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R7skMke5scI/AAAAAAAAAn4/KoL9eHMvO90/s400/CP+Box+1.JPG)
Once I decided everything was lined up properly it was time to cut the slots for the biscuits to hold everything together. I could have probably used just wood glue and nothing else but the biscuits will provide a very secure bond between the panels. Here's a shot of the side panel without the slot:
(http://bp3.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R8STBEe5seI/AAAAAAAAAoE/xVEPGzkvqJ0/s400/CP+Box+2.JPG)
Next you can see a shot of the biscuit joiner lined up with the mitered edge. All I had to do was set the fence to 45 degrees to cut all of the biscuit slots. I am not familiar with this tool at all but it was really easy to do.
(http://bp1.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R8Sdxke5sfI/AAAAAAAAAoM/JuVBPQ9fsd0/s400/CP+Box+4.JPG)
The next shot shows the slot:
(http://bp3.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R8SeEEe5sgI/AAAAAAAAAoU/JMPWOFQ0Ex4/s400/CP+Box+6.JPG)
The next shot shows the biscuit in the slot. It's a #10 size biscuit - I tried 20s but the slot went all the way through the wood on my test cut so that wasn't going to work.
(http://bp0.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R8SeeUe5shI/AAAAAAAAAoc/IzPuSY2Amp4/s400/CP+Box+7.JPG)
This process was repeated on all of the mitered edges. I used one biscuit in the corners and ten of them on the bottom panel (three on the 32" long edges and two on the 12" shorter ones). In my next post I'll show the glue up and the final results (God only knows whenever that might be).
Overall I'm pleased although it's not as *perfect* as I was hoping to get everything. I'm hoping the finishing process will eliminate any visual imperfections/minor gaps in the construction. If not, since the control panel is completely separate I can always try again! :cheers:
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Ugh. I have to completely redo the CP box. I tried staining it yesterday and it came out horrible. I'm not sure what I'm going to do... I think it was a bit cold out for staining and maybe not enough direct light to work with. I'm finding out that birch is tough to stain evenly too... For the next box I build I'm going to stain first and then assemble. I think I'll have an easier time working with unassembled pieces because all of the test pieces I stained came out great. I'll add the poly after the glue up. I'm also scared to stain the cabinet itself now. I might have to take that super slow and only stain a side a day or something so I can lay it down to work on.
:angry:
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Ugh. I have to completely redo the CP box. I tried staining it yesterday and it came out horrible. I'm not sure what I'm going to do... I think it was a bit cold out for staining and maybe not enough direct light to work with. I'm finding out that birch is tough to stain evenly too... For the next box I build I'm going to stain first and then assemble. I think I'll have an easier time working with unassembled pieces because all of the test pieces I stained came out great. I'll add the poly after the glue up. I'm also scared to stain the cabinet itself now. I might have to take that super slow and only stain a side a day or something so I can lay it down to work on.
:angry:
Ouch!
Stand back dude. Give it a day and think about it. I'm sure you can figure something out.
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Did you use wood conditioner? its a must for birch.
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Don't give up compleatly on this box. You might be able to sand it down and start over. The top layer is not that thin. Then look into that conditioner that bratwurst mentioned.
TTFN
Kaytrim
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I'll see what I can do about possibly sanding it down - the top layer is pretty thin though and I don't think I'd be able to remove all of the stain. I did not use wood conditioner but I will get some and see if that makes a difference on the next try. One thing I did learn was that 1/32" or 1/64" gaps are not visible at all once the stain goes on which is encouraging.
I'm thinking I might buy some black laminate and just wrap it. The CP top will still be stained birch similar to Knievel's Woody (with the vinyl rings around the controls) so maybe an all black CP box wouldn't look so bad. Other than the stained parts the entire thing is going to be black anyway including all of the controls. If I don't like it I can scrap it and try again.
I'm pretty bummed out though - first this and now I just got done cracking every attempt at making a plexiglass dustwasher (including the 2 discs that Neverending Project graciously sent me from Tap Plastics... grr... NOT a good weekend.
:angry:
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Use a hole saw at slow speed in reverse and melt your way through the plastic for your dust covers. The key is to not use any pressure and let the blade melt through. Also use a scrap piece of wood behind the plastic for support.
TTFN
Kaytrim
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I'll give it a shot but I'm not sure I have a 2" hole saw... I might have a 3" one though... it should take 30 seconds to do though. Any reason why you go in reverse?
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It prevents the teeth of the hole saw from grabbing the plastic and causing it to crack.
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OK, I'll give it a shot.
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Well, here it is blemishes and all for proof that even when you eff something up you can still make a great looking cabinet (assuming my second attempt works out a little better):
It came out very splotchy and I've decided to redo the entire thing. I'm also apparently blind because there are several spots where I didn't sand all of the glue off (even though I swore I did). I'm mad because the box itself came out quite nice. Next time I'm DEFINITELY staining before gluing. If one panel doesn't come out right I can always recut it instead of the entire box. I also think having the piece laid flat will make it easier to stain.
I'll save it and probably cover it with some black laminate - the shape is still good and it might make a nice CP down the road but just not for this cabinet.
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Mineral Spirits will show you where the glue is. This way you can make sure the wood is clean prior to any finish being applied. Just wipe it on and any lite areas will tell you where the glue still is. The mineral spirits will evaporate and not affect the wood in any manner.
Don't give up on the stain. This is just another challenge like the paint on Bella's arcade. Spend some time on the forums of woodnet.net. There are plenty of guys and gals there that will be more than happy to share their knowlege with you. That group is very similar to the folks here only a slightly different area of expertise.
Chin up man, :cheers:
Kaytrim
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Thanks for the mineral spirits suggestion. I need to plan things out a little better next time... I'm even more upset when I look at the final unstained box - I'm still amazed at how sick it looked!
:angry:
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Hey, this is Krohboy from CAG. I love Knievel Klones.
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I finally have some free time to work on this thing starting tonight. I need to make a "to-do" list or I'll go crazy trying to figure out what to do next:
- re-cut the 5 crazy angled panels for the CP box
- cut the coin door panel
- cut the kickplate panel
- cut the CP top (this could take a while)
- stain unassembled CP box
- stain rest of cabinet
- glue up CP box
- add poly/clear top coats to everything
It's a bit ambitious but I'm hoping to finish all this by Saturday night around midnight (the power tools should be off for a while at that point and I'll be staining/finishing so it shouldn't annoy the neighbors). I'll be working tonight from 7-10 after work and all day tomorrow starting at 7am. I've got to make the most of the time the wife and kids aren't home!
If it all goes according to schedule I can spend Sunday working on the rotating monitor mount... :cheers:
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Sounds like me when the wife and kids go out of town. They are going to be away this weekend but I have way too many other things to do that have slipped because of this hobby. :angry:
Good luck!
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yeah, it's like a mad dash and I get so excited to finally work on stuff that when I start I don't know what to do first without a plan and I end up wasting time with trips to Home Depot and other stuff. In theory, cutting out 7 panels and staining the cabinet shouldn't take ALL weekend but I know it will (if I'm lucky).
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He he..yeah, project management skills are very handy when your time is limited. I pretty much went over my "budget right out of the gate when I went with the 27" 9200 on my current project. So now I have to plan everything in advance and order all of the materials and accessories when they are needed. It really sucks when time slots pop up unexpectedly and I don't have the right materials.
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Well, where is the long detailed post ( with :pics ) showing all of the progress that you made this past weekend?
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Well, where is the long detailed post ( with :pics ) showing all of the progress that you made this past weekend?
Haha... I don't really have any... I put in about 12 hours on Saturday and made a lot of progress (well, not really but it was a lot for me). It was all boring stuff though so I didn't snap any pictures. I recut the CP box - that thing is seriously tough to get right and even now it's not what I'd call perfect. I tried mitering all of the joints like Knievel did with the "Woody" and man that guy has some serious skills. Maybe cutting a box like this is really difficult and I just don't know it but I checked and rechecked all of my cuts and measurements (and even had to cut several pieces twice to get a better fit) and it's still not dead on 100% perfect. I'll have to live with it but man it really put me in my place.
After cutting the CP box I stained it before gluing it up - what a difference the right materials make. For some unexplainable reason I did not pre-treat the wood before staining on my last attempt and that is why everything came out so splotchy. I used a wood conditioner this time and the stain went on much more evenly.
I also cut the front door panel and made the keyboard drawer (which was tough because the front is on a 7 degree angle). I also cut the kickplate and base panel (mitered) and glued them into place. All in all it was a productive weekend. I'm hoping I can sneak away for a couple of hours and finish staining everything and start on the clear coats but with 2 kids who knows when that will be! :cheers:
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More props are deserve for those who build CPs and/or cabs out of wood and stain it. With a painted cab, you can screw up and Bondo/putty will save you. If you're staining the wood, you MUST be perfect with your build.
Great job! :cheers: :applaud: :cheers:
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looking good ;D
shock pic of my wife on my arcade cab!!!!!!!
(http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/rosstheplasterer/DSC00278.jpg)
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your wife is hot :cheers:
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Man, she looks thrilled! (see her reflection) :) My first post here btw...
and yes, she looks hot. I like that tat...congrats, u have a hot wife! EDITED once I saw your avatar! :)
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It's been a long time coming... Nothing too exciting to report as I continue my complete rip-off of Knievel's Woody. I finally found some free time this past week to cut out the CP top. I'm not finished but at least it's something!
(http://bp3.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/SGue_KaqwcI/AAAAAAAAApc/NQfZmr3eUTg/s400/P1010211.JPG)
(http://bp2.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/SGulXq6HxeI/AAAAAAAAAps/0YFS9K7_pqk/s400/P1010209.JPG)
This last shot shows roughly where the trackball will go:
(http://bp1.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/SGumLfs7HDI/AAAAAAAAAp0/6kGeCOyFjes/s400/P1010212.JPG)
I still have to:
1. Cut the 3" trackball hole
2. Remove material to recess the joysticks and trackball (no mounting plate) from underneath
3. Cut the plexiglass to size using my pattern bit (then polish the edges)
4. Cut the slot for the t-molding
This weekend I am going to try and finally stain and poly the entire cabinet. I gave the wife advance notice and she seemed OK with it. Taking care of 2 small kids is a lot of work and doesn't leave a lot of free time to work on these projects. I feel like once the staining and poly/finish is out of the way I'll be able to work on the thing in 1/2 hour to hour long bursts (after work and when the kids are sleeping) and crawl to the finish line. Wish me luck! :cheers:
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Any updates on this project? I have started my own woody clone some time back and haven't made much progress besides cutting out the sides. I have come back to this and the original woody thread by Knievel many times looking for info. I'm going to try and pick back up the job again this weekend. I finally finished my jukebox and redid my basement after a flood so I'm back to the woody project.
What speakers are you using btw?
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heh, I sure have been neglecting this one... :-[
I have made a little more progress but it is not my focus right now until I can get an entire weekend to sand and apply several coats of poly. I need a large chunk of time and unfortunately with two small kids running around unless my wife takes them to her parents or something I just can't seem to get the full day that I need.
The cabinet has been stained and there are two coats of poly on right now - it looks pretty good and I am eager to get it finished but the jukebox is my priority right now. :cheers:
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Wow - it sure has been a long time since I worked on this thing... almost 2 years! I kind of got sidetracked with my DK+ and the jukebox (that still isn't 100% finished). I was moving things around in the garage the other day and I saw this thing just sitting in the corner under a tarp looking all pathetic so I decided it was time to get this project moving again.
Since I last posted I managed to stain and add several (like 5 or 6!) coats of poly to the entire cabinet. I also got the t-molding in place. It's a good start. I need to take some pics though. There is still a ton left to do with the hardest being figuring out how to rotate the monitor (hardware and software).
I recut the CP box and I'm planning to glue it up this weekend if the weather is nice. If it doesn't come out the way I hope I'm just going to wrap the old CP box (that I ruined) in black laminate. I think it will look OK since the cabinet has black t-molding and the buttons/trackball/joysticks are black too. I'm looking forward to completing this project! :cheers:
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Glad to see you're back at it! I'm working on my clone as well. I have 3 coats of poly on mine, and am going to try to get the cabinet door cut, stained, and poly'd as well soon. I might put another couple coats of poly on the whole thing, not sure. I cut the poly with mineral spirits for the first three coats to thin it a bit. So I think it needs more coats.
I've made contact with a friend of mine to use his table saw to cut out my control panel box. I don't have the tools to do nice exact miters.
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I am not sure if you are able to jav, but could you do a video of how you are cutting? I have a table saw and would love to see you're approach to cutting it
I know there are some videos on the net floating around, but form an arcade perspective this would be good as I plan on taking the angles fitting together approach.
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Which cuts? I do 95% of my straight cuts with my router, a flush cutting bit and a straight edge. I use the table saw for the longer or odd angled cuts. I don't have anything other than a camera phone so I'm not sure how helpful it would be (or how I'd pull it off). I go through a LOT of test pieces to get the angles just right before actually making the cut on the work piece. It is a pain. :cheers:
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That is what I am am having problems with, the odd angles. I have router bits that are 45deg, 30deg and 15deg which are handy but it is the 20 deg cuts that I find hard. I was hoping to see how you align and cut but if you are testing a lot then it is more trail and error. Is that right?
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That is what I am am having problems with, the odd angles. I have router bits that are 45deg, 30deg and 15deg which are handy but it is the 20 deg cuts that I find hard. I was hoping to see how you align and cut but if you are testing a lot then it is more trail and error. Is that right?
The blade on my tablesaw can be angled 45 degrees in either direction. I use my protractor to measure the angle and then I set the blade accordingly and cut both pieces. It never works on the first try so I tweak the angle setting on the blade and try again until I get it right. I use tiny pieces of scrap for this. I can try and snap some pics of the process but it likely won't be for a couple of weeks - my tablesaw is buried in the garage until I do my spring cleaning in there...
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First off, i know exactly what how hard it is, to find spare time to work on a project, when you get kids..
After failing to get my TV to show a proper image with the VGA -> SCART cable, i have been falling more and more in love with the idea of a LCD in my cab..
Have you thought more about the rotating monitor idea?? and how you would pull it off??
And b.t.w. good work on the CP joints, that looks sweet
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I officially hate this cabinet. :banghead:
I am giving up on the mitred CP box and I'm just going to wrap it in black laminate. The CP top will still be stained to match the cabinet sides but I don't have the time, money or patience to try this thing a third time - especially for a cab that I'm not even keeping. The first box didn't stain right (all splotchy) and the second box didn't glue up right for some reason so I'm done. I'm going to wrap the first CP box I made (the one pictured above in this thread) in some black laminate. I think it will look good because all of my buttons and joysticks are black as well as the trackball, spinner and t-molding. The bezel will also be made out of black laminate so the black CP box will fit right in. It just won't be as badass. Oh well.
I'm making good progress otherwise - the CP should be completely finished by the weekend. I haven't been taking pictures because of my general hatred for this thing. Maybe I'll snap a few tonight when I calm down.
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Ack :(
I know its easy to say step back when that is exactly what you did for two years but I really hope this doesn't prevent you from a future 4 to 6 button project. I am in the same boat as you when it comes to staining, biscuits etc and unless I was to devote a lot of time (which I just don't have) im pretty much staying below average on those fronts lol. Unless you really are doing it to challenge yourself I would concentrate on your strengths for a future project. Your paint jobs are amazing albeit tiresome in execution as you have pointed out.
I could see you building an amazing laminate/paint combination cab (4/6 button of course!)! :cheers:
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yeah, I'm just discouraged right now. I'm still mad at myself for ruining that first CP box. It came together perfectly. I think this cab will look good when it is finished - the actual cabinet is stained and it looks fantastic with 6(!) thin coats of poly and the t-molding in place. I just got hung up on the CP box. If I really get motivated (doubtful) I could make another CP box down the road. Now that I'm moving beyond it I hope to finish this cabinet fairly quickly.
Tonight I'm not going to sleep until I've:
- Laminated all 5 surfaces of the CP box
- Applied a second (light) coat of stain on the CP top
Tomorrow I'll add the first coat of poly in the morning and the second coat at night - same thing for Thursday. Friday night I'll prime and paint the interior of the CP box and the underside of the CP top. At some point I'll sand the edges of the plexiglas top I cut out (around the trackball bevel and exterior edge). Saturday morning I'll assemble and wire everything.
I haven't figured out how I'm going to connect the CP top and CP box but I'm leaning towards a piano hinge. Knievel uses velcro all the way around - I'm not sure I want to go that route.
:cheers:
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Agreed, I think the paint will make *all* the difference! :cheers:
Knievel uses velcro all the way around - I'm not sure I want to go that route.
I used this for the Aliens cab CP and it works very well. I just use a credit card to slide it under if I want to remove it although I can't remember the last time I have had to do this. I had purchased these latches (http://www.arcadeshop.de/Accessories-Panel-Clamp-adjustable_814.html) but didn't realize I had to specify clasps as well so they arrived without clasps so went velcro instead.
The only adjustments I ever make are when I switch my 2nd player stick between 4/8 way which I do through the coin door and underneath. Its generally kept 4 way for 4 way games but I switch it for Robotron/Crazy Climber etc.
GL!
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Agreed, I think the paint will make *all* the difference! :cheers:
Knievel uses velcro all the way around - I'm not sure I want to go that route.
I used this for the Aliens cab CP and it works very well. I just use a credit card to slide it under if I want to remove it although I can't remember the last time I have had to do this. I had purchased these latches (http://www.arcadeshop.de/Accessories-Panel-Clamp-adjustable_814.html) but didn't realize I had to specify clasps as well so they arrived without clasps so went velcro instead.
The only adjustments I ever make are when I switch my 2nd player stick between 4/8 way which I do through the coin door and underneath. Its generally kept 4 way for 4 way games but I switch it for Robotron/Crazy Climber etc.
GL!
Hmmm.... velcro certainly would be easier to install... What about the gap the velcro makes? Is it noticeable? I guess the overhang all the way around hides it from view but still... hinges are also a pain. :cheers:
EDIT: I think I have my answer. Your Aliens cab is so freaking sweet I had to go look at the thread again and now I'll be reading it all afternoon.
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You may want to test laminating over stain. I'm not sure if the contact cement will bond properly to anything besides bare wood.
I'm not saying it won't, I'm just saying I don't know... :dizzy: I was looking into this a lot when I was getting ready to laminate my CP box. I had (accidentally) painted some areas where laminate was supposed to go and so I went searching but I never did find a definitive answer.
I know contact cement is really designed for bare wood, so in the end I just sanded away the edges where I had painted until I was back to bare wood.
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You may want to test laminating over stain. I'm not sure if the contact cement will bond properly to anything besides bare wood.
This might help out. (Thank you, Jon Eakes!)
Working with Contact Cement: http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/2165 (http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/2165)
What glue will stick to what: http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/1383 (http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/1383)
As far as I am aware, the use of most commercial grade contact cement products should adhere fine to a stained surface. It might cause an issue on a painted surface, if only to bond to the paint and not the wood itself, but the nature of wood stain is that it embeds itself into the grain of wood, and doesn't physically sit on the surface. For that reason alone, I think you should be fine.
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Thanks guys. I've worked with contact cement before - I'm 99% positive that there won't be any issues. Still, I won't know for sure until tonight!! :cheers:
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our Aliens cab is so freaking sweet I had to go look at the thread again and now I'll be reading it all afternoon.
Thanks but it was ultimately your awesome Bella paint job that made me go laminate as there was no way in hell I'd have the patience to make it look that good ;)
velcro certainly would be easier to install... What about the gap the velcro makes? Is it noticeable?
I can take a picture tonight as I dont think I ever did on the project page but no you don't notice any gap. I used the industrial velcro strips from Home Depot and it comes in roughly 1/2" wide strips that have a very shallow profile. They look similar to these Velcro Strips (http://www.itapestore.com/3mduallock-sj354005x1yard.aspx). I just fasted them to each cab side underneath the CP lid but not the front. The CP doesn't budge even with 2 very large and rough old school gamers on it :)
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our Aliens cab is so freaking sweet I had to go look at the thread again and now I'll be reading it all afternoon.
Thanks but it was ultimately your awesome Bella paint job that made me go laminate as there was no way in hell I'd have the patience to make it look that good ;)
Heh, thanks - as I get older I find myself having MUCH less free time (thanks, kiddies) and therefore MUCH less patience. If I had the time I'd spend it perfecting every aspect of my builds. No such luck.
velcro certainly would be easier to install... What about the gap the velcro makes? Is it noticeable?
I can take a picture tonight as I dont think I ever did on the project page but no you don't notice any gap. I used the industrial velcro strips from Home Depot and it comes in roughly 1/2" wide strips that have a very shallow profile. They look similar to these Velcro Strips (http://www.itapestore.com/3mduallock-sj354005x1yard.aspx). I just fasted them to each cab side underneath the CP lid but not the front. The CP doesn't budge even with 2 very large and rough old school gamers on it :)
That's the exact stuff I have. I think I'm going to go with it and do the credit card thing if I ever need to get inside. Now my head is going to explode thinking about lining it up perfectly! :cheers:
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If I had the time I'd spend it perfecting every aspect of my builds. No such luck.
I think it's interesting how some arcade builders spend so much time perfecting a machine that will ultimately get smacked, kicked, and jerked around. I build my arcade games, get them to a point I like them and then I let the nieces and nephews have their way with them. I say all that, but I know what you mean though Javery. It's hard to fully enjoy your machine when you know the control panel wiring isn't organized just right.
I figure, I built them to play with. I don't want to wince every time the machine gets a some new "character". I do build other things that I spend the extra time to achieve perfection.
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You may want to test laminating over stain. I'm not sure if the contact cement will bond properly to anything besides bare wood.
This might help out. (Thank you, Jon Eakes!)
Working with Contact Cement: http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/2165 (http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/2165)
What glue will stick to what: http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/1383 (http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/1383)
As far as I am aware, the use of most commercial grade contact cement products should adhere fine to a stained surface. It might cause an issue on a painted surface, if only to bond to the paint and not the wood itself, but the nature of wood stain is that it embeds itself into the grain of wood, and doesn't physically sit on the surface. For that reason alone, I think you should be fine.
That's a very informative article, thanks for that link! Still, I feel the need to point out that it doesn't address the issue of using contact cement over painted or stained wood ;D
Everyone else here has more experience with contact cement than I do, so please ignore my concerns. But I'd still like to find the "official" answer, if there is one.
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If I had the time I'd spend it perfecting every aspect of my builds. No such luck.
I think it's interesting how some arcade builders spend so much time perfecting a machine that will ultimately get smacked, kicked, and jerked around. I build my arcade games, get them to a point I like them and then I let the nieces and nephews have their way with them. I say all that, but I know what you mean though Javery. It's hard to fully enjoy your machine when you know the control panel wiring isn't organized just right.
I figure, I built them to play with. I don't want to wince every time the machine gets a some new "character". I do build other things that I spend the extra time to achieve perfection.
yeah, I'm a bit mental. I try to teach my kids to be respectful of stuff so they know not to push the chair up against the front or get too rough with the joystick but when other people come over I have to leave the room.
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When I had mine working, a friend came over and saw I had Track and field on it. He immediately grabbed a pen and decided to show me how you can push the buttons back and forth super fast by pivoting a pen on your finger between the two buttons. :angry:
But the painted buttons seemed to hold up just fine.
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1 of the 5 surfaces for the CP box is laminated. It ain't gonna budge. Everything takes forever. It takes about 30 minutes per side by the time you wait the 15 minutes for the glue to get tacky and then another 15 minutes for it to bond and then route off the excess. I'll be doing this for 2 more hours!!
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yeah, I'm a bit mental. I try to teach my kids to be respectful of stuff so they know not to push the chair up against the front or get too rough with the joystick but when other people come over I have to leave the room.
I am the same way. I get nuts when other people trash my stuff. I am not sure if teaching responsibility=mental though. :)
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1 of the 5 surfaces for the CP box is laminated. It ain't gonna budge. Everything takes forever. It takes about 30 minutes per side by the time you wait the 15 minutes for the glue to get tacky and then another 15 minutes for it to bond and then route off the excess. I'll be doing this for 2 more hours!!
Excellent!
As far as the time commitment, just tell yourself how much time you are saving by not painting it to look like a Steinway grand piano ;D
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As far as the time commitment, just tell yourself how much time you are saving by not painting it to look like a Steinway grand piano ;D
Good point! It is a sort of instant gratification isn't it?
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i just came across this and laughed my --rear end-- off. LOVE IT.
funny, sensor allows hookers and wife beating but not the other word for a donkey
Wow. After diving into this project I have an even greater appreciation for Knievel's work. This is not an easy build. I'm having a tough time with all of the angled cuts. I'm new to this kind of stuff and I really could use some lessons on the tablesaw. I also just used my biscuit joiner for the first time - that thing is great (but also not as easy as it looks on TV). I've got a 3D cabinet now and it looks pretty good but of course all I see are the imperfections...
The wife is due home this afternoon so we'll see what she says! ... I did finish building a bookcase that she wanted done while she was away - maybe that will soften the blow!
Have you ever thought about beating her? See, it makes the other stuff you do seem minor. Trust me, just give it a try. One quick back hand and she'll straighten right up.
or!
When she comes home, be piss drunk and reek of stripper. Tell her you were thinking of building another cabinet but thought she wouldn't be happy about it so you went to a stripper joint and spent $300 with some of your friends.
Seriously, I got buddies who go out all the time and blow all their money drinking, gambling or strip joints. Makes my hobby of hanging around the house and building things of value seem not so bad. My wife recognizes this. One other thing you can do is make a cabinet to sell for profit. That way she can't complain about the money aspect of things.
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Now I really hate this cabinet. The laminate worked but it just looks terrible. I'm going to end up cutting out another CP box with all the crazy angles. I'm getting sick just thinking about it... At least I'll have something to do on Sunday before the wife and kids come home!
On the bright side, the CP top is just about finished and it looks real nice. I just have to cut out some vinyl to go around the buttons and joysticks and paint the bottom black. The plexiglas top is cut too but I have to finish sanding the exposed edges around the trackball opening and around the perimeter. I still have to do the 600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit and then the three step Novus polish so it will take a few hours but the results will be worth it - I chamfered the trackball hole - looks pretty cool.
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I'm having issues with my control panel box miters too, and I'm considering just doing some dado joints or pocket holes even to assemble a box and paint the thing black.
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Now I really hate this cabinet. The laminate worked but it just looks terrible. I'm going to end up cutting out another CP box with all the crazy angles. I'm getting sick just thinking about it... At least I'll have something to do on Sunday before the wife and kids come home!
On the bright side, the CP top is just about finished and it looks real nice. I just have to cut out some vinyl to go around the buttons and joysticks and paint the bottom black. The plexiglas top is cut too but I have to finish sanding the exposed edges around the trackball opening and around the perimeter. I still have to do the 600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit and then the three step Novus polish so it will take a few hours but the results will be worth it - I chamfered the trackball hole - looks pretty cool.
If it's not too painful to talk about, what went wrong with the laminate? It stuck ok to the stained wood right?
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The laminate worked but it just looks terrible.
What makes it look terrible? I personally love the look of laminate and can't picture it looking terrible in too many scenarios?
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If it's not too painful to talk about, what went wrong with the laminate? It stuck ok to the stained wood right?
The laminate worked but it just looks terrible.
What makes it look terrible? I personally love the look of laminate and can't picture it looking terrible in too many scenarios?
I just don't like the way it looks with the black box and the stained cabinet. It's a style/design thing. Maybe it will grow on me - who knows. It went on perfectly fine and I even ordered the lamination to minimize the visible edges (bottom, back, sides, front). I'm just really frustrated with this project - even after 2+ years - and I find myself just rushing to get it finished. I can't wait.
:angry: :angry: :angry: