The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Woodworking => Topic started by: RoninEditor on March 11, 2008, 04:21:27 am
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Basically, I'm wondering what you guys do for your control panel tops. I'm going 3/4 on everything else, then 3/4 t-molding on the regular cabinet edges. However, I'm going to put Lexan on my 3/4 wood (when I get it) which would make it thicker than 3/4 obviously. I'm thinking to put the t-molding slot from based on the Lexan (to cap the Lexan at the edge), then put the slot down from there, but that's obviously going to leave a little extra wood uncovered by the t-molding at the bott, then maybe routing an edge to make it flush...? Is this the 'easiest' way to cap the edge of the control panel? Or should I just buy a thinner "top" to my control panel, to make the 3/4 t-molding flush on the top and bottom.
Am I overthinking this?
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It has been suggested elsewhere on this site that you could chamfer the bottom where the t-molding does not cover. (I only say that it is suggested elsewhere because I don't want to take credit for someone else's idea) I think a chamfer would look better than a round-over, since you won't see the chamfer when standing and looking down at the CP. You still may see the wood if it is a round-over.
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Ah! Great, yeah, I like that! Thanks for the idea!
(At first I was like, what's chamfer? haha... Wikipedia's our friend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamfer )
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Why not buy T-molding that fits? You can get 13/16" T-molding in a number of colors and 1" in black or white...
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Why not buy T-molding that fits? You can get 13/16" T-molding in a number of colors and 1" in black or white...
It might throw off the overall look of the cabinet since all other t-molding is presumably 3/4"...
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Could use a thinner wood for the CP top as well, to make the overall thickness 3/4"
I dont know what you are using, but im pretty sure there is both 5/8" and 1/2" MDF available based on your Lexan thickness.
If you are stuck with the 3/4", I would second the chamfer idea.
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Yup, I'm going to be using 3/4" fiberboard and t-molding. I'm heavily considering using a thinner piece of wood for the top, like 5/8" then using 1/8" Lexan, it might cost more though, vs. using the extra wood from the cabinet sides for the control panel top... but I think it might be worth it to just cough up the extra cash. There was also a mention of angled cut along the bottom, to make up for the slack, which is also a good solution... but I'm definitely leaning toward the 5/8" topsheet.
ps, if you guys want some free comedy, go to Home Depot or Lowe's and asked where their 1/16" slot cutters or 1 1/8" Forstner bits are... the blank looks are priceless, literally today, "I ain't never heard of that." LOL I found my at the local OSH, but I'm assuming ACE would have them too.
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I bought my slot cutter at Lowes, after finding that they carried them online and Home Depot does not.
A week later I went and looked again, the slot cutters were marked down from $25 to $5 :o
Its possible they were phasing them out of inventory with that kind of reduction.
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Yup, I agree with this... Lowes had my slot cutter on sale for $5.
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I also saw them online before cut can't seem to find them, which is why I originally went to Lowe's - hoping to find one. Hmm.