The Back Panel II

Now that I had a good idea of what I want the back panel to look like, it was time to start construction. I picked up the laminate from Home Depot (Formica brand) and was happy to see it rolled up in a tube. It shouldn't be a problem to laminate the curved panel! Check it out:

The first thing I did was trace the back of the jukebox shell on to some 1/8" thick MDF and cut out the rough shape. Then, using the rough shape as a template I traced it out on to the laminate and cut it out. I used my jigsaw and it was a mistake - it chipped the laminate like crazy - I probably should have tried scoring it with a utility knife or using some tin snips or something else. After cutting it out I wasn't sure if I left enough overhang around the edges because it was so badly chipped.

Here are the rough panels I cut (MDF and laminate):

I applied a thin coat of contact cement to the MDF and the back of the laminate panel, waited 30 minutes for the glue to dry and then bonded the two surfaces together.

I actually let this cure over night underneath a 3/4" MDF panel and a cinder block.

You can see how imprecise and rough everything is. I also got some contact cement on the good side of the laminate and I was a little worried about getting it off.

What a mess!!! You can see the chipped laminate, the spilled glue and even the permanent marker I used to trace out the shape! Is this going to work out?

Stay tuned!