I Want To Music!!!

Where Was I???

2011-03-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

Wow! Has it been 2 years since my last post? I was so close to the finish line and then I just kind of.... stopped. Anyway, life got in the way but I think I'm ready to start this project back up again and finish it off.

I've been tinkering a little and here's a shot of the juke with the screen on and a touchscreen game running:

There's actually not much left to do - the back door has been giving me loads of trouble (it needs to be thin but when I laminate the 1/8" hard board it always warps over time). I keep wasting laminate and that stuff is expensive!

Anyway, I hope to post some more progress sooner rather than later.

The Back Panel V

2009-03-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

The next thing I had to do was attach the metal to the inside of the back panel for the magnets to catch on to. This was fairly easy - I laid out corresponding holes to the magnets I installed on the back of the jukebox shell and then used my plunge router to remove some material in the back panel so the metal catches could sit flush. Then I used some two-part epoxy to glue the metal catches in place.

This is what it looked like all clamped up:

I haven't actually tested it yet to see if the panel stays in place like I'm hoping but I will tomorrow.

More later.

The Back Panel IV

2009-03-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

This next part is kind of tricky and I don't even know if it worked yet. I wanted to connect the back panel to the jukebox shell without any visible screws. I'm not even exactly sure why since screws would have made everything much easier. Anyway, I ordered some rare earth magnets from Rockler. They are strong!

I measured around the outside frame of the back of the jukebox shell and laid out 10 points where I would install magnets. Here is a shot sort of showing how I laid them out:

Here's a close-up of the magnet casing:

I needed to use a 1/2" forstner bit and drill down to precisely the depth of the magnets in order to make them flush. Easier said than done - once you put the magnet in place there is virtually no way to remove it. I ended up drilling down a little too far in some spots - hopefully the magnets will be strong enough anyway.

Each magnet cup (holder?) has a hole in the bottom so it can be screwed into place.

Here is what one of them looks like:

Here is what all of them look like when put in place.

Finally, I put the magnets in there. I cannot get them out so there is no turning back now.

The magnets are a cool idea (at least I think so) but I just hope they end up working like I think they will. It should be easy to remove the back panel by tipping the jukebox forward and going up from underneath assuming the panel locks into place. We shall see...

More later.

The Feet!

2009-03-04T06:00:00.004-05:00

Here is some exciting news - I finally installed the rubber feet! I bought them at Home Depot for a few dollars and they came with the screws.

Since I do not have a bottom panel the first thing I did was cut out some small triangles out of MDF and glued them in place in the back. I did not have to do this in the front because the panel here is actually 1.5" thick (2 MDF panels).

I just eyeballed the locations, drilled the holes and fastened the feet to the bottom. This may not seem like a big deal but it makes it so much easier to place on the table or wherever to continue working on it.

I also trimmed the t-molding to final length and fixed the slot in the back - it had broken off a little since the slot is so close to the edge (to compensate for the thickness of the back panel). It is solid now and looks great.

More later!

Installing The Volume Knob

2009-03-02T06:00:00.008-05:00

Now I'm getting somewhere... I FINALLY cut the hole for the volume knob and got everything installed.

I used a step drill bit and cut out a 7/8" hole where the volume knob goes. As I explained in another post, I am using a Griffin Powermate for the knob and the guts. All that I had to do was drill a hole big enough so the guts of the knob would fit through but I had to be sure it was smaller than the spacer I created. I also had to worry about the knob being dead center (which is harder than it sounds) because this would be the focal point of the entire juke.

Here is a shot of the hole completely drilled out:

After drilling out the hole I had to use a file to remove a little more material to get the guts of the knob to fit properly. The next step was to put the spacer in place and trace it with a pencil so I would know how much of the protective paper I could remove. Once that was done, I used a two part epoxy for plastic to bond the spacer to the front panel.

The epoxy I used set in 6 minutes (less actually) and I was able to remove the clamp fairly quick and install everything. here are some shots without the knob in place:

This is what it looks like with the knob installed.

This last shot I tried to get head on so you could see how I managed to get the knob dead center but the flash was messing everything up. Oh well.

I can't wait to remove the brown protective paper but you should be able to tell what it will look like when I finally do.

The Computer Installation III

2008-12-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

After getting the motherboard and power supply in place, the rest of the components just kind of worked themselves out. This is just a test run (since I have to still cut the hole for the volume knob) but I will use some velcro to secure the speakers in place behind the speaker grill and I wired the power button to the pins on the motherboard (temporarily since it will ultimately be installed in the back panel).

This is a shot of the speaker bar in place from the bottom. You can get a good look here at the support for the shelf as well as the computer fan mounted underneath.

This last shot basically shows what the thing will look like from the front (if you can imagine the protective paper on the Plexiglas peeled off and the marquee in place). The speaker grill is installed and matches the vent on the back as well as the chrome colored t-molding and volume knob.

It looks pretty good!

More later.

The Computer Installation II

2008-11-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

After installing the monitor and shelf in place, I made sure to get the computer up and running before putting the rest of the components inside.

After that was finished (and I played around for a while), the next step was making sure the motherboard and power supply fit properly. I placed the motherboard on one side (using PCB feet) and the hard drive on the other (using velcro) and tried installing the vertical shelf.

Unfortunately, my initial attempt didn't work - there wasn't enough room for the power supply and the frontx cables I was planning on using weren't long enough to reach to the back panel with the motherboard ports facing to the right. I ended up having to face the motherboard ports down towards the bottom and move the motherboard off center to the right to make room for the power supply.

I was worried initially that since the ports were facing down and the whole thing was off-center that the fan underneath wouldn't keep things cool but boy was I wrong. After leaving it on for at least 6 hours it was cool as the other side of the pillow in there.

Here is the power supply in place:

More later!

The Computer Installation

2008-11-16T06:00:00.010-05:00

I made some good progress over the weekend. I decided that the shell was far enough along to start cramming all of the computer parts inside. I built a "shelf" above where the speaker bar will go as a starting point for the installation. The plan was to cut a 120mm hole in the middle and mount a computer fan underneath to push air up through the shell and eventually out the vent on top of the back panel. I also wanted to build a vertical shelf to mount the motherboard and hard drive to which will straddle the fan.

This is the vertical shelf - really simple. It is made up of three MDF panels and I cut a semicircle cut out of the bottom:

The next thing I did was install the monitor in place. I used a few screws to secure it to the frame. Space was VERY tight here and I noticed the MDF pulling apart where the screws are so I added a few extra screws for added support (more than shown in the picture).

Also, before attaching the monitor, I installed the black weatherstripping around the monitor opening. This was tricky and ultimately didn't come out as precise as I wanted it to but it is barely noticeable. If I ever build something like this again I'm definitely going to use 1/4" Plexiglas for the front panel so I can route out the channel for the transducer wedge and everything will sit nice and flush. No big deal but since I'm mostly building this on the fly there are a few things I would do differently next time...

The shelf is secured to two 3/4" dowels I glued to the inside of the shell. The vertical shelf will be positioned directly above the fan so the hard drive and motherboard will remain cool while the jukebox is on. Everything else I cram in there will be based off of the placement of these major components.

More later.

More Marquee Thoughts

2008-11-10T06:00:00.017-05:00

Check it out... someone over at BYOAC took a stab at the artwork for me and came up with this:

Now I think we are getting somewhere! I really like it but I had a few comments:

I'd like the black lines around the dial to be a bit thicker
I'm not sure how I feel about the yellow border on the dial
I think I want to see the background in a color other than brown
I might want to change the font on the numbers a bit (maybe make them bold?)
The dial looks a little big - maybe shrink it by 1/2" all the way around?
I want to add a personal touch like "Mfg. by 'my name' 2008" or soemthing like I previously mentioned

So he came up with this:

After seeing this version, I had a couple of comments:

After seeing the "bold" I think I might like the non-bold version better (but still the smaller dial).
I think you can remove the "Mfg. by" font in the middle - it doesn't look quite right.
Is there a way to remove the yellow line that separates the background with the dial?
Is there a way to use the colors from your first design (the yellow on brown) and the black and gray for the background like in the second design? I like the yellow/orange sunburst look like in the original photo.

So then he came up with this:

Now I'm torn. I'm really close to settling on a "final" design but I don't know if this is lacking something...

I still might not like the bold lines and font
I might want the yellow a tad brighter

I'm also thinking about making a vector out of the entire thing since the background gets a bit pixelated when you blow it up to the actual size I need. These are some examples of what the vectorized file looks like:

This is great work!!

Marquee Art (Thoughts)

2008-11-05T06:00:00.003-05:00

I am getting very close to having to decide on some artwork for this project. I can't make up my mind at all. I don't even have a name picked out for this thing yet (not that it has to have one) and I only have some vague "I'll know it when I see it" direction as to what I want the finished marquee to look like. I really like the artwork mountain came up with for his jukebox but since I can't settle on a name I really can't use his idea (for a change).

I am having a hard time dealing with the odd semicircle shape. I think I'm going to have to pick a pattern for the background and have something designed over top of it.

Art ideas I have floating around:

I like the Rock Band 2 artwork
I love Pearl Jam and Radiohead so maybe a very subtle nod to one of them
I want it to be colorful but not too bright (muted/earthy tones)

I don't think this thing even has to have a name written on the marquee if I can find a suitable design for the space. In fact, I think I might prefer his route since it would be somewhat unique.

Anyway, after a couple hours of messing around in microsoft paint(!) I came up with this general idea:

The background is from the rockband.com website and the radio dial is just something I found using a Google Image search. I kind of like it but it definitely needs a lot of work. Ideally I'd like to get a Photoshop expert to make it look more professional (crisper lines) and probably redraw the entire dial with all the numbers (since the pic I snagged isn't a perfect circle by any means). Finally, instead of the random text that you can barely read, I'd like to add a personal touch like maybe "Mfg. by 'my name' © 2008" or something.

It's a start!

Applying Laminate And A HUGE Mistake

2008-11-03T06:00:00.007-05:00

Well this isn't good. I ran into my first potentially major problem over the weekend when I laminated the sides and top of the jukebox shell. This was a tricky process and something I've really never done before so I was a bit nervous throughout the process.

The first thing I did was cut the laminate to roughly an inch oversize on all edges. This allowed for a little bit of play when I lined up the laminate with the jukebox shell because once the glue goes on and you join the two surfaces you don't get a second chance. The bond happens instantly and it is permanent.

Next, I applied glue to both surfaces as evenly as I possibly could with a roller. It is important here to cover the entire surface so there are no places in the laminate that will bubble or separate from the jukebox shell.

After waiting about 30 minutes for the glue to dry it was time to bond the laminate to the shell. I decided to leave the laminate face down on the work bench and start on one side of the shell and kind of roll it upside down and around to the other side. I made sure to press as firmly as I could from the inside of the shell as I went around nice and slow. It is important that the entire surfaces of both the laminate and the shell are in contact with one another. After working all the way around, I used a j-roller and applied some pressure working from the top of the curve down the sides to make extra sure everything was tight.

After I finished, I noticed the laminate wanting to separate at the edges so I tipped the thing on its side, put an MDF panel on top and then 2 cinder blocks for pressure. I was really worried so I let it cure overnight (you are supposed to be able to work with the piece 30 minutes after bonding) and when I removed the cinder blocks the laminate remained bonded to the shell - whew! If only this was the huge mistake...

After letting the glue cure overnight, I used my router and a flush bit to trim away the excess laminate that was hanging over the edges. This is where I ran into trouble. There isn't a flat surface to rest the router on as I went around the curve so I had to just "be careful" which I was except for one spot. Check it out:

I shaved off the protective paper and the thin layer of shiny on the Plexiglas - the scrape is about an inch long so I am definitely going to have to try and sand and polish that area and blend it in to the rest of the front panel. It sucks. I was being careful with the router but I guess I tipped it into the piece instead of away from it and I effed it up.

I'm going to have to try and polish out the scuff similar to how I polished the bevel around the Plexiglas opening. I'm fairly confident I can get it looking OK but I'm not as confident that I can get it to look like the scuff mark was never there. There's really nothing I can do but try and fix it. The picture actually makes it look a lot worse because of the flash.

Anyway, after that happened I stayed about 1/16" away from the front panel with the router and then used a file to get the laminate flush with the Plexiglas front - I should have been doing it like that the entire time - I'm so mad at myself.

Anyway, it's looking pretty good otherwise and I really like how the laminate gives it a nice clean finish.

Tonight I'm going to route the slot for the t-molding around the front and back panels and then try to remove the scuff mark using some high grit sandpaper and the Novus polish system.

More later.

The Back Panel III

2008-10-28T06:00:00.008-04:00

More progress! After getting the 1/8" MDF laminated and rough cut to size I didn't think there was any way that it would turn out nice considering it was chipped and there was glue everywhere. The next step was cutting the panel to its proper size with my router and flush cutting bit.

First, I put some double sided tape around the perimeter of the jukebox shell:

Then, I carefully placed the rough panel on top of the tape making sure that when the overhanging material was removed that there wouldn't be any chip marks showing. The clamps were for added support although they definitely weren't needed - the double stick tape is pretty strong:

Next, I just went around the outside with the router and ended up with the exact shape I wanted! After I had the proper shape, I used a template I had made way back in the beginning of the project for the front panel to cut out the opening for the vent on the top of the back panel (I used double stick tape again). It was easy - the router cuts through the laminate like butter!

You can still see the glob of glue on top that would have to be removed. After that was finished the last thing I did for the night was drill out the hole for the power button in the center of the small semi-circle. I used my step drill bit and widened the hole to 3/4" diameter.

The button looks great and should match the other aluminum accents on the jukebox (speaker grill, t-molding, etc.). Oh, yeah - I was able to remove the glue using my fingers quite easily. I just rubbed it until it came off from the friction. Check it out (don't mind the dust):

Next up for the back panel is cutting the hole for the I/O panel along the bottom which will mirror the speaker grill on the front panel. Then I will install magnets on the inside so the panel will stay in place but remain removable in case I need to get in there for maintenance.

More later!

The Back Panel II

2008-10-27T06:00:00.014-04:00

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!

The Back Panel

2008-10-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about the back panel of the jukebox and I was able to make some progress on it last night. The cold weather is almost here which will limit my time out in the garage with the tools. It is not nearly as complicated as the front panel, which is good.

I am incorporating the the following:

Power button (Vandal)
Ventilation
4 USB ports
Power cord for power supply
Ethernet port (for going online)
Headphone jack
Audio out ports (for connecting to home theater)

The trickiest part about this panel is that it has to be removable... or at least I need to be able to access the inside for maintenance. I do not want there to be any visible screws on the back panel so I am thinking about using magnets but we will see about that.

The panel will be made out of 1/8" hardboard and covered with Formica laminate. The back panel cannot be any thicker than this or else I will not be able to add t-molding around the top edge while still allowing for the panel to be removed. The layout will mirror the front panel with the power button going where the volume knob is and the vent being where the marquee is. This should give you an idea of how it will look (not even close to scale):

The holes for the ports on the bottom are going to be cut out of a 1mm thick metal panel in a rectangular shape mirroring the speaker cutout on the front panel. The ports on the motherboard are going to be extended to these holes using some cables from frontx.com.

This is a more detailed layout of the I/O panel:

I will start explaining the construction in the next post.

The Speaker Grill

2008-10-17T06:00:00.002-04:00

While I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the laminate I ordered I thought I'd try to get a few smaller things out of the way. I cannot make the back panel or finish the shell without the laminate! The first thing up on the list was figuring out how to cover the speaker opening. I didn't take any specific set of speakers into consideration when I designed this thing - I just thought I'd figure it out when I got that far.... well, now it's time to figure it out.

I decided to use some speaker cloth (available at partsexpress) and some perforated aluminum (available at mcmastercarr) to hide the speaker. The aluminum should tie in nicely to the volume knob and the chrome t-molding I will be wrapping the edges of the case with.

The first thing I did was buy some 1/4" square dowels from Home Depot - I wanted 1/8" but this was the smallest they had. I used the dowels to make a frame slightly smaller than the area routed out behind the speaker opening.

I clamped the cut pieces for about an hour until the glue felt like it would hold.

Once that was finished I sprayed it black just to make sure it wouldn't show at all through the speaker cloth and perforated metal.

Next, I cut out a piece of perforated aluminum to cover the frame.

Finally, I cut out a piece of speaker cloth a bit oversized to wrap the frame. This was a bit tough to figure out but maybe I'm slow. I got some white Elmer's Glue and put a bead around the frame. Then I laid the frame on top of the cloth on a flat surface with a piece of saran wrap underneath so the glue wouldn't stick to the table.

After the glue dried I used a razor to remove the excess material around the edges and I ended up with something like this:

The final step is going to be securing everything behind the Plexiglas in the cabinet. I have a bit more to do before I'm ready to permanently install it but here are a few pictures of what it is going to look like:

I am pretty happy with how everything came out. This was kind of a pain to do - I was expecting it to be an hour tops but I had trouble cutting the perforated metal accurately (third time was a charm).

More later.

Gluing the Front Panel to the Shell

2008-10-08T06:00:00.007-04:00

Well here we are... after about 2 months of working on the front panel it was finally time to glue it to the shell. This took much longer than I thought it would since I had to remove some extra material around where the monitor opening was so that the monitor would be able to fit in there.

I placed the panel on top and then just used a pencil to outline where I needed to cut. You can see the pencil marks in the next two pictures. I wasn't too worried about making a nice straight line or the cleanest cut since it will all be hidden.

Once I had everything laid out I just used my jigsaw and router (freehand!) to cut as close to the line as possible. The one thing I definitely didn't want to do was cut through the side or something and ruin the shell!

Once the shell was cut properly, I carefully lined everything up and then actually tried installing the monitor. It was a good thing that I did. There were two metal brackets which did not affect the installation into the front panel (I didn't have to account for them) but they would definitely be in the way once the front panel was glued to the shell. I measured the brackets and removed a little bit more material.

Finally, using some wood glue, some clamps and a cinder block I attached the front panel to the shell and let it dry overnight. There's no turning back now!

Lining everything up was tricky. Since there was about 3(!) months between making the shell and cutting the front panel to actually gluing the front panel in place it didn't line up perfect. I think I am splitting hairs though because you can only notice when you rub your finger over the edge. The laminate should go on evenly though (I hope!).

Here are a couple of interior shots so you can see what a mess it is in there. In the bottom left hand corner of the second picture you can see the additional notch I had to cut for the monitor's mounting bracket. I'm really glad I checked before gluing!

Finally, here are some shots of the front panel glued to the shell. It's funny - this thing looks almost exactly like it did 2 months ago!

As soon as the laminate arrives from Home Depot I will glue it to the top/sides - it should be in any day now. In the mean time I am going to start setting up the computer and configuring the software. I think I've turned the corner and I'm past the 1/2 way point now!

More later.

The Volume Knob

2008-10-06T06:00:00.007-04:00

I am going to be using a Griffin PowerMate USB knob to control the volume on the jukebox. It will be mounted on the center of the front face in between the touchscreen and the marquee. Here is what it looks like:

I am really only interested in the aluminum knob (and not the base where the blue LED is located) as well as the circuit board on the inside. As you can see from this picture, there is not much to the volume knob and it is actually quite small without the casing:

In order to remove the guts I had to kind of rip apart the knob and I'm going to have to solder a new USB cable to the 4 connector points on the circuit board. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

The circuit board is going to fit in the hole I drilled out behind the Plexiglas in a previous post. I am going to have to drill out the Plexiglas a little more for the axle to fit through. In addition, in order to get the knob to lay properly I had to create a 1/8" spacer which I made out of some scrap black Plexiglas.

The first thing I did was find a spare washer that was slightly smaller than the diameter of the volume knob and glue it to some scrap Plexiglas (with the protective paper still on) using some contact cement. Next, I used a hacksaw to cut the Plexiglas as close to the washer as I could and then I sanded it down with some 100 grit sandpaper until the Plexiglas was the same size as the washer. The washer basically acted like a stop for the sandpaper.

Once I was finished sanding, I was able to remove the washer from the Plexiglas with a utility knife. The protective paper came right off. Before calling the spacer "finished" I had to drill a small hole for the volume knob's keyway to fit in otherwise the bottom of the spacer would not be able to lie flush with the top of the circuit board.

You can see why I had to drill the second hole in the next shot. It was easy to lay out - I put the spacer in place before drilling the second hole and then rubbed it back and forth against the keyway - then I just centered my drill bit where the scratch was made and the hole came out perfect.

The next step will be drilling out the Plexiglas on the front panel and using some acrylic glue to bond the spacer to the front. I am going to do a few other things in the mean time though - I need the front of the jukebox to remain flat in order to cut the t-molding slots (among other things). This is what is will look like once it is installed though:

As you can see in the final shot below, once the volume knob is in place, it will be raised by about 1/16" off of the Plexiglas on the front panel which will allow it to turn without rubbing. Perfect!

More later!

Marquee Template

2008-10-04T06:00:00.005-04:00

Not much progress today. I decided that before gluing the front panel to the shell I should make the template for the marquee.... so that's what I did. It wasn't too bad but it definitely didn't come out perfect - good thing it doesn't have to be.

I measured the opening behind the black Plexiglas the best I could and cut out the shape with my router and circle cutting jig. I had to do quite a bit of sanding to get it to fit properly which is why I said it's not perfect.

I added the pencil line after putting the template in place and tracing around the opening. This is the outline of the visible part of the artwork - the only concern is making sure that the artwork is lined up before installing it.

More later.

Polishing the Bevel

2008-10-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

I spent some time polishing the beveled edge of the Plexiglas around each of the three openings so it would match the front surface once the protective paper was removed (I can't wait for that!). This actually took quite a bit of time and I ended up breaking the task up into 3 separate nights. Setting the schedule of "one opening a night" allowed me to take my time and get the results I wanted. Whenever I try to do something like this in one sitting I end up rushing it towards the end and mess it up.

Check out the results! Shiny!

The first thing I did was cut all of the sandpaper into 1"x2" rectangles and put them in separate ziplock bags to keep things organized. I used 400 grit, 600 grit, 1000 grit and 1500 grit sandpaper for this process. Using the smaller pieces gives me better control and allows me to go slowly.

I started off with 400 grit sandpaper to smooth out the pits left behind by the chamfer bit. I sanded in long slow strokes using the tips of my fingers trying to keep the sandpaper flat against the edge. It was tricky but managable. Once I got it smooth and there were no visible pits left behind, I switched to the 600 grit sandpaper followed by the 1000 grit sandpaper and finally the 1500 grit sandpaper repeating the process each time. After the sanding was finished, I used the Novus 3-step polish system to really make it shine.

Here is an odd shot of the bottom of the monitor opening as well as the speaker opening:

Here is a "before" and "after" shot of the bevel around the volume knob. You can really see here how much better it looks after sanding and polishing it:

Even though I spent 2+ hours a night for three nights do do this it was totally worth it - I love the results! Next up is gluing the front panel to the shell!

Behind The Front Panel VII

2008-09-17T06:00:00.008-04:00

After mounting the monitor, the last thing left to do was take care of the volume knob area. I cut the circle out behind the volume knob where the circuit board of the Griffin PowerMate will be installed using my drill and a foerstner bit. I also managed to remove 1/8" of material around the top of volume knob using the circle cutting jig.

I'm a little nervous about how everything is going to fit together. The cutout for the circuit board intrudes on where the monitor will sit as you can see. I cut the hole 1/8" oversized and the area for the monitor may be a bit oversized too so hopefully there is room for everything but it is going to be tight. I guess I'll know more when I actually try to stuff everything in there.

Well, that's it for this thing - finally. Time to start the back panel! I've got a couple of cool ideas for it but it shouldn't take nearly as long as the front panel did (I hope)...

Behind The Front Panel VI

2008-09-16T06:00:00.010-04:00

After countless hours of tedious work the monitor mount is finally complete! I was able to remove the remaining material behind the Plexiglas so the monitor would lie flush (well, offset by 1/8"). It is now ready to be installed!

This was by far the most complicated thing I've ever had to figure out on any project. After I finished routing out the material so the touchscreen glass would fit into the rectangular hole, I traced the irregular shape of the outside of the touchscreen. Then I had to freehand with the router to remove more material (leaving the 1/8" for the glass to sit on). Once that was done I had to roughly figure out where the Transducer Wedge would sit and remove additional material down to the Plexiglas.

Check it out:

The strip of exposed Plexiglas you can see on the side and bottom is where the Transducer Wedge will sit. Here are some rear shots of the monitor mounted into place. I had to remove 1/16" of additional material along the top and bottom for the mounting brackets.

Yeah - it's kind of overkill but the more pictures the better I guess. It helps me to see things from all angles. Here is a closeup of the side with the wire sticking out. My wife thought I messed up the cut when I showed her the back panel without the monitor in there!

Here is a good shot so you can see just how thin the monitor is. There should be plenty of room in the jukebox shell for the computer components and adequate airflow/ventilation.

Finally, here are some shots of the screen installed! There is a 1/8" gap between the monitor glass and the Plexiglas which will be filled with some black foam weatherstripping when it comes time to install the monitor permanently.

The next step is to remove the material around the volume knob area as well as bore a hole for the volume knob circuit board and a through hole for the shaft of the knob itself. Then I'll spend some time polishing the beveled edges of the Plexiglas with some sandpaper and Novus polish. Finally, I can glue the front panel to the shell!

Behind The Front Panel V

2008-09-12T06:00:00.007-04:00

Well, I'm getting there. Last night I removed quite a bit of material from the back of the front panel. This was done so the monitor will be able to sit almost flush with the Plexiglas. I say almost because of the 1/8" space needed for the "Transducer Wedge" on the front of the monitor.

This process was really no different than what I have been doing to remove the material behind the Plexiglas. I measured the distance from the edge of the monitor picture to the edge of the glass on all 4 sides (with the monitor on, of course). Then I laid out the lines, set up my router and a straight edge and cut out the rectangle so the glass would sit in the routed area.

Check it out - I am getting tired of photographing this thing!

These close-ups give you an idea of how I am setting the router at different depths to get the screen positioned as close to perfect as I can. I should also note that the cutouts here are not symmetrical. As you can see, I left 1/8" of material for the screen (glass) to rest on because I have to compensate for the "Transducer Wedge" located on the bottom left side of the monitor.

The red area I circled shows the Transducer Wedge - it sticks up approximately 1/8" from the glass. I am going to have to route down to the Plexiglas in this corner in order for the monitor to sit as close to flush as possible. The wedge will be against the Plexiglas and the 1/8" of MDF remaining will provide support.

Finally, I couldn't resist placing the screen behind the front panel and putting the volume knob in place for a quick picture. This gives you a really good idea of what I am striving for.

The next step, with the monitor in place, is to trace around the edges with a pencil. There are a lot of weird shaped wires and stuff that stick out on all 4 sides. Once that is done I'll freehand with the router until I am able to fit the entire monitor into the routed area. Finally, I'll trace the tabs that are on each side which hold the screws that will secure the monitor in place so I can route out a shallow area where they can sit.

I anticipate the monitor mount being completely finished by Saturday night! Now I can start thinking about artwork for the marquee area above the volume knob... and start trying to find a Photoshop expert to help me out!

Behind The Front Panel IV

2008-09-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

I made a bit more progress last night. I managed to remove 3/16" of material around the speaker opening. This should allow me enough room to put an aluminum grill in front of some speaker cloth right up against the Plexiglas.

My goal this week was to have the front panel completely finished and glued to the shell but I still have a lot to do.

remove material behind monitor opening to mount monitor flush
remove material behind volume knob
remove material around top of volume knob
cut speaker grill and install
cut speaker fabric/material and install behind grill.
cut marquee pattern out of 1/4" MDF
polish edges of marquee, monitor and speaker openings

It's almost overwhelming. I can't believe how long it takes. I'm hopeful that once I am finished the rest of the project will come together quickly.

Behind The Front Panel III

2008-09-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

Well... not much progress tonight even though I spent about 2 hours working on it. I used my razor to clean up the contact cement and the thin layer of MDF that was left on the Plexiglas after routing around the monitor opening. It is obviously quite time consuming. The contact cement is kind of rubbery and didn't want to come off unless I painstakingly picked at it with the razor.

Tomorrow I will remove 1/8" of material around the speaker opening. This should allow me enough room to put an aluminum grill in front of some speaker cloth right up against the Plexiglas. After that is finished I can finally mount the monitor into final position!!!

Behind The Front Panel II

2008-09-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last night was productive... I guess. It is going very very slow. I was able to remove 3/8" of material behind the Plexiglas all the way around the monitor opening. This 3/8" strip is for the black foam tape/weatherstripping which will be installed to bridge the 1/8" gap between the monitor glass and the Plexiglas bezel. The monitor cannot lie flush with the Plexiglas because of the 1/8" tall "Transducer Wedge" (basically some wires) mounted on top of the glass which is what makes the touchscreen work properly.

These diagrams from the touchscreen manufacturer should give you an idea what I'm dealing with:

I will be doing pretty much what is shown in the last two pictures on the right. I cannot believe how much work is involved in mounting the touchscreen properly! I hope I can have it finished by the end of the week...

Behind the Front Panel

2008-08-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Things are about to get interesting. Since the front of the, um... front panel is more or less complete, I can now turn my attention to mounting everything to it from behind. This will require a bit of routing on the back of the panel to allow everything to sit flush with the Plexiglas. I have to route out material around each of the monitor, marquee and speaker openings.

The first thing I did was build a jig to hold the panel in place and also give me more surface area to rest the base of the router on. I need to have a steady hand for this part because the cuts must be precise.

Once everything was set up I laid out the areas where I would be removing material. I want to be accurate but it is more important that the final depth of my router bit is set at exactly the thickness of the MDF (1/2"). I wanted to remove all of the material on top of the plexiglass but I do not want to chip it. The first area I decided to finish was the marquee opening. I busted out my trusty circle jig and carefully removed 1/8" of material around the top edge. The only thing I didn't get to is the area around the volume knob - I'll do that later.

If you look close you can see the exposed Plexiglas area. I had to use a razor blade to scrape away a thin layer of MDF on top of the Plexiglas which took quite some time.

This is just the first of many steps to get this panel ready to be attached to the jukebox shell... stay tuned.

Front Panel: Return of the Template VI

2008-08-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

Last night I didn't get much done other than putting a 45 degree bevel on the edges of the black Plexiglas. I used my router again and a chamfering bit and just ran the ball bearing around the interior openings. This is purely for decorative purposes. Eventually, I will have to sand and polish the beveled edge using some high grit sandpaper and the Novus 3 step polishing system to get rid of all the scuff marks left by the router bit.

Over the next few days I am going to concentrate on mounting the monitor into final position and gluing the front panel to the shell. This is going to take some time and patience because I have to remove material around the edges down to the Plexiglas to get the screen to sit as flush as possible (there will be a 1/8" gap because of the protruding wires, which I will eventually fill with black foam) and then I have to remove additional material for the mounting brackets. The goal is to have the screen mounted by the end of the weekend... stay tuned.

Front Panel: Return of the Template V

2008-08-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Since the plexiglass is now glued to the front of the MDF template I was able to cut it to final size using my flush cutting bit and my router. The ball bearing on the bottom rides along the edges of the panel and the bit cuts through the plexiglass like butter. Here is a shot of how it works:

I had a harder time than I thought I would setting everything up and I had to switch bits in my router to cut out the interior areas (I tried starting with a drill bit and I chipped the plexi and almost had a heart attack!).

The front panel is looking pretty good now - the lines are clean and everything is symmetrical. The rounded corners are a nice touch too, IMO.

The next step is to repeat this process using a chamfering bit to put a 45 degree bevel on the edge. Too bad I can't remove the protective sticker until construction is finished - I'm anxious to see what it looks like!

Front Panel: Return of the Template IV

2008-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here's where it starts to get fun - I actually get to work with a material other than MDF! I glued the black plexiglass (using contact cement) to the front panel. I ordered from US Plastics and it arrived in the mail 2 days later well packaged and in great condition. It was $21.00 for the sheet. It comes with a protective layer of paper on both sides. The first thing I did was trace the shape of the panel onto the plexiglass.

Next, I used a razor to score just outside of the lines and then I removed the paper covering to exposed the plexiglass. Before applying any glue I made sure to rough up the surface of the plexiglass with some 100 grit sandpaper to give the glue something to hold on to.

The directions on the can of contact cement said to wait 15-20 minutes after applying the glue before sticking it together but that seemed WAY too long of a time (it dried pretty quick). I ended up applying a second coat of glue. I put two sheets of MDF on top and then two cinder blocks on top of that for some downward pressure.

It appears to have dried OK but after doing a bit more research I should have waited the 15 minutes. Apparently, the glue actually does dry and then bonds to the other surface when they are attached since you coat both surfaces. This info will come in handy when I laminate the outer shell.

The next step is to trim the plexiglass to the exact size of the MDF template using a 1/2" flush trimming bit. Because the bit has a 1/2" diameter ball bearing it is going to leave a 1/4" radius rounded corner which is exactly what I want. I am getting nervous though because I have about 8 hours invested in this piece and I really don't want to mess it up.

Front Panel: Return of the Template III

2008-08-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last night I was able to cut the openings for the monitor and the speakers to final dimensions. I used a 3/4" pattern bit (for most of it) with the router and ran the ball bearing along a straightedge.

This was quite tricky to accomplish. There wasn't much room to clamp down the straight edge so I had to get creative. Check out this clamping nightmare:

Also, there were a total of 6 passes to make and right in the middle of cut #4 my router bit basically exploded. I am lucky that I didn't get hurt and also that the router did not cut into the panel and ruin it which could have easily happened. The ball bearing casing just gave out - the bit is a few years old but it was still cutting well. Check it out:

I had to flip everything upsidedown and use a flush cutting but to finish it up (the ball bearing is underneath the bit).

After I finished the edges, I cleaned up the corners using a Japanese hand saw and some sandpaper. Finally, I went over the interior edges of the entire panel with some sandpaper to make sure everything was exactly flat with no noticeable bumps in the corners or anything. This panel will be exactly what the black plexiglass looks like when it is cut so everything has to be as perfect as possible.

I'm making progress even though it is slow going. Tonight I'll be gluing the plexiglass to the front panel!

Front Panel: Return of the Template II

2008-08-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Not much progress today. I rough cut the openings for the monitor and the speakers. With the tools I have it took me a while to figure out how I'm going to cut each of these openings with 1/4" radius corners. I think I've worked it out - we shall see tomorrow when I try to clean this mess up.

More updates tomorrow.

Front Panel: Return of the Template

2008-08-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Here's where it starts to get fun (sort of - more on that in a bit)! I finally got my hands on a Griffin Powermate (which will control the volume of the jukebox once it is up and running) so I was able to take the measurement of the knob [1-11/16"] and make sure the openings for the marquee, monitor and speakers were laid out properly.

This part of the project is very very complicated. Not only do I have to cut out the openings but after I use the template to cut the 1/8" black plexiglass (which will be the front face of the jukebox), I have to remove additional material behind the openings in order for the monitor, marquee and speakers to fit. This is going to be especially tricky for the monitor because the mounting brackets are at a different height so I'll have to set the depth of my router to be as precise as possible.

The first section to cut out must be the curved marquee opening. In order to cut out the curves perfectly you need a pivot point for the circle cutting jig to turn on. If you cut out the monitor opening first there won't be any place for the pivot point!

In order to cut this opening accurately, I use my router, a 1/2" dado bit, a straight edge and my circle jig. It was quite complicated to set everything up and I had to make 4 passes with the dado bit removing about 1/8" at a time to cut through the 1/2" MDF.

I really like working out in the garage with the radio on or whatever but I was at the end of my rope the past two nights. I messed this up on my first try - I couldn't seem to control the router properly. I lost about 4 hours worth of work from Friday night that I had to make up today.

Here is what the panel looks like attached to shell. Pretty cool!

Tomorrow I'll cut the remaining openings which should be a bit easier since they are just two rectangles. Still, I have to be extra careful because I don't want to have to do all this over again!

Making It Pretty

2008-08-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Nothing major to report - last night I was able to clean up the edges that I had rough cut yesterday. I used my router, a straight edge and a pattern bit to make the edges straight. I used a Japanese hand saw to square up the corners. The whole process took less than an hour.

Now the shell is complete and I can start thinking about cutting the front panel and squeezing everything inside.

Hollowing It Out

2008-08-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Now I'm getting somewhere!

Since the circle jig is finally complete I was able to remove most of the material in the jukebox leaving only the shell. I used the jig to cut out the arcs on the top of both the front and back panels. I also unscrewed the bottom panel and the interior spacers. It probably weighs less than a quarter of what it did before (it's light!). So far I just made rough cuts with the jigsaw - I will clean it up tonight and make it pretty.

Pointless picture overload:

I did have a concern about whether the shape would hold once all of the material was removed but it does not seem to be an issue. Still, I'd like to get that front panel on as soon as possible just in case...

Front Panel To-Do List

2008-08-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

After a few weeks of inactivity on this project it's time to get back to work! I didn't finish what I set out to do in Week 2 since I ended up making the circle cutting jig instead of actually cutting out the front panel. I hope this week is a bit more productive. The steps for Week 3 are as follows:

Hollow Out Shell
- unscrew bottom panel and interior spacers
- using the circle jig, remove material on front and back
- clean up lines with router and pattern bit

Finalize Front Panel Layout
- screen measurement (11-15/16" wide by 8-15/16" tall)
- volume knob measurement (1-11/16" diameter)
- remember to leave room for mounting brackets behind panel
- remember to provide for 1/8" lip for speaker grill behind panel

Cut Out Front Panel
- use 1/4" cutting bit with plunge router base for starter holes
- remember to punch pilot holes first
- use flush bit and straight edge for clean-up

Cut Out Plexiglass Panel
- glue black plexiglass to front panel template
- using the front panel template panel as a guide, cut out black plexiglass to size with router
- add 45 degree bevel to inside edges with router

This is actually quite a lot of work even though it doesn't seem like it so I will be very happy if I can get this stuff done this week.

Circle Jig: Plans

2008-07-28T09:00:00.002-04:00

At the request of a few people, I measured this thing so others could easily replicate it. This is by no means a definitive way of making this jig. The main thing is to make sure the larger circle is bigger than the base of your router and go from there.

Anyway, here are the plans:

I'm just about finished!

Circle Jig: Part 5 (Finished!)

2008-07-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

After way too much time working on this thing I am finally ready to start cutting some circles! The circle jig is complete. The last step was to drill a hole in the sliding block for the nail which acts as the pivot pin. Drilling the hole was difficult without a drill press. I bought a drill guide but it was totally useless.

After finishing the jig I had to test it out. First, I drilled a 1/8" hole in a piece of scrap MDF for the pivot pin which acts as the center of the circle.

After placing the pivot pin in the center hole, I laid the jig on top and adjusted the radius of the circle until I had the size I wanted. Then I tightened the screw to keep the sliding block in place.

Next, I turned the router on and plunged the bit into the work piece. Finally, with one hand on the router and the other hand on the jig near the pivot pin to keep everything in place, I used the jig to cut out a circle!

Easy! Now I can get back to working on my jukebox - it's about time!

Circle Jig: Part 4

2008-07-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

One of the last things to for this jig was to manufacture the sliding mechanism for adjusting the radius of circles I'll be able to cut. I cut a small block out of MDF which fits in the large slot and lays flush on the bottom of the jig. I had to do a bit of sanding to get it to fit in there properly - I didn't want it to be too loose in there - a snug fit works best. As you can see from these two pictures, the block slides up and down the channel on the bottom of the jig.

With the block in place, I drew some lines on it through the smaller 1/4" opening from the top of the jig so I would know where to place the screw I will use for locking the block in place. It's not exactly centered but it doesn't have to be (although you should aim for that if you decide to build one of these yourself).

The next step was to drill a hole in the area I just laid out. This will be for the locking mechanism which is just a screw on the top and a tee nut on the bottom.

Next, I flipped the block over and used a foerstner bit to countersink the tee-nut so it is flush with the bottom (or even a little recessed). I had to tap it in pretty hard with the hammer.

As you can now see, the screw goes in the tee nut through the top of the jig and locks the sliding block into place. So when I'm using this thing all I have to do is measure the distance from whatever router bit I'm using to the center of the pin and that will be the radius of the circle. Easy!

This shot from my last post shows the (almost) completed jig. I cut out a handle of sorts to help me slide the block up and down the jig as well as enable me to lock it into place.

Here is a random shot of some of the supplies I used in case anyone is interested:

I'm almost done. The final step is just to drill a hole in the block for a #10 nail which will act as the pivot pin. Unfortunately, I don't have a drill press and it is imperative that this hole be exactly perpendicular. Any deviation will throw off the radius of any circles I try to cut! I think I figured out how to drill the hole but that will have to wait until tonight and then I can test it out!

Circle Jig: Part 3

2008-07-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

The next step for this jig is to drill holes in the circular section so I can secure the router in place. The placement of these holes depends on the location of the screws on the router's base plate. It was actually pretty easy to do.

First, I removed the plate from the base of my router's plunge base. Then I clamped it into place with come spring clamps. I just eyeballed the location here. Next I drilled three holes all the way through the material for the three screws which will hold the router in place.

Next, I drilled out around the holes using a foerstner bit - this provides room for the screw heads so the base can lie flush with whatever you are routing. Also, the MDF is considerably thicker than the plastic base plate so I had to drill down about 3/8" in order for the screws to have enough length to poke out of the bottom and grab onto the router. Go slow on this part and remove a little material at a time and check the screw position. When you are satisfied that there is enough of the screw sticking out of the MDF to grab onto the router you can stop drilling down. Make sure not to go too deep. Repeat this for all three holes.

That's all there is to securing the router in place. It's pretty easy if you have the right tools (isn't everything?). Anyway, here are some shots of the router secured in place as well as a sneak peek of the sliding mechanism for adjusting the diameter of the circles which I will explain next.

One more step and this thing is finally finished!

Circle Jig: Part 2

2008-07-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

The next step was to cut the 1/4" slot for the smaller panel. This was a bit tricky to set up with my router due to the small surface area of the panel but I managed to figure it out.

After that was done I glued it to the larger panel. The brown board in the middle is a spacer to make sure the groove stays at 1/4" wide during the glue-up.

Next, once the glue dried I used my router and a round-over bit to smooth over the edges of the jig (purely for decorative purposes).

The final steps will be fabricating the center block with the knob and pin which will slid in the groove. Then I'll drill the holes for mounting the router.

Circle Jig: Part 1

2008-07-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been avoiding this for quite some time but it's now necessary for me to build a circle cutting jig for my router. Tonight I got about 1/2 way finished with it. I am trying to make something similar to what mountain over at BYOAC made.

The first thing I did was lay out the pattern I thought would work.

Then using a combination of my jigsaw and router with flush cutting bit and a straight edge I cut out the shape. Finally, I cut out a second piece about half the size using my pattern cutting bit.

This last pic shows how the two pieces will fit together.

I am going to add a block with a pin sticking out which will slide up and down along the center groove I cut out. The smaller piece will also have a groove cut out but just wide enough for the pin to move up and down. The block will also have a knob on it to tighten the pin into place. The router goes on the circular end with the bit fitting through the center hole. The entire thing will pivot on the pin.

I'm thinking I'll also have to build a makeshift router table at some point too. I'll probably post details of that as well...

Front Panel: Even More of the Template

2008-07-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

I spent about 2 more hours planning and laying out the front panel tonight. It has been difficult getting the "right" proportions. This thing is going to be extremely tight on the inside! I think I've come up with a suitable layout though. I'm not sure if you can see the lines but here's a shot of the front panel all laid out:

The trick was to get a somewhat uniform layout and still have room on the front to include everything. The back of the panel is where all of the clutter is going to be because the monitor and volume knob actually take up more surface area back there due to the mounting screws and other stuff. As I get further along you will see what I mean.

The speaker area is going to be a little tight but I'm planning to use one of those long speaker bars that usually plug into an LCD monitor or something. I will also be putting an "audio out" port on the back so if I want to get some really nice sound I'll be able to hook it up to a receiver.

I'm still waiting on the Griffin Powermate to arrive and I don't want to actually cut the front panel until it gets here so I can be sure my measurements are accurate. I haven't been able to find the diameter of the knob. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow.

Front Panel: More of the Template

2008-07-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Wow was it hot this past weekend! I didn't get much done other than some measuring and planning because I couldn't work on this thing for more than 15 minutes due to the heat. I was at the Yankee game on Saturday and it was miserable (at least they won but I was home on my couch by the time the game was over!).

Anyway, now that I have the general shape of the front panel, it is time to lay out the three openings for the marquee, monitor and the speakers. This is going to be very difficult to cut out since the top opening has two curves which must be precise. The general layout will look something like what you see to the left. The semi-circle in the middle that is not getting cut out is where the volume knob will go.

The usable touchscreen area of the monitor is 11-15/16" wide by 8-15/16" tall. The 11-15/16" dimension will define the width of the side borders which will be 2-1/32" wide each (the width of the panel is 16"). Now I have to decide how thick I want the borders to be on top of the curve, between the marquee and monitor, between the monitor and speakers and between the speakers and the bottom edge to make the overall layout pleasing to the eye.

Once the Griffin Powermate arrives I can measure the knob and add about 3/4" or so around the outside and lay out that section as well. I am anxious to continue working on this thing and I'm really going to push to get the front panel complete this week.

Testing the Monitor

2008-07-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Last night I really wanted to get started with laying out the front panel. All of the dimensions are going to be based on the area of the lit part of the monitor so I had to fire it up - to make some measurements, of course! After I installed the drivers I just hooked it up as a second monitor to my laptop - I can't wipe the smile off of my face.

I've never played with one of these things before and it is so freaking cool. I was messing around in iTunes and I can see how these things are perfect for jukeboxes. Your finger works just like a mouse and it is quite accurate. I was able to easily control iTunes with just my finger! I'm actually debating now whether I should install a wireless card for Internet access - it would make it easy to get album art and stuff.

Anyway, I got the measurements I needed - 11-15/16" wide by 8-15/16" tall. This is how big the hole on the front panel needs to be. I am going to lay out everything next and begin cutting!

The Touchscreen Monitor Has Arrived!

2008-07-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last night when I got home from work I had two packages waiting for me - the 1/8" black plexiglass I will be using for the front of the jukebox and, more importantly, the touchscreen monitor! I ordered it off of eBay for $103 shipped - a very good price, I think.

Anyway, upon opening the box this is what was inside:

The screen was well protected and shipped in a large box.

There were a few fingerprints and smudges on the screen which was to be expected but there are no scratches that I could see.

I do have one problem to deal with though and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. The picture below is a close up of the corner of the monitor. The part that I circled is a wire that is attached to the glass which sits about 1/8" off of the top. I want the 1/8" black plexiglass to sit flush with the glass of the monitor but with this wire in the way that is not possible. I'm not sure what I am going to do about this. Worst case scenario is that the monitor won't be flush with the plexiglass but I hope I can think of a better solution.

The next step is to plug in the monitor to make sure it works but more importantly I want to get the exact dimensions of the screen when it is turned on so I can lay out the front panel.

Front Panel: Template

2008-07-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

After working on the front template tonight I realized this part is going to take quite a bit of time. I did manage to cut out the general shape of the front in less than an hour though.

First, I traced the shape of the front of the jukebox onto some 1/2" MDF and rough cut it out with my jigsaw staying about 1/8" wide of the line.

Next, I screwed the panel down to prepare to route the panel to size. I am not worried about leaving holes in the jukebox because the material will eventually be removed (more on that much later).

After the piece was secured in place I used my router and flush cutting bit to make the 1/2" MDF panel exactly the right size.

Finally, I removed the newly cut panel.

Now I'm ready to lay out the hole openings for the marquee, monitor and speakers. Unfortunately, the monitor hasn't arrived in the mail yet and I need that to start. Hopefully I can continue working on this tomorrow...

Slow and Steady

2008-07-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

I'd call the first week of work on this thing a success. So far I've cut out the template for the general shape of the jukebox, made the bottom panel and interior spacers and wrapped the front and back panels with two layers of 1/8" hardboard. At this point you can begin to see what the final product will look like.

This week's goals are as follows:

Night 1: New Front Template
The front panel of the jukebox is going to be made out of 1/8" black plexiglass. In order to cut the plexiglass to the proper shape I have to make a template out of 1/2" MDF. Now that I know the final shape of the jukebox I can use my router and a flush cutting bit to make the front template. This template will have three interior holes which must also be cut precise - one for the monitor, one for the marquee and one for the speakers.

Night 2: More of the New Front Template
Realistically, cutting out this template is going to take 2 nights and possibly 3 - there are a lot of tricky cuts and everything must be perfect. On the second night I'm going to focus on cutting out the three holes mentioned above.

Night 3: Cutting the Plexiglass
Finally, after getting the template made, I'll cut the black plexiglass to final dimensions. After the plexiglass is cut, I'll also put a 45 degree bevel on all of the interior edges for decorative purposes. That might be it for this week but I'll keep going if I finish all this stuff early!

More of the Curved Panel

2008-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

After flush cutting the curved panel it was time to add another 1/8" layer to the curve to get to the final 1/4" thickness. This process is identical to what I did last night only this time I have a lot more surface to glue to. I can also use my two band clamps to help keep everything nice and flat.

Before starting, I decided to rough up the surface of the hardboard with some 100 grit sandpaper so the glue will have something to grab on to. I'm hoping the glue holds over time but so far so good...

The Curved Panel: Trim

2008-07-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

After letting the glue set overnight now comes the moment of truth... would the curved panel spring back or would the bond from the wood glue be enough to hold it in place? The clamps are off and so far so good!

Now comes the tricky part - removing the excess material that overhangs the edges. Normally this is an easy task with a flush trim bit and a router, however, going over the curve is going to be difficult. I have to clamp the jukebox in place and then go around the curve ever so slightly. The router base will not be laying flat.

Success! Check it out - it is really starting to take shape:

Tonight I'm going to glue the second 1/8" layer so by tomorrow afternoon the shell should be complete!

The Curved Panel

2008-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today I went to Home Depot and bought some 1/8" hardboard. It is bendable but it clearly wasn't made to be bent. I also picked up some extra spring clamps to help me with the glue-up. They were only $0.99 each!

Once the interior pieces were cut I was able to screw everything together to get the general shape of the jukebox. I'm using screws here because once the glue dries from attaching the curved panel I'll be removing the bottom and the interior spacers.

Next I attached the hardboard panel and I was praying that it would bend along the curve without breaking (or putting a serious amount of tension on it). It seems OK so far...

This forms the sides and top of the jukebox - now we are getting somewhere! I'm actually using two 1/8" sheets so the final thickness of the top and side panels will be 1/4" to give it a little more strength. In order to hold everything in place while the glue dries I can finally use those holes I cut out in the front and back panels last night.

Not bad. Once the glue dries I'll use my router and flush bit to even everything out and then glue the second layer of 1/8" material giving me a 1/4" thickness on the curved panel.

Bottom Panel and Spacers

2008-07-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Not much progress today... making the bottom panel and spacers took way longer than I thought it would. I made each panel 9-1/2"x15-1/2" (the exact size of the base) but after I cut them out I couldn't figure out how to line everything up perfectly to screw together. The front and back panels have to be EXACTLY opposite each other. This is critical and there is no room for error. I'm going to sleep on it and hopefully a solution will present itself tomorrow.

Here's what I've got going on right now:

Front and Back Panels

2008-07-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Now that I had a pretty good template, the next step was to use it to make two identical panels. First, I traced the template with a pencil onto 3/4" MDF and cut the panels out with my jigsaw staying about 1/8" outside the line. It is important here to trace ALL sides of the template (don't line up one edge with the straight edge of your MDF). This will ensure that both pieces are identical.

Next, I clamped the template to the top of each of the panels I just cut out and used my router and a pattern bit to make two exact copies of the template. These panels will eventually be the frame for the front and back of the jukebox.

Finally, I cut out eleven (!) 2" holes close to the edge of the front and back panels (what a pain) - these holes will be used for clamping purposes (this will make sense eventually). Next step is making this thing 3D!

Crap.

2008-07-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

I just realized something that might be a problem down the road... the outside length of the template (the sides plus the curved top) is approximately 52". The standard length for a 1/2 sheet of MDF and other stuff is 48". This means I might have to order a 4'x8' full sheet of laminate and 1/8" MDF for when I wrap the template to make the sides and top of the jukebox. Oh well... just something to keep in mind if you are following this yourself...

Front Template

2008-07-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

The goal for the first night was simple - all I wanted to do was create a template for cutting out the front and back panels of the jukebox.

The dimensions of the template are as shown in the picture and it is made out of 3/4" thick MDF. You can buy a 24"x48" panel of MDF at Home Depot for about $6.

The only real tricky part about making the template was cutting out the curve with my router and circle cutting jig and having it transition perfectly into the straight sides.

The pictures below show the final template. I came pretty close to perfect but the transition from the curve to the straight sides is off by a little - you really can't tell though.

Next up is cutting out two identical panels to be used to help form the overall shape of the jukebox.

Baby Steps

2008-07-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

This project is going to be different than anything I've built in the past because of it's somewhat small scale and I plan to laminate the exterior instead of painting or staining. I'm also planning on incorporating a large curve on the top which would be a first for me as well.

For this project I'm going to try and stay as organized as possible since I only have an hour or two most nights to work - I don't want to waste a half hour or so trying to think of what need to do when I could be doing it. My goal will be to work 3 nights a week minimum until the project is finished. Here's what I'm going to try and accomplish in the first week:

Night 1: Front Template
The goal for the first night is to create a template for cutting out the front and back panels of the jukebox. The general shape is going to be rectangular with a semi-circle on top. The things I'll need are:
- 3/4" MDF
- Circle cutting jig for my router

Night 2: Front and Rear Panels; Interior Panels
Now that I've made the template, the next step is to cut out two identical panels using the template. This is actually quite easy and shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. I'm also going to drill holes in these panels to help with clamping everything together as well as cut the rectangular panels I'll use as temporary spacers (more on that later). I'll need:
- 3/4" MDF
- Pattern cutting bit for my router
- 2" foerstner bit or hole saw

Night 3: Curved Top and Side Panels
Now that I have the necessary pieces, I'll screw everything together to get the general shape of the jukebox. The next step is to attach a thin layer of bendable MDF to form the sides and top curve. I'm going to use two 1/8" sheets so the final thickness of the top and side panels will be 1/4". This is also where the holes in the front and back panels will come in handy for clamping everything together. I'll also have to attach a temporary strip of wood to the bottom to assist with the clamping. I'll need:
- 1/8" MDF (or something similar)
- lots of spring clamps!

That's it for the first week of work. At this point I should have the general shape of the jukebox!

sigh ... yet another project... (YES!!!)

2008-07-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

Well here we go again... even though I'm still in the middle of working on another arcade project I've decided to get going on a much smaller scale project - my very own jukebox! I can work on this during the week for most nights after work - unlike my arcade machine which I can only work on during the weekends (and I'm very busy this summer so that project is literally creeping along).

I've wanted to build one of these things for a while but I wasn't sure how I wanted it to look until mountain over at BYOAC BUILT HIS. My project is probably going to be a pretty close rip-off with some minor differences. Huge thanks to mountain for the inspiration!

I have a few main goals for this project:
- Touchscreen interface
- Ability to plug into home stereo
- 500GB hard drive
- Professional looking construction

That's about it. I haven't come up with a theme or a name or anything yet but I'm leaning towards something with a subtle "Pearl Jam" reference since they are my favorite band.

Here we go!