Vewlix Tournament Edition Worklog 05
I’ve had a lot of positive comments on the Vewlix TE since S-KILL posted it on the Capcom-Unity blog. I’ve also had a lot of questions. I had planned to start by discussing each piece of the build in order (base, sides, etc.), but instead I’m going to jump right to the sides.
1 – Finding Dimensions
- Download and Install Google SketchUp 7
- Open up Vewlix-Tournament-Edition.skp (available to download here)
- Delete every object you aren’t interested in (in this case, everything but a side panel)
- From the Camera menu, choose Standard Views -> Left (or Right, or Top depending on piece)
- From the Camera menu, choose Parallel Projection (this will make it look like a flat drawing)
- Use the Dimension tool and click on 2 points you want to find the distance between
- You should end up with something like this:
You could then export this as a 2D graphic for printing, or just print directly from SketchUp.
2 – Draw out piece
Once you have your dimensions in hand, you’ll need to draw them out on your MDF using a ruler and/or t-square. You can see from your dimensions that you’ll need a piece of MDF at least 56-5/16″ high and 20-7/8″ wide.
3 – Cut out the piece
- Choose an edge to cut first.
- Determine the distance from the guide on your circular saw to where the blade actually cuts.
- Measure back the distance of your guide from the edge you want to cut and clamp a straight piece of metal or wood in place.
- Use your circular saw to cut along the line, making sure the guide of the saw is always right up against the metal or wood you have clamped to your piece. See this picture on my Flickr gallery.
Cutting the sides is very tricky
Here’s a helpful guide cutting out the side piece:
- Use a jigsaw to cut out the excess material.
- Use a circular saw to cut along the red lines in the direction the arrow is facing.
- Use a jigsaw to finish the cuts your circular saw couldn’t in the blue circled areas.
- Use a large drill to cut an area for you to fit your jigsaw blade in to cut the hole in the middle for the TV.
4 – Work smart
Instead of measuring out these side panels 3 more times, just lay down the one you have cut out on your next piece of wood. Use a pencil to trace around it. You’ve just accomplished in seconds what probably took you at least 10-15 minutes the first time. Check out this photo on my Flickr gallery for an example.
5 – Finishing up the sides
- Glue and screw together the two side panels (photo on Flickr).
- Sand any fill any holes to make your two pieces meet up exactly.
- Use a 45º chamfer bit in your router to put a bevel on each side of the side panels.
- Roll on Killz brand oil based primer to seal the MDF.
- Paint the sides the color you want (I chose white).
- Roll on Minwax Lacquer to seal the paint.
Clarification on building the sides (and side covers)
- Glue and screw your side panels together to create 1 side panel 1-1/2″ thick.
- Sand to make sure the pieces are the exact same shape, fill cracks and screw holes.
- Use a 45º chamfer bit in your router to create a 45º bevel on both sides of the front of the side panel.
- Install the side cover. It should overlap the top, bottom, and back by 1/2″. It will only overlap the front by 1/4″ because of the bevel. Place 2 screws in the top and bottom corners of the cover and one screw in the back of the cover.
Next worklog: The base, unless I’m overwhelmed by some more questions from you guys.
About how long did you wait between coats of paint before you added the laquer?
I’ve heard its a 24 hour deal to make sure its sealed properly.
Chris,
I waited 2 days. I would have waited only 24 hours, but it snowed again in Michigan and was too cold to lacquer in my garage. You’ll want wait as long as you can because the lacquer can start to remove the paint as you are applying it (if you don’t wait long enough). The good news is that the lacquer container says you should wait 2 hours to re-coat, but I found in 50º weather that it was ready to re-coat in 1 hour. That time should be even less with lower humidity and higher temperatures. I was able to crank out 3 coats of lacquer in 1 day and assemble the next morning (about 12 hours later).
My biggest concern is how to adjust the sketchup file to adjust to using a different TV/monitor than your Sony, because someone else is going to cut all of the wood for me and then send me the finished product, so I guess I’d have to get it right the first time (if possible).
Hey Michael,
I’m torn between making a blog post on that specific subject, or just replying to you. So, I’ll try and explain it with words below, and if you are still confused, let me know and I’ll do a proper blog post with pictures.
Width: The total width of the cabinet (from outside side panel to outside side panel) is 32″, so you’ll need to find out if your TV is wider than that or not. Chances are if it’s a 32″ LCD, it’s not. They seem to be just above 31″ wide. That allows the TV to be just inside the side panels so you can use the covers.
Height: You’ll want to measure the height of your TV. If your TV is taller, increase the height of the “hole” going up from the bottom. The TV is mostly held in the cabinet using a TV mount on the back, but the front of the TV also lightly rests on the front corners of the “holes” in the side panels. There is a sizable amount of the frame below the screen on my Sony (where the speaker is), if you get a TV that doesn’t have that much on the bottom, you’ll need to account for that too.
Depth: My TV is about 4″ deep, but the amount of it that actually sits on the holes is closer to 1-1/2″ because it tapers back at an angle. That’s a big reason for using the TV mount as well. You’ll want to measure your TV and make sure that the two outside edges that would sit on bottom of the “holes” are no wider than 4″, otherwise you’ll have to adjust that.
Ultimately, the best way to do it is draw your TV in Sketchup, line up the screens and then determine the size of the holes yourself. You’ll want to add 1/2″ to the depth and height to allow you to adjust the TV around. If you’re going to do side panels, you’ll want to design them to overlap the back, top, and bottom by 1/2″ (for the screws) and line up with the front of your side pieces.
The idea here really is to just leave a hole big enough to get your TV in there, the TV mount should do most of the work. Then just cover up the holes so it looks better. The hardboard used for the speaker bar and the bar below the TV should overlap the TV so you won’t see that your holes are too big from the inside either.
I hope that helps, let me know,
Donovan
Thanks for the detailed response. I think I understand a bit better, but if you’re willing to do a more detailed post with pictures, I certainly won’t stop you.
The thing is, my father’s company has all of the equipment to create all of the pieces after i supply dimensions, which will then be finished and shipped to me (NJ to FL), so I’m trying to error-proof it as much as possible before the pieces are made.
On top of that, I haven’t actually picked out the TV/monitor I’m using and am tempted to just go with a similarly made 32″ to keep your original plans intact.
Thanks again for the response. I had been itching for something just like this and your plans and worklogs have been a godsend.
I would pick out the TV before you have everything built. It would also be more beneficial to actually have the TV on hand so you can measure it yourself. Sometimes the manufacturer’s dimensions (especially on web sites/web stores) can be wrong. They might even be copied from a previous model or another TV altogether. They usually include the base too, which can affect the depth and height.
My next post will be about working with the SketchUp file. How to get your measurements and how to modify it. It will probably be a screencast, so prepare yourself, I’m extra nasally sounding through a MacBook Pro’s built-in mic.
Wow that Cab is exactly what I want. If you have any blueprints I would love to build that for myself.
Hey Rob,
As far as blueprints go, I’ve released a Google SketchUp file. If you don’t have Google SketchUp, it’s a free download for Mac and PC. If you don’t know how to use SketchUp, or can’t figure it out, check back tomorrow because I will have some video tutorials for SketchUp to help out many of the people who have contacted me.
Donovan