What I built for my parents!

[fordman]

Hello All,

Here is my latest creation. I built this for my parents. This is made from 100% scrap wood that I was going to chuck into the garbage dumpster.













This was built in my messy-ass garage.

A little info about them: My step-dad is stuck somehwere in 1967. He is considered a 'Professional Musician' but he doesnt make a whole lotta $$$! He is a blues, some country and Rolling Stones man. My mom, she's up to date, but kinda prewdish. Whatever she says, goes! If she doesnt like it, she will tell you to get rid of it. If you dont get rid of it, she will, without questions later!

OK, I got the idea for the shape of the build looking at my MAME cab control panel. (The MAME cab isnt done and I dont have a build thread)



Look at the shape of it, It's actually the size of the control panel from Lusid's design.



The top and bottom panels are identical. I took a top and bottom, made a front, sides and angled sides. All are 3/4" MDF. The cuts for the angles are really ugly, but my parents wouldnt be able to tell. I filled in the cracks with wood filler. Then sanded and painted. Actually, it looks really good.



I used my router to cut some slots so the bass from the sub woofer can get out. When I hold my hand up to the slots, you can feel the air being pushed out!

You can see that I did put some lights in it. I saw a video on youtube from a frequest user on BYOAC (McCoy178) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCkjldYh3Po and he bought some LED lights from Spencer's. I went to the mall and Spencer's happened to have 2 of them. They came home with me.



The Kaleidoscope Light Tubes. $25.00(US) each.



A top view



We had to shove this thing in a room that is 8' X 8' and is already crammed with crap, I mean music memorobilia from days gone by! 





I put a Neutrik USB port on the side to add music.



I put a couple buttons on the front to turn the lights on & off and to change the light mode.









You can see the Speakers and the otherside of the USB port.



From the front, you see I used some left over decorative sheet metal from my personal build. I basically used the same design here to hide the speakers and for the Griffin Powermate as a volume knob.



Here it is using E-Touch V5.









E-Touch is so easy, even a hippy can use it! 





Here it is useing GeForce Visulizations.





Here it is in the dark with nothing but the blue lights on. My step-dad called it Blue-Ice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q700Km_vR4

Here are the lights in action.

Total cost of the build: (all prices are final cost after shipping)

1    ELO 15" Touchscreen Serial port      $103
1   USB to Serial converter         $7.00
2    LED Kaleidoscope Lights         $50.00
1   lighted buton            $3.50
1   Griffin Powermate (eBay)      $23.00
1   Cyber Accoustic Platinum series Speakers $23.00 (sale)
1   ceiling light panel (lowes)      $1.00
1    Dell Optiplex GX240 (craigslist)   $65.00
1   20' T-molding t-molding.com      $21.00
Total: $296.50


Stuff that I already had:

all the wood
L-brackets
Shelf brackets for subwoofer stand
wirirng.
wiring crimp connectors
screw strip
decorative mesh metal
wood filler
screws

total value at about $100.00 for stuff I already had.

Total Time: About 20 hours. 2-3 hours a night for about 6 nights.

I have already had some neighbors ask me to build them one. After I told them $600.00 and I'll give them the first 500 songs, everyone of them balked and said it was way too much. One actually offered me $100.00 for this one and said he could make one twice as better for about $50.00. I said "Challenge Accepted!" He just wants this one cheap so he can copy it.

My step dad loves it. My Mom, she could take-it or leave-it! When she gets tied of it, she'll tell me to come and get it. I have added about 3000 songs to jukebox so far. He has a bunch of stuff he wants on it, but its all on vinyle or cassette. I told him we'll just have to search for the CD and rip the tunes he wants from there. There aint no way I can show him how to record from vinyle or cassette to PC and save in MP3 format! Way beyond his comprehension!

Well, thanks for the time. I'll answer any questions and get better pics when the better camera gets back home.

Fordman 

[Smidsy]

Very nice, I really do like it. Started the first steps to my project yesterday. Once I have a few pictures, I will get a thread of my own going.


Craig

[Bondy]

That is very impressive damn you guys no your stuff i wouldnt no where to even start on doing something like that i like it a lot specally like the lights on the sides very cool 10 / 10 good job

[d78]

Awesome! I look forward to steeling all of your ideas. LOL

Good job! Nice find on the lights.

[ose]

Great Job,
Can I ask where you found the LED Kaleidoscope Lights ?

[fordman]

Hello,

I found the LED lights at Spencer's Gifts in the mall. They dont sell them online and the mall stores cant get them anymore, so if there is a Spencer's near you, see if they have one. They were $25.00 (US) each. But I did haggle with one manager to buy their display for $11.00 (US). I used the 'If you cant get anymore then why would you display it' and 'since it's been running 15 hours a day for the last six months, the life span is more than half over, I'll give you $10.00 for the display' line and he let me buy it for $10.00 (US) + tax!



Fordman