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Control Panel
Knowing I wouldn't have the time or wood for the rest of the cab for at least a week or 2, the control panel was worked on very slowly. It took a week or so just to get it to this first picture ;) I cut this out from a 2'*4' piece of 3/4" MDF using a circular saw with dewalt finishing blade. Using a 1 1/8" spade bit for all buttons and joysticks, and a template from visio printed out by mamemarquees with my control panel overlay, I got it to here on 07/25/04:
Next, I traced the trackball mounting plate, and routed out about 1/16" of an inch for the mounting plate to fit. I also cut out the area for the trackball assembly itself. This hole will be completely covered by the mounting plate, so you could (and should) make it a lot bigger than the trackball, something I didn't do, and had to go back with a chisel afterwards to make it a bit bigger in one area.
My Router has two speeds, off, and about 30,000 RPM's. It's VERY hard to control, let alone see anything in the storm of MDF particles. Try to get the mounting plate cutout PERFECT as it will be a pain to wood putty fill those gaps.
I also drilled all of the joystick holes, then countersunk for the T-nut barrels, and used a 3/4" spade bit for the top of the t-nuts to sit in flush. You can see one of the t-nuts in place. 07/28/04
This is the bottom of the CP, I routed out all of the joystick base areas so they would sit higher. I routed out around 3/8" of an inch from the 3/4" MDF. 07/28/04
Fun with wood putty. I bolted all of the T-nuts down so the wood putty wouldn't fill them up, and it holds them in place. Trackball mounting place was pretty hard to get flush, and I'm still not sure it is, this is after the first "coat" of wood putty, I filled and sanded twice before priming.
After the wood putty, I cut out the T-molding groove with the router and 1/16" slot cutting bit. MDF is a MESS when using a router. I'm glad the rest of the cab is plywood. The dust was HORRIBLE (although it DID cut like butter, very easy)
07/29/04
Primed the top of the control panel with a brush and oil-based Killz Primer. Tip - don't use a brush, it sucked, bad. I bought some 3" rollers which I happened to be out of, and am going over it again after I sand it down with 220grit sandpaper softly. 07/30/04
Base construction, THE most frustrating annoying, hardest, worse swear inducing drink guzzling time I've had on the entire project. The whole CP slants down, plus there are 6 small pieces for the sides which slant down AND in. This just SUCKED. I used circular saw, miter saw, table saw, jigsaw, drill, spade bit, bondo, liquid nails, sandpaper, screws, ledgers, router, hammer, chisel, and dremel on this one piece.
08/05/04
