Introduction & Cabinet Origins
Cabinet Modifications
Control Panel
My control panel is roughly 24" x 5" (which isn't a lot of room for 3 joysticks and 14 buttons). However, hiding the bolt heads helps it look less cluttered. To hide the bolts on my control panel, I used a Forstner bit to countersink T-nuts into the top of my panel (#8-32 screws secure the joysticks to the T-nuts).
I also used a Forstner bit to cut the 1 1/8th inch holes for the pushbuttons and joysticks (a hole saw would have worked fine too). I attached the control panel to my cab with a black piano hinge. Tip: To prevent breakout when drilling your holes, clamp another piece of wood to the bottom of your panel.
The control panel graphic is printed on high gloss photo paper and is covered with a sheet of Lucite® Tuf acrylic (available at Lowe's). Lucite® Tuf comes with protective paper on both sides (allowing you to route it without scratching the surface).
Tip:
Leave the protective paper on your acrylic until you're ready to
attach the controls. Also,
to stabilize the router when making the pilot holes, sandwich the
acrylic between your control panel and a scrap piece of wood
(topside down); then remove the scrap wood, turn over the control
panel, and trim the
Lucite® with a laminate trimming bit.
Other Cabinet Modifications
These modifications are unique to my cabinet and were the most time consuming part of my project. Most of these modifications are not reversible (take careful consideration before you drill and/or cut into your cabinet). For the purpose of preservation, please do not modify "classic" cabs or cover over their artwork.
I added a monitor shelf to mount the new monitor. I made it from a 3/4" sheet of oak plywood. It's supported by oak 2x2s that are bolted it to the sides of the cab; everything else was glued and screwed in place. I reinforced the shelf with a second sheet of plywood from underneath.
To replace the metal control panel with one made from wood, I replaced the control panel supports (which also help to support the monitor shelf and front of the control panel). Before installing these supports, I drilled the 1.5" side pushbutton holes (leaving left just enough space for a Happ pushbutton wrench).
To make room for a keyboard slide, I had to cut off a few inches from the top of the cabinet's front panel. The black keyboard slides (that I found at Rockler.com) are attached to the new control panel supports.
Finishing
First I stripped the cabinet down and made modifications. Then I primed and sanded the entire cab. A local painter sprayed the final coat of paint. I used Formica® (909-42 with Black Sparkle Finish) laminate on the sides and keyboard shelf. The new T-molding (from Rockler.com) nicely finishes the cabinet's side panels; T-Molding.com is another good source for T-molding.
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