I have a bunch of buttons coming from Gremlin Solutions, and they were out of screw-ins, so they’re sending snap-ins.
I’ll have a 1/4" sheet of lexan on top of 1/2" MDF for my arcade machine’s control panel. Will this be too thick for snap-ins? I have to wind up with 3/4" for the t-molding to cover the edges.
I just measured a sanwa snap in; they will not snap in properly to 1/4". About the maximum they can go (according to my ruler) is 3/16" I would try to get some 5/8" MDF and 1/8" lexan or if 5/8" MDF isn’t available, get a piece of 1/8 hardboard and glue it to the 1/2" MDF face to face. I had to go to a lumberyard to get 5/8" btw.
Sounds like an interesting project. Any pics yet?
Not yet, no. I literally just got done cutting the control panel. I’ll toss up some picks. Local dealers all only carry either 1/4" lexan, or 1/16" lexan. I have to special order 1/8". Go fig. :\
In the image mish-mash forum I have a rough outline for the cp artwork I’m going to use. I have to re-do it as I had misjudged my dimensions. I originally did 24" x 48" in reality it will be 15.5" x 49".
http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121866
Sucks that I can’t get the snap-ins to go through 1/4" lexan. Grr…that’s going to make life difficult. I can get 5/8" MDF no problem. Just an annoyance to have to do it. 
That, and having to special order the Lexan.
Here’s what you need.
http://cgi.ebay.com/POLYCARBONATE-Sht-1-8-x-24-x-48-Clr_W0QQitemZ7562946590QQihZ017QQcategoryZ61795QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
It’ll be around $35-$45 depending on where you are. Excellent price. I would trim the cp a bit to 48" to make it a standard size and so you don’t need more than a 1/4 sheet of lexan.
BTW, the stuff I linked to is makrolon. Same as Lexan, just a different name.
Thanks for the link. the problem is that the box I built is slightly larger than 48", so it will wind up looking goofy. I’ll figure it out, no worries. 
Oh! An arcade machine rebuild! Very nice so far. How many players on the cp?
Good luck with the lexan situation.
4 players. If you’ve seen the original Hot Rod Joystick (the predecesor to the X-Arcade), I’m going with that button layout on players 1 and 2 in the middle. Players 3 and 4 I think I’m only going to go with 3 or 4 buttons per player. Haven’t decided yet. 
Just put my first dose of bondo on at all of the joints to give it a “seamless” look. Then I’m going over the corners with a roundover bit, bondo any obvious pores or gaps, and then start in with the sanding.
I’m going to leave for the gym here in a few and hit the hardware store up for some 5/8" MDF. At least then if I have to special order Lexan or generic poly, I can go 1/8".
GAH! Crazy imperial measurement system! :xeye:
Sanwa snap-ins will snap into anything up to and including 5mm, according to Sanwa themselves. See their catalogue on AkihabaraShop and other sites.
25.4 mm in one inch:
25.4 * 1/4 = 6.35mm. Too big.
25.4 * 1/8 = 3.175mm. Fine.
25.4 * 3/16 = 4.7625mm. Fine.
You know, America is one of only two countries in the entire world that still use imperial. The other one being a third-world country in Africa. When will your government wake up and go metric?
The gov’t tried back in the 80’s. We americans are lazy and stubborn bastards.
Most people within my generation can use metric just fine. We simply don’t, and most of us have a hard time visualizing metric vs. imperial due to lack of use.
That said…thanks for the measurements, and confirming before I really screwed this up! 
Don’t you know all of America is fat and lazy?
Well, at least there isn’t a law against using the metric system in personal projects.
you know, it really doesn’t matter, the snapins don’t actually need to “snap in” in order to function properly.
That’s kinda true. Seeing as you push down on the buttons only, they aren’t going to pop out.
The only thing is that people can pull the buttons out at their leisure. In an arcade that’s no good. At home, it doesn’t matter.
Either way… get metric up ya!