At this point I need to make a copies of my lens frames and weld bolts to them. The bolts will come through the MDF and the front lens frame will fit over them so as I can bolt the two frames together sandwiching the lens, lens protection sheet, seal and MDF between them. I went this rout because if I just used the top frame and screwed it right into the MDF, the holes in the MDF would get worn out and would no longer hold. This way it’s a permanent system that should be easy to take apart. I welded up 2 more frames measuring 18 inches by 30 inches with half inch by one eight inch steel. I then clamped each copy of the frames to their originals and drilled holes through them. After that was done I put 8-32 pan head bolts through them. The head of the bolt was on the backside of the frame that was to go inside the cabinet. I screwed them down tight with wing nuts. Then I wire feed welded the heads of the bolt to the back of the inside frame. Now the threads of the bolts stick right up nicely, see the following pictures.
Here are pictures of the lens frames finished. I used an automotive self-etching primer from Eastwood Co. and then used a semi-gloss under hood paint that I also got from Eastwood Co. Also I started working on the frame for the lens that will go at the end of the cabinet, 2nd picture.
I had cut out the openings for the lenses in a sheet of MDF that was going to be the upper front to the cabinet. I made the openings 17” by 29” so I would be able to have a lip inside the frame to have weather stripping seal the cabinet to the lens. I then used my router to make a ¼” deep ½” wide lip. I wanted the lens to lay right up against the MDF and not crush the weather stripping seal. I clamped the outside frames to the MDF and drilled out the holes for the bolts. I added a few more holes to the inside frame so I can screw it to the inside of the MDF. I don’t want that part to come off when I’m changing the lens protector. I cleaned up the inside frame and used an automotive primer sealer to keep it from rusting. When I paint the inside of the cabinet I will go over the inside frame also. I applied some calking between the inside frame and the MDF so the holes in the MDF will not have a pressure leak, the last thing you want is to have glass bead spraying out at you. I then used ½” wood screws to secure the inside frame to the MDF. In the pictures below you can see the bolts coming through the MDF and the routed out lip.
Now I had bought 1 sheet of 1/4" thick Plexiglas that I needed to cut up for 2 lenses. The sheet was 30” X 36” and I needed 2 30” X 18” lenses, so I just took a jigsaw to the one sheet and made two. This worked perfectly! I clamped the lens frame over one of the lenses and started to drill out the holes I made so that the lens would fit right over the bolts. Damn Plexiglas broke on me! I was going really slowly with the drill to, but a corner snapped right off. Well I tried another hole going slower. I got about half way though it and decided that this was going to take way to long. So I marked where each hole was and took my jigsaw and cut notches where the holes where to be. This worked out really well. I didn’t want to use the piece that had the missing corner so I bought another sheet of 30” X 36” (another $29.99, grr) and cut it in half and made one more lens with the notches. See picture.
