I have tried to sort the tools into categories. I will update this section as I start construction on the various panels. Within each category, I have used the following color coding:
Green indicates tools which are highly recommended, but because of price or lack of other uses are hard to justify and considered overkill. If you own these, by all means use them, but I wouldn't recommend running out and buying them.
Aqua indicates tools which are required for this project and are a good value and have other uses. Basically, in most cases, these are the tools that I have purchased (or already had) for the project and about the minimum you can get by with.
Red indicates tools which are not recommended, but could get the job done if
required.
NOTE: Products shown are not endorsements. I generally picked products based
on what website had good pictures available. Just because I show a Black &
Decker drill doesn't mean I favor them over Skil, or DeWalt, or Makita, or Milwaukee, or
any of the other brands. Where I have a preference in manufacture, I will say so in
the text.
NOTE: I am fortunate that there is a
Home Depot, Lowe's, and Wal-Mart all within 1/2-mile of each other near me. It pays
to comparision shop as even on small items like hole saws, I have seen a $2-$3 difference
between the various retailers.
Safety Tools
NOTE: I don't always practice what I preach here, and I'm not your mommy, so I can't make you wear this equipment. However, I'm not going to feel guilty about you losing an eye because I failed to warn you of the dangers involved. For those people who don't want to wear safety equipment because they think people will make fun of you, remember, they'll make fun of you just as much or more when you're walking around with a glass eye, because you didn't take time to protect yourself.
Safety Glasses - Approximate cost $5-10. How much are your
eyes worth compared to the cost of these? The more expensive ones like the ones on
the left even look pretty cool. Do not make the mistake of thinking regular glasses
or sunglasses are an okay substitute for proper safety glasses. Fragments of plastic
or glass in your eyes are no fun!
Ear Protectors -
Approximate cost $8-$15. This is a main priority for me, as I have some partial
hearing loss due to going to rock concerts during my misspent youth. My wife thinks
this whole arcade game thing is a continuation of my misspent youth, but that's another
story. I have tried these with both a metal head band and a vinyl head band (the
metal ones were lost in the garage for a while). I definitely think the metal band
ones do a better job of keeping your ears covered and blocking the sound and recommend
these over the vinyl. Also, I recommend buying these from a gun shop rather than a
Lowe's/Home Depot, as I think the gun shop ones are designed to block louder noises and
usually they are less expensive there and the selection is better.
Dust Masks -
Approximate cost $0.50 each, sold in packs of ten. The main thing I recommend these
for is building the TwistyGrip based Star Wars yoke. I was practicing slotting the
PVC with a Dremel tool and a cut-off wheel and it was kicking up lots of PVC shavings.
I don't know that these are toxic, but breathing them in can't be healthy.
Table/Bench Saw -
Approximate cost $90-120. Table saws produce very accurate, repeatable cuts and are
very easy to set up. If you have access to one, by all means use it. The
drawbacks are the cost, and they take up a lot of space if you will never use it
again. Another option is the radial arm or mitre saw. These cost as much or
more than the table saw and aren't as well suited for this project. However, if you
have access to one, they will work better than the other saws that I mention.
Circular Saw - Approximate cost $20-40, depending on sale.
This is a very versatile saw for any home project. This is about the minimum type of
power saw you can expect to use and get decent results with. Highly recommended for
this project.
Hack Saw - Approximate
cost under $10. Used for cutting the PVC pipe for the TwistyGrip version of the Star
Wars Yoke. You could alternately use the Dremel tool for this instead.
Jig Saw - Approximate
cost $16-40. I have never been able to get clean straight cuts with a jig saw.
If you have one you can try it, but I don't think you will be satisfied with the
results. The jig saw is useful for the arcade version of the Star Wars yoke.
About the only other thing I might recommend them for is rough cutting the large laminate
panels down to a workable size. I will do the horizontal cuts on this with the
Dremel because I need as fine a cut as possible, but I might use the jig saw (I already
have one) for the other rough cuts. Wal-Mart carries a jig saw in their Handi Works
line for $16. BTW, they sell a laminate blade for jigsaws, which is down cutting
instead of up, but don't buy it, you can just use the standard blade and cut the laminate
with the finished side face down. NOTE: Scroll saws or orbital saws are very
similar and the same comments apply.
Keyhole Saw -
Approximate cost under $10. I don't recommend hand saws for this project.
However, if that is all your budget allows, you can get the job done with one. I
like the keyhole saw because they usually come with both a wood and a metal-cutting
blade. Also, they will probably be useful for other projects besides this one as
they came work in tight spaces and the blade can be positioned at various angles.
Hand Saw - Approximate
cost under $10. See comments above. I don't recommend hand saws, but if you
are on a budget and have access to one of these, it will get the job done. This is
actually a better choice for this project than the keyhole saw, but the keyhole saw is
more versatile for ever being used again once this project is completed.
Drill Press (left), Drill
Press Stand (right) - Approximate cost,
Drill Press $90+, Drill Press Stand $30. Drill presses are use to produce precise
vertical holes and holes of a specified depth. They are extremely accurate. If
you have access to one, by all means use it. Another option is a drill press stand
which holds your standard power drill and provides most of the same features, although it
is not as sturdy or well built as a true drill press. While they are useful, neither
one is required for my arcade controllers. The highest precision holes are for the
joystick mount bolts, which are only going through 3/8-inch plywood. Both the LED's
and the buttons are extremely forgiving of poor hole drilling. (The LED's are only
going through laminate, and both the LED's and the buttons have a lip which overlaps the
hole edge. Even in the 3/4-inch thick side panels, the button holes can be drilled
up to 10 degrees off from perpendicular and the buttons will still snug up and look fine).
Power Drill - Approximate cost $16-40. A 3/8-inch (refers
to the chuck (part that holds the bits) size) drill is all that is required for this
project. Larger drills will work fine if your have access to one, but don't go out
and buy one for this project only. A variable speed or reversible drill is handy
especially for working with plexiglass, but not really required otherwise. Many
drills now have keyless chucks, which is a useful feature, but not required. Many
people like the convenience of cordless drills, but for myself, I rarely use a drill so
the batteries would always need to be charged whenever I got around to needing it.
Wal-Mart sells a Handi Tools Power Drill for $16. It's single speed, but I think it
is reversible, so it's toward the low end of what this project requires, but should get
the job done if cost is a concern.
Drill Bit Set - Approximate cost $10-30. Although you only
need two or three drill bits for this project, it often ends up cheaper to buy a set than
buying the separate bits individually. And chances are you will need the other bits
for some other project anyway. Two cautions - be careful what you buy. The
21-piece set of all High Speed Steel bits for $15.00 may be a better deal overall than the
75-piece set for $30 that includes six masonry bits that you don't need, six hole saw in
sizes you won't need, etc. Also, many of these sets only go up to 3/8-inch and this
project requires at least one 5/16-inch bit. A very good set would be one that
includes all drill bits in 1/32-inch increments up to 5/16-inch diameter for under $30.
High Speed Steel (HSS) Drill
Bits (upper), Brad Point Drill Bits (lower) - Approximate cost $3-5 each. These are just your standard drill
bits. Many of the sets will include black oxide or titanium bits, while they will
work fine, thiese are not required for this project. The brad point bits are
slightly more expensive, but have less tendency to "walk" and are therefore
recommended. The following sizes are required:
Small ??? - Pilot holes to
prevent the "walking" described above.
??? - hole for the #8 wood screws.
3/16" - OSCAR joystick restrictor mounting holes, standard joystick
and trackball carriage bolts.
1/4" - OSCAR joystick mounting bolts
5/16" - LED mounting holes
Spade Bits -
Approximate cost $5 each. These are used for making wide holes in wood. They
do not work extremely well on laminate, which is why I recommend the Dremel Tool for that.
You could also use a 1-1/8 inch hole saw instead of these, which I would only
recommend if you were using plexiglass on the control panel and wanted to cut through that
as well. The following sizes are required:
3/4" (?) - LED
recesses - This is a hole in the control panel big enough for a 10mm socket to fit through
so you can remove the LED holders later if you ever needed to. The size is not
critical. Also, if you didn't have this bit, you could easily round out a 5/16 inch
hole using the Dremel Tool.
1-1/8" - Required for all button holes and the joystick center
holes.
Hole Saws - Approximate
cost $5-15 each. Hole saws are only required for the Twisty Grip version of the Star
Wars yoke. As the name implies, these are used with a power drill to make round
holes. They often consist of an arbor (not shown in the picture, basically a
1/4" drill bit that attaches the saw to the drill and makes a pilot hole) and the saw
itself (pictured). Sometimes these are combined in a single (1-piece) unit.
For some unknown reason, it is usually cheaper to buy the individual one-piece saws
(especially the Black & Decker ones) than the two-piece (maybe because the two-piece
tend to be deeper and sturdier). I can usually find the one-piece B&D saws under
$5 as compared to $11 for the arbor and $8-9 for the individual saws otherwise.
NOTE: There is an adjustable holesaw for about $10, which consists of three blades with a cam-lock mechanism to move the blades inward or outward. I do NOT recommend this as Xiaou2 has reported that they break easily, can't be run in reverse (plexiglass again), and don't produce perfectly round holes.
The following sizes are required:
??? - Yoke center box
bottom hole.
??? - Yoke center box side holes.
2" - Hole where yoke passes through control panel.
Forstner Bits - Approximate cost $10-$15 each. These work
very well and would be highly recommended except for the high cost. The main use of
a Forstner bit is to make flat-bottomed holes when the hole does not go all the way
through the material. They are not required for this project, although they will do
an excellent job of making through holes as well.
Shaping
Tools
Router - Approximate cost $60-120. The router is probably THE BEST tool for
trimming laminate flush with the control panel wood. It is also useful for routing
(chiseling) out the joystick mounting area to 3/8-inch if you are using thicker control
panel wood. The drawback to the router is the cost. Aside from the cost of the
actual tool, each bit is between $10 and $15. Plus, for a small project such as this
I can do everything the router would do with the Dremel Tool and the Dremel Multipurpose
cutting attachment, for less than the cost of the router without any bits. And if I
had the router, I would still need the Dremel for the cut-off bits so it just made sense
to go with the Dremel alone.
NOTE: There is also a dedicated laminate trimmer, but it costs more than the standard router, so I don't recommend it at all.
Router Bits -
Approximate cost $10-15 each. Shown left to right, double flute bit, template bit,
laminate bit. I have never actually used a router, so I could be wrong on some of
these bits and what they do. The double flute bit is used for removing a specified
amount of material (like routing out the joystick mounts). The laminate bit has a
roller that follows the base wood and is used for trimming laminate flush with the wood it
is glued to. The template bit basically is an upside-down laminate bit; it has a
roller at the top and cuts the material beneath it flush with the top wood. OSCAR
recently posted on BYOAC that he uses the template bit more than any other and he
recommends buying bits from Lee
Valley Tools.
Dremel Tool -
Approximate cost $20-40. For most people, this is a tool that you have a hard time
justifying purchasing, and then once you have one, you wonder how you ever got along
without one. On this project, the tool is used for trimming the laminate, flush
cutting the laminate, trimming the laminate to match the button holes, making the cutouts
for the DB25 connectors on the I-PAC enclosure, slotting the pipes for the Twisty Grip
version of the Star Wars yoke, making the cutouts for the DPDT switches, routing away the
area under the LED's on the Assault Panel, and . . . (see what I mean!)
NOTE: The actual corded multispeed Dremel kit sells for about $40 and includes several attachments. I bought a Handi Tools version of the Dremel at Wal-Mart and highly recommend it. The Handi Tools only came with one abrasive bit and no other attachments, but the three bits I bought made the total cost $35 and the #115 bit isn't included with the genuine Dremel kit, so it ended up still being more cost effective to go with the Handi Tools Dremel.
Dremel Bits -
Approximate cost $5 each. Shown left to right #115 engraving cutter bit, #402
mandrel, #409 cut-off wheel. The #409 is the least expensive of the cutting wheels.
Dremel makes others that are more durable, however, you get 36 in the package for
$5, so it's not like you have to be overly concerned about breaking one. I have
found that it is possible to mount 4 or 5 wheels to the mandrel for making wider cuts than
you can make with a single wheel.
Dremel Multipurpose
Cutting Attachment - Approximate cost
$15. This tool attaches to the Dremel and allows you to set depth of cut along with
providing a base to keep the tool perpendicular to the work surface. Basically, it
turns your Dremel into a "poor man's router." I like the concept, but I
didn't need it for this project and couldn't justify the extra expense.
Dremel Router Attachment - Approximate cost $30. This REALLY turns
your Dremel into a "poor man's router." Basically you get the same
functionality as the cutting attachment, but with edge guides and dual handles.
However, the price is double the cost of the mutipurpose cutting attachment, making it
even less of a consideration for me. For the few times that I would want the edge
attachment, I think I would make do with the multipurpose cutting attachment and clamp a
straight edge down for an edge guide.
Mouse Sander - Approximate cost $40. This is a handy
little tool for finish sanding prior to painting. I don't really recommend it
because of the price, but if you have access to one, it might come in handy.
Multi-Meter, Analog (left),
Digital (right) - Approximate cost,
Analog $10-15, Digital $20-30. Only the ohm-meter (resistance meter) function of
the meter is required. The meter is used on the cables for tracking down what
internal wire goes to what Pin input. They are also used for tracking the
direction, value, and which terminals to use on Potentiometers, and for troubleshooting
wiring. The digital meters are preferred for checking components with IC's,
especially live circuits, but that isn't really an issue here. I actually pretty
much prefer the analog meter for continuity checks, because it is easy to glance at the
meter as you are doing circuit checks and see when the needle trips full scale. With
digital meters, a lot of times a circuit with continuity will still generate 3-5 ohms and
you have to determine whether that is really the same as zero ohms or not.
NOTE: I purchased the analog meter at Pep Boys Auto Parts for $10 and they sell the digital ones for $20. I think stores like this are slightly less expensive than Radio Shack for items like this, because everyone expect Radio Shack to carry these items.
Crimping Pliers -
Approximate cost under $10. These are required for attaching the quick disconnect
terminals to the controller wiring. Unless you want to use solder, yuck!!!.
Here are some things to notice/watch out for in these tools: my cheap set of pliers
use a nut and bolt to hold the two halves of the tool together. Poor design.
Every third or fourth crimp, the nut works loose and you have to stop and re-tighten
it. (Hand-tight is fine, but still. . .) A better design uses a rivet to hold
the two halves together and tools with this type of construction are pretty common.
Also, notice in the picture, that the first crimp joint to the left of the joint nut in
the picture is labelled "Non Insul 10-22" and has a wedge in the center of the
crimp. This is designed for non-insulated terminals, but I prefer to use it for any
kind of terminals as I have found this crimp to work better. You are intended to use
the flat-sided crimps shown by the red, blue, and yellow dots in the picture, but I don't
think these work that well. Some crimping pliers only have the flat-sided crimps and
these are a poor choice, IMHO. Many of these pliers have wire cutters (the pictured
one does) but these usually don't work well at all. Use the dykes below. The
wire strippers included with this tool don't work well either. With stranded wire,
they either slip along the insulation, or they end up cutting the core wire strands as
well. Finally, some of these tools (and the one pictured) include openings for
inserting bolts for the tool to cut. I had a set like this once. While it
works okay, it eventually ends up weakening the tool. I recommend not using them for
this. If you need to cut a bolt try the following: First run a nut down the
bolt toward the head and past where you want to cut (this will clean the threads when you
back the nut off after making the cut. Then cut the bolt with either a Dremel and a
cut-off wheel (preferred) or a hacksaw (works). Then back the nut off and you're
set.
Wire Strippers -
Approximate cost $10-15. I have never used wire strippers of the type shown
here, so I can't say how well they work for this project. Regardless, they're
unnecessary. The only actual wire stripping required is 1/4-inch of the ends of each
wire where they mount into the terminal block or quick disconnect. This is easily
done with a utility knife.
Dykes, Cutters -
Approximate cost under $5. Shortened from "Diagonal Pliers".
Required for cutting wiring. Actually, I lost mine and end up using a pair of tin
snips, which works fine. Many needlenose pliers have wire cutters attached to them
so this is an option as well.
Soldering Iron - Approximate cost under $10. Wish this were
colored "Red - Not Required"! I have never been good at soldering and I
despise it. Hopefully, the only part of my panel which will require soldering is
the Dual Strike hack for the Star Wars yoke and the buttons for the Twisty-Grip version of
the Star Wars yoke and I plan to let someone else handle that. If you aren't as
chicken, you only need a 15-25 Watt iron for PCB and electronics work.
WARNING: Solder contains lead, always use in a well ventilated area and wash hands after using and before eating.
Workbench - Approximate cost $30. You don't have to buy
this. If you have a shelf or workbench in the garage that's fine, but you need some
sort of stable work surface to work on. I found this at Home Depot almost a year
ago, drove to three stores to find one and haven't seen one since until they showed up
again last week (and disappeared again this week, if you want one, get it when you see
it!). The one I bought was made by ZAG industries. They have since been
acquired by Stanley tools and the new units carry the Stanley brand. The unit folds
up to 28x32x4 inches for storage. It opens out to a sawhorse and then to a mini
worktable. It also comes with adjustable clamps which can be positioned on it to
hold your work secure. Only problem is while it works very well as a workbench, it
has problems as a sawhorse, as I will describe below. If you can afford it, I would
seriously consider getting two of these.
Saw Horses, Brackets (left), Folding (center), Plastic (right) - Approximate cost, Brackets - $5 + $3 for wood,
Folding ~ $15, Plastic - $30 for two. Saw horses are useful for supporting material
while you are cutting it. Actually, I don't own any sawhorse and will probably try
to get by without them. Here are my problems: The brackets will work, but by
the time you throw in the wood, they're almost as much as the folding one and a lot more
effort. The folding one might not be exactly the same height as the workbench and
they won't work well if they're even just a little bit off. ZAG shows a single
folding sawhorse on their site, but I've never seen it. The pair of plastic ones
cost as much as the workbench above, so I might as well buy a second workbench, rather
than go that route.
Vise - Approximate cost
$15. A vise is useful for giving you free hands as you work on your project,
however, I am going to try to get by without one, for two reasons (besides the
cost). First, I am hoping that the clamps that came with the workbench will be
sufficient for what I need. Secondly, a vise is designed to be bolted down to a
workbench and I don't have any way to do that.
Combination Square -
Approximate cost $5. This tool is indispensible for marking cut lines at right
angles and measuring depth from an offset. Pretty much a requirement for this
project.
Straight Edge (48-inch
recommended) - Approximate cost
$7. This is basically just a very long straight and thick (approximately 1/4-inch)
aluminum ruler. It is useful for marking and drawing straight lines. You also
can clamp it down and use it as a saw guide for making straight saw cuts.
Clamps, C-Clamp (left) Quick-Grip Clamps (right) - Approximate cost $2-7 each depending on size. These
are required for clamping OSCAR's restrictor plate mounting template down when drilling
the holes and for clamping the straight edge down when using it as a cutting guide.
No more than two clamps should be required. I recommend test clamping whatever you
are doing on a scrap piece of material first, so you know the clamp will not allow the
material to shift when using power tools on it. I haven't used the Quick-Grip clamps
personally, but they seem like a very well designed product. The C-Clamps may indent
soft wood and will permanently mar the finish of the laminate, if mounted directly to it.
Utility Knife - Approximate cost $3-10. Mostly just used
for cutting and stripping wire insulation. I have used and recommend the Stanley
model pictured, but a more basic model will get the job done as well.
Razor Saw - Approximate
cost under $10. This tool is recommended if you trim the project box for the
trackball to make it shorter. I am not sure whether I will do this, and I'm not sure
I couldn't accomplish the same thing with the Dremel tool and the cut-off wheel.
Screwdriver Set - Approximate cost, $15 (sale) $30
(non-sale). Once again, this is another instance where it's cheaper to buy things in
a set than to buy the individual items. The set shown is a Sears Craftsman and I
bought a similar one. If anything happens to one of them, they will replace it free
of charge. The only screwdrivers that you really need for this project, however, are
the No. 2 Phillips and the offset No. 2 Philips shown below.
No. 2 Phillips Screwdriver - Approximate cost $1. This and the offset
screwdriver are the only screwdrivers actually required for this project. I
recommend having a solid shaft (non-ratcheting) screwdriver, even if you use a ratcheting
one for part of the project. The solid ones can handle more torque. Also, if
you aren't buying a set, I recommend buying these at a hardware or auto parts store as
they are more likely to have a "bargain bin" of them and you can find better
deals.
Ratcheting screwdriver
- Approximate cost under $10. Handy, but not required. I bought a NEBO 13-in-1
ratcheting screwdriver at Home Depot a few years ago and it has worked very well.
They now sell the same product under their Work Force brand. I also purchased a
Pro-Grade stubby ratcheting screwdriver at Pep Boys Auto Parts for $5, which would be more
useful for this project.
Offset Screwdriver - Approximate cost $3. This is required for
driving the screws attaching the control panel tops to the base. It's worth having
anyways.
Socket Wrench Set - Approximate cost, basic quality $5 to $15, high
quality about $50. These are not really required for this project. The only
places to use them are attaching the LED holders to the laminate (10mm socket, hand tight)
and attaching the DB25 connectors to the I-PAC enclosure, (3/16 socket (if it clears), or
maybe 4-40 screws and ??? nuts, depends on the cable), and you could use needlenose pliers
for these in a pinch (pun intended). The set shown is a 52-piece set by Allied which
Pep Boys Auto Parts sells for $13. They also sell a 40-piece set by the same company
for $5, which would be adequate (I bought one just to have emergency tools in my
car. These actually have a lifetime warranty, but if you are going to do any serious
work, I recommend getting a better set from Sears Craftsman, Husky, Stanley, S-K, Kobalt,
etc. (The lifetime warranty doesn't mean much if you have to bring it back every
two weeks because it broke again. If you can't find one locally, decent prices can
be found online here
and here,
but I haven't purchased from either company.
10mm 1/4-inch drive Socket - Approximate cost $3. As I said above, only
required for the LED holders and you could use pliers for these, if you had to.
FWIW, I prefer to use six-point sockets and 12-point combination wrenches, if you are
building your tool collection.
Computer Tool Set - Approximate cost free to $5. This is not
required except for the 3/16 Nutdriver (see below), however, it is pretty handy to
have. The set pictured is made by Belkin. I bought a similar set by Curtis
from CompUSA either free or under $5 after rebate. The set is handy to keep beside
the computer for impromptu upgrades/maintenance, etc. This set is slightly different
from mine, but typically, they contain two each slotted and phillips screwdrivers, two
1/4-inch nutdrivers, one 3/16-inch nutdriver, tweezers, a three pronge extractor (useful
for placing and removing jumper caps), and some sort of (generally useless) IC setting or
removal tool.
3/16-inch Nutdriver -
Approximate cost $3. This is only required to secure the DB25 connectors to the
I-PAC enclosure, and even then, you could use needlenose pliers instead or you might have
to use 4-40 screws and some other nut size anyway.
Vise-Grip Pliers -
Approximate cost $10 each. Not required for this project, however, share the
distinction (along with duct tape) for most useful tool ever invented. If you don't
have a set of these in your tool box, your tool box is incomplete.
Needle-Nose Pliers -
Approximate cost $5. Not required for the project, except they could be used as a
substitute for the dykes, socket wrenches, and nut driver.
Hammer - Approximate
cost $10. Required for mounting the alignment pins on the Twisty-Grip version of the
Star Wars yoke.
Plexi-Cutter - Approximate cost $7. Image provided by
SNAAAKE from BYOAC, who highly recommends it. The tool is supposed to also cut
laminate. I hate to discredit something I have never used, but I looked at this tool
and I don't see it working out. The tool appears to be just a very sharp knife
blade. I got a laminate sample, scored it several times, and tried
to snap it off and was not happy with the results. I have heard of professional
installers using this method, but good luck if you decide to try it!
PVC Cutter -
Approximate cost $30. These are handy, however, they are very expensive and design
to cut through PVC quickly, but not necessarily accurately. (Doesn't matter for
plumbing jobs). They could be used for the Twisty-Grip version of the Star Wars
Yoke, but I don't know that you would get as clean and square a cut as you could with a
Dremel or hacksaw.
Paint Brushes -
Approximate cost $5 for twelve. I prefer the foam brushes as shown. It seems
like a bought a pack of twelve plastic handled brushes at Lowe's for around $5 a while
ago. My theory is that I never, ever get brushes clean enough to reuse, so the
cheaper and the closer to disposable I can make them, the better off I am.
No you don't need a digital camera to create this project, however, several situations may come up where you would like to have one. First, you might want to design a website like this to pass along hints to other people or just to E-mail pictures of your controller to anyone who might be interested. Also, at some point, you might run into some problem (tracing a circuit board, for example) where it would be helpful to E-mail an image to someone who can help you out.
Since I have done some reasearch into this, I figured I should share my experience. Note that I am just trying to show cameras suitable for web page design, not the best ideas for all around use, nor necessarily the cheapest cameras you can buy.
Basically, I have the field narrowed down to a $50 digital camera and a webcam, which I wouldn't recommend unless you find one free with rebate. Which one I choose depends on whether anyone offers any free with rebate webcams before I get around to needing pictures of the construction phase of the project.
Digital Camera - Cost $50. I purchased an I-Concepts Camera
as shown on the right for $10 after rebate from OfficeMax. The camera is horrible.
It only takes 320x240 max resolution images and anything not taken in bright daylight and
less than five feet away was unrecognizable. It got returned the very next
day. Wal-Mart sells the Vivitar ViviCam20 digital camera in the middle for $50
dollars. The camera can take 640x480 resolution
images and has a flash which is important for indoor pictures. It also has a macro
mode for close up images. A gallery of sample (probably 1 in 1,000 shots, if they're
genuine, this is the manufacturer's site!) is available here and the
product specs are available here. Microcenter
is currently selling the Ezonics MegaCam on the left for $50. I don't know a lot
about this camera. It can take 800x600 resolution images, which is better than the
Vivitar and it has a flash, but I don't know about a macro mode. The company web
site is here and the product specs are
available here.
Webcam - Cost, free
with rebate, currently $17 on pricewatch,
but don't BUY one as a still camera. The unit shown is a Logitech Quick Cam Express.
It is capable of 640x480 resolution as a webcam, but only 350x280 for still images.
These cameras usually have a focus adjustment, so they may do better than the
I-Concepts camera above. OTOH, they are mounted to the USB port, so you are pretty
well limited to indoor shots fairly close to the computer. I review of several
cameras with sample images is available here.