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Help the new guy plan his first cocktail cabinet
Marsupial:
Vince, are you saying a 23 inch TV might be a bad idea if I am to keep a pacman style? :laugh2: :lol :dizzy:
I want to check a few things before making final monitor decision, and the cab design will be finalized only after that. I am also worried about the proper way to secure the monitor inside.
Yesterday after I realised I needed to get a new computer motherboard, I started to look about mini-itx ones, I think this might be a good idea. It will depend what I can get locally and for what price. If I can spare some shipping charges...
I don't think I will start actual construction of the cabinet before late june or early july as we are moving early june; I still have time to plan. But before that happens, I still can start ordering required parts. I might even be able to work the CPs out if time permits.
Dexter: can they do this type of cut at the hardware store if we get the glass there? or are there more specialized stores for glass? now that I think of it, I never purchased glass before.
BTW I think you might be right about the side CP; I was thinking of making another cabinet for such games, but this won't be instant, and I'll want to play with the cocktail too. I showed the pictures of Davieboy's cocktail to the wife and she immediately said "nice, we could play fighting games"...
I think I'll be making something very similar.
Right now, I want to find the actual monitor I'll end up using; its an essential part of the equation if I want to be able to advance any type of design.
apfelanni:
u can choose between 14 , 20,21 or 25( 23 ) inch tvs . each has its benefits. i recommend a 14 inch only for vertical setups or micromachines. for more satisfaction i would take the 20 ,21 inch screens . if ure planning all well u might go with a 25-(23) inch as well , but the tube is about 40-45 cm depth and not easy to mount in . i used a philips eak59 for my last table where it fits in 100 % , coz all was constructed around the monitor .
most japanese or china brand sticks have 2-4-8 switchable restrictors , u dont need a special 4 o 2 way stick . there are only a handful games with real cocktail mode. u have 2 decide if its worth the effort . on the other hand a 2 player panel for horizontal games ( in case u choose the 20-25 inch tv ) add a few hundereds extra games . dont use a comp monitor with less than 20-21 inch for a 2p hori setup .
one advise for a selfbuild : keep the distance to the screen edge as short as it can be and the panel depth at minimum . arcade tables usually suffer from a bad viewing angle by nature , so dont waste any inch for monster panels or exaggerated bezelnonsens .
Marsupial:
I am tempted to make one of those micro arcade machines for the toddlers... I think they'd love it. But I want to be able to play too ;)
Good news, I got the monitor.
I got my hand on a 19 inch samsung SVGA monitor. Now I need to figure out how I'll mount it and I'll be able to plan the rest of the cabinet body.
I tried to look on the forums, but I can't find out how to efficiently hold the cabinet in place for a cocktail - should I build a metal frame on which the monitor will rest?
Dexter:
--- Quote from: Marsupial on April 30, 2010, 05:15:05 pm ---I am tempted to make one of those micro arcade machines for the toddlers... I think they'd love it. But I want to be able to play too ;)
Good news, I got the monitor.
I got my hand on a 19 inch samsung SVGA monitor. Now I need to figure out how I'll mount it and I'll be able to plan the rest of the cabinet body.
I tried to look on the forums, but I can't find out how to efficiently hold the cabinet in place for a cocktail - should I build a metal frame on which the monitor will rest?
--- End quote ---
Marsupial,
Heres the way I've done it in my last 3 cocktails.
Put a low profile desktop case with the PC in it flat on the bottom of the inside of the case. brace it in place allowing airflow front and back. Turn the 19"SVGA monitor on its back but remove bezel or drill lots of holes around the screen bezel (Whichever allows you to leace the tube abd electronics in the outer plastic case) to let heat out that rises. Sit the upside down monitor on the PC case in the cab. Now do some measurements to work out how much you need to prop up the monitor from the PC base to get the right screen height towards the glass. When its in place, brace the monitor horizontally across the back of the case, outside of the tube neck..
I never took pictures of that part of the build unfortunately. But you can sit a ventilated towards the top 19" PC monitor flat on its back, on top of a slimline desktop pc case with room to spare.
Marsupial:
so your monitor sits on the case inside the cab?
I didn't think about heat issues, thanks!
I am thinking of removing the plastic case from the monitor. I've check and in addition of a second "farrady cage" case, this specific model has some kind of mounting brackets. I am thinking I could have the monitor suspended on a frame, in order to be able to service the PC without removing the monitor. (maybe there's no need for that?)
here's what the monitor looks like once you remove its plastics:
note the RGB BNC connectors. :)
The front bezel eats up close to one inch, and the plastic at the back east about 1/2 or maybe 1 inch.
the rare pictures I saw of cocktail cabinets inside had some type of rails that was holding the monitor in place, with this type of brackets, would it make sense?
something strange about this monitor is its setting buttons...
they are in a slide-down panel!
I am thinking I might try to extend that thing and make it available when the top panel is openned, in case it could be useful.