help estimating costs? List of what I need

[shateredsoul]

I was wondering if someone could help me estimate the cost of building my cab? I have the control panel done, a monitor, and computer.  I just want to know how much in addition so I'm making a list of stuff I need, anyone see anything missing? My friend has wood working tools, so i'll be using the tools he has.  I only really need to build the actual cab to hold everything now.


I want to use this slim design http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=78494.0 but I have a touch screen monitor I will either implement on the cab (previously I had thought on the side) but I may just make it it's own separate frame (so I can hang it near the cab). It also has to be able to hold a control panel the size of mameroom's panels.

2 sheets of MDF
2 buckets of paint (probably glossy black)
1 sheet of plexi (to make a bezel for the monitor)
4 Wheels (for the bottoms)
1 usb plug to go on the outside the cab to connect the touch screen.

Anything else? I wanted to make a a pull out drawer for the keyboard that can be locked.. what can I use for that? He can guide me through whatever I need to do.

[mwong168]

Well for the player controls you will need the following:

IPAC-2  $39.00

http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html

This keyboard encoder will give you just enough inputs for a typical 2 player 6 button layout with 4-8 extra buttons you could designate for admin buttons like TAB, ENTER, ESC, etc.  It also comes with a nice easy to use program you can flash to the chip if you don't want to use the default key assignments.

All the following parts I recommend getting from Chad over at Lizardlick.com  He's a great guy and ships really fast.  I placed my order for some parts late yesterday afternoon and this morning I got notification my stuff has shipped

iL 8-Way Eurojoystick  $9.95 x 2


Trust me pay the extra $2 per stick to get the iL over the Happ 8-Way Competition Joystick.  They might look the same or similar in the picture but there is a difference and history behind these two sticks.

Happ  Competition Pushbutton with Horizontal Microswitch  $1.70 x 12


or

Happ  Pushbutton with Horizontal Microswitch  $1.55 x 12


Solderless Quick Connect, 18-22 AWG Red  $0.10/each or else you could get a pack of 100 for $5-6.


Depending on what sort of controls you go for American (HAPP/iL) like I have listed here or Japanese (Sanwa/Seimitsu) these quick disconnects come in two different sizes.  American = 0.187 Japanese = 0.110.  Always get extra in case you mess up, there is nothing that running out of quick disconnects or wire when working on your control panel wiring.  Trust me I know 

This gives you a rough idea of what you need to complete your control panel.  Depending if you need more then 2 players or want to have a dedicated 4 way stick like in the penny arcade you posted you will need a controller that can handle more inputs like the IPAC4 or get an additional IPAC2.  Keep in mind buttons count as one single input each and joysticks count as 4 separate inputs. 

I also want to note that there are other alternative for parts such as groovygamegear.com.  RandyT has keyboard and LED controllers as well.  I've used many of his products like the KeyWiz, GPWiz, LEDWiz+GPWiz in all my projects.  If you have any other questions feel free to post it here.  Good luck.

[mytymaus007]

i believe he said he has the control panel complete just needs a cab

[shateredsoul]

Cool thanks! So I have the control panel done. Joysticks, buttons, ipac, wired and working. I just need a cabinet to put the control pane and the screen on, unfortunately my lcd screen doesn't have any mounting holes   so i'm probably going to have to make a shelf for it.. I don't want to decase it.

[BobA]

Screws, glue, sandpaper, 1x1 wood for supports and extra stiffening, hinges, marquee retainer, cutter for plexi, T molding,  slot cutting bit, router, ac input plug, smart power strip, and a bit more that will come up along the way.

[shateredsoul]

So... hmm =/

If I don't need to buy any tools (whats a plexi cutter look like anyways?), would it be reasonable to say I'm still looking at about 300 Dollars more? or would you say more than that?

*edit* How about this cab? It looks pretty nice and fixed up, all I would have to do is replace the monitor with my 24" LCD.. it has a huge space for a Marquee, maybe my touch screen could go there? That would look a little corny though (to have a touchcreen jukebox instead of a marquee).

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/vgm/1784361179.html

*edit* I'm also worried that the angle will make it hard to play light gun games.

[mytymaus007]

If you have to nickel and dime then its not even worth the trouble. Anyway you look at a project its a money pit. Your almost never satisfied, it could be $300 more or less but when you get to that point you might want something else to add or change. And when your all done, you''ll want to build another cab. So thats what im saying if you have to put a price on it then just be happy with your control panel and play your games.

[BobA]

You could buy the cab with the working game and large monitor and sell the game board to make back probably half of what he wants for the cab. A plexi cutter is either a scoring tool that is sort of like a little knife with a hook or you can use a straight edge and a router with the proper bit. If you buy the cab you already have the plexi or the glass covering the monitor.  You will always want to change something or fine tune the look of the cab so you will never have an exact price.

As a first cab to buy a cab and mame it is often the cheapest and fastest route.

Not sure about the light gun and angle of monitor but that is only if you use a screen flash type gun.  Using an aimtrak which uses an array to sync the gun takes the aiming away from the screen and onto the array and gun itself. A light gun can easily add another 150 so as we have said you will never be completely finished or have the exact price.

[mwong168]

*edit* How about this cab? It looks pretty nice and fixed up, all I would have to do is replace the monitor with my 24" LCD.. it has a huge space for a Marquee, maybe my touch screen could go there? That would look a little corny though (to have a touchcreen jukebox instead of a marquee).

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/vgm/1784361179.html

*edit* I'm also worried that the angle will make it hard to play light gun games.

My bad earlier about the control panel, I didn't read carefully.  If you do end up picking up that JAMMA cab instead of replacing the 25" arcade monitor with your 24" LCD just buy these two things from ultimarc.com which are 100% plug and play and call it a day.

1.  ArcadeVGA3000 for $89 or if your system supports AGP then you could get the older ArcadeVGA for $42


2.  JPAC for $59


This way you don't have to buy any extra tools and not take advantage of a perfectly working arcade monitor.  In regards to light gun games I have played converted cabs in that style and no issues.  I think as long as your light guns are calibrated you will be fine.

[shateredsoul]

so the arcade vga and jpac are used if I decide to mame an arcade machine rather than building my own.

[mwong168]

Yes, you just unplug the JAMMA harness from the original arcade PCB and connect it to the JPAC.  Then you just need to hook up a PS2 cable from the JPAC to either a USB or PS2 port for power (you could also use the mouse port if your IPAC is hooked up to the keyboard port) and then ArcadeVGA to the JPAC.

[shfifty]

If you have to nickel and dime then its not even worth the trouble. Anyway you look at a project its a money pit. Your almost never satisfied, it could be $300 more or less but when you get to that point you might want something else to add or change. And when your all done, you''ll want to build another cab. So thats what im saying if you have to put a price on it then just be happy with your control panel and play your games.

you have summed it up perfectly. I'm rebuilding my first cab that i built a few years ago (because it wasnt perfect). When I get this one done i will definitely have the need to build another cab, even though i dont need one. Think about how meth addicts get consumed and crave their next hit. Its the same concept, except you will be consumed with 'cab fever' and you will crave more and more MAME  .

[CheffoJeffo]

Before we go too far considering the JPac (which is my preferred way of installing a PC in a cabinet), what do you have on your panel and which encoders are used ?

Depending on what you have, the Jpac may be more trouble than it is worth.

[shateredsoul]

I have an ipac and it's already setup on my control panel.. it works great with my pc.  I just need an actual cabinet.

My friend (who knows I want a slim cab) suggested why I don't just get a normal cab, and slice a piece off the back... is that even possible?

[javeryh]

You also need:

- t-molding
- marquee (art and plexi)
- marquee brackets
- marquee light
- coin door
- smart strip

and probably lots of other stuff (glue, screws, router bits, sandpaper, etc.).

[CheffoJeffo]

I have an ipac and it's already setup on my control panel.. it works great with my pc.  I just need an actual cabinet.

My friend (who knows I want a slim cab) suggested why I don't just get a normal cab, and slice a piece off the back... is that even possible?

Where I was going is that if you just have an Ipac2, then, yeah changing to the JPac would be worthwhile (just swap the wires and sell the IPac2). If it is an Ipac4, not so much.

Trying to chop the back off of a cab is going to cost you more than building with lesser results.

[shateredsoul]

does the type of arcade you  build change the cost? My friend said I could do the 1st one if I epoxy the monitor  . For example

this

vs

keep in mind, I already have my CP (which is huuuuuuuge), so this is what I have now

[mwong168]

Nice looking control panel, can we get some more pics from the sides so we can make suggestions on how you can integrate that hard work into a cab.

[Benevolance]

Epoxy the monitor? Does he mean glue it to the frame? Aren't most LCD monitors/TVs equipped with VESA compliant mounting holes/brackets these days? Just get an appropriate mounting bracket and screw it onto the frame. You could even get one that lets you swivel the monitor from horizontal to vertical.

[shateredsoul]

Nice looking control panel, can we get some more pics from the sides so we can make suggestions on how you can integrate that hard work into a cab.

thanks! I just wish I had realized how massive this thing would be.. I'll take some more pics later.  I'm might get the trackball for my bday, so I'm holding off on buying it. And the spinner.. ahem yeah, I'm rethinking whether I want one.

So my monitor, it turns out, was a monitor that was marketed toward pc gamers but has all the connections of a normal TV, so it doesn't have any sort of mounts.  Yes, epoxy means I would glue it. I could also build a wooden frame for it.

[shfifty]

that is a sweet looking panel. I think bigger panels are better (within reason). So that you're not too cramped up and bumping shoulders when playing 2 player games