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General excitement and what size monitor for a cabinet? (Offical "I'm doing it")

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ragnar:

lumberjackass,

I really need to keep costs low.  How much would a vinyl covering for both sides cost?  I figure that it is well over $100 and in that case I just don't want to do it.

My current plan is to assemble my cabinet in much the same way you did.  But I was going to fill the drill holes and sand smooth, then paint the sides.  I might later add some small vinyl pieces of artwork.  Or maybe buy stickers.  There must be some retro sticker web site that has a 12"x12" pacman :-)?  It won't be as nice but it is better than having a huge piece of painted MDF sitting in the corner.  Or I could do some 8-bit pixel like camoflage.  That just takes paint and patience.

If I do some vinyl right off the bat, I might do so with the control panel.

The Lumberjackass:

im living in ireland so any prices i quote are only a guide really.
i paid in total , for all my vinyl , 180 euro . the vast cost of that was the side art , and i think they were 78 euro each .
BUT , thats because i used the best vinyl they had and i got it laminated with a clear vinyl on top. i think he said both
vinyls i used were 6 euro per sq foot . so if i didnt use laminate , i'd half the 78 euro cost of each side art.
( and just as a fyi , you dont need to laminate the vinyl, but i did it to protect it from my nephews and niece )

so pay a visit to any sign company , they will give you samples and tell you how much each of them are per sq foot.
personally, dont go with a thin vinyl or a vinyl that stretches easily under strain . the stuff needs to be as thick as possible to hide
any filler holes , and must not lose its shape if you need to peel it back off the cabinet to reapply it. as i say , get samples , they are free
and you can test them on the wood your using. if its bare mdf , it'll be a tough job , but use the samples to test adhesion and pull it off a few times
to see how many fibres are taken away from the surface. this will tell you if you can use vinyl at all on plain mdf.

but as i say , get samples , they are free . any company asks for money for a sample , walk away . try a few companies too. as alot
of vinyls are made by different manufacturers and some are better than others . and can be even cheaper too :)


and although i did say in vid 1 that you dont need to paint a cab , its personal preference if you wish to do so. but its just a pain having to paint
a cabinet so thats why i chose pre-finished mdf instead.

Epyx:


--- Quote ---personally, i have found that a 24" lcd is far too big for the cab.
--- End quote ---

Agreed that this is a personal preference. I have a 27" arcade monitor in my cab at about the same distance and to me and those who have played on it, it is perfect.  Only you can determine the best size.


--- Quote ---of course its personal preference i guess, but LCD monitors make the old school games look TOO good.  what i mean is that you now see how the pixelation really stands out on games like karate champ or donkey kong
--- End quote ---

Again, personal as well. My order of preference would be:

1) Arcade Monitor
2) SCART capable TV or Broadcasting type presentation CRT Monitor capable of 15khz
3) CRT Monitor
4) LCD Monitor
5) Component TV
6) S Video TV
7) Composite TV

To me the Direct 3D progressive mojo on an LCD is a lot easier on the eyes than an Interlaced S-Video/Composite or Component signal..but that is just me.

alfonzotan:


--- Quote from: ragnar on July 29, 2010, 10:59:17 pm ---lumberjackass,

I really need to keep costs low.  How much would a vinyl covering for both sides cost?  I figure that it is well over $100 and in that case I just don't want to do it.


--- End quote ---

If you have access to a Grainger store (they only sell to businesses, but if you work for a company with an account there, you can buy stuff for yourself out of your own pocket) or know somebody who does, you can order 1/16" HDPE sheets for very cheap.  I bought one of these to cover my control panel, $15:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Sheet-Stock-1ZAZ8


november:

I don't have time to read through this whole thread yet but I have an old SF2 cab that I converted into a MAME cab.

The inner width of this cab is 25.5.  I found the perfect 27'' monitor for $250 on Newegg.  It fits with a bit +- 1mm gap on each side.  I was so stoked when I slid it in and it fit so well.

Here are pics of it.  Also, please save your "go with a classic crt blah blah authentic blah blah".  This is what I wanted and its what I will keep.








--- Quote from: alfonzotan on July 30, 2010, 02:32:45 pm ---
--- Quote from: ragnar on July 29, 2010, 10:59:17 pm ---lumberjackass,

I really need to keep costs low.  How much would a vinyl covering for both sides cost?  I figure that it is well over $100 and in that case I just don't want to do it.


--- End quote ---

If you have access to a Grainger store (they only sell to businesses, but if you work for a company with an account there, you can buy stuff for yourself out of your own pocket) or know somebody who does, you can order 1/16" HDPE sheets for very cheap.  I bought one of these to cover my control panel, $15:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Sheet-Stock-1ZAZ8


--- End quote ---


I actually work for Grainger and I'm so glad you mentioned us :).




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