cocktail toychest?

[Matjo]

I had an idea for a cocktail cab with a hinged lid that does double duty as a toy chest.  Has anybody done anything like this before?  I would think with an LCD and notebook guts, the hardware could be made quite thin, leaving plenty of storage space underneath.  Thoughts?

[jennifer]

       The lid may be a little heavy, might smash little fingers...... hydraulic cylinders ..... plastic and plexi maybe?
Interesting idea anyway.

[Donkbaca]

Yeah, depends on how big of an LCD.  if you built everything into the lid it would probably be around 25 pounds, including the weight of the lid. 

You could always but the pc on the bottom, and run a cable to the top.  I think that would be better. 

[Turnarcades]

I believe there was a steampunk inspired cabinet created by a forum member here. You can read about it here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=88515.0

Whilst not strictly the same thing, it was designed to replicate a piece of furniture and falls into a cabinet design category of it's own as it is neither a cocktail or any other definable non-authentic shape.

[EightBySix]

You could always but the pc on the bottom, and run a cable to the top.  I think that would be better. 

+1

Maybe even under the bottom, or a false bottom, to keep the bits safe from the toys. I've had a similar challenge with my (not dead yet) project, keeping the lid thin. Have you had ny thoughts regarding how you would do. Control panel?

Nice idea!

[SavannahLion]

I'm going to violate my cardinal rule about linking to photos on forums and post a few ideas here. I'm on an Android and its too much work to upload photos properly. I'll fix links at a later date.

Are th stuck on a specific design? There are alternate designs to consider.

This should be obvious:
http://www.rockler.com/vmp_bypass/imageGallery/CustomerComments/20_41955725_Coltons%20Toy%20Box..1.1.JPG

Put the hardware off to the side:
http://www.inhabitots.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/fuji-toy-box.jpg

Who says the lid and monitor need to be on top? Monitor can't take too much of a beating anyways. Try this design where the door is more to the front. I have a crappy cheap plastic thing where the door is like this. Kids like to play inside it more than the actual toys:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LMW5Z4/ref=mp_s_a_12?qid=1302653409&sr=8-12

[Donkbaca]

Maybe even under the bottom, or a false bottom, to keep the bits safe from the toys. I've had a similar challenge with my (not dead yet) project, keeping the lid thin.

This ^

I think you should have it look like a normal cocktail and then have it open up and hold toys, not have it look like a toy chest and have it transform into a cocktail cab.

[drventure]

+1 on having it look like a cocktail cab.

In any case, though, I'd be little concerned about such a thing. I know +my+ daughter's toychest gets the crap beat out of it. I'm not sure that even protected by thick plex etc, a laptop or screen would survive very long in that environment.

Now, if you were putting it in the living room as a place to stow toys, but under supervision, that could work...

[leapinlew]

build a slide out style drawer or....

build a cocktail cabinet AND a arcade themed toy chest.

[EightBySix]

It needs an integrated shape sorter for a coin mech. 

[Matjo]

+1 integrated shape sorter for a coin mech

I was really thinking something that resembles a traditional pacman cocktail, but the top would flip up exposing storage underneath.  I like the idea of hiding the guts in a false bottom.  And maybe I'd make it a bit lower, so kids could kneel to play?  I am sympathetic to the concerns about durability, though.  My kids are great at breaking anything.