Ultra Slim Project. COMPLETED 29TH OCT 2011 WITH PICS

[Coolin]

Well finally completed and all up and running I thought id post a few pics up for you guys before my mate snaffles it next week and I'm Cab-less once again! The pics don't really do it justice and it looks far better in the flesh so to speak and everyone loves it including my mate who is now the proud new owner

for size reference -  heres my sons GF playing on it, please ignore the mess behind her its the start of a new project already lol
 


Front view - its utilising arcade maximus as my mate wanted all the old school consoles installed and I find this quick and uncluttered and doesn't get on your tits like Hyperspin after a few weeks of overblown eye candy nonsense (my opinion don't flame me please) I designed the simple bezel on illustrator and had the idea of labelling up the menu buttons at the same time colour co-ordinating them with the buttons I had fitted above the CP. I then had them reverse printed as a decal and once fitted they looked just great.  



Marquee - although the LED lighting is turned off (via switch in coin door) you can see how I mounted them and the marquee, I done this as I have made a few different marquees up of his fav games and they simply Velcro in place. The LEDs are incredibly bright maybe 1 row would have been enough TBH



Coin door - Taken from an old arcade we have made this to access the main power and also to unlatch the whole front to remove the PC should it need worked on. Note the 2 USB slots in the coin return and the vol/headphone & mute controls under the control panel which are well handy.



Would I do anything different? yes a few cosmetic changes but overall everything came out well and all only cost around £400 so slightly over budget but this included a capable PC, 17in monitor, Toughened safety glass bezel with reverse printed decals for it and 3 marquees.

well best get back to the drawing board for my next project a bar top with a twist! no doubt ill be posting progress on here soon.

bye4now col x



HOW IT ALL BEGAN.

Well after building several MAME cabs over the years I have decided to work on a full size ultra slim version which will be a great departure from the usual large CRT ones the wife just loves!  
 I have always been a little anti LCD but after building a couple of bartops and an iCade for my iPad using Seleuco's iMame4all ( type "wearetheflyguys icade" in google for my effort) I have came round to the idea more and more. The bonus is although the wife's not a fan of my arcade fetish she can at least live with them if unobtrusive enough hence the project.

This 1st version will be a prototype which a mate will probably end up with, but will at least help me with pitfalls and design workarounds.

My criteria I will try and stick too will include the following:

1. Wood finish thats in keeping with the wifes furniture
2. Small enough to not overpower the room its intended for (probably the main day to day living space)
3. Slim enough to keep valuable floor space clear
4. Modern, but keeping the classic arcade look and feel.

After sketching a few designs on paper I always start by making a profile out of 6mm MDF which a router can cut around and this is what I have came up with to start.



I know it looks a little strange ATM but once the profiles are cut and a few fill-ins are in place it should take shape fingers Xed

[jimmy2x2x]

Very nice profile!

[Martijn]

Good luck, ill keep an eye on you because i will be starting my slim version soon, maybe you got some nice ideas

[syph007]

wow you aren't kidding, that's super model slim.  Will it freestand ok, or will it be wall mounted?

[Coolin]

Well I cut a couple of profiles out of 15mm Furniture Board, knocked up a few inner profiles to join the two together and as you can see it is starting to take shape. The Black ash finish with the red trim looks well cool and im happy with the result. The next stage is too finish the step and do a simple 1 player control panel as thats all my mate wants, mine may have 2 and I already have a few alterations to the prototype in mind so we will see how it goes.



sorry for the crappy camera phone pics but ill post a few decent ones when the control panel is in place.

[Coolin]

wow you aren't kidding, that's super model slim.  Will it freestand ok, or will it be wall mounted?

yep it actually stands quite solid with the foot I have made, I prefer my cabs to have this as it feels more comfortable playing with a foot plonked on the step. If left unattended there would be no chance of a toddler pulling it on top of him/her and they would have to be 7+ to even reach the control without a barstool

[Termin8tor]

Good Start. I'm in the planning stages of my own slim cab at the moment so its great to see I wont be alone. Couple of questions:
1. Will you be adding a coin door?
2. What size screen will you be using (widescreen or standard)?

[Coolin]

Good Start. I'm in the planning stages of my own slim cab at the moment so its great to see I wont be alone. Couple of questions:
1. Will you be adding a coin door?
2. What size screen will you be using (widescreen or standard)?

I won't be bothering with a coin door but may put a false Center column that housed the coin door and coin box to give it a more retro'esk look for want of a better word. This will be a finishing touch if it happens at all as my mate is on a shoe string and happy to cut corners to save a few bob lol

I made it to house a 19in screen however again my mate bought an old dell 17 for £20 which is 4:3 as all my projects are. I'm not a fan of widescreen cabs as I have yet to see one where the proportions look correct and I am an old school gamer and prefer the classic stuff.

Col

[Donkbaca]

what kind of pC are you putting in there?

[TopJimmyCooks]

I really like the prefinished ash grained side panels.  Not something that you run into a lot stateside.  Will there be checkerplate or some type of protection on the footrest area?

[Coolin]

what kind of pC are you putting in there?

I picked up a Dell SFF 3.4 dual core and a low profile geforce 8600 which is more than enough for what my mate wants and only £70 the pair off eBay. I've now used 3 dells in my last builds as they run almost silent and the SFF (small form factor) are perfect for slim builds. I even managed to put one of their USFF's (ultra) underneath the control panel of a small candy type cab.

[sunnyp]

Looks great - where did you get the black ash veneer from and how did you stick it on? 

[Coolin]

I really like the prefinished ash grained side panels.  Not something that you run into a lot stateside.  Will there be checkerplate or some type of protection on the footrest area?

Yeah the cabinet board looks cool but not great to work on as it chips easy at the cut edges, However once assembled has a cracking durable finish a lot like the originals did.

I have used ribbed matting on the foot as was often used on a lot of classic cabs and it fits in well. The slight problem I am having ATM is how to attach it! I have used spray tack for this 1st attempt but I dont think its a great solution so I may try double sided tape and if thats no better probably some heavy bonding glue like EVO or the likes. Funny you mention but I did look at some thin checkerplate which looked cool, but unfortunately it overpowered the look I am aiming at.

col



note: the dell desktop sitting in place is my project PC and not the one that will be used in the final setup it will be smaller UFF Dell. Mind you mine sits there perfectly as if the cab was even built around it

[TopJimmyCooks]

I am incorporating a small aluminum checker foot scuff protection plate on the base of my cab.  I am going to paint it black and see how it holds up.  In a perfect world it would be powder coated, but I'm not going to fork out the cash to do that.  I agree it would be too much to cover the base with a shiny piece. 

On the attachment, can you buy 3M brand Super 77 spray adhesive in the UK?  I have had good success with it.  If the back of the vinyl is smooth, rough it up with some sandpaper, wipe off the shavings with some solvent/mineral spirits.  Spray both sides and let them dry to tacky.  You get one chance to position it right, but it will not come off with any normal use. 

[Coolin]

Looks great - where did you get the black ash veneer from and how did you stick it on? 

its pre made that way and can be bought most decent DIY stores in the UK and quite cheap this whole project was under £30

col

[Coolin]

A quick browse on amazon ended up with me acquiring a set of Logitech PC speakers for my project at the bargain price of £12.95 delivered! These may not be cutting edge audiophile equipment but were more than enough to crank out arcade game soundz.



 First job was to literally smash open the Sub and speakers and see what could be done incorporating them into my cab, it was quite weird destroying what was already a nice set of speakers but it had to be done.




I had decided to fit the sub under the control panel that way I could put the Vol control and headphone socket underneath for easy access, it was as if the sub was made for the job.



Not being a great fan of speaker grills I spent almost 2 hours deciding how best to fit the pair of speakers under the Marquee without looking too half arsed. My solution? I used my slot cutter on the cutout and then inserted some T-moulding in there and Hey Presto! I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
I am sure many others have used this method before but it was just an experiment for me and I was well chuffed at how good they looked. It actually looks better in the flesh than the pics can portray
I did at one point try some chrome trim in there and it looked WOW! but the cab is for a mate and he liked the red to match in with profile trim, either way an end to a good building session. This is a simple but effective solution I will defo use on my cabs from now on.



Next job onto the control panel so stay tuned

[emphatic]

So, the speakers still sound good now then? 

[Coolin]

So, the speakers still sound good now then? 

Well until the control panel front door, marquee and glass are in place I wont get the true feel for the sound especially the sub, however that said I plugged my iPhone in and gave em a whirl after your post got me wondering. To help the sub a little I put a piece of mdf where the control panel will go to box it off a little and cranked up the volume.
 All I can say is for £12.95 delivered they are incredible and I even had to turn the sub down halfway  admittedly  they are not the loudest of speakers but I still had to turn them down to about 60% vol which was more than enough for anyone.
  The only problem I did have was a slight rattle on one of the main speakers due to it being fastened slightly loose but I may retro them with rubber grommets between the wood and the speaker for a little dampening to counter this at a later date.

I am glad I bought 3 pair of these when I saw them on ukhotdeals as I doubt you could get better if looking for a budget set of speakers.

Col

[Donkbaca]

Decasing a cheap set of speakers I can kind of see, by why would you decase the sub?

[Coolin]

Decasing a cheap set of speakers I can kind of see, by why would you decase the sub?

The only place the sub would have fitted is below the monitor pointing out the back. I did consider this but I would not have easy access to the sub control and it would port directly against the wall tbh I am more than happy with the placement and intend the same setup in my own cab?
For a cheap Chinese made set of speakers that cost £12.95 delivered they are superb It does not seem to affected the sound at all in fact I have heard a lot worse from speakers 3 x the price!

Col

[dandare]

Your cab is looking sweet my friend!

I love the T-molding for the speakers, great idea.  Wish i'd thought of that for mine!

Look forward to more updates!

[Coolin]

Being a fan of the classics my cabs have never gone over 3 buttons, however this is for a friend who was brought up on fighters so a 6 button panel was the order of the day. I set about it my usual way and made a template for future use, this template could be used for all my cabs regardless of how many buttons it warranted so would be worth the extra little effort. After 2 hours at the drawing board I was happy with the outcome so I transferred it to my usual 6mm MDF and drilled it accordingly. tada!



It doesn't look much for 2hrs work but hopefully it will make the hole cutting job a lot easier in the long run. All I do is fasten the template in place beneath the panel, after drilling pilot holes I then remove the template and use my hole cutter from the top. This makes spacing perfect every time and saves me the job of marking up the panel itself which has proved tricky in the past.
In theory this should have been so straight forward, but to my dismay the first panel I cut out was with the template the wrong way round. I only noticed this after the holes were cut and I was actually trying the buttons in place, needless to say I ended up with a totally useless scrap piece of wood doh!

So here it is with hardware installed and all buttons in place, it measures 16.5" x 8.75" so even pan shovel hands have plenty of room. The black buttons are for reference to the front end (maximus) for letter up letter down in mame and the likes, It also separates the Neo Geo layout from SF type fighters one which works for me anyhow. The rear menu buttons seemed to work well and the strip of wood which I routed also doubled up to hold the glass firmly in place. The front edge has a slight radius which although is very subtle looks a lot better than a straight one and of course sports the usual T-Moulding to compliment the cabs overall look and feel. All in all it turned out better than I expected and I am well happy with the outcome


side note: the black concave buttons will be changed to convex to suit

Here is the hardware side which although is a little messy does the job. I have used a keyboard controller from digital system design and although its not as customisable as the ipac its half the price and does everything ill ever need. They have been faultless in my last 3 cabs. I have tried to keep the cost of this cab to a minimum with the top end budget of £300 all in so as expected the Joystick is the cheapest one I could get from Andy at Gremlin. That aside its a great little stick which has a good feel to it and the bonus of a long shaft (ooh'er missus). its also better than the old crappy one I found in my spares box which was the alternative and FOC.



As I said earlier I am more than happy with the outcome and the overall look is coming together quite nicely. Hopefully when finished it will still have that retro feel and will not look out of place with any modern furnished home. Feedback from my mates have all been extremely positive and keeps spurring me on.

Next step install temp hardware in place & test all is working as it should (will chuck a video up). I also need to spend a little more time designing a more tasteful marquee which I seem to be going round in circles with ATM and its doing my head in! Ideas more than welcome.

stay tuned col

[notroubleclubber]

This is exactly how i want my cab to be though i may go for a white and blue look.
I see your in the UK and would love to know where you get the wood from for under £30?!

If your using 6mm MDF what size tmolding do you use and where did you get it from in the UK?

Is there any chance of a sketchup or measurements as im slowly getting the bits together on a budget (so far got all the led buttons i need and a trackball with usb interface and 1x u360 for £65 off ebay - looking for another u360! This will save me getting an ipac).

I will probably use my current desktop pc though will need to decase to make it fit - and my current 22" LCD Widescreen monitor so the measurements would need to be altered slightly but just love the profile.

Thanks

Mark

[emphatic]

Nice, clean panel. No chance of getting splinters though, right? Is that a Zippy stick? I've heard good stuff about 'em. From my mrs. 

[Coolin]

This is exactly how i want my cab to be though i may go for a white and blue look.
I see your in the UK and would love to know where you get the wood from for under £30?!

If your using 6mm MDF what size tmolding do you use and where did you get it from in the UK?

Is there any chance of a sketchup or measurements as im slowly getting the bits together on a budget (so far got all the led buttons i need and a trackball with usb interface and 1x u360 for £65 off ebay - looking for another u360! This will save me getting an ipac).

I will probably use my current desktop pc though will need to decase to make it fit - and my current 22" LCD Widescreen monitor so the measurements would need to be altered slightly but just love the profile.

Thanks

Mark

hey Mark
I get the wood from Maxwells they have a number of shops around the NE (sunderland) it is 15mm cabinet board which is basicly chipboard with a very this formica type textured skin. I am sure it has other names I am no wood expert but its like the stuff cheap wardrobes are made of. TBH its a bit of a ---smurfette--- to work with and cut without chipping I use an expensive table router which seems to do the trick.

 I don't draw up any plans as such when I build my cabs just rough sketches on a notepad. When I'm happy I draw it out full size on 6mm MDF to create a profile which is used on my router table. This is probs not the best way to do things but it works for me.

The moulding comes from andy at gremlin.

If you are local you are more than welcome to borrow my profile or pop along to check stuff out I will help where I can.

col  

[Coolin]

Nice, clean panel. No chance of getting splinters though, right? Is that a Zippy stick? I've heard good stuff about 'em. From my mrs. 

yeah its not real wood but a textured manmade finish however looks very real even to the touch so not possible to splinter,  to Zippy stick

col

[dandare]

Nice, clean panel. No chance of getting splinters though, right? Is that a Zippy stick? I've heard good stuff about 'em. From my mrs. 

yeah its not real wood but a textured manmade finish however looks very real even to the touch so not possible to splinter,  to Zippy stick

col

My first joystick was a zippy.   I can still hear the clicking in my sleep.

[notroubleclubber]

Coolin - Thanks for the offer but im in the South West (Bristol way) so a bit too far.
Im probably gonna experiment with cardboard first to get a design then go from there.
If your using 15mm cabinet wood then what size is your tmolding?

Ive never heard of maxwells - just the usual homebase and b&q our way!

[monkey puzzle]

I'm really likeing this proect, I love the red/black look. Can't wait to see it finished. I haven't worked on my slim cab for a year and a half, but will be continuing on it soon. I love the speaker holes, I might have to steal that idea if you don't mind.
You started off saying the cab was for yourself, then said it was for a mate. What made you change your mind?

[Coolin]

I'm really likeing this proect, I love the red/black look. Can't wait to see it finished. I haven't worked on my slim cab for a year and a half, but will be continuing on it soon. I love the speaker holes, I might have to steal that idea if you don't mind.
You started off saying the cab was for yourself, then said it was for a mate. What made you change your mind?

I did originally start the project for myself however I have 2 mates wanting cabs built so I took the oppertunity to back heal it onto one of em so I could experiment with a few ideas and perfect em for my own cab. He is on a tight budget so everything is on a shoestring hence the cheap joystick, pc, speakers etc. However that said it hasn't really suffered in any way and is looking quite nice now.

I will do a few things a bit different and may try source some real wood veneered MDF for my project, however after being inspired by leadsfan's mini star wars project I may build a classic vertical cab of a similar size or finish my MK2 icade project thats been on the drawing board a few month.

col

[sunnyp]

Any update on this project?   You were making quite good progress....

[Rick]

Any update on this project?   You were making quite good progress....

Agreed.  As for the rubber bottom piece, try contact cement.  That'll hold it really well, and it won't ever move.

[Coolin]

I'm now the proud part owner of a beautiful baby boy Gabriel (6 weeks today), this alone has took up all my time however the project was initially stopped due to my crappy table saw burning out big style and basically rendering it as scrap. A wise man once told me "buy shite and you will end up buying it twice!" how true this. So this time I went overboard and got myself a real nice workshop jobbie and although it was 5x the price of the old one it will last 2 lifetimes easy if we still have electric then of course

Anyway I digress somewhat so back on track. My slim cab was finished last weekend and it has turned out far better than we expected considering my mates limited budget (he is also tight) I will take a few nice pics tonight and hopefully post them up in the next day or so to see what you guys think.

oh finally thanks to fellow board member LEEDSFAN I have a new project on the drawing board already but this time its for me and Gabriel

[stefano]

Perfect slim cabinet ! 

Congratulations for your baby!

Could you give the cabinet measures ?

[TopJimmyCooks]

I missed the completion of this in October - but let me say it's a very nice result.  Good job working with that prefinished plywood- I know from experience it's easy to chip the edges of those pieces. 

[Knievel]

Nice work. I like all the little details you did on this one.
The bezel in particular. I always just throw a piece of black posterboard in there.

An FYI for anyone in the US looking for a similar woodgrain finish, you can get rolls of Black Ash Vinyl from PartsExpress.
Go over it with a medium-heat iron wrapped in an old shirt to really adhere it.