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Repurpose furniture at right height for lightweight stand-up MAME machine?

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leapinlew:


--- Quote from: Donkbaca on July 19, 2011, 04:34:57 pm ---Go bartop! Probably build one for the same price as that microwave cart...


--- End quote ---

Thats it. Lure him in with how inexpensive it will be and then BAM!

Screws
Glue
Wood
T-molding
Controls
Artwork
Primer
Paint
Wire
Rubber feet
fans
plexiglass
light fixture
power strip
tools

Xiaou2:

As much as I Love seeing Donkbaca go ape over someone Elses cabinet choices...

 Realistically, such cabinets and desks are made as cheap as possible, using low quality thin particle board, poorly enforced joints, and they barely hold up to normal use. (which is why you see them on the curbs all the time)

 Rocking the thing with any force, such as when playing a physical game of Robotron, would tear that stuff to shreds in seconds.

 A full cabinet gotten for cheap is a much more viable solution.  You get a coin door, some controls, some wires, possibly a monitor, power cords, speakers, bezels, and existing art... if you dont want to simply paint it black.

 All you might have to do it make a single control panel top change... and that can be done with minimal tools and time.  

 A bartop may seem easier.. but in reality, its only merely the size that throws you off.  Its all the same work, just a little less of it. AND, you have to devote a table to use it.  (unless you make a base for it... which then pretty much makes it a full cab)

 A bartop for example, still usually has T-molding.  Which means you need a router, and an expensive slot cutter.  As well as t-molding itself.  And then theres all the rest of the stuff...

 If you are going to re-claim something for a pedestal style, it had better be some sort of older 'furniture grade' thing.  Not a walmart / ikea  special.  Something with real thick and strong wood.  It will probably look like hell, but re-claiming is cheap. It still doesnt solve woodworking challenges.  But it would give a good introduction and experience.  Any mistakes or wood-working butchery  made on free material is an easily acceptable loss.

 Ive often wondered how well cardboard could be used to make a decently looking project.  With use of ?soaking? some parts in a glue-water mix, several layers, I-beam style struts, and maybe paper bags for a smooth cheap covering... It might actually be passably nice.  (especially for the tool & money challenged)

 Edit:

 As for moving, cabs are not that hard with 2 people and a dolly.   You could make a split-cab... which separates into 2 or 3 parts.  The monitor is usually the thing that weighs the most.  Unless you use or replace it with an LCD.

 A bartop is of course much easier to transport.

 A standup without any weight to it, would rock-n-roll way too much. (unless maybe you put some sandbags in the bottom of it)


snorpmeister:


--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on July 20, 2011, 02:40:37 am ---As much as I Love seeing Donkbaca go ape over someone Elses cabinet choices...

 Realistically, such cabinets and desks are made as cheap as possible, using low quality thin particle board, poorly enforced joints, and they barely hold up to normal use. (which is why you see them on the curbs all the time)

 Rocking the thing with any force, such as when playing a physical game of Robotron, would tear that stuff to shreds in seconds.

 A full cabinet gotten for cheap is a much more viable solution.  You get a coin door, some controls, some wires, possibly a monitor, power cords, speakers, bezels, and existing art... if you dont want to simply paint it black.

 All you might have to do it make a single control panel top change... and that can be done with minimal tools and time.  

 A bartop may seem easier.. but in reality, its only merely the size that throws you off.  Its all the same work, just a little less of it. AND, you have to devote a table to use it.  (unless you make a base for it... which then pretty much makes it a full cab)

 A bartop for example, still usually has T-molding.  Which means you need a router, and an expensive slot cutter.  As well as t-molding itself.  And then theres all the rest of the stuff...

 If you are going to re-claim something for a pedestal style, it had better be some sort of older 'furniture grade' thing.  Not a walmart / ikea  special.  Something with real thick and strong wood.  It will probably look like hell, but re-claiming is cheap. It still doesnt solve woodworking challenges.  But it would give a good introduction and experience.  Any mistakes or wood-working butchery  made on free material is an easily acceptable loss.

 Ive often wondered how well cardboard could be used to make a decently looking project.  With use of ?soaking? some parts in a glue-water mix, several layers, I-beam style struts, and maybe paper bags for a smooth cheap covering... It might actually be passably nice.  (especially for the tool & money challenged)

 Edit:

 As for moving, cabs are not that hard with 2 people and a dolly.   You could make a split-cab... which separates into 2 or 3 parts.  The monitor is usually the thing that weighs the most.  Unless you use or replace it with an LCD.

 A bartop is of course much easier to transport.

 A standup without any weight to it, would rock-n-roll way too much. (unless maybe you put some sandbags in the bottom of it)


--- End quote ---

Guess I'm back to "want the game play and stand-up orientation only but not the cab" conundrum. I hear you on the cheap furniture. Most stuff now made is crap. I'll keep searching the forums and consider how much of an investment I really want to make right now.

leapinlew:


--- Quote from: snorpmeister on July 20, 2011, 05:16:33 am ---Guess I'm back to "want the game play and stand-up orientation only but not the cab" conundrum. I hear you on the cheap furniture. Most stuff now made is crap. I'll keep searching the forums and consider how much of an investment I really want to make right now.

--- End quote ---

Just keep your eye out for a free or almost free gutted cabinet. Start collecting parts. It's how most of us started.

Vigo:

A couple things I'd like to toss in:

1) With something as small as a bartop, there are a number of corners that can be cut, but still kept tasteful. One thing you learn from this forum is that there is always an alternative. For the T-molding, you can round the edges of the wood instead. That will save you the purchase of a slot cutting bit and the t molding itself. You can also use laminate, or you could even buy t-molding and cut the spine off and glue it into place. It has been done with reported success.

You can also cut other corners with a bartop. You can use thinner wood, you can cut both sides at the same time by clamping 2 sheets of wood together, etc. Not to mention that there is a heck of a lot less cutting, painting, fastening etc.


2) If you were going to hunt around for "furniture grade" furniture to modify, you might as well just find a gutted arcade cabinet. Depending on where you live, you can find emptied cabinets for $0-150. Throw in your own LCD screen, don't worry about arcade monitors. If you are lucky, the art is good enough to keep as is. Much less work that buying furniture to modify anyway. If you post the city you live in/near, some people around here might be able to find some options for you. I honestly see this as the easiest method for you to pursue.

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