Serious help needed

[kenshen]

Hey i am 17 in high school i was trying to build mortal kombat which i got the plans for from jakobud.com in my shop class. Now i need some serious help so The machine It's self Is made out of 3/4 inch MDF I have a 25 and 1/2 inch wide by 22 inches deep Heavy CRT TV the arcade machine is 26 inches wide I'm trying to mount the TV at 45 degrees, My mount is two blocks of wood with a shelf that has a block of wood glued to it to stop the problem one of the problems I'm having. First is there a better way to mount the TV? if not what height should i set the mount The first problem i mentioned earlier is that the TV's not mounting right because the back of the arcade is a sheet of plywood with a access hole that the TV keeps making contact with the second problem is face for the TV which i built while i had the TV flat if that makes a difference, wont fit any more with the TV angled the bottom of the TV shows. Now my third problem the controller mount which is That I designed to hold an x arcade dual is sitting to low inside the machine how can i fix this? Finally one last thing I thought you should know is that I've banged up the cab a lot because I'm a newb to wood working and arcade building I was trying to get a new hobby and i thought since i love video games alot  why not arcades? so yeah :\ any help would be appreciated if you need any more detail just ask me.

[compute]

Pics would help.  Even a crude drawing in MS Paint would help.  Without seeing the thing it's hard to give advice.  I've seen a few cabinets where somebody cut a notch in the back to accommodate a longer neck on a monitor than could normally fit in the cab.  Then, a box was fitted over that part to cover up the monitor neck.  If you don't want to scrap what you have, that may be your best option.  If you threw in some style, it might almost look like you intended for it to be that way. 

[kenshen]

Warning LARGE PICS!!

Back of cab Front inside of cab The TV

[kenshen]

oh and another question would it be worth my while to decase the TV?? because i might jut go with a flat monitor.

[kenshen]

  i really could use some help

[kahlid74]

My experience with mounting CRT's still in their cases is to use a wooden shelf, like you were trying.  One of the things that you may learn the hard way in this hobby is to measure parts you want to use in said arcade machine before building said arcade machine.  This way you can identify if the TV you want to use is too deep for the cabinet you've built.  You can decase the TV but the back part of the TV is typically pretty deep too so you may not gain the clearance you need.  Also, be very careful when decasing.  Do a quick search on the forums to understand how to decase properly.  The electrical components on the back of the TV if handled improperly/touched can kill you.  Not to make you paranoid but you should handle it with care.

What you may have to do is build your shelf at the right angle, and then mount the TV in the cabinet.  Then trace around where the TV comes in contact with the back part of the cab and then use a jig saw or dremmel/rotozip to cut out that part so the TV fits into the cabinet.  Most people have their cabinets backed up to a wall so odds are you won't notice the TV sticking out the back.  Also, this is your first from scratch cab so mistakes happen.  Don't worry about it and just keep trucking along.

The part you made for the front of the TV is called a bezel (if I'm reading you right).  If it doesn't fit, make a new one after the TV is successfully mounted into the cab.  Once the TV is i the cab and good to go,  measure the new bezel and build away.

As far as the CP sitting low, you can always add more wood like a shelf across it or if you're feeling adventurous you can always make a new CP.

All of these problems can be fixed and your machine will look great at the end of the day but if you're a perfectionist, then you might need to start over with a design built for the specific components you're using.