My First Cabinet

[JosephZander]

Hey so i'm new here and i'm not exactly sure if this is the right place for this post but oh well. So I'm only 19 but I've always loved the classic arcade games, galaga is my favorite, and decided to build my own mame cab. I've wanted my own arcade machine since I first started playing them. I've been researching since about last year and finally built up the courage to start building my first cabinet last week. Being a college student, i was on a strict budget and so far i'm doing pretty good with it. I had little to no woodworking skills previous to building this but I think I did alright for my first rodeo. I used Lusid's design as a base to make my own design and I like the way it looks. I've seen a lot of similar cabs online which makes me feel confident in my design.

I'm trying to attach a picture of where I'm at so far, hopefully it uploads. I'm using mala as my FE and i decided on a 6 button per player CP. with a coin button where there would normally be a coin slot. there is a pause and escape button on the angled piece bellow the CP. I am using Kilz original for the primer and rustoleum black satin as the topcoat. Are these alright for wood? Also, where can i buy galaga sideart and a custom sized galaga marquee? and what about holding the marquee? i've looked but i can't seem to find answers to these questions. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

[capsule]

I don't have any paint skills especially with "foreign" brands but for the marquee you can buy marquee brackets like these: http://thearcadeboneyard.info/marquee_brackets.php

You could also make your own brackets with aluminium profiles, it's easier to find.

Is this the final monitor? I'm afraid it's a bit tiny for you cabinet size...
To minimize the tiny effect, you could use a glass (with black borders) on the front and make another bezel inside. Then you can also choose another monitor orientation inside the cabinet, if needed/wanted.

[JosephZander]

Yea at first I thought that screen size would work. I bought plexi and was gonna lay it over the wooden bezel which I will be painting black. The wood piece is easily removed and can be cut or even totally eliminated when I get a bigger monitor. I decided against painting the plexi because the monitor is definitely getting replaced.

[capsule]

Yep, that will work too, what size is this now? 19"?

[TopJimmyCooks]

If you like Galaga, as I do, consider mounting your monitor in vertical orientation. 

[JosephZander]

Yep, that will work too, what size is this now? 19"?

Yea, I had a few of them laying around so i figured why spend money when I don"t even know if i can build a suitable cabinet haha but now that is all together I regret not getting a bigger one but it gives me something to do in the future haha.

If you like Galaga, as I do, consider mounting your monitor in vertical orientation. 

Do you think its worth it? I was thinking it might look better and obviously the vertical games would be much better but I was unsure, but once again, it gives me something to do in the future if i decide to change it. I think I'm going to take a custom sized galaga marquee to kinkos to have them print it on one big sheet as opposed to doing it myself on a few separate sheets which I think looks a bit iffy. I would like to buy vinyl galaga side art that I can put on but I'm unsure of where to buy it at a reasonable cost.

[capsule]

Yea, I had a few of them laying around so i figured why spend money when I don"t even know if i can build a suitable cabinet haha but now that is all together I regret not getting a bigger one but it gives me something to do in the future haha.

I've decased a 19" monitor for my cab but the cab is only 21" wide (generic 80s cab) so it doesn't look tiny

Do you think its worth it? I was thinking it might look better and obviously the vertical games would be much better but I was unsure, but once again, it gives me something to do in the future if i decide to change it.

Depends on how much you love Galaga, or more precisely, on how many vertical games you plan to play.

[JosephZander]

Yea, I had a few of them laying around so i figured why spend money when I don"t even know if i can build a suitable cabinet haha but now that is all together I regret not getting a bigger one but it gives me something to do in the future haha.

I've decased a 19" monitor for my cab but the cab is only 21" wide (generic 80s cab) so it doesn't look tiny

Do you think its worth it? I was thinking it might look better and obviously the vertical games would be much better but I was unsure, but once again, it gives me something to do in the future if i decide to change it.

Depends on how much you love Galaga, or more precisely, on how many vertical games you plan to play.

I figured I would keep it as is for now and if I find myself constantly irritated with the orientation then I will change it. I thought about making mine slimmer but I was unsure of how it would look. Do you have any pictures of your cab?

[capsule]

I figured I would keep it as is for now and if I find myself constantly irritated with the orientation then I will change it. I thought about making mine slimmer but I was unsure of how it would look. Do you have any pictures of your cab?

It's still a work in progress, I'm updating a (french only) blog about the restoration but here is a view of the cab with the 19" monitor in it:


And here a more advanced stage with the front glass bezel:

(still the old crappy marquee and some "bezeling" work needed inside the cab)

I will post a full thread here when finished 

[JosephZander]

That looks good. I regret not making mine slimmer haha

[capsule]

That looks good. I regret not making mine slimmer haha

Thanks buts I've not played it yet. 
The 2 players will be close but that should work. No doubt your design is more comfortable for 2 players.

[JosephZander]

That was the reason I kept it a little wider. It's ~25in wide.

[JosephZander]

To those who care...

I finished painting my cabinet and couldn't help but to put the buttons, joysticks, computer and monitor to see how it all looked. I was pretty happy. I need to wire up the CP and get all the art and plexi in place. The paint turned out alright. It definitely could have been better but for my first build it will suffice. I need to buy the side art still and I am unsure of where to get it. Does anybody know where to get galaga side art? I think once all the art is in place and the software is configured it will be a pretty decent machine. I would like to add a mini fridge in the future but I might just do that in my next cabinet. Let me know what you think, dont be too harsh though, this is literally the first woodworking project I've ever done.

[PL1]

Does anybody know where to get galaga side art?

http://www.phoenixarcade.com/art.htm#GALAGA

I would like to add a mini fridge in the future but I might just do that in my next cabinet.

Sounds like you're interested in Tony's "bArcade".


Scott

[capsule]

It looks pretty good for a first build. Hardest part is indeed paint, I've been painting numerous walls in my life but never really had to paint wood with a perfect finish in mind. Rolls left traces (satin paint is the hardest type) but a collegue lended me his spray paint station and it went quite good. It's a good tip for your next build (I understand you won't stop there ;-))

Do you plan to add T-Molding? It *really* adds a "professional" look.

[JosephZander]

The satin paint was touch to work with and i couldnt find a Good roller that Didnt leave lint behind. Yes I do want to put on t molding but there is enough wrong with this cabinet that I might just wait till my next one to spend the extra money. I just have the edges painted for now and I do wish it had t molding haha. Who knows, I might just buy some and slap it on.

[capsule]

To work Satin paint correctly, you have to alternate up/down movements with left/right, then finish in only one direction and always use the same direction for all the finishing touches, but yes, it's hard.

Putting T-Molding after painting might be tricky because you have to protect the painted surfaces when routing. I've heard some people just cut the slot off the t-molding and glue it but I can't predict the final result...

T-molding itself is cheap, 40 feet (should be enough for your cab) of it on t-molding.com costs 20$

[PL1]

The satin paint was touch to work with and i couldnt find a Good roller that Didnt leave lint behind.

I've read that foam rollers are the way to go.

http://www.amazon.com/Wooster-Brush-R730-9-8-Inch-Roller/dp/B00125NQT4

Not sure if there is a preferred brand.


Scott

[JosephZander]

That's what I heard too. They worked well on the areas that don't have lint on them. I ended up sanding and repairing the cabinet and there is a significantly less amount of lint. So I might have been because it was a new brush. Not sure though. I wired up my CP today and spent a solid 4 hours playing games. I couldn't get enough. I need to start working on the software aspect of it. I'm using mala. Does anyone know a place to get the snaps? I remember being on the website and then I forgot what it was.

[PL1]

Does anyone know a place to get the snaps? I remember being on the website and then I forgot what it was.

http://www.mameworld.info/

Right side, scroll 1/2 way down page to "Art files".


Scott

[JosephZander]

Awesome, that's a huge help thanks scott