reduced size cabinet

[papaschtroumpf]

I'm just about to start building my cabinet (so far I only have a control panel prototype) and I like Lusid's basic design, however his plans produce a rather large cabinet (well most are) and my game room is already pretty full so I'd like to limit the size of the cabinet.

Obviously the size is mostly dictated by the monitor size and the number of players (I have a spare 17" monitor and this is a single player cabinet).

Are there other factors to take into consideration? I'd hate to build the whole thing to realize I didn't think about something.

Right now I'm going with Lusid's design, but making it narrower by about 5 inches, and reducing the depth by about 6 inches. I'm not sure what to do about the hight, obviously the control panel hight is about right and I dont want to be messing with it, but because I've got a smaller monitor (17") I could lower the marquee some: will it be in my face? should I leave the hight alone (this is the one dimmension where I'm not too concerned, depth is really the issue)

Thanks for any advice. I want to start building this weekend!

[SadGamerGeek]

So, did you build the cabinet that size?

Are you happy with it?

I'm about to build a reduced size cabinet as well!

[JustMichael]

A "smaller" upright cabinet still takes up almost as much room as a regular size one.  You still have to have enough space so people aren't in each others' arm pits.  I would recommend not going smaller than what is needed so that 2 players can play simultaneously.  Since you are unsure what size to make the cabinet why not get some old cardboard boxes from the grocery store and use some duct tape to make a cardboard mockup of the cabinet just the size you want.  Cardboard is a lot cheaper than wood...

[PedroSilva]

Hi,

I've build one around lucid's plans and my advice is:
Resize it around the monitor size. I've used a 21" TV and the cab is huge for the TV size ... you spend more wood, it becomes hevier and you profit none from that ...

Just an advice ...

[spystyle]

On the topic of small cabs,

miniMAME.com has 4' tall cabinet plans that use small screens like that.

They are pretty cool, portable, and can be built from 1 sheet of material.

They are quick and easy to build and you can play it while sitting on the couch, or children play them standing up.

Good if you have kids and extra monitor laying around.

If you don't like the plans on that site you can build any cabinet into a mini by multiplying the measurements by 70%.

Soon after I had a mini Tempest for my daughter (see attachments)

Now I'm not sure if this was entirely on-topic...

As for using a 17" PC monitor in an arcade machine? That will be out of proportion really badly... You should consider going with a 19"-27" television.

Dig it?
Craig

[SadGamerGeek]

As for using a 17" PC monitor in an arcade machine? That will be out of proportion really badly... You should consider going with a 19"-27" television.

I should have mentioned I'm not using a monitor as small as papaschtroumpf's. Mine is a 21" PC monitor.

I went to an arcade yesterday (why have almost all the games machines been replaced with slot machines..?) and found an old cabinet that looked a good size for me to base mine on. It was Track & Field and I discreetly measured it at an external width of 24.5" (as opposed to 27.5" and max. depth of 33" as opposed to 38").

That seemed a good size to me.....

Cheers,

Richard

[jcroach]

I went to an arcade yesterday (why have almost all the games machines been replaced with slot machines..?)

Slot machines, huh? What part of the country/wprld are you living in?  Here in Indiana all I ever see are gun based games.  No classics hardly.  A few fighters, but mostly gun games, oh and DDR.

Also, why are you so sad, SadGamerGeek? 

[Samstag]

I went to an arcade yesterday (why have almost all the games machines been replaced with slot machines..?) and found an old cabinet that looked a good size for me to base mine on. It was Track & Field and I discreetly measured it at an external width of 24.5" (as opposed to 27.5" and max. depth of 33" as opposed to 38").

That seemed a good size to me.....

Check Jakobud's plans for Moon Patrol or Qbert.

[SadGamerGeek]

I went to an arcade yesterday (why have almost all the games machines been replaced with slot machines..?)

Slot machines, huh? What part of the country/wprld are you living in?