GORGEOUS ARCADE COFFEE TABLE FINISHED (for sale)

[ripsnort]

Hi Guys, its been a while since ive been on here so i'd like to share with you my latest creation, this is basically my first of a few coffee tables i am building with the intention of selling for a very respectable price. Its built from MDF frame with a real American Walnut veneer covering and has then been finished with Danish Oil and Beeswax. Inside there is a pull out twin drawer with all the main controls on the top and a pull out drawer with all admin accesories located below.

Features are as follows

Tinted Glass Top bevelled and tempered for safety
Real American Walnut Veneer finished with Danish Oil and Beeswax
Satin Black Vinyl surround
19" LCD monitor
Pentium 4 Dell PC (Windows XP)
Dolby 2.1 sound
Running Hyperspin Front end with all the favourite systems (contact for the full list)
Semitsu Pushbuttons
320GB drive ( With adequate space for expansion or adding music, video)
Wireless internet dongle
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Remote Control (Brilliant for media player jukebox)
Aux Input / Ipod dock (cable included)
Volume control (seperate to pc) Music can be played without the PC on
Removable top for access to table
Twin cooling fans
3 metre power cable

I hope you really like the pics, i have thoroughly enjoyed building this table and cant wait to start another. If anyone is interested in purchasing this table it is £599 or if you have any questions please feel free to contact me. If you would like one made similar it will be Precision CNC cut and can be hand finished in any Veneer and any stain you like. Please contact me and we can discuss any requirements, the skies the limit really.

This could make a great x-mas gift for yourself or a friend.

Hope you enjoy the pics

Sat were it belongs






Contorl Panel drawer Extended









Admin drawer evealing wireless keyboard, mouse, remote control and speaker volume



Running Hyperspin



My favourite Console (Well Megadrive as i knew it)




Glass removed revealing stunning Walnut finished




Pop out disc drawer emerges from side of table



Underside showing dolby 2.1 speakers, base tube, Cooling fans and RC reciever



Hope you enjoy the pics, any questions please let me know.

[Unstupid]

Nice looking machine.... 

[ripsnort]

Thank you.

[Unstupid]

I like how you made the CD pop put of the side, but that seems like a lot of work for something not that necessary (unless you plan on using it as a jukebox).  I'd have just put a usb port under the machine so you could hook up an external cdrom drive if you really need to...

[ripsnort]

Thats exactly why i did it so the table could be used for multimedia etc, or games could be run, i tried to make it with everything in mind, it wasnt too hard, just cut a gap in the side and then attached a new face to the DVD drive. It suprising how convenient it is

[Ryglore]

That is dead sexy. I wish I had woodworking skills like these.

[yotsuya]

Beautiful job. I like how simple it is.

[drventure]

Very nice. Love that finish

[Acids]

That is simply awesome..
Would you be so kind as to take some internal photo's?

And how does the control panel hide away?  does it disconnect or does it slide inside somehow..?  wanna share the secret

[Eldritch1969]

Simple and sexy. You are an artist, sir. The lucky buyer will undoubtedly enjoy the merits of this

[ripsnort]

Heys guys, thanks for all your kind comments, i'll post some more pics and some with the top off, dont want to give too much away heh heh.

Basically the CP and admin drawer slide inside the table then there is a pull down front on a magnetic latch that hides everything, when the drawer is pulled out there is another magnet at the back that holds the cp drawer in position The admin drawer can be open when the whole dwaer is fully extended or when its still inside the table ie if you want to use internet or use remote for jukebox

[888gameover888]

This has to be the best project arcade coffee table by far!
Really good quality and detail.

Does the glass fit into a recess in the wood?

congrats on a fantastic job.

please post more pics.

[ripsnort]

Thanks again guys for the kind words, this table has been a long time in the making whilst i honed my skills and decided how i would approach this project, especially to build a strong table were the top is removeable.

888gameover888 Yes, the glass sits in a recess, creating a nice flush finish, basically 2 small strips are aplied to the main face, then when the veneer is applied you get a gorgeous finished recess for the glass

I forgot to mention, size is only 90cm Long, 55cm wide and 43cm high, so is completely at home in a small living room

Heres a few showing the drawer and front door/flap operation. The next one i build will have no visible hinges on the door, instead it will pivot on small pins in the side of the door

Table from front, you can just see the gaps were the front flap hinges down



CP drawer hiding inside



Full CP drawer extended and locked on magnet



CP drawer extended with the Admin drawer fully extended



CP drawer inside table with Just Admin drawer extended


I'll get some inside pics up soon

[Nips916]

This is top notch work. :applause:

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

[ripsnort]

Heres a couple of pics inside, theres nothing actually too complex in there, just tried to get as much to fit in as possible


Power Supply and Bass controls, (set to max obviously) but adjustable to suit



Overall view showing pretty much everything, space is tight around the fans etc but all works a treat, the PC is raised up on battons so that the drawer can slide underneath. External drive is sat on top of PC. All exposed mdf has been sealed. Plastic exterior to monitor has been removed, this vastly improves space

[surface tension]

Hmmm, this looks familiar.

[ripsnort]

Hi yeah the top is quite similar, but looking at yours this table is way smaller

[Unstupid]

I like this one!  Not to mention, it's only £599 compared to £4000

[surface tension]

Yes it may be smaller, but the design is still the same apart from the legs joining at the bottom. You've clearly studied our product!

Yes Unstupid, it is cheap, but without breaking down all our costings for you, we can't manufacture from odds and ends. The tables themselves are produced by a cabinet maker and the cost of those alone is a lot more than £599.

I'm not trying to start a war here, but I am saying that this is a copy of ours. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but to see someone selling a cheap copy of our design breaks my heart.

[ripsnort]

Er no

This is the table i studied, in fact my first attempt was to just convert this very table (From Ikea) but it was too flimsy, so i built one the same myself, same dimesions everything.



There are no odds and ends in this table, it is well made and clearly well finished with a good spec. This is something i have made for a bit of fun in the hope someone else will get fun from it.

To brand this as cheap just because of a lower price tag i feel is a unfair

Table is now for sale in the BUY/SELL forum

[Eldritch1969]

Doesn't look cheap to me, for sure !

[surface tension]

It was meant by comparison. Cheap doesn't mean nasty.

[Termin8tor]

Amazing, love it.

[Turnarcades]

First thing I thought of when I saw this was Surface Tension's tables, it's very obvious. It's a good table design of course and good luck with it, but in ST's defence I've seen their stuff in the flesh and knowing the exceptional quality and what exactly goes into them, the price tag is fully justified.

[johnm]

It's a table, it has a screen and PC in it.. There's not really much you can do with that and they will all look similar to each other..

[ripsnort]

If i put the glass vertical is that a copy, or covered the top in glass is that a copy, or finished it in oak is that a copy, i not really sure were you draw the line.

Is this table a copy



Yes my glass section looks similar but it also looks similar to the one above. the rest is completly based on the black table above (Has Ikea copied ST), its finished in walnut because our furniture is, the satin black sections are matched with my upright arcade (on here somewhere), i mean cmon what other colour would you use, i guess walnut but then the cost goes crazy.

It seems people think i have been studying the ST table in detail, well im sorry thats just not the case.

I have no idea how the ST table works, what its features are, or its spec, I have no idea if it has a disk drive that pops out the side, or an admin drawer under the main drawer, or and ipod dock or remote control.

I have no intention of undercutting ST, or trying to steel there buisness and i have certainly not insinuated that there tables are too expensive.

I have put a lot of thought and hard work into this table and the assumption that i just completey copied ST upsets me.

[Hoopz]

You have every right to be proud of this build.  Great job. 

[CoryBee]

You have every right to be proud of this build.  Great job.

agreed 

[Acids]

You have every right to be proud of this build.  Great job.

agreed 

Agreed +1.   
Regardless if it looks the same, obviously they are not.     
They both look awesome to me and im guessing you both enjoyed designing them.

Ripsnort.  Thank you for showing the insides of your cabinet.  it looks well thought out and tidy.

surface tension would you be so kind to do the same?  id love to see the insides of your creations  ( especially the control panel hinge locking mechanism, that's neat    )

[ripsnort]

Thanks guys, i really dont want to cause an argument with anyone, ST obviously makes a fine table that are priced for a completey different market to mine.

I would not expect them to come on here and show there table internals, They are doing this for a buisness after all.

I really would love to build some more tables for people, but if i dont its not the be all and end all.

My table was purely built and priced based on what people on here would consider a fair price.

I would love it to go to a good home soon, but obviously i'm aware x-mas is coming and people have other priorities so if i have to wait a while to sell it thats fine.

Again any questions feel free to ask

[MTPPC]

I guess only one person can lay claim to a coffee table arcade machine. Why that is such a unique idea, I can hardly believe anyone ever thought of it in the first place. I think I'm going to build one out gold an silver inlay so it can cost around a hundred grand. Then I can just call surface tensions model a cheap knock-off of mine.

The two "cabinets" displayed here are nothing at all alike. For ST to come in bashing is ridiculous. OP's model and pricepoint are a lot more viable than ST's. That's why they're so pissed off. ST, did you ever do a market analysis at your price point or is it more of a Field of Dreams thing. Don't get me wrong. I love your design and if I built it for myself, I'd be very proud. But at your price point, I'm almost embarrassed for you. I wouldn't have said anything, but to come out here busting on OP for copying you is sort of pathetic on your part.

[MTPPC]

First thing I thought of when I saw this was Surface Tension's tables, it's very obvious. It's a good table design of course and good luck with it, but in ST's defence I've seen their stuff in the flesh and knowing the exceptional quality and what exactly goes into them, the price tag is fully justified.

Over 5 grand for MAME in a coffee table can only be justified by people who are selling it or something like it. Coffee tables are for very casual gaming because the ergonomics aren't acceptable for marathon sessions or sessions longer than a half hour for that matter. If the coffee table is worth 5 grand, then it's certainly worth over 10 grand because you are so far out on the tail of the price elasticity curve it shouldn't be a bit  harder to find anyone stupid enough to pay 10 grand than it is to find a sucker to dump 5 grand.

[Richie_jones]

Let's also not forget that the table and screen are only 80% of the final product.   Hows about all the time and effort that's gone into the front ends used in these systems, I know surface tension is using gamex I think, not there product in the first place yet still using it to profit from there tables.  I just hope the guys doing the frontends will see some of the profits from all sales....because without the front end the tables would be unsaleable....

[surface tension]

I'm going to make this my last visit to this thread as some of the replies in here are ridiculous and others simply unwarranted.

ripsnort, I was not bashing your machine. It looks like a great build. But when I say cheap, it was made so it didn't break the bank and you could for example use an LCD from ebay, a power strip you had lying unused or some buttons from a previous build. I'm saying that this is something we can't do.

It's a table, it has a screen and PC in it.. There's not really much you can do with that and they will all look similar to each other..

Really?

If i put the glass vertical is that a copy, or covered the top in glass is that a copy, or finished it in oak is that a copy, i not really sure were you draw the line.

Is this table a copy

Yes my glass section looks similar but it also looks similar to the one above. the rest is completly based on the black table above (Has Ikea copied ST), its finished in walnut because our furniture is, the satin black sections are matched with my upright arcade (on here somewhere), i mean cmon what other colour would you use, i guess walnut but then the cost goes crazy.

It seems people think i have been studying the ST table in detail, well im sorry thats just not the case.

I have no idea how the ST table works, what its features are, or its spec, I have no idea if it has a disk drive that pops out the side, or an admin drawer under the main drawer, or and ipod dock or remote control.

I have no intention of undercutting ST, or trying to steel there buisness and i have certainly not insinuated that there tables are too expensive.

I have put a lot of thought and hard work into this table and the assumption that i just completey copied ST upsets me.

I'm sure you did put a lot of thought and hard work into the table, as I said, it looks great. And yes, there is more than just the outside. The reason I commented originally is that they look extremely similar. We also offer in oak by the way.

Agreed +1.   
Regardless if it looks the same, obviously they are not.     
They both look awesome to me and im guessing you both enjoyed designing them.

Ripsnort.  Thank you for showing the insides of your cabinet.  it looks well thought out and tidy.

surface tension would you be so kind to do the same?  id love to see the insides of your creations  ( especially the control panel hinge locking mechanism, that's neat    )

Thanks Acids, but as ripsnort rightly said, we can't post the insides of our table, especially the hinge mechanism. You wouldn't expect any other company to do such a thing!

I guess only one person can lay claim to a coffee table arcade machine. Why that is such a unique idea, I can hardly believe anyone ever thought of it in the first place. I think I'm going to build one out gold an silver inlay so it can cost around a hundred grand. Then I can just call surface tensions model a cheap knock-off of mine.

The two "cabinets" displayed here are nothing at all alike. For ST to come in bashing is ridiculous. OP's model and pricepoint are a lot more viable than ST's. That's why they're so pissed off. ST, did you ever do a market analysis at your price point or is it more of a Field of Dreams thing. Don't get me wrong. I love your design and if I built it for myself, I'd be very proud. But at your price point, I'm almost embarrassed for you. I wouldn't have said anything, but to come out here busting on OP for copying you is sort of pathetic on your part.

Ignoring the first paragraph, please see the above photos. "nothing at all alike" - well that's your choice to say from a design point of view. You should also read the thread properly. Not once did I bash ripsnort's product. I said it was "cheap". Not meant derogatorily, but maybe "cost efficient when compared to ours" would have been better.

Field of dreams thing? You're almost embarrassed for us? I wouldn't go into how our business is doing on a public forum! But I thank you for your concern.

Over 5 grand for MAME in a coffee table can only be justified by people who are selling it or something like it. Coffee tables are for very casual gaming because the ergonomics aren't acceptable for marathon sessions or sessions longer than a half hour for that matter. If the coffee table is worth 5 grand, then it's certainly worth over 10 grand because you are so far out on the tail of the price elasticity curve it shouldn't be a bit  harder to find anyone stupid enough to pay 10 grand than it is to find a sucker to dump 5 grand.

We don't sell MAME, but if there is demand for what we are offering, we will continue to supply it. You are correct in that these are for more casual gamers and not for marathon sessions, but that's not what's being debated here. We aren't a mainstream product and for you to call our customers "suckers" and potentially "stupid" is uncalled for. We don't price to be greedy or take advantage regardless of what you may think.

Let's also not forget that the table and screen are only 80% of the final product.   Hows about all the time and effort that's gone into the front ends used in these systems, I know surface tension is using gamex I think, not there product in the first place yet still using it to profit from there tables.  I just hope the guys doing the frontends will see some of the profits from all sales....because without the front end the tables would be unsaleable....

We pay Tom commercial rates for GameEx, which is higher than the website price. It's an amazing front end and very well supported. It is also listed on our website. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

As I said, this is the last time I post in here, but I felt I needed to reply to some of these comments. I will say again that it's a great build ripsnort, but I couldn't not comment after seeing the photos.

[ripsnort]

Richie_jones

I cudnt agree more, without the efforts of the software, then all ive built is a coffee table, yes my table is currently configured for Hyperspin but the plan is that being sold on here pretty much 100% of users here know how to set up a frontend and will probably use there own setup.

I just have HS on it at the mo as this is what i use, obviusly if somone wants a similar setup then i'll glady help them through it.

I am a huge fan of HS and BBB's work and have contributed hundreds of wheel images to the project myself.

I have a lot of respect for the guys that put the work in to these frontends and emulators etc and do not want to be thought of as someone who is just cashing in on this.

Im trying to be 100% honest with my intentions of this table which i'm sure is more than some have done on here in the past.

ST as my previous post stated, i really didnt want arguents and didnt expect this thread to end up like this, as i said you make a fine table and it seams we have taken 2 different approaches and come up with something similar.

Guys as ST has said can we please quit with the bashing and stick with the main topic here (its starting to get a bit ridiclous)

[DaOld Man]

Nice!!

[shrunkenmaster]

I thought coffee table arcade machines had been around for the last 30-odd years? They were just called cocktail cabs. Wood, glass, game.

[ripsnort]

Your absolutely right they have, they now just come in a different disguise and a few more extra's, this table makes a cracking jukebox aswell, especially when you use all the media player swirly graphics

[Unstupid]

I thought coffee table arcade machines had been around for the last 30-odd years? They were just called cocktail cabs. Wood, glass, game.

The main difference between cocktail tables and coffee tables is the height of the table.  Most cocktail tables average around 30" high, the same height as a standard dining room table.  You are meant to sit next to them on a chair that has a seat height around 18".  These tables are meant for you to put a slice of pizza and a beer on top.  A coffee table on the other hand have a height somewhere around 14"-16".  You are meant to sit next to them on a sofa and/or a love seat.  These tables are meant for you to put a cup of coffee, a book, and more often than not your feet on top of.

I'm pretty sure people have been building arcades into coffee tables a lot longer than ST has!

[Acids]

I thought coffee table arcade machines had been around for the last 30-odd years? They were just called cocktail cabs. Wood, glass, game.

I'm pretty sure people have been building arcades into coffee tables a lot longer than ST has!

Personally I think ST is OK with people making their own coffee table cabs.  The difference here is that these are for sale and at a much cheaper price..