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Bartop Cab Build Log - From Scratch - **FINISHED**

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i64X:
For years I've been wanting to build a full-sized arcade cab from scratch. I've been curious about the whole arcade scene for years, and I'm a big console collector. Last month I bought a Dynamo cab with a 25" CRT from a friend that had been connected via a J-PAC to a PC with a video card capable of doing 15Hz. It's running an older version of Wahcade on Linux and I've been very much enjoying it for the past several weeks.



Getting this full sized cab to fit in my game room was a real stretch, and it's very crowded in there now, but it's been totally worth it. I don't really have any room to put another full-sized cab, but I do have several places to stick a bar-top cab, so I've decided to build one. After seeing the beautiful job Unstupid did on his cab, I was finally pushed over the line with inspiration to build my own. If you haven't seen his yet (and I'm sure you have) check this out:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=114435.0

So awesome.

After doing so research and investing in some tools (a router table, jigsaw, palm sander, and a few essential router bits) I got to work. I wanted a cab that was the same general shape as Unstupid's cab, but I really wanted a 19" LCD. I decided to base my cab template around a Dell 19" that's fairly common and easy to find. I figured that if I finished this cab and the design was good, I've got a few gamer buddies that would want me to make them one too, so as I'm going along I'm trying to template as much of this as possible.

I started by ordering everything I'd need to get the cab done aside from raw materials - this included the iPAC, router bit for T-molding, the T-molding, buttons, joystick, Dell 19" LCD monitor, and some other stuff. I figured if I put some "skin in the game" as far as dollars, it would force me to actually do what I rarely ever do - and that is complete a project that I start. :-) Stuff started rolling in as I was doing my planning, and that was a huge inspiration:



I started out by looking at the Google Sketchup model that was created for Unstupid's cab. I don't really know how to use AutoCAD or Sketchup or anything else that involves mechanical engineering (I'm a Network/Cisco engineer by trade - so 100% logical and not really mechanical). I measured angles and tried to figure out dimensions, and came out with a fairly close idea to what I thought would work. I used a protractor and a ruler to draw everything out on a 2'x4' piece of project MDF (Home Depot - $10). There was only one problem - the original cab was designed for a 17" LCD in mind, and I really wanted to use a 19" LCD. The solution? Extend the top a bit. :-)







At this point I had no tools and didn't have my router table. I decided to make this cutout absolutely perfect so I could use a template bit for a router and make as many side panels as I wanted if I ever decided to make more cabs in the future. I spent a long time perfecting the template cut-out in my dad's shop.



I then spent quite a long time figuring out where the 1x2" supports would go and how the two sides of the cab would be connected with the lateral support panels, how the LCD would fit, how deep the control panel needed to be to accommodate buttons and the joystick, etc. etc. I spent a lot of time measuring, drawing, and planning. This was the result:



Finally picked up my router, router table, and template bit from Home Depot. The router and table was only $99 + tax for the pair, which I thought was a good price. The router can be disconnected and used as a standard handheld router, or can be mounted to the table to use as a router table. I used this in conjunction with a template bit and a jigsaw (rough cut at first) to cut out my two final side panels. I'm able to get two of these side panels out of a 2'x4' piece of MDF ($10).



I picked up a box of pine ground stakes that are 1"x2"x36" long for around $4 at Home Depot as well. I'm using these for my supports to make sure the panels are where they need to be. On my template I ended up cutting out the locations of supports with the jigsaw so I can lay the template on to the freshly cut side panels and just trace the holes to position the panels (sorry, I don't have a picture of this yet - I'll make an edit when I do). This allows for perfect placement of the supports every time. :-)



I tried to clamp up a jig and use the angle function on my new jigsaw to cut the lateral supports at angles, but it didn't work very well at all. The cuts weren't nearly as straight as I would like. My dad has a full woodshop with a NICE table saw. The table saw is able to cut up to a 45 degree angle in either direction and is very accurate, so with his help we used that to create my lateral panels.



This morning I was able to drill holes in my template and transfer those holes to my side panels for placement of the lateral panels. I'm going to cut a large access door for the back and put it on a hinge. I'm also going to hinge the control panel at the bottom so it can fold out and be accessible in case I need to fix wiring or replace microswitches. I was able to piece together the two side panels with the top and bottom panels that will be fixed in place when I'm done. This is put together temporarily just so I could check fitment. I only glued the lateral panels to each other - I did not glue them to the outer parts of the cab. I'm hoping the glue will dry and I can take off the laterals as joined pieces in order to fill/sand to make them look very finished and make the joints perfect.





Now I need you guys' help. I'm debating on laminating the panel with laminate, which I've heard that people have had good luck with. I would laminate the insides of the two side panels (with the pine support pieces removed), paint the pine support pieces back, laminate the outsides of the top and bottom laterals (which I understand would require a heat gun (I have one) to bend the laminate, screw everything back together, and then finally laminate the outside of the outer panels to cover up all of the screws. This would leave NO visible screws (except on the pine supports from the inside) and should provide a fairly professional and uniform looking finish.

My question is - is this feasible? How easy/hard is it to bend that countertop laminate with heat applied? Will I be able to bend it around the angles as shown? Is there a better option? Paint seems easier, but I can't see it looking as nice or as uniform as laminate. Cost isn't an issue, but I want to make sure I'm not going to royally screw up my panels before attempting this.

Any comments/concerns? Thanks guys!

Eldritch1969:
Hi, Nice beginning !

As for me I wanted laminated finish and I bought some particle boards already laminated white. Nice surface, very durable, but very hard to cut properly..
I precise I am also building a bartop (Space wars vertical shmups bartop, in Project annoucements - too lazy to get the link :))

What strikes me on your photo is that it looks like you haven't pre-drilled your screw holes before screwing the screws and they sorta stick out. What I would do is first unscrew all of them, pre-drill the existing holes with a slightly bigger drill so that the screwheads disappear into the wood.

Then you will be able to apply your laminate more easily. Or use some wood filler to hide the holes left, sand it smooth and you're good to go for painting it.

Also, why do you bother yourself with laminating the inside of the panels ?

Just my 2 cents :)

i64X:
I did pre-drill the holes, but I don't have a counter-sink bit and that's why they're sticking out. These screws are only 1 and 1/4" long, which isn't as long as I'd like, so these screws won't be the screws that go in the final cab. Right now, they've essentially just been installed to hold the whole thing together while the glue I used to glue the laterals together dries. There are 3 laterals on the top and two on the bottom which share an edge, so I'd like to wrap the laminate around those common edges for a more finished look. Sorry if I didn't make that apparent.

When the final build goes together, I will use a counter-sink bit and the screws will be flush if not slightly below the surface of the exterior panels.

Thanks :-)

Unstupid:
Hey cool beans!  Glad my project could serve as inspiration....   Couple things to note that may help you...
- my cab was based on a 15" monitor it 17"
- the floor of the cab was flush to the bottom of the side panels.  This would allow more space under the control panel.  You may want to double check that your joysticks/buttons will fit in the space provided.
- my control panels followed the same angles as the side panels but were inset 1/4 inch..  Yours look pushed back about an inch...
- my speaker panel was built perpendicular to the screen and did not follow the angle on the side panel.  This allowed the speakers to be a little more hidden.

I'll be following this thread ;)

i64X:
I modified the CP design slightly while we were cutting the pieces so it's a little different than the template would suggest, though not too much different. The top of the CP basically rides parallel to the bottom of the cab now, vs at a slight angle like the template shows.

I haven't moved the support pieces that hold this in to place yet - notice that it's a bit "off" with the back being up slightly higher than it should be. The piano hinge gives it a full range of motion both ways, so rest assured it will be level when I move those pieces.



Kinda hard to tell, but there's about 2 fingers width of clearance below the buttons. The stick has even more because I countersunk it about 1/8" in to the MDF on the bottom of the panel. After I put on my plexi, the buttons should be raised even more.



I was worried about clearance, but it doesn't look like it's going to be an issue, thankfully.

I made my cab slightly wider than it needed to be because I wanted to be able to fit two sets of controls on the CP. After looking at it, I didn't think I'd be able to, but once I cut the holes I realized that I easily could have if only I would have stuck the start and coin insert buttons someplace else. I might re-do the CP now that I know it'll fit.

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