worlds cheapest cabinet? very first build

[cliverama]

Howdy all, I'm a new member i have just finished building a mame cab. Thought id share some pics
I used the Lack table from Ikea as I wanted to do a quick , cheap (£6 for the table, £15 for the Perspex covering it, £40 for the controls and usb controller, the monitor I got for free. I am running it off a laptop so its pretty portable too)  and simple project to begin with. The Lack table is pretty cool as its so easy to cut up and its quite light.
If anyone is interested in doing a similar project id be happy to share my what i did , i'll post up  a step by step guide for a total noob (like myself). Theres a few things I would do differently , especially with regards to housing the monitor. I wasn’t expecting too much but im actually quite chuffed with the results , not bad for a 1st attempt.

IMAG1632 by cliverama, on Flickr

IMAG1630 by cliverama, on Flickr

[paigeoliver]

Looks fun, probably not the world's cheapest though. The value of the laptop has to count as well.

It isn't all that unusual for a conversion cabinet project to have a total cost less than zero after the unused parts are sold off.

[cliverama]

yeah it was a fun project!, i guess i was just refering to the fact that you can get a lack table for £8 (sorry not 6 in the original post) , and the monitor and controls fit really well in it. ive got a raspberry pi so im looking to get that running with mame next. Aside from the actual controls the other main expense was the perspex to cover it.

[ccmathome]

I've thought about doing something like this with a 60in1 board I have laying around collecting dust

Sent from my SCH-M828C using Tapatalk 2

[matt4949]

I really like the furniture into mame cabinet builds. Congratulations and welcome.

[yotsuya]

I'm quite chuffed by all our friends from across the Pond being quite chuffed. 

[Chevron]

Nice work cliverama,

I have one of those table's myself.
hmmm could be my next project lol

[Termin8tor]

You should of posted this in project announcements, I nearly missed it. Anyway good work.
Oh and welcome to BYOAC.

[sdweim85]

i'd like to see pictures of the bottom please.  I can imagine how you made it, but I'd like to see how you compacted all the wiring, monitor, and laptop so its not so bulky.  I plan on doing exactly this for a vertical shooter only arcade.

[spystyle]

Groovy, and sure post a "how to".

There are never too many good instructions in a place like this

BYOAC online university

[dextercf]

I tried doing something similar (IKEA).
Never finished it though..

[paigeoliver]

I once sent an ebay package to the UK and got the feedback "Received my package, chuffed to bits!" and my first thought was, "I packed it really well, how did it get broken!!!".

I'm quite chuffed by all our friends from across the Pond being quite chuffed. 

[cliverama]

i havent finished the underside yet - as you can see its a right mess at the moment!    yes its quite tricky getting it to all to fit,  if you took some time about it though you could keep most, if not all the wiring inside the table and just feed the usb cable out. i'll try this at some point but  i am just going to use electrical tape and cable clips to keep it tidy for now. the laptop just sits on the floor unfortunately, however i am going to look at replacing with a raspberry pi for the next one - i have built a lego housing for the pi, then im going to glue a lego baseplate to the underside of the table to hold it.
the depth of the monitor was a problem, i had to cut a hole in the underside for the base which cant be removed from the monitor. the power and vga connector is set in the base so i have easy access to it though.
i'd recommend getting as narrow a monitor as possible.
ive started writing up what i did and what could be done better so i'll post a guide when ive finished the underside and with some better pics over the next week hopefully

IMAG1627 by cliverama, on Flickr

i'd like to see pictures of the bottom please.  I can imagine how you made it, but I'd like to see how you compacted all the wiring, monitor, and laptop so its not so bulky.  I plan on doing exactly this for a vertical shooter only arcade.

[sdweim85]

ohh, the laptop is just chillin on the floor than?

[eds1275]

I'm quite chuffed by all our friends from across the Pond being quite chuffed. 

Blimey!

[cliverama]

ohh, the laptop is just chillin on the floor than?

yeah certainly not ideal but it suits for the moment and i'll get either the pi going or build a shelf for it.

[cliverama]

I'm quite chuffed by all our friends from across the Pond being quite chuffed. 

Blimey!

chuffed = happy,  pleased.
i guess it means something else over there?!!

[jammin0]

I'm quite chuffed by all our friends from across the Pond being quite chuffed. 

Blimey!

chuffed = happy,  pleased.
i guess it means something else over there?!!

"Crikey I forgot me knickers at the pool and now I'm all chuffed!"  Is that correct usage?     I'm a Spanish teacher in the U.S. and sometimes to help my students understand the difference between Spain and Latin American Spanish I break out a list of British slang words.  Who knows if they are right or not but my kids get a kick out of it.

[Termin8tor]

1.    chuffed
   
To be very pleased, proud or happy with yourself
I just scored free tickets to the gig, I'm well chuffed!

Urban Dictionary

[Turvey]

I had a mate who was suicidal. He was really depressed, so I pushed him in front of a steam train.
He was chuffed to bits.

 

[yotsuya]

I once sent an ebay package to the UK and got the feedback "Received my package, chuffed to bits!" and my first thought was, "I packed it really well, how did it get broken!!!".

I'm quite chuffed by all our friends from across the Pond being quite chuffed.