Author Topic: Cabinet material choices and preferences? (Read 6519 times)

STL_Steve · « **on:** November 05, 2003, 11:46:55 pm »

I have been looking around at some material to use for Cabinet #2 that I'm planning. My first was with 3/4" MDF and If I was to build another that was going to be painted I would probably choose this again because its ultra smooth and easier to get a nice finish on and it was fairly easy to work with. But I have been looking for alternatives, including but not limited to:

Melamine
Plywood (laminated)
Oak/Birch cabinet grade Plywood

I love the classic arcade look, but there is something very appealing about a natural or lightly stained Birch/Oak cabinet. Any thoughts you guys have on a natural wood cabinet. Every time I see one, I think they look very sharp. I also like the idea of a melamine finish or a laminate for wider color choices. Just looking for some ideas or feedback on experience with the above-mentioned products.

paigeoliver · « **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2003, 12:31:50 am »

I stripped, sanded, and stained a plywood Galaxian cabinet once and it came out looking super sharp.

Ghoward · « **Reply #2 on:** November 06, 2003, 11:24:47 am »

Quote from: STL_Steve on November 05, 2003, 11:46:55 pm

I have been looking around at some material to use for Cabinet #2 that I'm planning. My first was with 3/4" MDF and If I was to build another that was going to be painted I would probably choose this again because its ultra smooth and easier to get a nice finish on and it was fairly easy to work with. But I have been looking for alternatives, including but not limited to:

Melamine
Plywood (laminated)
Oak/Birch cabinet grade Plywood

I love the classic arcade look, but there is something very appealing about a natural or lightly stained Birch/Oak cabinet. Any thoughts you guys have on a natural wood cabinet. Every time I see one, I think they look very sharp. I also like the idea of a melamine finish or a laminate for wider color choices. Just looking for some ideas or feedback on experience with the above-mentioned products.

Well for me there is only one way to go Birch plywood with a gloss natural finish.

Personally I'm not a big fan of Classic cab's in the living room,, however there are some really go ones. I just love the wood look and I know your not going to see one in an arcade but since it's going in the house its a good compromise between s classic arcade cab and a piece of furniture.

Gary

Bill_S · « **Reply #3 on:** November 06, 2003, 11:45:55 am »

I've done 2 cabs now with oak plywood and I love the way they turn out.
Painted cabs are great for the game room, but if you want to get the cab into the main living space, I say go with the furniture grade plywoods.
I think they look very sharp and once you walk up and start playing it feels right at home.

neuromancer · « **Reply #4 on:** November 06, 2003, 02:58:49 pm »

I think the standard shape cabinets look "odd" in wood grain. Sort of like if you saw a car in wood grain. Probably just because I'm used to seeing them with garish graphics and bold colors.

I've been wanting to design a cabinet with more of a "furniture look," which I would do in a nicely grained plywood.

If I were going to use plywood on a traditional shaped cabinet (Like a Defender style cab, for instance), I would build it from pine ply. I think the bold grain would help.

Another possibility would be a traditional frame and panel style of construction. 1x4 frame with 1/4 panel, or even raised panels.

Bob

STL_Steve · « **Reply #5 on:** November 06, 2003, 03:18:56 pm »

I am leaning towards the Ultimate Arcade II style if I was going to use wood. I wonder if the Ultimate Arcade II style would look good with a Wood Upper section and CP, and a black or painted lower? I might have to mess around with PS and see what that looks like.

I am also contemplating doing some engraving on the side of the cabinet or do a relief MAME logo. Maybe even try to combine some contemporary pattern inlays with different wood colors, which might look sharp.

SirPoonga · « **Reply #6 on:** November 06, 2003, 03:41:44 pm »

It is really your choice though. It depends on the look you want. I like the oak/stain look too but I wouldn;t do that for myself.

I used MDF, I love it.

Plywood is what most manufactures used.

You can always laminate if you don;t want to paint so getting the cheapest is probably the best. Though with mdf I'd still put a layer ot two of primer and sanding so it doesn't soak up much moisture.

hazydave · « **Reply #7 on:** November 08, 2003, 03:21:34 am »

I considered MDF.. for about 15 seconds. I did my office bookshelves (built-in to walls) in MDF last year, and while they're functional, they're still MDF. Just not the same as real wood, either for the fun of building or the finished product. And MDF weights a frickin' ton.

Since I'm designing my own cabinet anyway, I decided to go for the furniture look. I'm building the skeleton in pine, top quality 2x4s split on my table saw in various and sundry ways. Once that's done, I'll be skinning it in oak veneer, with a sold oak top to the game console. And I live on a tree farm -- non-wood would just be wrong.

The design is quasi-defender. I like the monitor tilted a bit (I got a 25" television, working great, for $25 at a yard sale), but still visible to non-players. The coin box area is recessed back, to allow a kid sitting on a stool to be all over the control panel and still have some leg room.

This is going into a game/bar room, but it's an upstairs game room, very much like a livingroom (bright, clean, carpeted), if it weren't for the bar, the foosball table, and the pool table...

Ghoward · « **Reply #8 on:** November 08, 2003, 09:00:10 am »

Quote from: neuromancer on November 06, 2003, 02:58:49 pm

I think the standard shape cabinets look "odd" in wood grain. Sort of like if you saw a car in wood grain. Probably just because I'm used to seeing them with garish graphics and bold colors.

I've been wanting to design a cabinet with more of a "furniture look," which I would do in a nicely grained plywood.

If I were going to use plywood on a traditional shaped cabinet (Like a Defender style cab, for instance), I would build it from pine ply. I think the bold grain would help.

I would agree if your were putting it into a real arcade in the mall or even a home arcade with classic arcade machines next to it but if it's a stand alone arcade machine in the house, to me anyway a arcade cab with "garish graphics and bold colors" looks out of place.

Also from what I've read on here many wives of BYOAC banish the "classic arcade machines" to the basement, now thats no fun.

Gary

neuromancer · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2003, 02:24:25 pm »

Interestingly, my wife has vetoed the concept of an authentic video game in the living room, but thinks a pinball machine might be good.

I've got tentative approval on a small furniture like cocktail.

Bob

iwillfearnoevil · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2003, 03:33:29 pm »

Quote from: Ghoward on November 08, 2003, 09:00:10 am

Also from what I've read on here many wives of BYOAC banish the "classic arcade machines" to the basement, now thats no fun.

Gary

yep. if i build one i already know it's been predestined for my study in the basement.

paigeoliver · « **Reply #11 on:** November 13, 2003, 03:07:40 am »

Hee hee. I am still a bachelor, so I get to enjoy having both pins and vids in the living room. Oddly enough, all the garish painted ones are in the living room, and all the subdued woodgrain and black cabinets are in the game room.

Spaced Invader · « **Reply #12 on:** November 13, 2003, 08:03:34 am »

3/4 " MDF...It's heavy but smooth and strong.

Nailz · « **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2003, 10:45:36 am »

Another vote for oak plywood here..... My wife wouldn't let me have a monstrosity in the house unless it looked like furniture. And the thing is, once you stain it, it is really nice to look at. It's funny now when we have people over, my wife likes to show it off, it is a great conversation piece, that and we usually can't get guests to leave once they start playing.

STL_Steve · « **Reply #14 on:** November 13, 2003, 10:49:47 am »

you have any pics of your cabinet nailz?

Nailz · « **Reply #15 on:** November 13, 2003, 11:53:30 am »

Quote from: STL_Steve on November 13, 2003, 10:49:47 am

you have any pics of your cabinet nailz?

Here you go, it isn't perfect or anything, but I am happy with the results.

Minwah · « **Reply #16 on:** November 13, 2003, 11:56:10 am »

I don't generally like wood finish cabs. Probably because I have never seen a 'real' wood finish cabinet. That said, I quite like the wood finish Atari cabarets I have seen.

And come on guys - tell the wives the way it is! Don't let them bulley you into toning it down and hiding cabs away...(easily said for a single bloke

)

Edit: I was going to add, even tho MDF isn't 'real' wood, it can be finished to look like a 'real' cab. Plus it is a piece of cake for woodworking novices like me to cut, so it gets my vote

STL_Steve · « **Reply #17 on:** November 13, 2003, 01:31:48 pm »

Nailz what did you use for the T-molding? Is that just some oak strips that you glued/tacked on?

btw that looks very nice.

shmokes · « **Reply #18 on:** November 13, 2003, 02:14:05 pm »

I don't like wood cabs either. If you're going to keep an authentic shaped cabinet, but want it to look like furniture you're already screwed. Woodgrain upright cabs don't look like furniture, they just look like a really strange arcade cabinet. It's not like someone's going to walk past it and not notice that it's a gigantic, ugly monstrosity just because it's woodgrain instead of black or yellow.

Arcade cabinets look ridiculous in a living room regardless of the material. As far as I'm concerned, though, they look ridiculous in a good way. But making it out of woodgrain doesn't make it look any less ridiculous (though I wouldn't rule out maybe a little more ridiculous since the cabinet is not just out of context but kind of out if it's own skin). PLaying an arcade game on an oak cabinet would be like drinking a beer out of a plastic bottle.

Tilzs · « **Reply #19 on:** November 13, 2003, 02:24:10 pm »

I like the oak look. I think if done well they look a really well in a living area. Laminated cabs look good too but since they are laminated they have more contast with other furniture and therefore will standout more. In a game room area yes a oak one probably would look more out of place but that depends on the look of the room that you created.

Really depends on taste.

I would say though go with the oak or the laminate. I would avoid paint.

Nailz · « **Reply #20 on:** November 13, 2003, 02:27:33 pm »

Quote from: STL_Steve on November 13, 2003, 01:31:48 pm

Nailz what did you use for the T-molding? Is that just some oak strips that you glued/tacked on?

btw that looks very nice.

Yeah, I used 3/4" oak strips, I think t-molding looks good on a regular cabinet, but it seemed out of place on mine.

Schmokes, congratulations on forming your own opinion and ripping on what other people like at the same time. Not sure how you compare it with drinking a beer out of a plastic bottle.... would that be like playing a REAL video game versus a Mame cab?

shmokes · « **Reply #21 on:** November 13, 2003, 02:45:09 pm »

No...the beer would still taste like beer. It would just seem strange to me that the bottle wasn't glass.

I don't mean to say that your cab is ugly, per se. You misunderstand me; or rather I wasn't entirely clear. I mean to say that all cabs are ugly -- as furniture. Your cab just doesn't look authentic, but retains, IMO, all of the qualities that make a cab look ugly in a living space. So going with wood seems to be counterproductive to me because (and yes, opinions will vary here)

1- the cab is still a gawdy monstrosity that has no place in a living room. (Just because I wouldn't hesitate to put a cab in my living room doesn't mean the cab has a place there. It just means that I am a fanatic).

2- Authenticity is lost, and if you're going to lose authenticity anyway, why not just redesign the whole thing so it's no longer a giant monstrosity? You know, make it ACTUALLY look like a piece of furniture.

3- Oak costs a fortune compared with plywood or MDF

I didn't mean to be mean.

Nailz · « **Reply #22 on:** November 13, 2003, 02:52:54 pm »

Mea culpa

I like mine because my wife let's it in the house, and that's that. Were I a single guy, the path may have been different, but either way I like my plastic bottl...er, I mean oak Mame cab.

Tilzs · « **Reply #23 on:** November 13, 2003, 02:55:04 pm »

3. Solid Oak is expensive yes, but Oak Plywood (which one would use to build most of the cab) is cheaper than a laminated plywood or MDF.

2. I don't know if the skin on a cab, wether it has formica or is oak really causes it to lose any more authenticity than playing an arcade game on a big ass universal mame control panel. Really if you decide to go the mame route you are already loseing authenticity over the arcade version.

shmokes · « **Reply #24 on:** November 13, 2003, 03:02:26 pm »

Wait a minute!!! You are so busted

There's a Pac-man right next to it!!! That one's not make of oak!

Where was your wife on that one?

No, really it's good work. Super clean. I don't value authenticity too much, anyway. I mean, I bought a coindoor, which is a ridiculous purchase for anything other than authenticity...

but I think it should be functional and look nice. Other than that, whatever. Your cab meets those criteria.

Nailz · « **Reply #25 on:** November 13, 2003, 03:26:02 pm »

LOL, you got me.... Actually, they are both in my garage now, it's been converted into a bit of a hobby room, so naturally the wife suggested that the Mame cabinet go play with his older buddy Pac-Man.

We're getting WAY off topic here, STL_Steve, either way you go with a cab, make sure you are happy with iot, and that you get permission from the significant other.

STL_Steve · « **Reply #26 on:** November 13, 2003, 03:41:39 pm »

Well, I don

Tilzs · « **Reply #27 on:** November 13, 2003, 03:57:19 pm »

I would go with standard in that situation. Its probably more in mind for what someone looking for an arcade machine is looking for.

Nailz · « **Reply #28 on:** November 13, 2003, 04:15:31 pm »

I'd have to agree with Tilzs, go with the standard arcade look, given the choice, I think most would go that direction.

soslo · « **Reply #29 on:** November 13, 2003, 04:32:46 pm »

melamine is heavy, but leaves a super nice finish ;]

shmokes · « **Reply #30 on:** November 13, 2003, 05:36:26 pm »

no kidding...my 3/4" black melamine was heavy to the tune of 95 lbs. per 4'x8' sheet.

hernia

soslo · « **Reply #31 on:** November 13, 2003, 06:30:01 pm »

oh wow - is it that heavy? no wonder I've been having trouble moving it myself...besides being awkward!

Cisco Kid · « **Reply #32 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:47:49 pm »

If I had it to do over again I definitely would go with MDF instead of plywood. I got single side finished (not cabinet grade) and I don't think I've cut a single piece that doesn't have a bow or is warped a little (some of it is warped really bad ... serious bow in it) .... really sucks when fitting mitred corners. I've tried everything to straight them out ... no luck in doing that. God help you if your working on it in an shop or garage thats not heated to keep it dried out. If its humid or raining your screwed ... freakin' pieces already assembled swell and nothing fits ... real pain in the --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules--.

I'm hoping MDF doesn't do the same thing (going to try to build my control panel with it ... tons of mitred corners ... plus I'm using a light colored laminate that shows every little imperfection

)

Infrasonic · « **Reply #33 on:** November 14, 2003, 12:07:01 am »

Ive got some ideas:

1. Oak plywood or oak vernier over inexpensive materials. Finished with ebony (black) stain. Wouldn't look good in the living room. It would be more like the black melamine cabinets except that it would look more 'sophisticated.'

2. You could make it out of or to look like a TV cabinet or armoire. Something with closing doors and a retractable control panel. It could look and work really good with some imagination and building skills, or it could be a disgrace if done wrong.

If it is gonna be like one of those TV cabinets that have those doors that open up and slide inside of the cabinet I recomend building an inner cabinet that has its sides just up to where the doors are stored. As for the control panel: it would have to be smaller than the width of the cabinet or it would need to be implemented in an imaginative way such as: being stored diagonally under the monitor, and being pulled out, straightened and secured while playing. or you could have a three piece panel with a center piece smaller than the cab width with two hinged extensions on either side.

Maybe it can all be robotized and could transform like the old cartoon all be remote control.

Anyways if someone were to build a TV cabinet cab I recomend an inner cabinet (or facade) and control panel be made out of black materials. I would even color any internal finished grain appearance black even the insides of those retractable doors.

namzep · « **Reply #34 on:** November 14, 2003, 06:08:40 am »

Cisco Kid, I've noticed no warping with the MDF that I'm using. I had only one problem using it to build my control panel and that was me, being a wood working novice, adding screws too close to the edges of a few pieces and getting some cracks. They seem to be fine after filling in with wood filler, though. The MDF versus Plywood really comes down to durability vs weight. Plywood is less durable than MDF (at least in my experience) but weighs considerable less. And, if you're putting wheels on the cab (I am), the weight really becomes alot less of an issue.

zaphod · « **Reply #35 on:** November 14, 2003, 07:41:34 am »

I paid a little extra and used 3/4" cabinet grade ply. Both sides very smooth and every piece was perfectly flat. For me, that level of quality and consistency was definitely worth the premium I paid.

STL_Steve · « **Reply #36 on:** November 14, 2003, 10:41:21 am »

I just got the UA2 cabinet plans and now the decision is the material. I would have to say I am leaning to the cabinet grade plywood. That stuff is generally not warped, not like the stacks of regular plywood you see at your local home improvement store. I think the edge strength is greater, after using mdf I didn

zaphod · « **Reply #37 on:** November 14, 2003, 10:49:14 am »

Quote from: STL_Steve on November 14, 2003, 10:41:21 am

I would have to say I am leaning to the cabinet grade plywood. That stuff is generally not warped, not like the stacks of regular plywood you see at your local home improvement store. I think the edge strength is greater
... so I don

STL_Steve · « **Reply #38 on:** November 14, 2003, 10:54:10 am »

Yes laminating is an option, I need to figure out a few things about using side art and graphics. I'm not sure if you can still use them over the laminate or if you


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