Help needed! Changing angle of control panel

[Richardgregory]

Hi folks:

I would appreciate all your expertise and feedback that you can offer to help to change the angle of an existing control panel.  I find the angle as it is too much and painful after awhile. 

I'm attaching some pictures to illustrate the current state, and how the panel is mounted.  As you can see the way the panel is mounted to the cabinet, there's no extra room to create a new panel and have flatten as all the wood is flushed to the front and holding up the monitor.

In one of the pictures I have the control panel lifted up, which I think will be at a good angle - however, then as you can see it might look awkward from the side.  I also don't know what is the best route to raise it up and have support at the bottom.   As in "Pic4" the lip is not horizontal as it is, but at an angle.

Anyhow, thought I'd share this predicament with you all and in hopes you all can help me find a way.

Thanks all!
 

[Richardgregory]

Forgot to add one more picture.  A closer side shot if I were to raise the panel up.  As noted the lip is at an angle, so I"m not sure the best way to have a support piece of wood attached to the control panel.  Also, not sure if it looks 'ugly' if I even explore this option of raising it up the way the cabinet countours.

Thanks again

[BadMouth]

Some of the old cabaret cabs had it flat with a vertical panel behind it.


Short of that, you're looking at redoing the monitor angle and mount or else living with weird look of the CP sticking out farther than the sides.
Another option is to notch out the sides and have the CP overhang like Mortal Kombat, but I don't think it would look right on that style cab.

[kahlid74]

What you're wanting to do is more than feasible but will require a lot of time and patience.  Essential to raise the sides/under area you'd want to cut thin strips of MDF/Plywood and then Glue them together creating the new "extended" base cab.  You would remove the T-Molding all around and remake the sides to the new height.  Once the MDF/Plywood pieces are glued into place you would want to putty like a mad man, several times until you get one cohesive piece.  Once putty'd you could Route the side for tmolding again and then prime/paint.

So you can do it but it will take time, trial and error on the angles/feel and patience.  Think of it like sculpting.  you're going to re-sculpt the wood by adding small pieces with glue and then smooth putty/sanding.

[Richardgregory]

Was there a picture?

I'm not sure what to do here really - I don't have any woodworking tools, and I really don't have any woodworking skills  

I'm regretting have picked up this used Cab...I could have bought a new built one from someone selling them.

Oh well.... 

Some of the old cabaret cabs had it flat with a vertical panel behind it.


Short of that, you're looking at redoing the monitor angle and mount or else living with weird look of the CP sticking out farther than the sides.
Another option is to notch out the sides and have the CP overhang like Mortal Kombat, but I don't think it would look right on that style cab.

[BadMouth]

Was there a picture?

I can see the picture....and I can see it again in your quote.
do a google image search of pacman cabaret and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[chopperthedog]

I echo what the others have said. If that were my cab, I would pull it all (panel, monitor, glass and all other wood) and start from scratch with new panel (that isn't held down by 2 bolts going through it) and rethink the entire panel/bezel system. And I would suspect that a new piece of glass would also be needed unless you increase the angle of the existing monitor to gain some depth in the control panel area. But in any case you have a tough one there, especially if wood working and overcoming objectives isn't a strong point.


good day.

[Typefighter01]

[monkey puzzle]

Ok, if you really don't have much woodworking skills, in my opinion the easiest option (and what I would do) would be this:

Remove the side panels completely and replace with new plywood. You can use the old side panels as templates but just adjust the angled part to suit the desired angle of your control panel. You will need an electric saw to cut the plywood, but it's really not as hard as you might think. You might want to invest in a router also for the T-molding slot. IT make take a bit of time and money but in my opinion it's easier than trying to modify the shape of the sides you already have.

[Typefighter01]

Just fooling around Richard 

I don't think I would mess around with the cab itself, especially if you like the shape or you don't like working with wood. If it was me, i would remove the CP and build a new one at the angle you are holding it at in your pics. It is the sides of a rebuilt CP that are probably stressing you out. Check out Unstupid's breakout controller that he made for his Neo Geo bartops http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,114435.80.html (breakout controller pic is towards end of page 3). Picture dropping that exact controller into your original CP position. The sides of your new CP would be "finished" just like his controller and if you wanted to make it look more integrated, you could add a set of pinball buttons to each side.

Hell, order up a set of servo sticks, pop in a spinner, add some LED buttons and start pimpin that sucker out. Good luck

[Richardgregory]

Thanks for all the feedback:  well, I suppose it isn't bad I don't think if I'm sitting down - the angle isn't that a bothersome.

I might at some point attempt to redo it. 

Typefighter01/all:  Good suggestion.  If I rebuild the CP and level it off, I will probably need to cut out some of the front wood of the cabinet so that I can sink in the control panel as shown in below's image.

Unless I leave everything as is and try and redo the monitor position(remove some wood) so that I will have room to angle down the existing CP.

P.S.  Hmm, the frontal shot doesn't make it seem so bad of an angle...maybe I should just leave everything as is

 

[Gray_Area]

It depends on your hand placement. If you tend to set your wrist down, and you're standing at that machine, you'll have trouble. My main rig is right behind me. It has a frankenpanel, and is at the same level as my desk, so I set half my forearm on it and I'm totally comfortable. My candy has a short and flat cp, and I find I have to hold my wrist up in games where I'm doing a lot of firing.