Noob wants to build a MAME cabinet for under 200$

[PL1]

Sure. If you just want to be able to play classics, that's a good compromise. Keep the idea of a cabinet in the back of your mind... We'll be here to help when you're ready! 

Plus, if I wanted to, I can replace the regular sticks with fighting sticks, right?

I think you can, but I don't have any experience with one so I don't know the process. Anyone care to weigh in?

According to Randy, the X-Arcade sticks use a Happ/Wico mounting pattern.

The OMNI2 has the larger plate that is compatible with both the HAPP/WICO/X-Arcade, etc.... patterns, as well as the narrower Sanwa, Zippyy, etc... varieties.

Scott

[mkwfreak]

Sure. If you just want to be able to play classics, that's a good compromise. Keep the idea of a cabinet in the back of your mind... We'll be here to help when you're ready! 

Plus, if I wanted to, I can replace the regular sticks with fighting sticks, right?

I think you can, but I don't have ]Sany experience with one so I don't know the process. Anyone care to weigh in?

According to Randy, the X-Arcade sticks use a Happ/Wico mounting pattern.

The OMNI2 has the larger plate that is compatible with both the HAPP/WICO/X-Arcade, etc.... patterns, as well as the narrower Sanwa, Zippyy, etc... varieties.

Scott

so, would this work?

http://na.suzohapp.com/all_catalogs/joysticks/50-6070-160

[PL1]

According to Randy's post, this one by Severdhed, and the post just after it, the Happ Competition you linked should be a drop-in replacement.

There is a difference of 1.8mm on one axis and a 1mm difference on the other.

X-Arcade stick diagram


Happ Competition diagram


Worst case scenario, you might have to drill the mount holes slightly larger. . . or use a wasp rasp like GeoMan suggested in the link above.


Scott

[Jamesbeat]

I am building a cabinet, and it's going to come in at a lot less than $200.

I had already planned my build and bought joysticks and buttons when my wife lost her job.

I make decent money, but here in NY, the cost of living is so high that I couldn't spend lots of money on a cabinet without eating into my family's grocery bills.

I got sick of looking at the joysticks and buttons and not being able to afford to build a cabinet, so I resolved to make a temporary one out of whatever I could lay my hands on.

My neighbor was getting rid of an Ikea dresser, and asked if we wanted it.
I took it and stripped it down to the individual boards.
Since I only had a small amount of wood to work with, I decided to make a bartop and put it on a piece of furniture like this guy did (he used a fridge):

http://imgur.com/a/46GDP?desktop=1

Instead of springing for an ipac, I hacked a pair of $3.50 usb gamepads.

I already had a Raspberry Pi and an lcd monitor.
I had intended to use the Raspberry Pi in my planned full-size cabinet build anyway, but its small size sure came in handy when squeezing it inside a bartop.

The wood for the battens was cheap. I think it was $1.60 for an 8' length, and I used two lengths.

Screws, wood filler, paint, jigsaw blades and other sundries came to around $25 or so.

I have yet to buy a slot cutter for my router to do the T-molding, and I still have to do all the sanding, filling and painting.

I also still have to find a suitable piece of furniture to mount the cabinet on.
Once I find something that will work, I'm going to paint it to match the cabinet and add T-molding to it.

Building it this way is not only economical, it will also allow the cabinet to be taken down into two pieces if I move house.

I now have a pretty good cabinet that I can play, instead of a couple of joysticks and a bag of buttons.

I'll probably end up making a new one when I have some money, but it has certainly taken the pressure off.

When I do get around to making a new cabinet, I will have 80% of the tools and parts I will need, so I won't be buying everything from scratch.

Since I already have a perfectly serviceable cabinet, I can acquire the materials for my 'proper' build gradually, rather than trying to find all the money in one go.

[EMDB]

As we say on the forum:

[Generic Eric]

As we say on the forum:

Specifically, in your own project thread.

[Jamesbeat]

Sorry for the awful photos, but you get the idea.

As you can see, it's very much a work in progress.
I still have to fill in the screw holes, sand, add T-molding and paint.
I also have yet to add an amp and speakers and plexiglass.

Still, it's an arcade cabinet, and it cost practically nothing.

[mkwfreak]

Sorry for the big bump, but I wanted to explain why I got sidetracked.

My laptop died IRL, and I needed to get a replacement. My friend sold me one for cheap, but now i'm down a lot of cash, but things are looking up.

My birthday is in 6 days, and i'm going to get some cash for that, throw in x-mas and in a few months my SSI, I should be able to build it, and get a few other cool things too. And I should be able to buy high-quality parts, and be able to do this without that tiny little budget. We can still do the planning now, if you guys wish until then, but I won't make much progress until I start getting checks.

Sincerely,
     ~mkwfreak.

[yotsuya]

SSI?

[Malenko]

SSI?

Supplemental Security Income?

[JDFan]

SSI?

Supplemental Security Income?

Probably his 65th Birthday in 6 days !

[yotsuya]

I thought he was turning 18?

As for a kid, I'm 17. Young, but I've been interested in electronics since I was 2-3 (playing floppy discs on windows 95), and I have learned a LOT of information over the years. And I have a step dad with a machine shop, and a computer expert for resources. I may be young, but I have a lot of faith in this.

[mkwfreak]

I thought he was turning 18?

As for a kid, I'm 17. Young, but I've been interested in electronics since I was 2-3 (playing floppy discs on windows 95), and I have learned a LOT of information over the years. And I have a step dad with a machine shop, and a computer expert for resources. I may be young, but I have a lot of faith in this.

I'm have a chance of getting SSI when i turn 18 because i have autism, and possibly a few other things.

[General_Faliure]

I built my cab mostly from stuff i had lying around; plywood, old computer parts, which had cost me next to nothing.
I also use Linux as os.
Plywood isn't the best choice, it's difficult to get smooth, MDF would be better.
Most expensive where the joysticks and buttons which i bought from Ebay.
See the pictures in the link below.
I am currently redoing the paint job.
I learned a lot from this build, and am planning to do a new build in the near future.

[DietCoke]

-self-edited-

[mkwfreak]

well, my birthday is tomorrow, so i hope to get some cash. I think I still have 90$ or so that I have entitled to me, so maybe I can have the funds by Christmas to get all the big things purchased, but there is one little thing that scares me. I've had more than a few scares with ESD, and I'm scared with the I-Pac and wiring, because most if not all of my place is carpeted, and I barely have enough space in my room to fit something like an arcade cabinet. Any advice?

[yotsuya]

well, my birthday is tomorrow, so i hope to get some cash. I think I still have 90$ or so that I have entitled to me, so maybe I can have the funds by Christmas to get all the big things purchased, but there is one little thing that scares me. I've had more than a few scares with ESD, and I'm scared with the I-Pac and wiring, because most if not all of my place is carpeted, and I barely have enough space in my room to fit something like an arcade cabinet. Any advice?

Buy a Tankstick?

[mkwfreak]

Well, I guess I'm gonna get a tankstick then. Kind of wanted to get a custom control panel, but I guess this is the best way. I suppose I can think about that in the future.

[dkstanson]

well, what part of the country are you in? Lots of us have heaps of spare parts we could give you.