First Timer: Advice Welcomed

[Slugworth]

First off, I'd like to thank y'all for letting me eavesdrop on your conversations for the last several weeks as I've began to sort through the massive amounts of information on this site. 

A few weeks ago the Nostalgia Bug bit me pretty hard -- I really wanted to play D&D: Shadows over Mystara.  I soon found out it was available on Steam, but that didn't scratch the itch.  I needed to sit in front of an arcade console.  I needed a roll of quarters in my pocket.  I didn't know it yet, but I needed a MAME.

Long story short, here am I planning my first MAME, and I'm scared to death.  My wife has approved my budget, but only because she doesn't think there's a chance on earth that I actually follow through and build this (as if I needed any more motivation than being able to slay Synn for old times sake).  Disclaimer:  I'm not handy, I have very few tools, and I've never really built anything that didn't involve Legos.  I know very little about computers outside of Microsoft Excel (I can make some pretty wicked spreadsheets if you're interested sometime  ).  I'm starting from ground zero here.  Imagine that I'm a level 1 mage -- weak and frail, but willing.     

I've gathered my initial thoughts below and could use some general guidance at this point before I go to start actually spending money.  My wife has said that I can back down at any point and she'll let it go... until I start spending money.  Once I open up the wallet, I can't turn back without losing some serious man points.  We can't let that happen.

1)  Cabinet:
I think I'm going to go with some cabinet grade, hard wood plywood.  I like that it's significantly lighter than MDF, and I've got it in my mind that it's likely of a "higher quality" than MDF, even if that's not necessarily true for MAME purposes.  It sounds like getting cabinet grade negates a lot of the negative aspects of traditional plywood -- is that right?  Home Depot looks to be selling it for about $50 a sheet, with a few different wood options (Birch, Oak, Maple, Blondewood [whatever that is] -- any difference between these for purposes of building a cabinet?  I guess I'm not married to this idea, but I've got to start making decisions somewhere and this seemed to be a good place to start.  Any difference / preference between 5/8" and 3/4"?  They sound about the same to me, but what do I know?

As far as construction goes, I've found a bunch of measurements of older games from jakobud's website.  I want a 4 player control panel (I know, I know.  By virtue of trying to build a 30 year old gaming system I've pretty much admitted that I don't have 3+ friends), even though I've read about 1,500 posts on why you shouldn't ever build a 4 player cabinet.  Thing is, the only reason I'm even doing this is so that I can kill Synn with some friends.  Once I have my machine running I'll post an add on Craigslist looking for a Fighter, a Cleric, and a Thief.  I have sort of this "If you build it, they will come" mentality and won't be swayed on this.

I'm leaning towards building a "TMNT / Simpsons" Kanami cabinet, then enlarging the control panel slightly so I can add a few more buttons all around (more on that later).  Which leads me to my next series of question:

2)  Monitor
Remember, everything I know about arcade monitors has been learned through this forum over the last few weeks.  I've never had a conversation with a real human being about any of this.  I have NO IDEA what size I should get, what type if should get, whether it will even fit in my machine, etc.  I need something simple, which leads me to believe a computer monitor is my best bet, but I don't know what I don't know here.  Can someone give me a "top 3" to look at, and include a link to amazon for purchase?  When I read people say "Get a 27" 4:3 monitor with 800something or-other-resolution" my eyes glaze over.  I'll get there at some point, but I need to know that I'll be able to buy an appropriate monitor to fit inside my standard-built 4-way Kanami cabinet.  Otherwise I'll have to find new cabinet plans (which is fine, but I need to know before I buy some wood). 

3) Control Panel 
Do I need to make this out of a different type of wood than the cabinet?  Should I build this first or last?  I guess it needs to be removable so I can get it into the house, but I'll get to that later I guess... I'm thinking I'll build the cabinet first then find a way to stick the control panel next.  This will make me feel like I've accomplished something that I can point to and get my wife off my back.  With that said, I'll probably go 4 buttons for P3 / P4 (since my primary motive is to, once again, play some D&D) and 7 buttons for players 1 & 2.  I'm really stuck on whether to include a track ball and a dedicated 4 way.  I understand the thoughts behind it, but I'm not sure I want this to become a frankenpanel that will get me into the hall of shame.  I've spent a fair amount of time looking at examples on this site, but does anyone have some advice on size?  None of the cabinets I've seen on the site have the dimensions with them, just finished pictures, so it's hard for me to look at one and say "yes -- 32 inches is perfect" since I see a CP that looks nice, but don't know the size.  Then I see one that's too big, but still don't know the size.  Does this make sense?  Help save me from making a mistake that I'll regret.

4) Other Stuff  I figure I'll get to the wiring / electronics / computer / software once I've got some stuff built.  As far as painting, I'm leaning towards laminate just because I've read only positive about it.  Truthfully, I like the idea of painting more since I could touch it up as needed, and it sounds better, but I also believe in not over estimating my skills and I don't think I have painting skills.  Is there a difference between laminate / vinyl / formica?  Also, do you recommend laminating before building the cabinet, or after construction?  From pictures it looks like most people build (i.e. screw / glue) the cabinet together before laminating it, but in my mind it makes sense to do that after you've cut out all the pieces but before you've actually put them together. 

Anything else I need to know upfront?  Will I be okay if I build the cabinet, then start doing my "phase 2" research, or is that going to screw me over (that's why I'm asking so much about the monitor right now... I don't want to build myself into a corner, but I don't think I can become an expert at everything before I bust out a hammer... feel like there's something about learning along the way). 

That's probably enough for now.  Thanks in advance.  You'll find that I'm a willing subject and open to any advice I can get. 

[yotsuya]

Since you admit you are not very handy, have you considered finding a gutted cabinet and going from there? Also, where are you located?

[Slugworth]

Since you admit you are not very handy, have you considered finding a gutted cabinet and going from there? Also, where are you located?

I have thought about it, but I've been unable to find a 4 player cabinet for sale at a reasonable price.  I've seen a couple 2 player cabinets for around $200, but it looks like the 4 player cabinets are just a bit larger.  On the other hand, I'd like to be at least reasonably handy, and if I have a purpose in doing so I might actually manage to learn a thing or two.  I've never been motivated to figure it all out just so I could replace the baseboards in my bathroom, but to build a MAME?  Now I'm interested.

I'm also afraid that if I don't do this thing from the ground up that I'll never really know how it's put together and how to take care of it / make improvements / fix things when they go wrong.  Hopefully this turns into a hobby of sorts that I can do with my kids for a while, and you've gotta start somewhere.  Maybe it'd be easier to buy a cabinet though... but then I've got to fix any scratches, strip the paint / vinyl, replace any damaged wood, etc.  Doesn't sound like less work, just a different kind of work.  Is that accurate?

[shponglefan]

Welcome to the forums!

Any difference / preference between 5/8" and 3/4"?  They sound about the same to me, but what do I know?

This largely depends on how you plan to finish the cabinet.  For example if you are planning to use T-Molding, the you need to figure out what width T-Molding you want/plan to use (3/4" being the most common).  And if applying laminate, you also need to factor in the thickness of the laminate.  Depending on these factors will determine what thickness of plywood you need.

2)  Monitor
Remember, everything I know about arcade monitors has been learned through this forum over the last few weeks.  I've never had a conversation with a real human being about any of this.  I have NO IDEA what size I should get, what type if should get, whether it will even fit in my machine, etc.  I need something simple, which leads me to believe a computer monitor is my best bet, but I don't know what I don't know here.

First question to answer is: how much are you concerned with authenticity?  If it's not that big a concern, then an 4:3 LCD computer monitor will suffice.  Or a widescreen LCD if you see yourself using the cabinet for more recent games.

But if authenticity is a concern, the a real arcade monitor is your best bet, followed by a CRT computer monitor.

3) Control Panel 
Do I need to make this out of a different type of wood than the cabinet?  Should I build this first or last?

It can be the same type of wood; plywood is fine.  And it's probably best to design it and at least mock it up prior to building the full cabinet.  You want to make sure everything is going to come together in the end.

4) Other StuffTruthfully, I like the idea of painting more since I could touch it up as needed, and it sounds better, but I also believe in not over estimating my skills and I don't think I have painting skills.  Is there a difference between laminate / vinyl / formica?  Also, do you recommend laminating before building the cabinet, or after construction?

Personally, I'm a big fan of laminate, so I say go for it.  However, when applying laminate it takes a bit of strategizing to figure out when to apply it and which surface to apply in order.

Formica is just a brand of laminate.  Vinyl is something else entirely; it's much thinner than laminate and more flexible.

[PL1]

Welcome aboard, Slugworth.   

While this may seem like an odd suggestion, you may want to warm up with a simple, inexpensive, standalone 1-Player control panel.

This will give you a chance to:
-- Practice woodworking, painting, finishing, wiring, and most of the skills you will use to create your dream machine
-- Evaluate which joysticks, buttons, and other hardware you like before you place a BIG order with 4 of everything
-- "Test-drive" games to see which ones you really like (and which controls they need)

You can keep the price down if you use an inexpensive encoder like a KADE, ZD, or Xin-Mo.

You might even eventually use this standalone panel to house unique controls like triggerstick(s) or a mechanical rotary joystick(s) that could nudge your 4-player panel into the dreaded "frankenpanel" category.   

You may have already seen it, but the FAQ has a series of questions here to help guide you through the design process.


Scott

[shponglefan]

^ +1 building a small 1 player controller to start with.  You'll touch on most of the aspects of building a full-sized cab, but in a relatively simpler project.  And this way the learning curve of building the full cab should be smoother.

It can also be useful to test out planned controller layouts.

[Generic Eric]

^ +1 building a small 1 player controller to start with.  You'll touch on most of the aspects of building a full-sized cab, but in a relatively simpler project.  And this way the learning curve of building the full cab should be smoother.

It can also be useful to test out planned controller layouts.

+1

[Slugworth]

Welcome aboard, Slugworth.   

While this may seem like an odd suggestion, you may want to warm up with a simple, inexpensive, standalone 1-Player control panel.

This will give you a chance to:
-- Practice woodworking, painting, finishing, wiring, and most of the skills you will use to create your dream machine
-- Evaluate which joysticks, buttons, and other hardware you like before you place a BIG order with 4 of everything
-- "Test-drive" games to see which ones you really like (and which controls they need)

You can keep the price down if you use an inexpensive encoder like a KADE, ZD, or Xin-Mo.

You might even eventually use this standalone panel to house unique controls like triggerstick(s) or a mechanical rotary joystick(s) that could nudge your 4-player panel into the dreaded "frankenpanel" category.   

You may have already seen it, but the FAQ has a series of questions here to help guide you through the design process.


Scott

I had never thought of that -- thanks for the suggestion.  What dimensions would you use to build it?  I guess i could just browse for the pacman cabinet data, then use the control panel from that game as a template?

I like the idea a lot -- I'll paint one side, laminate one side, maybe even build one with MDF and the other with ply wood to see which I enjoy working with more. 

As far as tools go, I had intended to have a friend cut up the sheets for my cabinet, but I'm starting to think I'll need at least a few tools of my own.  If you were amping up to do a project like this and had no electric tools, which ones would you prioritize buying?  I'd imagine I can get most of them off of craigslist / garage sales. 

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Slippyblade]

When it comes to cabinet finish, think about your materials.  If you end up going with plywood it is almost impossible to cover up the grain of the plywood without many, many coats of primer and paint and extensive sanding.  The finish is one of the reasons so many of us like MDF - it's easy to paint. 

[shponglefan]

As far as tools go, I had intended to have a friend cut up the sheets for my cabinet, but I'm starting to think I'll need at least a few tools of my own.  If you were amping up to do a project like this and had no electric tools, which ones would you prioritize buying?  I'd imagine I can get most of them off of craigslist / garage sales. 

1) Router
2) Power Drill
3) Circular Saw

In that order.

[Slugworth]

When it comes to cabinet finish, think about your materials.  If you end up going with plywood it is almost impossible to cover up the grain of the plywood without many, many coats of primer and paint and extensive sanding.  The finish is one of the reasons so many of us like MDF - it's easy to paint.

Is this negated by going with a cabinet grade hardwood plywood?  When I was down at Lowes, the nicer plywood (about $50 a sheet) felt much smoother than the MDF.  Does it still take a lot of extra work, or are most people referring to the $20 plywood?

[Slugworth]

As far as tools go, I had intended to have a friend cut up the sheets for my cabinet, but I'm starting to think I'll need at least a few tools of my own.  If you were amping up to do a project like this and had no electric tools, which ones would you prioritize buying?  I'd imagine I can get most of them off of craigslist / garage sales. 

1) Router
2) Power Drill
3) Circular Saw

In that order.

Thanks -- I'll get on that.  I might just use my buddies for the circular saw, since I'm probably not going to be able to talk the woman into letting me spend too much money until I show some progress.  Seems like I could get a lot of practice in with the router though.

[dkersten]

Wow, I have to say I am impressed that you are taking on every aspect of this without much (if any) experience in any area.  That is a lot to take on, but I am sure the rewards will be worth it in the end.  In my opinion there is no better way to learn anything than by just doing it.  I taught myself (with the help of books and the internet) everything I know about computers, woodworking, and electronics (OK, I had some electronics classes in high school and college, but when it came to applying it, that was all trial and error).

The cool thing about getting into a project like this is you have an excuse to buy tools.  Just remember, every tool can have a purpose that suits the wife, and that is how you pitch it to her.  My first woodworking tool for home was a router, and I pitched it based on the idea that with a router I could make a countertop, and that meant I could save us money when I renovated the bathroom.  And not only did doing the work myself save the money to justify it, in the following years I did many more projects that both saved money (by not having to hire someone to do it) and allowed us to have quality crafted things that had a story behind them. 

Also, one of the best gifts a woman can give her husband is a cordless set of tools.. Again, with tools like that you have the ability to tackle a larger "honey-do" list.  A drill and an impact driver are probably the most useful items in any household.

You are never going to get far without a saw of some kind.  A jigsaw is a must for any curved cut, and at the very least a skilsaw for straight cuts.  With a couple clamps of some kind, some screws, some wood glue, and the router, drill, and saw, you can make just about anything.  Sure there are more tools you will eventually need, but many of them are not that expensive by themselves. 

As far as wood, if I understand you right, the cabinet grade plywood you are talking about is just "void free" plywood with a veneer.  The "void free" is important.  The veneer is less important.  If you have a decent cabinet supplier in town (a place that sells to cabinet makers and carries rough cut hardwoods and prefinished plywood for cabinets and signs), look into using "Baltic Birch".  This stuff is very light compared to MDF and particle board, is void free, and the 1/2" stuff is 9 layers, the 3/4" is 13 layer.  Compare that to the cabinet grade plywood at the big box stores that is usually 4 or 5 layer (plus the outter veneer layers that are super thin) for 1/2", and 7 layer for 3/4".  The biggest difference other than just the overall quality is that the edges will finish WAY better.  Personally I wouldn't trust any kind of plywood other than Baltic birch to hold a t-molding slot.  I am sure others might disagree though.  Baltic Birch usually comes in 5 foot squares, not 4x8, although I have found it in larger dimensions before (very rare though).  I found this on the interweb that is some good reading regarding Baltic birch: http://www.woodworkerssource.com/blog/tips-tricks/your-ultimate-guide-to-baltic-birch-plywood-why-its-better-when-to-use-it/

Personally, anything that you will have an exposed edge on that needs paint should be MDF if possible.  Baltic birch will work pretty well too, but will still require some filler to really smooth out the end grain if it is exposed.  Sometimes it is very difficult to not have some end grain exposed on your cabinet. 

Laminate has a great finish, but it can take practice to master, and as stated, you have to plan things out REALLY well.  You can get away with scoring and snapping and then using a file to finish the edges, but frankly that is a LOT of work and usually the results are not great unless you really know what you are doing.  This means you should be using a flush trim bit in your router to finish any edges on laminate, which means you need to laminate anything that is going to but up to anything else BEFORE you attach it.  Prep your surfaces carefully because despite the thickness of laminate, even small abnormalities will come out in the finish.  Sand and fill your nail/screw holes, but don't oversand or undersand or you will see it when the laminate is on.  Also, you need to account for the thickness of the laminate.  It is usually around 1/32-3/64" thick, so even a layer of laminate on both sides will make 3/4" wood too thick for t-molding, and 5/8 too thin. 

Another option is melamine, which is a paper based laminate that is very thin and comes on the sheets of wood.  If you are using battens and screws or pocket holes, you can usually get away with melamine, but like laminate it requires some planning. 

MDF with paint, even though the paint process can really suck, is actually the easiest of all to use.  Spend the time to prep the surface well (block sand it to 220 or finer grit) and prime it with a couple coats, then when the primer is fully cured, sand to 220 or finer again.  Then wipe it down with cheese cloth to get the fine dust off and shoot the paint where there is no chance of dust getting on it.  The biggest thing I would say you need to know if you go the route of painting is that rattle can paint (oil based) usually dries in about 20 minutes and is fully cured within 24-48 hours.  Latex paint that you roll on, brush on, or spray on will be dry in a couple hours, but needs at least a couple weeks before any kind of serious handling, and can take up to 3 months to really cure completely.  Until then it is weak and will stick to anything left on it for long, even after more than a month. 

Good luck and I wish you well.  If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!  This place is a wealth of knowledge.

[PL1]

What dimensions would you use to build it?

Depends on what you want include in the panel. 

Follow the design process in the FAQ and it will help you determine what size CP box to build.

If you intend to include a TRON stick or a rotary joystick, they need more space under the panel than a Zippyy joystick and Goldleaf buttons.

I like the idea a lot -- I'll paint one side, laminate one side, maybe even build one with MDF and the other with ply wood to see which I enjoy working with more. 

You might be able to get some off-cuts or seconds (damaged) of the different kinds of wood from your local lumber/big box store.

This way you can practice woodworking and painting on cheap scrap before you spend big bucks on the good stuff.

As far as tools go, I had intended to have a friend cut up the sheets for my cabinet, but I'm starting to think I'll need at least a few tools of my own.  If you were amping up to do a project like this and had no electric tools, which ones would you prioritize buying?  I'd imagine I can get most of them off of craigslist / garage sales. 

Lots of good tool recommendation threads in the Woodworking section.

One feature to look for on a router is micro-adjustable depth control.

If you go the garage sale/craigslist route, proceed with caution -- there may be a reason they are selling.   


Scott

[Slugworth]

Quick general question:  Has anyone built a 4 player set up off of LuSiD's plans?  Do those work out fine for this purpose, or do I need to find plans that are somewhat bigger?  I like that he has everything on the website and pretty good instructions, but I'd hate to follow them only to find out my cabinet was a few inches too small.

I noticed when comparing them to the Kanami 4 player cabs that the dimensions seems a little smaller, but I'm not sure if it's a noticeable difference.  Any experience with this?

[HanoiBoi]

I strongly believe that your first step should be the pc and wiring stuff.  You should install and configure MAME and a front end on a computer.  No sense going all out on building a cab if you don't have the PC side down.

Along with this, I too think you should then build a control panel.  Not a final one, just one that'll will connect to your PC and have you playing MAME.  You'll be able to mount a joystick and buttons and learn the wiring.  You'll probably want a joystick, several buttons, a keyboard encoder and wiring.

Next step, before futher locking in on a 4 player cab is to go ahead and post that Craigslist ad seeking your fighter, cleric, thief, etc now.  Test the waters while you have time.  If you don't have willing participants to answer the ad, perhaps you'll reconsider the 4 player cab.

Your wife okayed your budget, but what is your budget?  Building it all from scratch can be more than you might expect, especially if you have no tools.  Do you feel confident that you can do what you want within budget?

[Generic Eric]

I'll echo the suggestions on the FAQ, search and the wiki

I have a few suggestions.  Try something like mameui and play a few games with your keyboard.  I know its not the same, but it will give you an idea of what game you might be interested in.

In other posts, I suggest making a fight stick or 2.   As a second project, I'd suggest a pedestal.  They are good for 4 players or an arcade of joysticks and buttons.  This will give you good practice for your layout.

The prime challenge with a bartop is building around the PC, monitor, encoders and joysticks and buttons.  You might be interested in a mini or micro itx board for something like that. 

My biggest suggestion is not to worry about art until you have chosen a front end.   

There is a chance to expand your horizons in a number of ways from woodworking, learning gimp & inkscape along with sketchup to setting up a variety of different front ends.  You may even learn how to program a teensy 3.1!

In the end, it may just be a game of boxes

I deleted a few words from the quote, but I think it holds in your case too.

Know your budget.
Start small. 
Find a computer to use for this.
Find mame
Know mame, be mame
Pick your games
Choose an encoder
Buy your sticks and buttons

There is a lot to do before you need to consider build. 

There is no wrong way to do this if you are building from scratch.  Just quicker ways.  If you think my line of thinking is right for you, let me know and I'd be happy to share my opinions and give advice. 

Either way, Best of luck!  There is a lot of fun to be had here.

[Slugworth]

I strongly believe that your first step should be the pc and wiring stuff.  You should install and configure MAME and a front end on a computer.  No sense going all out on building a cab if you don't have the PC side down.

Along with this, I too think you should then build a control panel.  Not a final one, just one that'll will connect to your PC and have you playing MAME.  You'll be able to mount a joystick and buttons and learn the wiring.  You'll probably want a joystick, several buttons, a keyboard encoder and wiring.

Next step, before futher locking in on a 4 player cab is to go ahead and post that Craigslist ad seeking your fighter, cleric, thief, etc now.  Test the waters while you have time.  If you don't have willing participants to answer the ad, perhaps you'll reconsider the 4 player cab.

Your wife okayed your budget, but what is your budget?  Building it all from scratch can be more than you might expect, especially if you have no tools.  Do you feel confident that you can do what you want within budget?

I'm not concerned about finding people to play with... I've got a wife and three young kids always clamoring to play with me and  I'm sure between us and their friends we will have at least a few occasions to fire up all the joysticks throughout the life of the machine.  I'll give the CP a go first, I like that idea.  Then I can hook it up to my current computer to make sure I can manage that side Of things.  Money shouldn't be an issue (she was actually okay with me buying one of the prebuilt machines for $3.5k, but I was too cheap to pull the trigger).

Not a bad suggestion to do the computer stuff first, but between the wiring, computer, and monitor I'm guessing that will represent the majority of the cost, so I'd like to get the cabinet done first  so if for some reason this doesn't work out (or if I accidentally saw off one of my digits) I won't be out too much.

[AzureKnight]

If you are looking to avoid a wood grain look another option is MDO.  I know a it isn't available everywhere but I was lucky enough to have a hardwood supplier near me that keeps it in stock (I happen to live in Buffalo, NY the home of ICE Games so the local supplier has it on hand for them).

It is a quality plywood that is paper coated like MDF.  So you get the solid foundation of plywood, no risk of crumbling or the heavy weight of MDF, the paper overlay for finish and because the stuff is designed to build outdoor billboards it is also water resistant.

It also is expensive....

I'm in the process of building my cabinet now with MDO and I am very happy so far.

[dkersten]

MDO is great, but yeah, kinda spendy and hard to come by.  If you can find a place with Baltic birch, they probably carry some MDO too.

Funny thing about building your own cab, you can do it for a few hundred or for a few thousand, and it can get away from you FAST.  You might look at $30 joysticks and $3 buttons and think there is no way this will cost a lot, might as well go big, and next thing you know you have $900 in your control panel alone, and still want to add lightguns and gas pedals..

I know from experience that once I had in mind to do this, I was going to do it regardless of the advice, so I didn't stop to play games to see what I REALLY wanted (I wanted it all).  But in hindsight, the advice is solid: mock something up and play games with it.  Functionally, my 4 player cab works well because I did a fair bit of research and didn't add a kitchen sink and four tron controllers, and it DOES get used, even the P3 and P4 stuff.  But aesthetically, I kind of wish I had done something far more reserved and super clean.

If you aren't in a rush to get started on construction, spend some time figuring out what games you want.  Spend 10 minutes on each game you come across and if you still want to play after 10 minutes, add it to the list.  Then after 3 or 4 hours of doing that (when you are only 5% of the way through the list of total games out there), go back and play each one you chose to keep for 5 minutes each.  If you can do that without quitting and STILL like it, then keep it.  I would bet you will have less than 100 games if you took the time to go through the ~10k games you COULD put on your cab.  And even then, I will be surprised if in the first year you play more than 30 of them.

Most people want an arcade for all the reasons OTHER than to play it every day.  Nothing wrong with that, it's just that you can save a lot of money if you recognize exactly how much you really will play it (and hence what controls you actually need). 

I will leave you with this:  Building or buying an arcade is like buying a boat.  If you already LOVE boating and do it every chance you get with your friends, then owning your own boat will probably pay some great dividends for you.  But if you have boated and really like it but haven't gone for a few years, buying one isn't going to get you to love it like you might think it will.  Sure, the first year you will go every weekend, but then it will be a chore, and other things will be more interesting.  Don't buy the boat of you don't already love the water.. And the only way to know is to try it, and try it, and try it, and try it, and if you STILL like it, THEN you should invest.

[benarcade]

I think you're in the minority of people who start with a cabinet. You already have a computer, you might as well install and configure MAME first, using the keyboard as controller.

I spent way more time figuring out MAME than I did building a cabinet. I highly recommend that you start there - as others have suggested.

Here's some MAME tips: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130250.0.html

[Slugworth]

Just wanted to give y'all a quick update.  I found someone locally who was selling a neo geo cabinet he had made into his MAME cabinet, so I picked it up this evening.  He's moving from a house to an apartment and wouldn't have room for it, so he unloaded it for $40 for the cabinet and coin door... doesn't include the control panel.

It's in great condition, so I'll start with this and move on to the computer and control panel.  If I get sucked in to the hobby I can start building a cab sometime next year, but certainly no rush at this point. 

I've looked around on the site and am having a hard time figuring out what I need as far as computing power goes.  I see all of these processors being mentioned, but I've been out of the computer scene for so long that they all sound the same to me at this point.  I want to have all the MAME games, and probably everything up through N64 emulators and a nice fronted (based on the poll in the software forum, I'll probably go with either Hyperspin or Mala -- still need to do my research).

Would any generic computer like this (http://www.amazon.com/Dell-i3646-1000BLK-Inspiron-Desktop/dp/B00KE80VV6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1409192942&sr=1-1&keywords=computer) do the trick?

Based on y'alls advice, i'll probably start taking a look at computers now that I've got a cabiet, and then start sketching out a control panel concept.

[benarcade]

My first MAME machine was a 486

[Slugworth]

One more quick question on the Control Panel.  Looking through most of the examples on the site, it seems the 4 player panels are generally pretty large, but it looks like the old Kanami 4 player games (TMNT, Simpsons, etc) were only about 37 inches.

I'll build a mock up with cardboard, but has anyone tried playing on a smaller 4 player panel with any success?  It seems it'd be a good compromise of keeping it smaller and cleaner for primarily 1-2 player use, but still being able to accommodate 4 players when the occasions arise.

Also, is there a database of pre-made templates somewhere that I could use to start off?  I've seen the button templates on slag coin, but I'm looking for the whole 38" control panel, or something similar.  I just downloaded sketchup, so I'll play around with that and see where it gets me.

How much do people on here (the professional folks) charge to do a CP?

[shponglefan]

One more quick question on the Control Panel.  Looking through most of the examples on the site, it seems the 4 player panels are generally pretty large, but it looks like the old Kanami 4 player games (TMNT, Simpsons, etc) were only about 37 inches.

Those older 4 player panels like Konami arcades were designed so that player 3 and 4 stood off to the side.  So more space was gained at the expense of viewing angle.  I remember playing on those arcades and being on the outside wasn't particularly ideal.

And just IMHO, but a lot of older arcade panels were on the narrow side.  Personally, I don't like to go below 30 inches even for just a two player panel.  It's one thing when you played them as a skinny kid/teenager.  But when you have multiple full-grown adults at an arcade, a little more room is nice to have.

[shponglefan]

Just wanted to give y'all a quick update.  I found someone locally who was selling a neo geo cabinet he had made into his MAME cabinet, so I picked it up this evening.  He's moving from a house to an apartment and wouldn't have room for it, so he unloaded it for $40 for the cabinet and coin door... doesn't include the control panel.

It's in great condition, so I'll start with this and move on to the computer and control panel.  If I get sucked in to the hobby I can start building a cab sometime next year, but certainly no rush at this point. 

I've looked around on the site and am having a hard time figuring out what I need as far as computing power goes.  I see all of these processors being mentioned, but I've been out of the computer scene for so long that they all sound the same to me at this point.  I want to have all the MAME games, and probably everything up through N64 emulators and a nice fronted (based on the poll in the software forum, I'll probably go with either Hyperspin or Mala -- still need to do my research).

General rule of thumb: get as fast a processor as you can.  It doesn't necessarily matter whether it's the latest technology, since I've found a lot of emulators are primarily CPU speed dependent more than anything else (especially MAME).

That said, most emulators can be run even on older (5+ year) machines.   It can also depend on which version of emulators you run.

[Slugworth]

One more quick question on the Control Panel.  Looking through most of the examples on the site, it seems the 4 player panels are generally pretty large, but it looks like the old Kanami 4 player games (TMNT, Simpsons, etc) were only about 37 inches.

Those older 4 player panels like Konami arcades were designed so that player 3 and 4 stood off to the side.  So more space was gained at the expense of viewing angle.  I remember playing on those arcades and being on the outside wasn't particularly ideal.

And just IMHO, but a lot of older arcade panels were on the narrow side.  Personally, I don't like to go below 30 inches even for just a two player panel.  It's one thing when you played them as a skinny kid/teenager.  But when you have multiple full-grown adults at an arcade, a little more room is nice to have.

Yeah, that's a good point.  I need to find an old school arcade around here so I can play around with the different interfaces.  I went a few months ago to one in Houston, but I didn't have any reason to think much about the positioning at the time.  Hopefully I can get back there at some point.

[Yenome]

From one mame noob to another. I agree with everyone who said build a small one play cab first. this way you get to cut wood and get used to the tools and wood working in general. On this form if you really want simple wood working it a project called vigolix

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,119533.msg1267233.html#msg1267233

Made by the one and only vigo. It is a simple vewlix clone cab that is made from some 2x4 strips and one sheet of plywood. Since i live in an apartment i was gonna build me one slightly larger till i have room for a full blown arcade. Like you the Spouse supports me in my endevors IMO for 4 players nothing beats a showcase cab. you have probably seen them. they have the huge control panel and at least a 33in monitor that sits back 3 feet from the panel.  This is my ultimate goal and reason for Have monsterous 32" Crt Tvs. Now you can go LCD but if you do i suggest at least a 42" just google "showcase Arcade Cabinet" there will be plenty of images. think one was even a D&D cab. here is one made by a forum member for Gaunlet.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=91760.0

[yotsuya]

And just IMHO, but a lot of older arcade panels were on the narrow side.  Personally, I don't like to go below 30 inches even for just a two player panel.  It's one thing when you played them as a skinny kid/teenager.  But when you have multiple full-grown adults at an arcade, a little more room is nice to have.

Not that I don't disagree with your thought process, but 24 inches is perfectly fine for a 2 player panel. It's not like these were designed with kids in mind in the 80s to begin with. My best friend and I can play NBA Jam or a fighting game on my MAME cab, and it's not even quite 24 inches. Just food for thought. 

[yotsuya]

So ol' Slugworth deleted his account, huh?

[jennifer]

   Slugworth???.... Wasn't that the scary villain guy on Wonka?

[yotsuya]

   Slugworth???.... Wasn't that the scary villain guy on Wonka?

Yeah. I guess he took his fantasy art and went home.

[Malenko]

Feel free to blame me 

[opt2not]

Yeah. I guess he took his borrowed fantasy art and went home.

FTFY.