2 piece cab plans?

[hulkster]

ive seen several cabs with the 2 piece design.  im interested in this, because i will probably have to move it from place to place once or twice.  are there any plans available that i can download or can somebody hook me up? :-)

[OSCAR]

I have plans available for my 2-piece MAME cabinet at www.oscarcontrols.com/unnamed.  I brought my cabinet into the basement in 2 pieces and assembled the halves together there.  Had I put the PC components in the bottom of the upper half and skipped on the lower speakers, the lower unit would essentially be just a pedestal.

[hulkster]

i saw your design, and its cool, but i think im looking for a design like the Mamecast....that design is really cool.  http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p6b5a0876ce2181fe96927d159ac75a63/fafaaeec.jpg  something like that, i didnt know if there was a universal plan that people used, or if they made their own.

[OSCAR]

Oh sure, I get it...  Mine is cool, but his is really cool...    j/k

I haven't seen very many plans for 2-piece cabs other than the MameRoom ones to be honest.  I designed mine the way I did because I knew I would be moving it, and mine will come apart in two solid pieces very easily.  I also have the wiring done with plugs so that the upper and lower units can be taken apart without messing with the wiring other than unplugging the vga and USB cables from the motherboard.  If you are planning on portability, carry it through the whole design and not just the wood to make life easier when it comes time to take it apart.

[hulkster]

Oh sure, I get it...  Mine is cool, but his is really cool...    j/k

chill dude, yours is cool....but i had my mind set on the other ones.

[OSCAR]

Yes, I know.  That's why I was just kidding (j/k).  

[hulkster]

okay  but....i still need help!

[rampy]

Didn't frosty do this as well?  Or was that an amalgamation of Oscar's plans and 1ups?  (it's been a while, I forget)

rampy

[hulkster]

i dont think so, i checked the Frosty's Arcade site and his is a one piece.

[menace]

unless he's changed it, its two pieces.  That top colored part is a separate piece from the bottom black part (as indicated in his plans.  All in all a very nice two piece rotating cab.

[Edgedamage]

Hmm looking at Oscar's two piece cab someone could just scale down the top piece and make a cool looking counter top machine.

[hulkster]

yes....or.....somebody could help me with my question

[atomaka]

I actually set off with the same task about six months ago.  Other than Oscar's there weren't any other two piece cab plans lying around and I was going for something a bit more boxier then his layout.

I ended up taking the classic Lusic cab design, and modifying it for my needs.  Basically, I kept roughly the same general size.  The bottom half the cab is basically a large box that I sized down an inch and a half width-wise.  This allowed me to keep the top half of the cab the same size dimensions.  I added some "wings" that overlapped the bottom half.  Inside the top half, I created a rim where I wanted it to rest on the bottom half.  The top half is not overly difficult to remove.

This idea was actually inspired by MAME Not Over, and more specifically, this picture.  Mine is a much simpler implementation, but you can get the basic idea there.

Unfortunately, I just killed the page that I had any sort of information up about the project, but if you give me a couple days until I get back at school, I can upload some pictures and get you the dimensions that I modified from Lusid's plans.

Take note that you'll probably want to do some modifications and probably not want to use this as your overall plan.  My cabinet is way too big (at least for my liking), standing over 6', and heavy (I shouldn't have used 3/4" MDF).  It is something that may be helpful to get started.

[hulkster]

thanks!  you said yours is too heavy???  i was going to use 3/4" mdf....that would be cool if you get those pics/plans for me.  i would appreciate it.

[paigeoliver]

I have always wondered why in the heck you guys make two piece cabinets? It makes the cabinet heavier, structurally weaker, and it is not authentic. Of course, all of that can be said for MDF too (real cabinets are plywood, or laminated particle board)..

I have games that I have moved countless times, it isn't THAT big of a deal. My Kangaroo came out from a basement, into a shed, into someone elses basement, up from there down to a different basement (90 degree turn in the steps on this one), out from there up to a second floor apartment (180 degree turn in the steps), down from there to another 2nd floor apartment (with another 180 degree stairwell).

If you are really concerned about moving ease and weight, then make the monitor easily removable. That is the heaviest thing, better to pull the monitor and move it separately than the lop off a 20 lbs section at the bottom to move separate and then be stuck with an unwieldy top sectiom.

After one auction in particular, Dave and I were SO tired from moving games we ended up pulling the monitors on like 8 games before we moved them up to the second floor. Normally we can get almost anything up the stairs without a problem, BUT the first two things we moved were an EM Bingo pin (in ONE PIECE, almost 400 lbs), and a STUN Runner. After moving those two we were having trouble lifting EVERYTHING, so out the monitors came!!

Of course, adding insult to injury, later when someone came to buy the EM pin, he showed me that it actually DID come apart into a pair of nearly 200 lb units that were MUCH more manageable.

[OSCAR]

I have always wondered why in the heck you guys make two piece cabinets?

<snip>

Of course, adding insult to injury, later when someone came to buy the EM pin, he showed me that it actually DID come apart into a pair of nearly 200 lb units that were MUCH more manageable.

Well... you answered your own question right here.  If you are going to be moving a cabinet around by yourself, why not make it such that it comes apart into two smaller, more managable pieces?  That is the whole point.

And I beg to differ about the cabinet being structurally weaker, too.  Its all about how it is put together.  Bad joints can make it weak, but when it is done right, it is just as strong.

[Sephroth57]

well yeah hes talking about something double the weight of a normal arcade machine, thats a little different then a 150-200lb machine which 2 men could move without too much effort

[Sprucemoose]

I put together my Lusid cab in the basement and when I move I am going to have to cut the bottom off and add a pedistal later.  It will look similar to Oscar and Mamecast.  Oscar, is your cab sturdy while playing?  The bottom looks a lot more narrow that the top (from front angle.)    Does this cause it to wobble during an over anxious fighting game?  

Sorry Hulkster, got nothin for ya

[OSCAR]

well yeah hes talking about something double the weight of a normal arcade machine, thats a little different then a 150-200lb machine which 2 men could move without too much effort

Sorry this is getting off tangent, but I was referring to moving the 150-200lb machine by yourself, not 2 men.  This is easier to do if it comes apart.  I tried moving a 200lb machine down a flight a of stairs by myself, not fun.  I did take my 2-piece down a flight a of stairs and it was very easy in comparison, that's all I'm saying.


Sprucemoose - Yes, it's quite sturdy.  The bottom is narrow, but I've never had any problems with it at all during 2 player fighters.  I admit that pictures of it are deceiving, but not one person who has seen it in person thought it looked unstable or wobbly.  This cabinet is actually more sturdy and solid than my Scramble cabinet, which does move a little when just playing Time Pilot!  

[atomaka]

hulkster - 3/4 MDF may be fine I guess.  Mine just seems much heavier than it needs to be.  I'm a pretty strong fella, but moving the bottom half up stairs on my own is pretty unmanageable, though the stairs that I was going up are somewhat unique..  I do have some modification plans for the thing when I get back home over the summer that'll take off some of the height and make it lighter, so I'll also clue you in on what I intend on doing with that.  I'll try to get the plans up tomorrow night, but it may not be until Sunday.

paigeoliver - This was a pre-req for me mainly because my living conditions. At school, I live on the third floor (which is actually up four flights of stars, don't ask me why it isn't the fourth floor).  The stairs are much narrower than a normal staircase since the building is much older.  I had helped my friend move his out of the dorm last year and his cabinet got marked up to heck moving it down.  The monitors on both do remove easily (mine doesn't even have glass or anything yet) so that wasn't the issue.

[SNAAAKE]

err,you gotta buy the plan(mameroom.com).I never used it so I dont know much about it but I am making it clear.Unless you wanna bulid a cab like frosty's.His plan is free.
http://arcade.tomvanhorn.com/

As for "why" build 2 piece.There is only one reason.Because I can easyly take it with me whenever I move.Its just good as any other cabs(structurally).

Its not too complicated without the plan though.Just a thought.  
I build the whole thing myself too.There is no helper

However,you might wanna invest on the plan(save some headace).I cut like 3 different pieces before I realized the CP is supposed to be like 45" wide

Build the bottom piece with 3/4" mdf and the top with 5/8" plywood.I used ply wood for the top because it was lighter then MDF.Get double sanded ply wood for the top I guess,easy to paint.

[Tilzs]

paigeoliver - This was a pre-req for me mainly because my living conditions. At school, I live on the third floor (which is actually up four flights of stars, don't ask me why it isn't the fourth floor).  The stairs are much narrower than a normal staircase since the building is much older.  I had helped my friend move his out of the dorm last year and his cabinet got marked up to heck moving it down.  The monitors on both do remove easily (mine doesn't even have glass or anything yet) so that wasn't the issue.

You can fit an arcade cab in your dorm room? Dorms must be bigger than when I was in school because if I tried to put an arcade cab in my dorm there wouldn't have been room for a bed.

[atomaka]

You can fit an arcade cab in your dorm room? Dorms must be bigger than when I was in school because if I tried to put an arcade cab in my dorm there wouldn't have been room for a bed.

Hah.  Yeah, I can.  We've lofted our room so most of the junk can fit under there.  On top of that, I do have a semi-large room.  I'm a returning sophomore so I made sure to select one of the larger rooms on the floor  It's also not really possible for someone to watch the TV if the arcade is being played, but that's a rare occurence anyway.  

[ekopp2]

I made my cabinet a two-piece design. It doesn't have the 4-player control panel - you'd have to improvise that piece. I put together some plans after I constructed it, because some friends wanted to know how I did it. (still haven't finished the web site though.... not enough hours in the day, I guess).

The reason for two-pieces is that I wanted to be able to move it myself. The top and bottom both weigh roughly 85 lbs. (the 21" computer monitor adds another 65 lbs., but is easily removed for moving separately). Not light, but manageable.

PM me and I can e-mail you what I did. It may give you a starting point.

[hulkster]

wow, thanks for all the responses.  i was gone for the weekend so im just now reading these, but i appreciate all the input.  i figured id have to buy the plans, but i was just hoping that somebody had them already to possibly give to me!  i guess it was a long shot.  anyway, i may buy those plans....and for the reason why....it looks so damn cool.  im going to have a 4 player control panel with trackball so its going to be a pretty big cp, but i like idea of the cab being somewhat portable.  again, thanks for the responses, and if anybody still wants to give me some plans that would be great!

[atomaka]

Here are the modified dimensions based on Lusid's plans.  I'll try and get pictures and drawings up later for you.  Sorry for being so late to get this stuff on to you, but I got caught with move in stuff.

Check it out at http://www.whoisandy.com/arcade/Dimensions.doc

[hulkster]

nah its cool dude, i really appreciate the plans and stuff.  i just need to see pics so ill see if i like it or not!

[mahuti]

If you guys are having trouble moving your cabinets up and down stairs, I have 2 words for you...

APPLIANCE DOLLY. (you know, with the treads on the back, and built in appliance straps?)

Strap the sucker on, and it'll fly right  up and down stairs, no problem. Course, you would probably have to rent one, but it's only 7$ a day or so.

[hulkster]

yeah i guess so, the cab i have right now....i put wheels on the back so when you tilt the cab back it rolls, but the dolly would probably be best

[nipsmg]

Your best bet is to go to www.mameroom.com and *buy* the plans for the Ultimate Arcade II.

I'm thinking seriously of making mine 2 pieces too.  I've just finished building the bottom part of the cabinet, and the top really by design *is* a standalone piece that is permanently screwed into the bottom of the cabinet.  It *should* be relatively easy to make this bolt on/off.  it's 2 large pieces of particleboard/plywood/mdf on the side, and like 4 cross pieces.  Doing this should make it much more manageable.  ESPECIALLY if you 're not using monitor mounts, but using something like a TV still in its case.  There's a shelf built into these plans:


look:
http://www.cybertechdesign.net/mameroom/ultimatearcadeII/day3.htm

THis way you could unbolt the top, pull it off, grab the tv, move that, then move the base separately.

--NipsMG

[hulkster]

yeah but the ultimate arcade plans are expensive arent they?

[Oldskool]

yeah but the ultimate arcade plans are expensive arent they?

The basic plans are $29.99, which is a drop in the bucket if you're going to build a quality cab.

Figure out how much you have to spend, and if you're really serious.

That's my .02.

[hulkster]

good call, 30 bucks isnt too bad....i may just have to break down and get the plans.  thanks for the input.  

by the way, oldskool.....are you referring to the recent movie?  or animal house?

[Oldskool]

.....are you referring to the recent movie?  or animal house?

The original Animal House. Still the best.

[hulkster]

of course....but you have to admit, Old School is a good one.  that came out my Senior year of college....me and my frat bros.  went to see it....classic.

[eightbit]

I have always wondered why in the heck you guys make two piece cabinets? It makes the cabinet heavier, structurally weaker, and it is not authentic. Of course, all of that can be said for MDF too (real cabinets are plywood, or laminated particle board)..

My friend and I are building 2 peice cabs based on Frostys without the rotating panels.

Structurally its just as strong as a one peice design and overall it may be slightly heavier but in halves it is way lighter and can easily be moved by one person almost anywhere. If you have house hallways and stairways with landings cabinets big enough to hold 25"+ monitors can be difficult to manuever. There usually isn't even room for appliance dollys unless you have a straight shot.

A typicall mame cabinet is hardly authentic anywaybut there are authentic arcade cabs in the 2 peice design.

[Frostillicus]

Obviously my cab's profile is similar to 1UP (clearly my main inspiration anyways ), and that looks pretty nice eightbit!  Are you using birch plywood?  coin door planned?  I kind of prefer the straight bottomed top as opposed to the extreme angular-ness of UAII.  

hulkster - heard good things about the mameroom plans.  lots of endorsements from guys around here.  If you can get by with just a side view, that's pretty much all mine is.  

on the moving note - thank goodness I haven't had to move my cab much, but I think when I do it'lll be pretty simple.  I also have it on casters if need be, but you never know the fact the top comes off might come in handy.  

[paigeoliver]

Appliance dollys have always been useless to me when it comes to game moving. The wheels on them are totally unsuitable to off pavement action (which is required for anything going into Dave's apartment, and anything going into my basement), and the tight 180 degree turn in both of our stairwells precludes the use of any dolly.

[MrDT]

I have always wondered why in the heck you guys make two piece cabinets? It makes the cabinet heavier, structurally weaker, and it is not authentic. Of course, all of that can be said for MDF too (real cabinets are plywood, or laminated particle board)..

I've drawn up some rough plans for a cabinet, but am toying with the idea of altering them so the cab splits into two pieces. Why? Because I'm living in a rented house while at university, so when i move out in the summer it'll be easier to transport, as two peices seperated should fit in a car (with the seats down) as opposed to having to rent a van for a fullsized one piece cab

[Violineb]

Two piece is always better than one piece (woops my mind is thinking of something else   ) But seriously both have their pluses and minuses but I think for a beginner like me, one piece is the way to go. (definitly One Piece is a great anime but that had nothing to do with my choice :p ) Although.......I am seriously thinking of doing things a little differently after I build my first MAME cab (funny though that I call it a MAME cab since, I never ever use MAME)

What I meant by doing things differently is; once upon a time.....every summer I go to a international music course (that I help organize) and music isn't the only thing that we like. You guessed it, arcade games are what we all love and being the absolutely insane person that I am I decided to build a collapsable arcade cabinet. Call me dumb stupid or whatever, (actually, don't please) but I think it's a realistic idea even if taking a small computer along with a arcade CP would be 1000 times easier. So between July and now I have to build my first cabinet and then quickly figure out plans for a collapsable cabinet, along with learning HTML, Bach Sonata No. 1 in G minor (very difficult mind you), study for SAT, take SAT, finish highschool (sick of it), get info on colleges, and of course play games. Well now that I unknowingly gave my whole life story I think it's time to decide on a plan and get materials, and then post some screenshots. Boy am I glad I found this forum.

[eightbit]

that looks pretty nice eightbit!  Are you using birch plywood?  coin door planned?

Thanks, its Oak plywood and I do have a coin door. I thought it would be easier to router it in after it was assembled.

[atomaka]

Sorry for taking so long to get these posted.  You can check it out at www.whoisandy.com/arcade/pics

I just threw a couple up so that you could see the three separate pieces (top, bottom, control panel) and get somewhat of an idea.