Author Topic: Mini Candy Cabinet Scratch Build [First Project] (Read 8985 times)

Don · « **on:** January 17, 2016, 05:49:42 pm »

This project is going to be a wooden scratch built Japanese style candy cabinet. The design is influenced by a number of projects seen on here (mostly mako72's build) and a Sega Naomi sit-down cabinet.

I have never built anything from wood before (or any other material for that matter!) so hopefully this project will serve as some inspiration for people who have been putting off an arcade build because they think they're lacking the know-how.
I've got a circular saw and a small workbench, so this will be an exercise in construction with the minimum tools required!

I did the plans fairly roughly using PowerPoint to work out the lengths and angles etc.

The plan is to use a 21" PC CRT monitor and use a Sega Dreamcast as the brain of the cabinet. I'm also going to make the monitor rotatable by mounting it on a square sheet of MDF that can be turned as needed.

The main focus of the cabinet is for shmups, so it will probably have a 3 or 6 button single player setup. Although I am also considering a 2 or 3 button two player layout.

Will update with build pics soon!

Don · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2016, 06:14:58 pm »

Getting ready to cut the frame:

All pieces for both sides of the frame cut. They seem to all line up nicely. That took a lot more effort than it looks like!

Next is cutting the middle pieces and assembling the frame together!

snakezone · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2016, 09:40:43 am »

Nice! Suscribed!

Don · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2016, 08:19:18 pm »

Screwing the side pieces together, trying to get both sides lined up exactly to avoid problems further down the line:

Both sides of the frame put together:

Don · « **Reply #4 on:** January 22, 2016, 04:25:38 pm »

As I didn't have a 'speed square' or protractor, in order to get the angles for the frame I printed out an of image the angles I needed and then cut them onto card:

Here are the two sides of the frame and all the middle pieces cut:

And the frame assembled!

firedance · « **Reply #5 on:** January 22, 2016, 05:07:05 pm »

Nice work so far

Don · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2016, 03:59:43 pm »

Got some work done on the control panel

Side pieces cut:

And the whole thing put together:

To attach the control panel to the cabinet I attached two pieces on either side for the panel to slide into. This seems to work pretty well, and I will add locks to the sides to keep it from being pulled out during play:

I also attached the monitor and speaker shelves and added extra support pieces on either side of the frame. It's beginning to look like something now!

Generic Eric · « **Reply #7 on:** January 27, 2016, 04:41:03 pm »

I dub thee:

STUD'lix

Peabo · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2016, 11:27:15 am »

Looking good, nice cuts. All of your joints should have wood glue and you need more than just 2 screws in those plates at butt joints (which is most of your joints). It may feel sturdy today, but it'll wobble and loosen up during use if you don't use glue and more screws in the plates.

Don · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2016, 11:49:25 am »

Quote from: Peabo on January 28, 2016, 11:27:15 am

Looking good, nice cuts. All of your joints should have wood glue and you need more than just 2 screws in those plates at butt joints (which is most of your joints). It may feel sturdy today, but it'll wobble and loosen up during use if you don't use glue and more screws in the plates.

Thanks. I've been adding more screws now that it's all assembled, but I had overlooked wood glue! Will start adding it at the joints.

Don · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2017, 07:02:05 pm »

After a fairly long delay, got back to working on this recently.

I cut the monitor bezel to be a square, so if I want in the future it will be a relatively easy job to rotate the bezel to a horizontal setup.

Here is the monitor that I will be using, a 21 inch CRT PC monitor:

And the monitor de-cased and mounted on the bezel:

And slotted into the cabinet!

Mike A · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2017, 08:25:05 pm »

That CRT makes me happy.

yotsuya · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2017, 08:35:38 pm »

Quote from: Mike A on February 12, 2017, 08:25:05 pm

That CRT makes me happy.

Same here. Kudos to you.

Don · « **Reply #13 on:** February 19, 2017, 06:28:13 am »

Quote from: yotsuya on February 12, 2017, 08:35:38 pm

Quote from: Mike A on February 12, 2017, 08:25:05 pm
That CRT makes me happy.
Same here. Kudos to you.

Thanks! It had to be a CRT for me. Using a PC crt as I will be playing 31khz games, but possibility of switching to crt TV in the future for 15khz games.

Here's the monitor in horizontal mode.

emphatic · « **Reply #14 on:** February 19, 2017, 07:39:18 am »

Nice!

SNAAKE · « **Reply #15 on:** February 20, 2017, 11:50:42 am »

markc74 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 20, 2017, 01:09:05 pm »

+ another for CRT love. Double kudos for making at rotatable.

I wasn't sure about this build at the start but it's looking pretty good now. Looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Don · « **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2017, 10:53:37 am »

Cut the front panels and did some primer painting and sanding. There will be a led-lit display area for the dreamcast, hence the semicircular hole!

I also put on some rubber furniture feet which seem to work well.

Next up is fitting the speaker material and cutting the bottom panel and display shelf for the dreamcast.

thomas_surles · « **Reply #18 on:** March 18, 2017, 12:07:05 pm »

I really like this. Can this be added to the list of cabs that can be made from a single sheet of wood? (Plus 2x4's)

stigzler · « **Reply #19 on:** March 18, 2017, 07:01:36 pm »

When you say "rotatable" - how?

Don · « **Reply #20 on:** March 20, 2017, 04:05:38 pm »

Quote from: stigzler on March 18, 2017, 07:01:36 pm

When you say "rotatable" - how?

The front panel can be opened and the whole monitor with bezel can be slid out, rotated and slid back in. So yeah, it's not something to be done frequently.

Basically I wanted to have the possibility of rotating the monitor in the future if I wanted to play some horizontal games.

Mike A · « **Reply #21 on:** March 20, 2017, 04:59:32 pm »

That is a pretty good solution. People have undergone projects rivaling the moonshot in complexity to achieve the same result.

mourix · « **Reply #22 on:** March 21, 2017, 04:39:31 pm »

A candy cabinet dreamcast, now this is an awesome project


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