Trying to save this Franken-Pac (should have killed it with fire)

Arcade Collecting > Restorations & repair

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Keroppi:
Since I can't cut anymore tonight, I am again at a standtill.
Everything I need to do to this cab right now requires power tools. Very frustrating.
So to finish the night, I did the only quiet thing I can do: started gluing in the support.
I used a 1x6 for the side (since that's most of the weight distribution) and just a furring strip for the front panel.
Sadly, the throats on all my clamps were an inch to short, so improvised with the scraps laying around.
I also found use for those edge guides I just got:

Keroppi:
So I bought more wood today to fix the previous issues. Another quarter sheet for the front...they didn't have plain sanded, so I had to go with birch. $28! ouch! Also a 1x8 and 1x4 for the sides, and some 2x2s for furring.

So I proceed to cut the 1x8 to length for the side, deciding to shorten the cab 1/8". I test fit it with the old front, just because I check after every cut:

WTF? it's supposed to be 1/8th of an inch off! what's going on? So...every single standard piece of lumber I have ever encountered is 1/2" shorter, planed off 1/4" on either side. Am I naive, or this this bs? The 1x8 is 7.25"! of course I didn't notice this until after I chopped it in half, so I can't even return it:

So now I am left with little option. I have to cut a new side piece. Out of the quarter sheet, which doesn't leave me a cut for the replacement front panel.

While test fitting, I noticed the gap got wider toward the bottom...as though the the side panels were not perfectly straight to begin with. Flexing on the cab narrowed the gap on the front panel, so I decided I am going to use that original front panel; I should be able to close that 1/16" gap as I build. I am sick of buying more wood. This damn cab has already cost the better part of a c-note in wood, I'm *not* buying any more.

So the new piece fit well, and I am now ready to cut the other side. I make damn sure to check this one first, to make sure it's a "normal" 1x4:

Thankfully it is, and 3.5" is enough to remove all the damage on the other side:

So I'd like to use the 1x6" support on the other side as well, but notice I am dangerously close the stock pcb mount, which I don't want to move. I reinstalled the pcb mount, and jammed the 1x6 up to it. Since I cut off 3.5", I can only overhang 2.75" until I butt up to the 3/4" base:

Excellent! This is the *only* damn cut that has worked out perfectly this whole build. So now I cut the 1x4" and all the main pieces are cut. I can finish drilling the dowel holes on the cab:

I bought 2 dowel kits, which only gave me 8 centering divots. I shoulda bought 3 so I could've done it in one pass instead of 2:

I held up each piece and tapped it with the rubber mallet to give me my divots. Exchange the holes I missed and repeat (for all 3 pieces):

The 1x6 support I already installed gave me a quick and easy spot to clamp to in order to drill in all the dowel hole on the lower pieces:

So I cut up some dowels with tin snips and proceeded to tap them all in:

This, my friends, is why you should use a dowel jig. I was too cheap impatient to get one (they are $10 online, but I didn't wanna wait...they're $35 in store locally, and I wan't willing to pay that):

Really, that's the worst one. Not horrible for free-handing it. I'll make it work. Time to start mounting. I thought I'd get 2 pieces on tonight. I thought wrong. I got the front in, and i don't know if it was the tension from crooked dowels or what, but it tried to jut way out at the bottom.

Getting this thing clamped in all directions with good contact to the glue i put on every surface was a ---smurfette---. Tightening too much in the wrong place would just start putting tension on stuff and making one side or the other separate. I had to spend almost 15 minutes trying different combinations. In the end I use a corners strap, mini clamps, and my edge guides. Ironically, my "proper" clamps only caused more issues, and I didn't end of using them:

So it got where I needed it to be, but it didn't butt up to my furring perfectly. I decided to add extra glue to all the seams, including the vertical one. That didn't work out well, because, well...gravity:

...other than wiping out like 5 of these puddles of glue, not bad for 5 hours work on day 3.

Keroppi:
So now that the front was dry I was able to tap in the side panels.
The bottom side went *relatively* easily, but the topside was a nightmare.
Definitely get the jig, folks. After about 10 frustrating minutes, I started ripping out the worst offenders.
I still got half a dozen dowels in there though, which should be plenty with the inner reinforcement:

...so I slather everything in glue and tap them in. WTF? One side overhangs the front by ~1/8"...I *swear* I had double check every cut.
Evidently not, because I re-measured 16 ways to Sunday, and it *was* long by 1/8" in the front (and 1/16" in the rear)...so when I mounted the base panel, I compensated.
I'll have to sand it down flush later. There's no turning back once everything is covered in glue:

...so I added the other side's internal support, and another furring strip in the front. Beyond the standard face glue, I "caulked" it in.
Can't ever have too much glue. I used the front scrap to brace far end flat...there's no getting a clamp in there:

All said and done, I am happy with how it is turning out. My "flushness" seems to be off by 1mm or less everywhere, well within bondo range. This side of this edge is the worst offender (caused by the 1/16" I didn't re-cut):

So tomorrow I have one last piece to glue, and I should have it back upright on Sunday.
Maybe I'll start on the other pieces once my dewalt battery charges. But...it's starting to resemble a cab again!!

Mike A:
Thank you for going through all of this effort to save a cab.

Keroppi:
I was very busy Saturday and didn't get much done. Tonight I made up for it.
So, since I have committed to fixing this swiss cheese POS, I have gone ahead and bought all the required new parts:
* leg levelers/plates
* cap kit for the monitor/pcb
* kickplate decal
* cpo/cp bolts
* bezel
* marquee
* t-molding
* free play coin door inserts
* joystick grommet
* buttons
...everything else I should be able to refurbish. With the possible exception of this vandalized coin door...anybody have recommendations on how to fix this?:

I went ahead and glued in the back panel. I also drilled (most) of what I need for leg levelers and the casters I am adding.
Pac-Man is missing the handles/wheel of Ms. Pac, so moving it is a ---smurfette---. Since I have already had to throw "all original" out the window...
The leg levelers I bought were advertised as 2.75" plates. Most I see are 3"...I couldn't find a drill template online, so I marked out 3" square and at least got the center hole ready.
I couldn't mount the front wheels; I need flat 1/4 bolts. Nuts on the bottom are too long to allow the wheels to swivel, and the carriage bolts I have won't flush up since the holes are round. Yet *another* trip to Home Depot required:

I also sanded my mis-cut flush. Were the bottom front corners slightly rounded? Anyone wanna chime in and tell me the radius?

So, The cabinet definitely needs some wood hardener. Spots of the edges are de-laminating, and the top is crumbling:

The upper back is also in rough shape and will have to be addressed. The paint is just flaking off:

So I begin washing the edges in hardener, using clamps of the more iffy edges of the plywood:

This is a LOT of work I am going through, I have to remind myself that the side art is intact and in really good condition, and when I am done, half of what's visible will be original. It keeps me motivated:

So this cab is massively more screwed than I originally thought. Using my nail test, I went through and prepped: I dug out all of the eaten trails. It's *bad*...luckily, the other side will be better:

...so I sanded the front, top, and back of the cab. The top is *really* rough:

After sanding it , I give it another coat of wood hardener:

I just can't win! The insects have eaten *everywhere*!:

I gave the top another sand. This is over an hour, and there's still *lots* of pitting. I an going to have to skim coat it in filler.
I should've gotten a belt sander. The time I spent on this piece so far would've made up for it alone:

The back was in a reasonable shape, but it didn't escape getting eaten, either:

While bondo is the conventional repair material,I am trying to save the art, which means I can't be excessively sanding.
So for the brunt of the filling, I chose "Liquid Wood"...no mixing, and a squeeze tube to deliver it directly where I need it. Not as good as bondo, but in this case, it's worth it. Round 1:

...using a random door shim:

...filled in the back, side, and front with the first coat:

...I'll get it up on it's feet when I get more bolts and the leg levelers.
There's still plenty left to do, but I feel like there is an end in sight.

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