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Author Topic: javeryh's Woodgrain Cabaret Copy  (Read 123613 times)

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javeryh

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javeryh's Woodgrain Cabaret Copy
« on: February 18, 2020, 03:39:52 pm »
FINISHED (99%):



I am calling this project complete.  There are a few more tweaks I want to do eventually but I need to move on:

1. Install coin box to catch coins.  The coin door works but the return button is all I've been using.
2. Install an amp and get sound out of 2 speakers.  Right now, only 1 speaker works but honestly it makes no difference.  Sounds great still.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how this turned out and since I work in the basement because of Covid, this machine gets a ton of use.   :cheers:
____________________________

After finishing Jack Attack (more or less), I've got the bug to build something else.  There's not a lot of room in my house so I've decided to go small and build a cabaret.  After scouring the forums for a design to start with, I decided to base this one off of markc74's CUBE build but use a CP layout similar to Minwah's Vertical Mini.  I was also strongly considering building a "Tully", which I also really like.  I'm not going to reinvent the wheel with this project but there are going to be a few small things I do differently.

My plan right now is to include:
- CRT for the main display in a horizontal orientation
- Second LCD monitor for a dynamic marquee
- Single player controls
- 4/8 way auto switching joystick (ServoStik)
- Three "action" buttons (so no fighting games)
- Atari "volcano style" start buttons for Player 1 and Player 2
- Working coin door
- Wood grain side panels
- Instruction card(s)

The goal of this thing is to be as streamlined and simple for people to use as possible.  NO MENUS.

Cabinet construction should be fairly straightforward (famous last words) but the software configuration will be where the challenge is for me.  The brains of this thing will be an old PC running MAME and one of the newer front ends like Attract Mode, HyperSpin or BigBox so that I can take advantage of the dynamic marquee options.  This will be my first time using a "modern" front end (I'm usually a MaLa guy) so I'll need to read up.  Ideally, the cabinet will have a one button power on/off and boot straight to ONE game list (completely hiding Windows 10) and somehow send a picture to the second monitor to display the proper game marquee as you scroll through the game list.

I wasn't going to post a thread because this has been done before and I'm not really adding anything but then I figured what the hell.  If anything I'll be able to work through issues I run into and bounce ideas off of people to make this thing as good as I can make it.

Using the plans posted HERE, I transferred the profile onto a piece of 1/4" MDF and cut it out with my jigsaw and router.



I did change the profile slightly to make the front top panel where the dynamic marquee sits a little shorter so that the front bottom panel where the coin door will go would be a little bit taller.  It is a subtle change but I think it helps with making the eventual coin door easier to reach.  To achieve this, I mirrored the angle on the top and bottom of the "bump out" which naturally resulted in the top area being slightly smaller and the bottom area being slightly larger.  I also like the symmetry.

 :cheers:
« Last Edit: September 25, 2021, 02:01:41 pm by javeryh »

Arroyo

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2020, 04:36:57 pm »
Yeah buddy!  Subscribed.  I like that profile, going to be interesting to see this one come together. 

And no, you ain’t done with Jack Attack until there’s picture proof ;-)

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2020, 04:59:20 pm »
I like your ideas. Don't beat yourself up trying to hide Windows. Just flip the switch on and go grab a beer. By the time you get back you will be looking at the game list.

wp34

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2020, 05:30:18 pm »
I love these cabaret builds.  Looking forward to seeing your spin on it.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2020, 06:22:36 pm »
Yeah buddy!  Subscribed.  I like that profile, going to be interesting to see this one come together. 

And no, you ain’t done with Jack Attack until there’s picture proof ;-)

yeah... pictures... I'll um, post some soon?   ;D

I like your ideas. Don't beat yourself up trying to hide Windows. Just flip the switch on and go grab a beer. By the time you get back you will be looking at the game list.

Totally agree.  I am terrible at software/computers so I'm going to try and learn something but it's not the end of the world if I can't figure it out.  My DK shows the windows splash screen for a second before booting to DK and it doesn't really bother me.

I love these cabaret builds.  Looking forward to seeing your spin on it.

Me too!  I was away from the forums (finishing my basement) during the craze about 2-3 years ago as far as I can tell when people were making these.  I can picture the finished cabinet in my head and I'm kind of working backwards from there without a plan. 

opt2not

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2020, 06:25:26 pm »
Welcome back, javeryh!  Always dig your projects.  :applaud:

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2020, 06:43:21 pm »
Welcome back, javeryh!  Always dig your projects.  :applaud:

Thanks!  The bartop I built last year came out really nice, IMO, but it's not really my thing and I've been itching to build another proper cabinet for a while now.

I took lots of pics so might as well post them even though this stuff is routine by now.  Who knows maybe it will help someone in the future...  Once I finished the template, making the side panels was easy.  First, I traced the template on a 2' x 4' piece of 3/4" MDF inside of the factory edges by about 1/8".



Then, I used my jigsaw to cut out the shape staying about 1/8" from the line.  This took a while because 3/4" MDF is tough to chew through.

Next, I stuck the rough cut template down using double sided tape:



Finally, using my router and a pattern bit I was able to make exact copies of the template.  The ball bearing on the pattern bit rides along the edge of the template and the blade cuts exactly to the edge.



I repeated this for the other side and here is where I ended up:



Not a bad start.  Next up is laying out where all of the inside cross pieces will go.  I am using 1/2" MDF for (most) everything else to try and keep the weight down.

I usually just cut one side and then make a copy but I'm glad I took the time to make a template in case I want to build another one of these.  My dad has been saying for years that he wouldn't mind a cabinet of some sort for my parents' beach house - you know, for the grandkids!   :cheers:
« Last Edit: February 18, 2020, 06:46:37 pm by javeryh »

morton

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2020, 07:00:59 pm »
Excuse my ignorance, but is the pregnant guppie belly a result of the marquee, or was it found on an actual cabinet OG? I really like the look of it, as it adds interest to what normally seems somewhat tame.

leapinlew

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2020, 07:35:52 pm »
Cool. I always enjoy watching your cabinets. I expect lots of agonizing and sweating over the smallest details! :)

I finished my Gorf cabinet recently and I never had a cabaret cabinet. I never wanted one that size, but I'm really digging it. I'm going to convert my bartop Defender into a cabaret too.

Good luck dude. I don't think a Pandoras box is for you, but I think spending a few minutes confirming the latest version doesn't scratch the itch for you is worth it. I love having a non-PC run my machines. Powering on/off without any worry of corrupting the OS is nicer than I thought.

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2020, 07:44:15 pm »
I don't get why anyone worries about OS corruption ever. That is also a common worry people have with the Pi shutdown. Just clone the drive. If it ever does happen just swap the drives. Keep a cloud backup too.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2020, 08:29:07 pm »
Excuse my ignorance, but is the pregnant guppie belly a result of the marquee, or was it found on an actual cabinet OG? I really like the look of it, as it adds interest to what normally seems somewhat tame.

The profile is basically ripped straight from markc74's design.  I think it is a bit more interesting than just the straight front panel like you'd find on a standard Atari cabaret.  Plus, breaking the front panel into two separate pieces is appealing to me for some reason.

Cool. I always enjoy watching your cabinets. I expect lots of agonizing and sweating over the smallest details! :)

I finished my Gorf cabinet recently and I never had a cabaret cabinet. I never wanted one that size, but I'm really digging it. I'm going to convert my bartop Defender into a cabaret too.

Good luck dude. I don't think a Pandoras box is for you, but I think spending a few minutes confirming the latest version doesn't scratch the itch for you is worth it. I love having a non-PC run my machines. Powering on/off without any worry of corrupting the OS is nicer than I thought.

If you want agonizing and sweating over small details you've come to the right place!  I'm already pulling my hair out over a few relatively minor things as I'm sure Arroyo can attest to...

I've never really thought about Pandora's Box but I'll take a look.  For this build I think I only want about 30-50 games available.  Mostly early-mid 80s stuff.

morton

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2020, 05:43:43 am »
I don't get why anyone worries about OS corruption ever. That is also a common worry people have with the Pi shutdown. Just clone the drive. If it ever does happen just swap the drives. Keep a cloud backup too.

Yeah... Knock on wood, but I've never had an OS corruption issue on my Pi3.

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #12 on: February 19, 2020, 05:45:00 am »
And if you clone the drive a corruption will take 30 seconds out of your day.

leapinlew

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2020, 06:32:21 am »
I assume most folks know about imaging the drive. It’s a good practice. It’s what I do, but getting to my drives is more of an issue than anything. Besides, building your system to be resilient is a good thing.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2020, 07:12:13 am »

Cabinet construction should be fairly straightforward (famous last words) but the software configuration will be where the challenge is for me.  The brains of this thing will be an old PC running MAME and one of the newer front ends like Attract Mode, HyperSpin or BigBox so that I can take advantage of the dynamic marquee options.  This will be my first time using a "modern" front end (I'm usually a MaLa guy) so I'll need to read up.  Ideally, the cabinet will have a one button power on/off and boot straight to ONE game list (completely hiding Windows 10) and somehow send a picture to the second monitor to display the proper game marquee as you scroll through the game list.


It is quite easy to hide most of windows 10 stuff, also very easy to boot into any frontend if you have the "pro" version of windows 7 or 10, think there's even a guide in these very forums   :D

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #15 on: February 19, 2020, 09:05:55 am »

Cabinet construction should be fairly straightforward (famous last words) but the software configuration will be where the challenge is for me.  The brains of this thing will be an old PC running MAME and one of the newer front ends like Attract Mode, HyperSpin or BigBox so that I can take advantage of the dynamic marquee options.  This will be my first time using a "modern" front end (I'm usually a MaLa guy) so I'll need to read up.  Ideally, the cabinet will have a one button power on/off and boot straight to ONE game list (completely hiding Windows 10) and somehow send a picture to the second monitor to display the proper game marquee as you scroll through the game list.


It is quite easy to hide most of windows 10 stuff, also very easy to boot into any frontend if you have the "pro" version of windows 7 or 10, think there's even a guide in these very forums   :D

That's good to know.  Last time I tried to "shell" Windows was XP! I figured people had worked this out by now.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #16 on: February 19, 2020, 10:20:54 am »
Theres a build i use from another site.It installs a read only copy of windows thin pc,which can just be flipped off  with the power switch.During installtion it runs scripts to hide all traces of windows,installs crt emudriver,switches to 15khz,then boots you into attract mode and shells it.
 Its got a lot of cool features you can access thru the front end to update groovymame,and add roms from usb.
 

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2020, 11:28:55 am »
Theres a build i use from another site.It installs a read only copy of windows thin pc,which can just be flipped off  with the power switch.During installtion it runs scripts to hide all traces of windows,installs crt emudriver,switches to 15khz,then boots you into attract mode and shells it.
 Its got a lot of cool features you can access thru the front end to update groovymame,and add roms from usb.

Got a link?

Minor update as I'm going through my pics - not much to see here.  I laid out where all of the interior panels are going to meet the side panels.  This helps get an accurate measurement of all of the panels as well as makes it easier to assemble everything using the lines.  Yes, my dining room doubles as my workshop in the winter.

All of the interior panels will be 1/2" thick except for the top panel which will have to be 3/4" to match the side panels - one of the edges in the front will be exposed and gets t-molding. 



I decided to offset the interior panels from the edge by 3/8" for no good reason other than 1/4" seemed like not quite enough and 1/2" seemed like way too much... science!  I just set the square tool thingy to 3/8" and then ran it along the edge with a pencil to draw the lines.  All of the interior panels will be 18" wide making the entire cabinet 19.5" across when you include the side panels.

Next up is cutting out all of these panels - there are 8 of them.  It shouldn't be too bad but there are a couple of tricky ones - mainly the panel that will have the marquee.

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #18 on: February 19, 2020, 11:33:01 am »
Quote
The goal of this thing is to be as streamlined and simple for people to use as possible.  NO MENUS.

I think I can finally forgive you for not using my artwork on your bar top.

lomoverde

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #19 on: February 19, 2020, 01:23:19 pm »
Theres a build i use from another site.It installs a read only copy of windows thin pc,which can just be flipped off  with the power switch.During installtion it runs scripts to hide all traces of windows,installs crt emudriver,switches to 15khz,then boots you into attract mode and shells it.
 Its got a lot of cool features you can access thru the front end to update groovymame,and add roms from usb.

Got a link?

http://www.ukvac.com/forum/read-only-windows-7_topic366332.html?SID=2011836fcee5z848e79e95866a9567590740741

I think you may have to register to enter the MAME section.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2020, 01:25:51 pm by lomoverde »

wp34

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #20 on: February 19, 2020, 01:51:11 pm »

The goal of this thing is to be as streamlined and simple for people to use as possible.  NO MENUS.


This is a great goal.  Menus and front-ends are the worst.  I'm curious to see what you come up with.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #21 on: February 19, 2020, 07:17:25 pm »
I think I can finally forgive you for not using my artwork on your bar top.

There is still plenty of time to talk me out of the wood grain side panels and using your art instead.  It would be such a shame for all of your hard work to go to waste...

http://www.ukvac.com/forum/read-only-windows-7_topic366332.html?SID=2011836fcee5z848e79e95866a9567590740741

I think you may have to register to enter the MAME section.

Thanks!  I'll register and take a look.  Didn't even know that website existed...

This is a great goal.  Menus and front-ends are the worst.  I'm curious to see what you come up with.

yeah... I have found that over the years no matter how easy I think I am making a multi-cab to operate, my friends and family just can't figure it out without asking a million questions.  I have no idea what people do with the setups with 50 emulators and 10,000+ games.  So for this one, my challenge is how do I take the guesswork out of it starting with a very very basic front end.  I just want a list of games with maybe a screenshot in the background as you scroll through.  I love the old GameLauncher look.  If I can recreate that in one of the newer front ends that has the dynamic marquee option, I think it would be a good starting point.

Like this:



I also want to include some sort of instruction card somewhere ("Insert Coin. Press 1P Start to Begin" - or something to that effect).  Whether this is on an actual instruction card on the CP or bezel or a splash screen that appears when the game is loading, I don't know yet.  Still thinking about it.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #22 on: February 19, 2020, 09:19:11 pm »
Now I'm confused. It sure sounds like Mala with Gamecreatures Blue front end would work for you. Seems you've probably used that one before though. I've always liked that it says press 1 player to start.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #23 on: February 20, 2020, 09:29:07 am »
Now I'm confused. It sure sounds like Mala with Gamecreatures Blue front end would work for you. Seems you've probably used that one before though. I've always liked that it says press 1 player to start.

I also like that skin - I've used it before.  It's also very simple and would probably work for what I'm trying to do.  I haven't looked at MaLa's features in years though - don't recall being able to use a second monitor as a dynamic marquee, which is why I'm looking at the other front ends for this build.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #24 on: February 20, 2020, 10:04:03 am »
More progress... I cut the strips for the interior pieces.  Everything is 18" wide so all I had to do was rip the material down to the the correct size... easier said than done without a table saw or circular saw.  My table saw is buried under a ton of crap in the garage and hasn't been turned on in years (even though I've needed it).  This summer I want to redo the inside of my garage so that I have a somewhat functional workshop. 

I bought three (3) 2' x 4' x 1/2" panels and one (1) 2' x 4' x 3/4" panel (for the control panel and the top panel).  The factory cuts, while straight, were not exactly 90 degrees so I had to basically cut all 4 sides out using a jigsaw and then the straight edge and router to clean up the rough cuts.  After the first panel was finished I used it as a template for my router and traced/cut out the other pieces.

Here's where I ended up after an afternoon's work:



Three 1/2" panels and one smaller 3/4" panel all 18" wide.  Next I cut these pieces to their proper lengths for the coin door panel, front marquee panel, top panel, control panel, etc.  I made a "cut list" to help me sort things out.  The original plans were done in metric (cm) but I'm a heathen still using the English system so I had to do a lot of converting on the fly to make it all work.



There are 2 back panels I cut 1" longer than needed because I will have to play with the fit during final assembly.  I am planning to allow for the monitor to slide in and out and I'm not 100% sure where the monitor supports will go.  I cut out 8 panels to start.  I'll need a couple more before it is all said and done (especially the control panel) but this will be enough to get it assembled and standing upright.

Since I don't have access to my table saw, all cuts were made with a jigsaw and router.  It was kind of a pain and took me the better part of an afternoon.  I laid out the pieces using my t-square and leaving 3/8" between panels so that I could easily cut in between with my jigsaw:



Every edge needed to be cleaned up though.  As you can see there's not much to it.  After making all of the cuts I ended up with a pile of MDF panels:



Next I will cut out all of the holes in these panels for the marquee, coin door, power button, speakers, etc.

Mike A

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #25 on: February 20, 2020, 10:24:05 am »
Cool. Nice progress.


javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #26 on: February 21, 2020, 12:03:41 pm »
Cool. Nice progress.

Thanks.  Slow and steady.  Speaking of non-CNC woodworking...

I'm trying to sort out the electronics that will go inside of this cabinet and first up is the power button.  The plan is to place this dead center on the lip that will be below the marquee and above the coin door.  Pressing it once will boot the computer (into Windows 10 shelled to whatever front end I use) and turn on the monitors and pressing it again will shut everything down.

I have a flush mount button left over from another project that I think I'm going to use.  I'm trying to use up as much stuff lying around my shop as I can throughout this project.  This button will be something that can't really be pressed accidentally, which I think is the way to go.  One of these things:



Once installed, it will basically be flush to the panel but you will still be able to feel for it without looking.

Now that I had that sorted out, it was time to drill the hole!  Fun.  The panel is thicker than the button itself so drilling one hole wouldn't work - there would be no way to secure the button in place.  To do this properly, I marked where I wanted the button to go and then used a 1-1/4" forstner bit with my drill to drill out the material going down about 1/2 way.  The painter's tape is to reduce chipping the edge of the hole.



Then, I drilled a 3/4" hole all the way through the remaining material.



This gave me the result I was looking for:







This panel will eventually be painted black and will not be visible to the user.  One thing I didn't take into consideration was that this panel gets glued to the marquee panel which makes the button off center by 1/4".  I don't care enough to recut it plus it will actually be further back against the coin door panel making it harder to press unintentionally.

Arroyo

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #27 on: February 21, 2020, 03:51:51 pm »
Good stuff Javery.  The guy I picked up two cabs from here locally is slowly selling all of his uprights for cabarets.  His point was you get the same game play experience but in a much more compact design.  He also pointed out that cabarets are more rare and that made it more fun as a collector.  I’m starting to see his point.....looking forward to seeing this one come together.  Keep it up.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #28 on: February 21, 2020, 06:43:40 pm »
Good stuff Javery.  The guy I picked up two cabs from here locally is slowly selling all of his uprights for cabarets.  His point was you get the same game play experience but in a much more compact design.  He also pointed out that cabarets are more rare and that made it more fun as a collector.  I’m starting to see his point.....looking forward to seeing this one come together.  Keep it up.

Thanks Arroyo - I really like the size and proportions.  I think they make great 1P cabs and it is going to be pretty tiny but still have 17” screen and a full set of controls.  If this works out I may have to build a vertical version!

Tomorrow is a big day.  Wife is working all day and only obligation is basketball at 5pm.  Should be able to get a bunch of stuff in.  Hope to at least have everything painted and laminated by the end of the day.  Then if there’s time on Sunday I can assemble it. 

If people want to chime in on the best way to assemble laminated panels I’m all ears.  I’m most likely going to use 3/4” x 1-1/2” battons with screws to hold everything together.  I will also probably use some CA glue and an activator to bond the battons to the laminate.  It’s not like this thing will take a beating but I do want it to be solid.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #29 on: February 21, 2020, 11:20:02 pm »
Good stuff Javery.  The guy I picked up two cabs from here locally is slowly selling all of his uprights for cabarets.  His point was you get the same game play experience but in a much more compact design.  He also pointed out that cabarets are more rare and that made it more fun as a collector.  I’m starting to see his point.....looking forward to seeing this one come together.  Keep it up.

Thanks Arroyo - I really like the size and proportions.  I think they make great 1P cabs and it is going to be pretty tiny but still have 17” screen and a full set of controls.  If this works out I may have to build a vertical version!

Tomorrow is a big day.  Wife is working all day and only obligation is basketball at 5pm.  Should be able to get a bunch of stuff in.  Hope to at least have everything painted and laminated by the end of the day.  Then if there’s time on Sunday I can assemble it. 

If people want to chime in on the best way to assemble laminated panels I’m all ears.  I’m most likely going to use 3/4” x 1-1/2” battons with screws to hold everything together.  I will also probably use some CA glue and an activator to bond the battons to the laminate.  It’s not like this thing will take a beating but I do want it to be solid.

For my laminated cabinets, I basically assembled the whole thing when it was bare wood. I pulled the whole thing apart, laminated the interior pieces, and then re-assembled. I then laminated the exterior sides by laying them down on their side.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #30 on: February 22, 2020, 01:53:56 pm »
Laminating a panel looks so easy but it's always a complete mess when I try it.  Ugh.   

:censored:

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #31 on: February 22, 2020, 06:23:15 pm »
OK... lamination is finished except for one panel, which I just don't have time for today.  I'm bummed because I had everything out/set up and I had to put it all away and hopefully get to do it tomorrow.  The panels I did laminate came out nice so I'm happy I went ahead with it. 

For my laminated cabinets, I basically assembled the whole thing when it was bare wood. I pulled the whole thing apart, laminated the interior pieces, and then re-assembled. I then laminated the exterior sides by laying them down on their side.

Did you use screws only?  Did you have to drill holes through the laminate on the interior panels?  My side panels are laminated now and my plan is to use some painter's tape so I can draw layout lines on the laminate and then drill holes and screw everything together.  I'm kind of making it up as I go.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #32 on: February 22, 2020, 07:09:55 pm »
OK... lamination is finished except for one panel, which I just don't have time for today.  I'm bummed because I had everything out/set up and I had to put it all away and hopefully get to do it tomorrow.  The panels I did laminate came out nice so I'm happy I went ahead with it. 

For my laminated cabinets, I basically assembled the whole thing when it was bare wood. I pulled the whole thing apart, laminated the interior pieces, and then re-assembled. I then laminated the exterior sides by laying them down on their side.

Did you use screws only?  Did you have to drill holes through the laminate on the interior panels?  My side panels are laminated now and my plan is to use some painter's tape so I can draw layout lines on the laminate and then drill holes and screw everything together.  I'm kind of making it up as I go.

Glue and screws. On my Tempest bartop, you can see it here:

I built it first:


I laminated the inside and reattached everything

You can also see where I repaired the screw holes

Then I laminated the inside


The screws went into the sides of the support beams.

I don't think I'm explaining it very well. I'm sure you are being more efficient, or using some other method. I'm always winging my builds. :)

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #33 on: February 23, 2020, 08:57:06 am »
I don't think I'm explaining it very well. I'm sure you are being more efficient, or using some other method. I'm always winging my builds. :)

This is extremely helpful.  Thanks.  I figured I was going to have to screw through the sides and repair screw holes for my top panel because it will be completely open on the inside as well so no battons.  I assume you haven't had any structural issues over the years?

The next thing I did was cut the hole for the coin door in the bottom front panel.  There wasn't much to it - just had to lay out where I wanted it to go.

I decided to center the coin door towards the top of the panel.  To find the right spot, whatever size the border ended up being from the edge of the coin door to each side of the panel is what I used for the the top border (I also added 1/2" because the very top of this panel will be glued to the power button panel so 1/2" of it will be hidden).  Nothing special but I do want to give it a uniform look, if possible.

I'm using a generic Happ 2 player coin door only because I had it laying around and wanted to find a use for it.  With unlimited funds I might have chosen something a little smaller for one player but overall I'm quite happy with how it looks.

I measured the back of the coin door to find the horizontal and vertical dimensions and then laid it out on the MDF panel.  Next, I needed to make sure the 4 corners were rounded.  My door has 1" radius corners so I measured in from the corners 1" along the x-axis and 1" along the y-axis to find the center point for the circle cut out.  Then, using a 2" forstner bit, I drilled a hole in each corner.  Next, I used my jigsaw to cut the middle section of the panel out where the coin door will be connecting the 4 holes I just drilled.  Finally, I used a straight edge and my router to clean up the lines.  Only tricky part was being careful with the router where the straight edge met the corner rounded section.  I had to finesse this a little but it was pretty easy.

Here is the resulting hole in the panel:



And finally, here is what the panel looks like with the coin door in place:



Not bad!  Today I'm hoping to finish front marquee panel. This will be the trickiest panel to cut for sure because I need to be very precise with the monitor placement and how I'm going to cut out the laminate as well as the speaker cut outs.

 :cheers:

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #34 on: February 23, 2020, 09:06:54 am »
Nice method for the corners, I’ll have to try that sometime in the future.

javeryh

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #35 on: February 23, 2020, 10:31:46 am »
Nice method for the corners, I’ll have to try that sometime in the future.

Thanks - it's a bit overkill since the lip of the coin door completely hides the edge of the cut out but I'm trying to be as neat as possible both inside and out.  I actually took the time to prime and paint all interior (unseen) surfaces for no reason other than my own craziness.

The front marquee panel is being laminated right now... I'm waiting for the contact cement to set for 20 minutes and then it is go time.  This is by far the most nerve wracking part of the build.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #36 on: February 23, 2020, 12:47:49 pm »
The front marquee panel is being laminated right now... I'm waiting for the contact cement to set for 20 minutes and then it is go time.  This is by far the most nerve wracking part of the build.

Seems to have worked... just have to cut the speaker and marquee holes but easier said than done.  I'm cutting t-molding slots right now.  It is such a pain to set the router depth.  Anyone got any secrets on how to do this so it is perfectly aligned.  I'm running out of edges on my scrap material...  ;D

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #37 on: February 23, 2020, 03:01:47 pm »
Seems to have worked... just have to cut the speaker and marquee holes but easier said than done.  I'm cutting t-molding slots right now.  It is such a pain to set the router depth.  Anyone got any secrets on how to do this so it is perfectly aligned.  I'm running out of edges on my scrap material...  ;D

Slots are cut... I did the best I could and any exposed edge (like 1mm or less) I guess I'll just cover with a sharpie marker.

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #38 on: February 24, 2020, 10:53:53 am »
Insane progress update!  I cut the hole for the power receptacle in the lower rear panel!  The hardest part was figuring out where to put it since it is completely arbitrary.  I decided to align it along a line that is at a 45 degree angle from the lower left corner.  I have no idea why.



Once I got that laid out, I drilled a hole in each of the inside corners and then cut out the shape with my jigsaw (by connecting the holes).



Next, I took some scrap wood with straight edges and stuck it down around the hole on the lines using double sided tape on the bottom and then painter's tape on top just so nothing would move.



Finally, using my router and a flush cutting bit, I was able to cut all 4 sides flush in one shot.  Here is the finished panel:



It's a perfect fit!  Incredible!  Please don't let this level of craftsmanship deter you from completing your projects even though it is an impossible standard to achieve.

markc74

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Re: javeryh's Nameless Cabaret Copy
« Reply #39 on: February 24, 2020, 10:59:47 am »
Nice work - and speedy progress!

I did the same thing with my power button and it's a pretty good place for it. I thought about putting an exit game on the same underside part but changed my mind. (Too easy to press the wrong one!)