Looking for an original design for this cabinet

[dth930]

I posted this on the main forum, but it might be more appropriate here.

I picked up this cabinet because it had a nice vertical monitor.  I'd like to make it into a dedicated 1P vertical machine, but it needs some TLC.  I have no idea what it was used for originally.  It looks like it was some kind of bowling game at one point and then became 1943.  The previous owner converted it to a 60-in-1, but it's missing lots of parts and held together with wood screws. 

Assuming this was originally a factory-built production cabinet, there should be some standard to the way it was assembled. 

My two main questions are:

1. How is the CP supposed to be secured?  Currently, there are two wood screws that go through the plexi and into the cabinet.  I can't imagine that was the original design.

2. How should the bottom of the bezel and the top of the CPO meet?  Currently there's about a 3" gap between them where there's a painted piece of plywood.  The CPO could overlay this piece, but it would end higher than the bezel since the bezel is mounted in slots.  That would look nicer than the wood but doesn't seem right.  Maybe there's another trim piece missing?

If anyone has any ideas on how the front panel area should be assembled, that would be helpful.  Or, if there are pictures of any cabinets that were originally designed like this, that would help too.
 - Dave

[bobbyb13]

Doesn't look like any commercially built cabinet I have ever seen. 

Are the control panel and the screen face on the same plane?

It looks like there is no room for a proper back access panel, which seems really odd, and the bezel should be covering everything around the screen so that you can't see the rest of the cabinet (especially air gaps all around.)


With some effort you could fix what looks weird/uncomfortable to me about it- but it will take some woodworking for sure.

[dth930]

OK - so I'm not going crazy!  I thought for sure someone would figure out what this thing is.  It doesn't seem like it was home built, but I guess I could be wrong.

Let's see if I can describe this correctly... there's a channel above the screen where I could fit the bezel and some plexi on top of it.  There's a piece of molding on the sides that's about 0.5" high that is the top of the channel.  You could put another piece of plexi on top of those side rails and that would line up with the plane of the plexi on top of the CP, more or less.  But then you would have two pieces of plexi butted up to one another.  That doesn't seem right.
 



I could make a new bezel that was the correct size, but it wouldn't line up with the top of the CP unless I put another piece of plexi on top.  And I would have to figure out how to attach it.  There is no obvious mounting that I can see.

I also need to figure out how to secure the CP.  As I mentioned, it's currently screwed into the cab through the plexi.  I could use inside latches, but then I'd need a new kick panel so I can put in a coin door to access the latches.

The back is just open.  There was some particle board screwed on, but that was it.  No access without removing the screws.

I think the question is whether it's worth fixing or if I should just yank the monitor and start something new.  Speaking of which, does anyone make a full size upright cab kit that takes a vertical monitor?
 - Dave

[bobbyb13]

The viewing angle of that screen looks painful really and I imagine the sound wouldn't be that great either!

I think it would be less work (and probably less aggravation) to start fresh to be able to get what you really want, but if that wood is solid it is something to start with anyway.

With the back being as it is you may find issue with tilting the screen to a more friendly angle and having it still fit in the cabinet but you would have to re-engineer it anyway.
You really want to have clear access to the back of the machine and to the control panel so you can work on things when need arises.

I had the same thought about securing the CP and the same thought about opening up the kickpanel.
I have used "fake" coin door openings to great success that way if you don't need/want real coin acceptors.

If you decide to abandon that cabinet (doesn't seem like anything that really is on the preserve me list!) and that monitor works then you're stoked and the bezel is worth keeping if only to use as a template to build what you really need.

If you dig through this site enough EVERYTHING you need to know is here, in multiple iterations and numerous times.

And if you spend enough time researching and can't find what it is you need there are many people here who know everything about this stuff and will chime in and help out.

[dth930]

It probably isn't clear from the pictures, but that horizontal line across the front is a piano hinge.  The whole CP flips down and it's actually very easy and convenient to work on, even if the cabinet is backed up against a wall.

I agree that the screen is out a weird and undesirable angle.  Not sure what it would take to fix that.  But it's not that far off from the original Pac Man style cabinets.

Sound is find for what it is.

A few other thoughts I had would be to integrate the black plywood piece with the CP so it's all one piece.  I'd have to secure the bezel somehow, but that would work and would probably be cleaner and give more artwork options.

I could also eliminate the plexi entirely on the CP and have one continuous piece of art from the bottom of the CP up the bottom of the bezel... it's all once flat surface.

The bottom line for me is that I'm sure I can figure out a way to design solutions to all these problems.  But I was hoping that someone would recognize this style of cab and be able to describe how it would have been done before it was hacked.  I would consider putting it back to original if it was something cool, but I'm not sure that's the case.

[bobbyb13]

Have a closer look at some real commercially built cabinets (I still don't believe that is one) and you'll see what I mean about screen angle vs. control panel angle.
I don't know how tall you are but that cabinet makes my neck sore just looking at it!

It doesn't really take much to hold up a monitor but they are heavy so it does require some design thought.
Here is what I did for the build I am working on right now as a for instance:


Often it is a piece of plywood with a hole cut in the middle but I didn't want to waste a piece of plywood that size so I just reinforced some strips and trimmed them to fit that monitor frame.

Pull the monitor in that one out and have a look at how it is mounted.
You may be able to use what is there already and just rotate/re-orient the supports to make it work better.

Then at least you have something you can build guts into and get playing.

[dth930]

Yes - I totally agree that the angle needs some work.  I will take a look at removing the monitor to see if it will work and fit oriented more traditionally.  (Though, as I mentioned before, the current orientation is very similar to an original Pac Man cab.)

My debate is still whether hacking this cabinet up to make it what I want is a good idea.  Or if I should start from scratch.  I already know that some of the panels on this cab will nee to be replaced due to damage, though that would be relatively easy to do.

What time/cost/effort will be involved in either case and what will the end result be?
 - Dave

[dth930]

I don't want to be the guy who started a thread and solicited ideas and then never finished the cab.  So... I've totally reworked the whole thing, keeping just the outer panels the same.  Here's where it's at right now.

Next step is going to be adding artwork and finishing the CP.
 - Dave

[thomas_surles]

Looking way better already

[bobbyb13]

That is FAR more playable then what you started with!

Keep at.  That will be a great machine for a lot of games.

Did you pick your controls and come up with a layout yet?

[dth930]

Thanks for the feedback.  It's been a considerable amount of work but I think will be worth it in the end.

Since the cab is only for vertical classics, the CP layout is pretty simple.  Just one player with basic controls.



I'm planning to use a Servostik so it can support 4-way and 8-way.  And a flush-mount U-track.  Between those and a few buttons it's pretty much good to go.

[bobbyb13]

Nice.
Good choice on parts.  Andy's controls and interfaces are top notch and his customer service is too.

If that is a multisync Kortek monitor in there and it fires up you are stoked.

Get a PC set up with CRTemudriver and GrooovyMame and that will be a cabinet that loooks great and plays really well.