Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: What kind of wood??!?  (Read 9204 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

brained

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 467
  • Last login:February 02, 2023, 08:54:08 am
  • Raised by Atari
    • Nux
What kind of wood??!?
« on: April 06, 2004, 04:04:14 pm »
Well here's the thing. I'm planning on building a CAB for me. I've been concerned about the wood used in the construction since I

Santoro

  • Purveyor of Shiny Arcade Goodness
  • Santoro
  • Trade Count: (+32)
  • Full Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3051
  • Last login:December 23, 2023, 07:05:04 pm
  • Boycott Quarters!!!
    • ArcadeReplay!
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2004, 04:11:38 pm »
This was discussed very recently - search back about two weeks.  

IMHO, MDF is really easy to work with for a newbie woodworker and easy to paint.  Downside: it's as heavy as lead. :)
« Last Edit: April 06, 2004, 04:12:11 pm by Santoro »

hyiu

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1481
  • Last login:August 29, 2014, 05:36:15 am
  • too many games... too little time....
    • www
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2004, 04:12:55 pm »
if you have a limited budget... I'd say go for MDF...

if you don't like MDF... (MDF dust is not exactly good for your lungs...)  I would suggest you to look into plywood before particle board...  plywood is a little lighter and very strong... (I don't think wood dust in general is good for your lung... but I heard that MDF dust is the worst...)
 :P :P

and for you mentioned about moving soon... I'd say... put 4-6 wheels under it... and you'll be set....

make the cabinet width to be like under 27 inches and it should fit thru most doors... if CP is larger.. then make it so that the CP box can be taken off easily...

and if you really have problem moving it up and down stairs.... (at that time of move.... take out the monitor...
and 2 guys can move it easy....)
Another Brilliant mind ruined by education....  :p

Jakobud

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1940
  • Last login:March 11, 2024, 04:45:38 am
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2004, 04:22:41 pm »
Geez this question is asked every single freakin week

brained

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 467
  • Last login:February 02, 2023, 08:54:08 am
  • Raised by Atari
    • Nux
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2004, 04:37:39 pm »
sorry for the dumb question  :-[

Lilwolf

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4946
  • Last login:July 31, 2022, 10:26:34 pm
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2004, 04:45:38 pm »
not a dumb question at all

otherwise it wouldn't be brought up all the time.

All types have advantages/disadvantages...

MDF - Heavy, Lots of sawdust, Smooth without TONS of sanding, Easy to work with

Plywood - Lighter, Stronger, Harder to work with, expent to sand a TON before painting

There are some others out there... but these seem to be the favorites.

going with 3/4" is good because you can use standard T-molding (good thing... 1/2 - 1/4 the price I believe).. And for cocktail tables you can use standard glass clips.

3/4 plywood is overkill on strength... But that isn't a bad thing..

Am I forgetting anything?

I go with MDF for control panels myself.  

rdagger

Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2004, 05:50:38 pm »
As long as we're talking wood, any opinions on what wood works best with laminate?  Will one type of wood warp, expand or shrink? Also it is my understanding that if you buy 3/4" plywood, the thickness will actually be slightly smaller than 3/4".  Does this cause problems with the T-Molding.

fredster

  • Grand Prophet of Arcadeology
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2267
  • Last login:February 16, 2019, 04:28:53 pm
  • It's all good!
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2004, 11:22:42 pm »
MDF is very stable, but it doesn't take shock very well. It has to be braced inside more than the rest.

It's easy to cut and you don't have to sand anything to make it look good.  Plywood is stronger, but it has a bad surface texture for nice finish.  You end up paying a lot for it after all the things you have to do to it.

They all create dust.  MDF will create clouds of dust, so be ready for it.
King of the Flying Monkeys from the Dark Side

hulkster

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2382
  • Last login:September 05, 2021, 04:27:59 pm
  • HulkaMAMEia is runnin' wild!
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2004, 11:46:37 pm »
mdf is a heavier than a beotch (and you know how heavy that is!), but its pretty sturdy...and best of all cheap.  plywood just looks like crap to me.  just depends on how much time you want to spend on building vs. time spent on sanding/painting.  

DeathDealer

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 96
  • Last login:January 13, 2020, 01:44:29 pm
  • Hello everyone!!
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2004, 01:21:20 am »
I used Birch Plywood on my mini mame, it has a smoth finish, but I then put on formica on it , I dont know how paint would go on it, but I think a few coats would do the job. For formica you would need a router to do a nice job on the edges.  Im new here myself.
Foot steps on the sand.

reebboy

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 81
  • Last login:December 12, 2005, 01:34:53 am
  • Now its time for some serious insanity!!!
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2004, 04:16:40 am »
I'm using oak plywood for my cabinet which has a very nice/smooth finish to it and looks nice when stained. It is a very hard wood compared to MFD. Drilling 1 1/8" button holes in MFD is like putting a hot knife through butter compared to plywood which takes a little more effort to cut.
Dude!!! Where's my game.....

Malachai

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 160
  • Last login:April 05, 2014, 11:07:00 pm
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2004, 10:07:27 am »
FWIW, I used plywood for my all-in-one control panel.  I spent 2 hours sanding last Sunday, but I have a nice smooth surface now.  Sanded with 60grit then finished with 150grit.  I haven't painted yet, so I can't say what it's going to look like when it all said an done.  I going to use a 220grit and sand between coats to get a smooth finish.

LoRDDeVO

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
  • Last login:January 06, 2023, 01:27:54 pm
  • 80's retrotechnoelectrogeek
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2004, 10:19:37 am »
why do you spend all that time sanding. I bought 3/4" birch plywood.  It is finished on one side so no need for sanding. Just Prime and paint.  It may cost alittle more but it worth it

NoBonus

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 688
  • Last login:January 07, 2007, 06:48:58 pm
  • "Now that's a fine example of California's Gold"
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #13 on: April 07, 2004, 11:11:00 am »
Go ahead and slap me if this is a stupid suggestion from a rookie.

Why use wood at all? Why not use metal, plastic, or fiberglass with interior wood supports.  I'll be you can find a perfect pre-built case at an Army thrift store (ie an old ammo case, old control console, or old equipment case)


NoBonus
Newbie, Neophyte, Rookie

brained

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 467
  • Last login:February 02, 2023, 08:54:08 am
  • Raised by Atari
    • Nux
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #14 on: April 07, 2004, 11:51:23 am »
so everything looks like i'll be going on MDF.
I don't like much sanding and as reeboy said it seems that plywood is too hard. MDF is cool enough then.

So Lilwolf said about 3/4 mdf, but is it okay too use 1/2 or 5/8" MDF, instead of 3/4?. since MDF it's kinda heavy 3/4 will make it heavier.



colopioneers

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 73
  • Last login:September 15, 2004, 10:18:13 pm
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #15 on: April 07, 2004, 11:55:52 am »
Go ahead and slap me if this is a stupid suggestion from a rookie.

Why use wood at all? Why not use metal, plastic, or fiberglass with interior wood supports.  I'll be you can find a perfect pre-built case at an Army thrift store (ie an old ammo case, old control console, or old equipment case)

That's not a stupid suggestion at all.  That's the beauty of this hobby.  Personalize it and make it your own.  Interestingly enough, my brother and I actually looked at fiberglass for parts of my cabinet, and ultimately decided on MDF.

It would be pretty interesting to see a cabinet made entirely of old Nintendo decks all glued together...
Welcome to Colorado....NOW GO HOME!

brained

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 467
  • Last login:February 02, 2023, 08:54:08 am
  • Raised by Atari
    • Nux
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #16 on: April 07, 2004, 12:06:41 pm »
Go ahead and slap me if this is a stupid suggestion from a rookie.

Why use wood at all? Why not use metal, plastic, or fiberglass with interior wood supports.  I'll be you can find a perfect pre-built case at an Army thrift store (ie an old ammo case, old control console, or old equipment case)

That's not a stupid suggestion at all.  That's the beauty of this hobby.  Personalize it and make it your own.  Interestingly enough, my brother and I actually looked at fiberglass for parts of my cabinet, and ultimately decided on MDF.

It would be pretty interesting to see a cabinet made entirely of old Nintendo decks all glued together...

Hahahahha i've seen weird stuff, but that would be really cool!
Check this out a nintendo pc!!






i'll be kinda mainstream, i'm sticking with the MDF..


colopioneers

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 73
  • Last login:September 15, 2004, 10:18:13 pm
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #17 on: April 07, 2004, 12:12:38 pm »
WOW!!   ::) ::)

Now that's slick!

I've seen Nintendo's converted into lots of things, but never a full computer.

Good luck on your cabinet!
Welcome to Colorado....NOW GO HOME!

spauldingd

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 104
  • Last login:February 18, 2022, 11:41:51 am
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #18 on: April 07, 2004, 01:41:01 pm »
So Lilwolf said about 3/4 mdf, but is it okay too use 1/2 or 5/8" MDF, instead of 3/4?. since MDF it's kinda heavy 3/4 will make it heavier.

I don't believe the entire cab needs to be 3/4" MDF, but I think the sides and CP should be.  The front, top & back could be 1/2 or 5/8.  The bottom should be strong if you have wheels on it, but if you don't have wheels, then 1/2 or 5/8 would work there as well since the sides would rest on the floor.

I am about 70% complete with my cab.  I used 3/4" MDF throughout, but did build it as a 2 piece.

Dave

brained

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 467
  • Last login:February 02, 2023, 08:54:08 am
  • Raised by Atari
    • Nux
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #19 on: April 07, 2004, 02:14:36 pm »
So Lilwolf said about 3/4 mdf, but is it okay too use 1/2 or 5/8" MDF, instead of 3/4?. since MDF it's kinda heavy 3/4 will make it heavier.

I don't believe the entire cab needs to be 3/4" MDF, but I think the sides and CP should be.  The front, top & back could be 1/2 or 5/8.  The bottom should be strong if you have wheels on it, but if you don't have wheels, then 1/2 or 5/8 would work there as well since the sides would rest on the floor.

I am about 70% complete with my cab.  I used 3/4" MDF throughout, but did build it as a 2 piece.

Dave

Hmmm.. two pieces? how's that????

spauldingd

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 104
  • Last login:February 18, 2022, 11:41:51 am
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #20 on: April 07, 2004, 02:22:53 pm »
Hmmm.. two pieces? how's that????

I guess technically it would be a 3-piece, but the panel will be bolted in place and won't really need to be removed to move the machine.  The base is 26" wide and holds the control panel which slightly overlaps the sides at 27.5 inches.  The top is also 27.5 inches wide and it sits down on the base and overlaps it by a couple inches.  I took clues from several other cabinets, but I just started drawing until I got the profile and design I liked best.  Sorta a Defender meets Joust cabinet in 2 pieces.

brained

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 467
  • Last login:February 02, 2023, 08:54:08 am
  • Raised by Atari
    • Nux
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #21 on: April 07, 2004, 02:38:48 pm »
Hmmm.. two pieces? how's that????

I guess technically it would be a 3-piece, but the panel will be bolted in place and won't really need to be removed to move the machine.  The base is 26" wide and holds the control panel which slightly overlaps the sides at 27.5 inches.  The top is also 27.5 inches wide and it sits down on the base and overlaps it by a couple inches.  I took clues from several other cabinets, but I just started drawing until I got the profile and design I liked best.  Sorta a Defender meets Joust cabinet in 2 pieces.

yeah!! i've seen those kinds of cabs. !! :D, there neat, but i think they need more woodworking, I'm not good with wood, so i'll make simple ;)

Malachai

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 160
  • Last login:April 05, 2014, 11:07:00 pm
Re:What kind of wood??!?
« Reply #22 on: April 08, 2004, 09:20:04 am »
why do you spend all that time sanding. I bought 3/4" birch plywood.  It is finished on one side so no need for sanding. Just Prime and paint.  It may cost alittle more but it worth it
I had particle board lying around.  That's the only reason I used it.  I don't mind spending some time sanding.  It was actually kind of fun.  If I would have had to buy wood for this project I would have gone with MDF.