To make a cabinet easy to move...

[LD1984]

What do you think would be the best way to make an easily movable cabinet? By this, I mean...how would you build it so it can be taken up the stairs in afew trips?

Building it in 3 different parts?
Building it with lighter wood?

Thanks in advance.


(Rolleyes just for the heck of it.   )

[DeathMonk]

I would probably build it in 3 removable parts..  Top, bottom and control panel.

[Nightmare03]

Make it foldable

[GamingGreg]

Add an engine, hydrolic legs, and a remote so that you can remotely pilot it up the stairs.  

Seriously though,  I'd do what DeathMonk suggested.

[crashwg]

maybe just build a bartop...?

[fredster]

How about a pedistal with no monitor.  Just get the video to plug into a TV.  

Otherwise, make sure the cab is all bolted down inside so nothing will come loose when you move it. Real arcade cabinets are so buttoned up you can lay it on it's side and nothing will come loose.

And, you can Buy a $20 dolly at the local junk store.  Check the off the wall places, they are out there.

[hyiu]

have wheels !!!... then push it around...
mine have 6 wheels in the bottom... and its great !!!....

[paigeoliver]

Don't listen to any yayhoos who talk about multi-piece cabinets and all that mess.

To make a cabinet that is easy to move you should do 3 things.

#1. Build it out of PLYWOOD, without an interior frame (real games don't have frames).

#2. Make the monitor easily removable from the back of the cabinet.

#3. Make sure you have hand holds in the rear part of the cabinet towards the top, and on the underneath of the cabinet at the front.

The number one problem with moving some cabinets on steps is that too many builders use heavy mdf/particle board, senseless interior framing that adds weight, and then don't make anything for the guy in front to hold onto at the bottom. Atari was famous for that. I can't even count the number of Atari games I have carried up stairs while holding onto the LEG LEVELERS.

[Stingray]

I took a slightly different approach. I assembled mine in the room where I intend to keep it until I die.  

-S

[JustMichael]

Build the cabinet out of styrofoam...  

An appliance handtruck and a friend or two do wonders also...  

[paigeoliver]

There is however something WORSE than moving standardAtari cabs up the steps.

That is of course OVERSIZED Atari cabinets.

Same heaviness and lack of handholds as a standard Atari cabinet, with the added bonus of extra bulk and weight.

Some real nightmares I have moved include.

STUN Runner. This one conviently splits apart into a small 75 lb section and a HUGE 200+ lb section.

Star Wars cockpit. Took 10 hours total to get into my second story apartment, I COULD have got in in one shot with 4 guys, except my apartment so NICELY requires an immediate turn from the door to the stairwell, then a pair of 90 degree turns on the stairwell, the another 90 degree turn to get in the door. So, I brought it upstairs in 30 5-10 lb pieces, and one 150 lb piece.

Atari Basketball - The weight isn't THAT bad in this one. What is bad is the fact that it is so bulky that I had to take the door off my building, and then the coin door off the cabinet just to get it indoors.

[hyiu]

my experience is...

a cab (in 1 piece) without the monitor...
is easily movable by 2 guys.... (assuming your cab has some place you can hold on to....)
and basically everything else still intact inside...
(oh.... my CP is oversize and is removable like a box...)

and that already including moving up and down stairs...

with the monitor in there... you'll need 2 stronger guys...
but if you have wheels... then on all plain floors... its just a push.... just have to boost the few stairs....

so.... like paigeoliver said... there's no real need to build a cab that can be separated top and bottom for moving....

[Wade]

I agree that in most cases, taking a few heavy pieces out of a cab is enough to make it easily movable, however a few of you are forgetting about SIZE...

For a cabinet to really be easy to move, it needs to break apart into smaller pieces.  A lot of hallways, stairways, even some doors in corners are tough (or impossible) to move a fully assembled game through.

And a lot of us don't own a truck, with a cabinet that comes apart enough it could actually be moved in a car with fold down rear seats.

I don't see the big deal about MDF, if a cabinet breaks down into 2 or 3 major pieces (or more) the weight is really a non-issue.  Besides, MDF has so many other great qualities vs. plywood (ease of painting and perfectly smooth surface are the big ones, plywood needs a lot of work or laminate to really look good).

Wade

[paigeoliver]

The big deal with MDF isn't just weight, it is durability.

Furniture made out of MDF and particle board falls apart over time. You are lucky if that stuff lasts 10 years. Plywood furniture lasts forever.

[SirPoonga]

By this, I mean...how would you build it so it can be taken up the stairs in afew trips?

Do you mean by yourself or with help?

With help it isn't that bad.  Make a handle on the top back and one ont he bottom front (look at my cab for example).  Then two people can take it up easily.  It helps if you can take the monitor out to greatly reduce the rate.  My control panel also comes off.

To go up stairs, or down, the person up the staris holds the back handle that is up high on the back, the front person hold the front low handl (my bar that goes across the front).  Put a rug or something for the cabinet to slide on and it is easy to get it up and down stairs.

[paigeoliver]

You don't even need a grab bar on the front. Simply cutting a pair of hand slots on the bottom (underneath where they are hidden) at the front is all you need.

[Wade]

The big deal with MDF isn't just weight, it is durability.

Furniture made out of MDF and particle board falls apart over time. You are lucky if that stuff lasts 10 years. Plywood furniture lasts forever.

Paige,

   I agree that in some ways plywood is more durable than MDF (e.g., it should last longer and it isn't as susceptible to water damage).  But MDF doesn't chip like plywood, especially when cutting (a big deal if you are building a cabinet yourself).  Particle board is another story, I wouldn't use that stuff to build anything of value.

   Longevity is moot, I think that most of these home built cabinets aren't expected to last 10 or 20 years, like some classic games ended up lasting.  Most of these mame cabs will be burnt or cut up down the road.  The electronics will go bad or be moved into something else LONG before the cabinet falls apart from age.  Also, these games typically are in basements, not barns or outside locations like beach boardwalks, etc.  And even a lot of those games managed to stay together over the years.

   There is also a variety of quality to materials.  It's true that most cheap furniture doesn't last but it is usually really cheap MDF or particle board.  I can say that the MDF I bought for < $20/sheet is going to hold up a heck of a lot better than most of the cheap furniture I have around.

   I typically go for the "you get what you pay for, it's usually worth it to get the higher quality stuff" etc. mindset, especially with bigger purchases.  But unless a person is building a cabinet with a stained wood finish, I just don't think it's worth $150 for plywood for a cab vs. $50 for MDF, when MDF has almost all of the best qualities of the common cabinet materials.

   Though, this is just a matter of opinion, we can respectfully disagree.  Every time the material question is asked, most suggest MDF, and there are always a few that suggest plywood or particle board.

Wade