New Modular Design

[psfoley]

I have just created my own modular design and want to know what you think. The back of it is basicly going to be a C-shape hinge (which I can make cheaply with PVC pipe) that will be used to allow the CP to fold up. I will use a router on the CP pieces and then have a blade in between the pieces, simular to a keyboard drawer. All I need to do is slide the pieces into the blades, fold the pieces down, and then attach the front down with velcro. All comments/criticsms are welcome   .

[JamIt]

Interesting.  Probably secure enough.  
You will have issues removing a "middle" panel though; it would require removal of "outside" panels.
--JamIt

[NoOne=NBA=]

The only problem I see that you may have with it is the velcro.
It should be fine for buttons, trackballs, etc..., but may be loose for joysticks.

I used velcro on my panels way back when and found that, while it DID hold them in place, it still let them wiggle around a bit on the fuzz.

[psfoley]

Jamit,

   I think I understand what you mean about the removal of inside panels, but I think that my drawing may have misled you. The blades that the control panel slides into are not double sided, but two single sided blades pushed together. I also think that I should clarify that I will be able to move the blades around and take them out and add others in.

NoOne=NBA=,

        Do you think a clamp from the inside would work, or something like a latch, and thanks for the input it is greatly appriciated.

[Doc-]

No too bad!

I see a few possible problems - though it is hard to tell precisely without building one:

1. You need to be concerned about lateral movement.  Unless each of the panels is cut very precisely you may have some lateral "slop" that will allow the CP pieces to shift left/right especially along the end with the PVC hinge.  The other end will be dampened a bit by the velcro.

2. The velcro could be problematic.  I doubt it will be secure enough to hold the joysticks in place.  While it might work fine for some games, a good game of Robotron (you know - the kind where your hands are still shaking after you finish) might just pull the whole thing up.  The shear strength is good, but the tensile strength might not be enough.  Plus you have some seating slop caused by the hooks themselves.

3. I would be a bit concerned about the PVC pipe itself. It is prone to bending under heavy loads, so you would need some wood rails or something to bear the load especially near the center of the CP to prevent bending/twisting.

I did come up with a practical modular design that meets your design goals and is pretty easy to manufacture.  It also allows you to swap any of the panels individually, and I have a nice wiring system to go with it.

I use dowels and the bezel to secure each panel so there is only one degree of freedom on the panels.  The dowels bear most of the load so it is more secure than velcro.  Dowels prevent lateral movement, the bezel prevents rocking.  It works remarkably well under daily use/abuse.

Lots of diagrams, pictures, panels, etc...here:
    http://www.beersmith.com/mame

[NoOne=NBA=]

Some type of a panel clamp or something should work fine.

I'm personally using bolts with cross dowel nuts, which works nicely but has exposed hardware.

[psfoley]

Doc,
  Doc's Modular MAME inspired me to make my arcade modular, but I wouldnt have thought dowels would be that sturdy. Something else I would like to know is how much you spent making your arcade modular (including wiring), because I am on an extremely tight budget. I can see that velcro is a bad idea, but how have the roller cabinet locks done for you? Do you think I would see any lateral movement with just the locks and no dowels?

Thanks for the help.

[Tahnok]

Edit#2: Never mind. I have no idea what I'm talking about .

[Doc-]

Doc,
  Doc's Modular MAME inspired me to make my arcade modular, but I wouldnt have thought dowels would be that sturdy. Something else I would like to know is how much you spent making your arcade modular (including wiring), because I am on an extremely tight budget. I can see that velcro is a bad idea, but how have the roller cabinet locks done for you? Do you think I would see any lateral movement with just the locks and no dowels?

I will try to total up the "modular" costs.  This includes the initial panel conversion - I did not include the cost of the wood for panels (which you need in either case) or the controls themselves (which you also need in either case).

 $  2.50 -  Two six socket keystone wall plates (for keystone jacks)
 $24.00  - 8 RJ45 Keystone jacks at $3 each (bought online)
 $  7.50  - 5 RJ45 network Patch Cables (3 ') at $1.50 each (online) for wiring panels
 $  6.50  - 10 Cabinet latches from home depot at $0.65 each
 $10.00  - A four port USB hub (I actually had one on hand)
 $  1.25  - Dowel - I think I used 5/16"
 $  2.00  - 1x2" wood for dowel rails, to support bezel and patch panel

Using a pretty conservative estimate it comes to: $53.75 - and most of that is the wiring and USB hub.  If you search around online you can find the keystone jacks a bit cheaper, and probably the hub as well.

  In actuality I had the USB hub already and wood left over from the original cabinet.

  The cabinet latches work great (I only have them on joystick panels) but they work in large part because the dowels also hold things in place.  The latches are not really load bearing -- they primarily provide resistence to lifting the panels which might occur during energetic play.  

  I'm not sure the latches alone would be sufficient.  You would still need something in place to hold the bezel end to keep it from sliding.  Also it is possible to bend them.

  The dowels are not that hard to do - but it is easier if you can get access to a small drill press.  I used a $80 table top model from Sears.  The cost of adding them is primarily time as the materials for the mounting system itself come to only a few dollars.  All of the real money is tied up in the wiring - and of course the controls themselves.

Cheers!
Doc-