Scratch built #3, yet another oak furniture cab

[bdsjake]

I know there's a few that appreciate the furniture look.  This is my third cab, really a replacement for my first.  Here's the link to my first for comparison:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=9573;start=msg71134

Main inspiration was pocketz's ultimate arcade:

http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/

Although I really liked the defender like side profile, I wasn't completely satisified with my first try, I thought I could do the carpentry better, I definitely learned my lesson to avoid the "frankenpanel" look, and wanted to try to fit the basic two player controls with trackball into 25.5" to skip the "wings" (total width including sides is 27").

I used a piece of glass, not plexi, over the monitor (27" vision pro) and am really pleased with how it looks.  It really adds a professional looking touch.  Also borrowed from Retroblast the idea to use a Creative Inspire 2.1 system with car speakers.  I used Blaupunkt speakers with a blue transulcent cone (red Sony's would not have worked for my lighting scheme).  My wife and I's favorite color is green, so the speakers, trackball and coin door lights are all lit with green superbright leds.  A button on top is hacked into the computer's on/off button for one button power on/off (with a Smartbit power strip).  Mostly Happ controls, p360's with green translucent replacement ball tops, Happ 3" trackball, and an Oscar Vortex spinner.

Here's a pic of the result:

[bdsjake]

side pic:

[bdsjake]

3/4 view:

[bdsjake]

control panel and keyboard drawer:

[bdsjake]

back:

[bdsjake]

lighted up:

[bdsjake]

comparison with my first:

BTW, the other cab is for sale (with or without D9200 monitor, I do have another project in mind for the D9200 though); located 100 miles SW of St. Louis; light fixture and speaker system will remain in cab.

[bdsjake]

side comparison pic:

[Bloinkxp]

What a nice classy cabinet.
You should post a website!

David

[DrewKaree]

nice cabs, the both of them.  Since it seems you like the wood look, I would like to offer a tip that often goes unnoticed, and I notice the same thing in your cabs.

Please don't take this as a criticism, just something for you to consider, and I'll offer why it often happens after...

The grain pattern on the front (coin door side) matches on each with only one exception on both cabs.  It kind of "stops the eye".  If that phrase makes any sense, then you know what I'm talking about.

It usually happened to me because I wanted to finish a piece and wasn't allowed to go buy a whole new friggen piece (the phrase "$40 bucks just so that piece will match the rest....NO WAY, NO HOW!!!" was often uttered by my wife), so I made do with a grain-direction shift.

Even with those pieces, you've still made two VERY fine pieces of cabinetry, and have made everyone still trying to get started with their FIRST cab a bit envious  

[Ghoward]

Looks good but that grain on both cabs I'm not that keen on, why didn't you buy some better plywood. If you are making a wood grain cab you really have to be really careful about what wood you use.

When I build I find myself going though the whole stack of wood at Lowes looking for the best sheets that match each other the best.

Gary

[hunky_artist]

well I think it looks fantastic. And i wouldn't worry about that grain thing, the kickplate is supposed to look a little different, otherwise the front would be too bland... i like it  

[bdsjake]

Drew:  I agree with you on that one, after building my first, trying to match up the grain was something I wanted to do with the next.  But, I ran out of 25.5" inch stuff to work with and had to start using the pieces cut out the other direction.  I probably should have just bought a 4th piece, but my source for a truck dried up and at that point I just wanted to get done!  I did want to make that front piece, coin door keyboard drawer and piece below control panel from all one piece so the grain matched perfect, but there was an "error" made in one cut so I had to make do.

Ghoward, I guess that's a consequence of living out in the country, our Lowe's, the one source for many miles for this wood, just didn't have anything better.  I even pulled sheets from the botton of the pile.  I like the heavy wood grain look myself, but what you probably can't see in the pics is a small defect from a knot that I have to fill in with wood filler.  Maybe next time I'll borrow a truck for a full day and drive into St. Louis to shop around.  I am fairly pleased with how it turned out given that I don't have much time to spend learning woodworking.

thanks,

[RayB]

Bleah. Should re-name these "MAME Shacks".

 

[bdsjake]

Bleah. Should re-name these "MAME Shacks".

 

I *think* that's a compliment, somehow!

...you either love the wood look or hate it on these boards...

 

[DrewKaree]

I probably should have just bought a 4th piece, but my source for a truck dried up and at that point I just wanted to get done!

brother, I SO understand the feeling!

...what you probably can't see in the pics is a small defect from a knot that I have to fill in with wood filler.

for anyone else who has a knot issue, if the piece comes out, a way to fix that is to use superglue to stick the piece back in (I'm assuming that's what happened to ya) and use wood putty/filler to fill in around the knot, that way you don't have a big glob of filler that doesn't go with your project.  If you don't want to buy putty, you can also make a "slurry" to fill in gaps/nail/screw holes.  Add wood glue to sawdust from your project until it becomes a consistency you can work.  Use that as your putty - a side benefit is that it will more closely match your project and will generally take stain better than putty.


As for all the dorks who seemed to think my tip for others considering a wood cab meant open season for criticism of your cab, I searched his posts both high and low for the phrase (or even an inference of) "tell me what you think" and couldn't find it anywhere, and your comments helped no one.  

bdsjake, your cabs are just fine
 

[Matt, GoC]

Personally, I think the new cab and the old one for sale look great!  If my old 10 yard fight cabinet wasn't a hodge-podge of different materials and was all maple plywood like the sides are (under the many layers of paint), I'd probably make it look like a piece of furniture too. Good job!

[stuzza]

I'm not usually a fan of woodgrain, but think these two look pretty darn good.  Where did you get the green ball top joysticks from?

[bdsjake]

stuzza, the green translucent sticks (4" wico "robtron" replacements that fit Perfect 360's perfectly) came from a guy named Tom, he would appear on ebay and rgvac frequently.  I got them about a year ago.  He also made the Tron repo handles.  Unfortunately, he stiopped making everything and shut down his website.  He may be getting back into the business though, as I saw him on ebay recently, I emailed him and he responded that he was getting his equipment back together to start up the handle business again.  Hopefull, he will post something soon as I would like some more myself!

[rchadd]

i know you like Oak...

so maybe you interested in my new cocktail cab (a blatant plug)

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=25687

I used Oak veneered MDF and am very pleased with the outcome.