Cocktail for first cab.... too hard?

[javeryh]

I think I want to build a midway-style pac-man cocktail as my first cab (it's the only type my wife will likely go for) but I'm not sure as to how hard it is to build.  I'm pretty confident about my woodworking skills - the thing that troubles me is the mounting of a monitor without its casing and some of the wiring on the inside.  Any thoughts?

[Gunstar Hero]

No worries! A Midway-style cocktail cab is easy to build, being that it's basically a big box with a couple control panels on the end and a top with a monitor attached to it.

Plus there are some AWESOME plans out there for them, and plenty of room to customize!

My first scratch built will be a Midway cocktail for sure.

[missioncontrol]

Kyle Lindstrom has some really detailed plans that may help out, They are very detailed and very usefull.......

they are located at:

http://www.mikesarcade.com/arcade/cabplans.html

good luck

[whammoed]

yep, my first two were cocktails...turned out great:

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/pactacular/pactacular.htm

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/whammocade/whammocade.htm

[javeryh]

yep, my first two were cocktails...turned out great:

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/pactacular/pactacular.htm

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/whammocade/whammocade.htm

heh, funny you posted here as it is your whammocade that has inspired me to build my cocktail.  Thanks for the great work!

[rjarcade]

I think the whammocade has inspired quite a few of us!

[Dexter]

I've just finished my first cocktail cab for a friend. Mounting the monitor is indeed the hardest part (well for me anyway). I bolted the metal 'ears' on the corner of the tube to metal braces then screwed these to mdf with the shape of the tube cut out. Awkward, but as it's going to a friend I want as solid a mount as possible. I'll post pics when available.

Dexter

[Craig]

yep, my first two were cocktails...turned out great:

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/pactacular/pactacular.htm

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/whammocade/whammocade.htm

You have some bloody great cabs there! I like the pic with Mortal Kombat on screen.

[rchadd]

I think the whammocade has inspired quite a few of us!

actually it was pactacular that first got me thinking about building one

[javeryh]

I think I'm going to go for it but I am really nervous about the monitor.  I'm not even sure how to remove it from it's casing (although I'm sure if I actually tried I could do it).  What particularly worries me though is once the monitor is caseless, isn't there a risk of a fire or a short or a power surge or something?  I keep reading that this is very dangerous.  

Imagine if after months of convincing my wife to let me build one of these things that it ends up burning the house down...

[ericball]

I think I'm going to go for it but I am really nervous about the monitor.  I'm not even sure how to remove it from it's casing (although I'm sure if I actually tried I could do it).  What particularly worries me though is once the monitor is caseless, isn't there a risk of a fire or a short or a power surge or something?  I keep reading that this is very dangerous.  

The guys on the Monitor forum can probably answer your concerns better.  The risks (assuming you use some common sense) are minimal.

[Tiger-Heli]

Also, if you saw the whammocade -

One of the best things about a cocktail cabinet (other than that the wife is more likely to approve one) is that since you can sit on any side of it, you can use MAME's screen rotation commands and play either vertical or horizontal monitor games full screen without building a rotating monitor or two cabs.  Just make an additional CP on the long face of the cocktail.

[whammoed]

Also, if you saw the whammocade -

One of the best things about a cocktail cabinet (other than that the wife is more likely to approve one) is that since you can sit on any side of it, you can use MAME's screen rotation commands and play either vertical or horizontal monitor games full screen without building a rotating monitor or two cabs.  Just make an additional CP on the long face of the cocktail.

Yes, that was a big plus for me.  That reminds me, I still have some third panels for sale here:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=22491

[currygoat11]

be sure to check out http://www.pharaohweb.com/pacman/pacman.html

I'm building something very similar. The site has info about where to get pre-cutout cabinet kits which is what I did and am currently in the process of assembling the thing.

currygoat

[Tilzs]

I think the hardest part is mounting the monitor. One thing that I didn't do but if I was going to do it over again I'd probably do is an arcade monitor. An arcade monitor I think is a lot easier to mount in a cocktail than a computer monitor because it's designed to be mounted without a case. This way you don't need to worry about what happens when you remove the case.

I didn't use an arcade monitor in my cocktail because I thought the price of one new was too high compared to a computer monitor I had laying around. I do know now however that if one is patient enough you can pick up a decent used arcade monitor for a very reasonable price.

[LeedsFan]

I think the hardest part is mounting the monitor.

If I were you I'd go with what you actually want. Never mind mounting the monitor........  do what you want and worry about mounting the wife later!