bartop arcade?

[dreamcastninja]

I have an old 14 or 15 inch packard bell monitor sitting around, I'd like to make a bartop arcade machine out of it. Any good tutorials or anything on that? How would I build the cab? can I buy an empty cab like that? ect?

[pointdablame]

Most bartops you can buy are gonna be quiz games or card games I would think.  You could make your own  cab really simply with very little effort.

I'm building one myself right now, and pretty much just winged the dimensions after thinking about what was going in it.  Designs can vary of course, but for the most part, you can build the cab very quickly and easily.

I have some pics in my thread if you want an idea: http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=27222

It's far from done, but it might give you an idea or two.  They are really fun to build, especially if you have some extra monitors and computers around.  Not much else you can do with them

[dreamcastninja]

what i've really been wanting to do is to make a portable mame console... sort of like those atari sticks... but have it hook to the tv

sort of like building my own console and using mame and some other emu's

heh

like have it all self contained inside the stick... i wonder how that'd work out?

[dreamcastninja]

it'd probably be too small though, the stick would have to be huge I think...

I could always make an ultimate emulation console or something lol

that would be sweet

[Iori]

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=15148

Here is another example, though it is a bit wider and done for two players.  Sadly I am still working on this project and it is still not done... it is very different from what is in the thread above now though, hopefully I'll have it done soon enough.  

[dreamcastninja]

nice, doesn't look bad at all

[pointdablame]

I remember seeing that cab a while back Iori.... very nice work!

[Iori]

Thanks...    I am hoping to get the stuff to put the finishing touches on it this weekend.  Keep an eye out for an update in the projects section.  I have really been slacking on getting it finished...  

[SteveJ34]

I''m working on a couple of bartops  which are fashioned similar to projects like:

http://www.bishopzone.com/bishopzone/projects/tabletops/tabletops.html

and

http://pacfan69.tripod.com/cabinets/id8.html

I'm planning to make vertical classics using 14-15" monitor rotated.

[Vicious]

I'm not really into the joystick or choice of start/credit buttons, but I think this cabinet shows the best craftsmanship seen in a bartop.

[missioncontrol]

here's some pics of other bartops in this thread that may help get you started:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=23215

[javeryh]

I want to build one of these things eventually but I'm worried that it is going to be quite large after covering the entire monitor...

[paigeoliver]

They are pretty big, bigger than they look in pictures. I have a 13" Magical Touch, and it weighs 82 lbs.

Some uprights (plywood ones) don't weigh much more than that.

[javeryh]

That's what I thought - I think I'd be better off building a mini-cabinet - you know, one of those super cute 4 footers...

[pointdablame]

They do get pretty big.  I think I made mine too big even, but it really can't get much smaller when I think about it.  I just like the idea and look of them, but they definitely aren't much lighter or smaller than some other options.

Pictures don't really do it like Paige said, they are much larger in person.

[Iori]

Mine is way too big... ~24" wide.  

[dreamcastninja]

oh man thats the size of my...

wait

wrong forum...

lol

*this has been an inappropriate post by me

[Hoagie_one]

my first bartop was 14" wide, but very tall adn deep.  More than it should of been and i used a 10" monitor.

I have another 10" monitor and I'm sure if i strip off the casing on it, i can squeeze it in a real small box next time.

[neuromancer]

what i've really been wanting to do is to make a portable mame console... sort of like those atari sticks... but have it hook to the tv
sort of like building my own console and using mame and some other emu's

That's been done. Kind of like a Hot Rod control panel with a computer built in. Pretty nifty I think.

Bob

[fatbasta]

My minipacman could easly be converted into a bartop with just a few cuts of a skill saw.  I plan on adding some measurments and detail on the Namco 5n1 controler hack to my webpage this weekend.  Check out the page, I would love any feedback.
http://members.cox.net/fatbasta/minipacman.htm

[dreamcastninja]

how did you make the 5 in one controller not take batteries? or did you?

[fatbasta]

I used a 6v power supply from an old desktop calculator.