Cabinet Construction Complete... GUNCON2 Interface Circuit Assembly...

[tivogre]

Some of you may remember a LONG time ago, I posted some pics of my first ever completed control panel:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,13211.0.html

Well... I'm back... and FINALLY starting construction on the main cabinet.

The cabinet will be my own design.  It will feature a full 2x4 internal frame, the 4 player CP above, and a Wells-Gardner 27" monitor.

I've put up a web site to document the process / progress:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm

Hopefully, there will be some interest and someone in the future will find this helpful.

I will also be adding the full construction info for the control panel (from the thread above) to the page soon.

Enjoy!

[tivogre]

Today I built the cabinet base:



Amazing so far... I know...

It WILL get better!

[PoDunkMoFo]

Wow!!!!  Simply Amazing!!!  I've never seen a table saw mounted on a wall like that.  Must be hard to use. 

[tivogre]

 Quite a bit of progress today:

Wheels mounted to base; most of side frames glued up.

web site has been updated with full run-down.

Here's a couple of teaser shots...

The two main side frames clamped together for alignment:



And the monitor support frame sub-assemblies:

[Flinkly]

woah...very well thoguht out.  nice work.  do you have a background in woodworking?

[tivogre]

woah...very well thoguht out.  nice work.  do you have a background in woodworking?

Yes.  I've got a full wood shop at home, and have been doing carpentry and furniture making for about 15 years.

My biggest weakness is over-building.... but that means most of my pieces will out live me (and stay put).

[Flinkly]

finally, another woodworker.  i was starting to think we were a dying breed.  are you going to do the sides in plywood?  are you painting or laminating (or staining)?  i'm glad to see someone else using something other than home depot L-brackets (for shelves) for stability and mdf for everything else.  i can't wait to see the final results.  what is the final shape you are after?

[tivogre]

finally, another woodworker.  i was starting to think we were a dying breed.  are you going to do the sides in plywood?  are you painting or laminating (or staining)?  i'm glad to see someone else using something other than home depot L-brackets (for shelves) for stability and mdf for everything else.  i can't wait to see the final results.  what is the final shape you are after?

Well, truthfully, I am certain that I am over-building this thing.  I'm sure that the normal MDF with 2x2 supports is adequate.  However, you know how it is as a woodworker.  If you CAN make half lap joints and a full frame.... why not.  It's the challenge that makes it fun!

For the skin panels, I'll be using 3/4" ply wood, covered in black laminate.  Not sure what color t-molding I'm using yet.  Thinking of blue or silver.

Here's the working sketch of the profile...

[Dire Radiant]

Now that is going to be one solid cabinet. I'm glad I'm not the one who's going to have to carry it into the house!

[Flinkly]

eh...it's probably as heavy as a mdf cab with minimal 2x4 support.  that mdf stuff is much hevier than plywood, and isn't as strong.  as you can tell, i use plywood for most everything.

[tivogre]

eh...it's probably as heavy as a mdf cab with minimal 2x4 support.  that mdf stuff is much heavier than plywood, and isn't as strong.  as you can tell, i use plywood for most everything.

As I get this thing built, I'm starting to agree with you.

The frame parts are really not THAT heavy;  I think the difference in the weight of a plywood vs. MDF skin system may offset the weight of the frame.  That being said, a frame is HARDER to build than the normal MDF structural cabs.

I won't get anything done today.  Have to attend a wedding... but this weekend, I hope to rock and roll on this project.

[tivogre]

I lied.  I did get a LITTLE BIT accomplished.

I got the monitor sub-frame assemblies mounted to the side frames:






I'll break out the biscuit joiner tomorrow and get these on the base with some cross supports!

I can actually start to picture it standing upright!

[tivogre]

Well, I didn't get the frame on the base today... but I DID get the final frame assembled, including the rather complicated monitor supports.

the web page is updated with details... but here, a shot of today's progress, in clamps for the night to dry:

[tivogre]

Due to storage / bandwidth limitations on the cox site, I had to move my construction site.

The new location is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm

I also updated this location in my initial post of this thread.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

[tivogre]

Website updated.

[tivogre]

You guys are awfully quiet.

I don't know whether to be happy, or afraid that there are no comments / questions.

Mayby once I get into the "pretty" parts, there will be more input / discussion.

[Flinkly]

while it's taking you time to complete, to us, not much has changed.  so yeah, we're waiting for the real meat and potatoes of the cabinet so that we have something to comment on.  keep it up.

[tivogre]

Current status:



As always, website has details.

[tivogre]

Website updated...

[tivogre]

Today, I made and installed fixed and removable panel assemblies to close in the top of the cabinet:

Sneak peek of updated website:



http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%208

[tivogre]

Got quite a bit done today! 

I also put up a couple of shots from yesterday's small progress.

Website is updated:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2010

Here's the sneak peek:

[tivogre]

I got a LOT of tedious work done this week-end, including FINISHING ALL of the brackets and bolts for the removable light, speaker and marquee panels.  I also finished up some "sculpture" to the back edge of the top hood:



http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2011%20&%2012

[tivogre]

I've created another page on my site with the details of the control panel construction.  I'll be finishing it up soon.  So far, the planning, parts, construction and finishing sections are complete.  I'll be putting up the wiring details in a day or so.



http://www.ogredog.com/mame_cp_construction.htm


[EDIT]: As of 10:00pm the CP website is complete!

Any comments or suggestions for additions / clarifications are welcome!

Hopefully someone will find this helpful.

[mhermann]

Just to let you know your work is being watched. It is really helpful to me to see some other ideas. Keep up of the good work.

[tivogre]

Tonight, I made and installed the protective grill for my speaker panel:



http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2013

[dphirschler]

Clever.  Did you have any problem making it lay down flat?


Darryl

[tivogre]

Clever.  Did you have any problem making it lay down flat?

None at all. 

The material isn't very springy.

Hand pressure while putting the staples in was all I needed.

Now that the epoxy and bondo are down, it's not going ANYWHERE any time soon.

[teef two]

I know there are not many comments on this thread but I for one am in complete awe at your woodworking and wiring skills on this project.

It does make my effort look extremely poor in comparison but that's down to my lack of skill and application.

This to me looks already like it has the makings of one of the best built and best documented cabinets I have seen.

[dema]

I know there are not many comments on this thread but I for one am in complete awe at your woodworking and wiring skills on this project.

It does make my effort look extremely poor in comparison but that's down to my lack of skill and application.

This to me looks already like it has the makings of one of the best built and best documented cabinets I have seen.

I agree...the workmanship is fantastic. It makes me sad thinking about different areas of my machine where I improvised with. I'm loving the step by step documentation as well.

[tivogre]

I know there are not many comments on this thread but I for one am in complete awe at your woodworking and wiring skills on this project.

It does make my effort look extremely poor in comparison but that's down to my lack of skill and application.

This to me looks already like it has the makings of one of the best built and best documented cabinets I have seen.

<blush>

Thanks for the compliment.  That's some high praise.

Not sure I'm deserving of "the best built and best documented cabinets I have seen"...  but I'm trying to not cut corners and do a professional job on both the construction and the web site.

I think there are several other cabs out there that are more complex / innovative...  but I'm doing my best as a first timer.

Glad to see that the documentation is appreciated.  I'm getting WAY more hits than I ever expected.

[tivogre]

Yesterday and today were spent applying black paint and poly to the frame and removable panels.

Today, I also mounted the satellite and sub speakers to the speaker panel.

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2014

[tivogre]

Today, I completed most of the construction for the rear door of my cabinet:



Daily update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2015

[tivogre]

Installed locksets to back door yesterday.  Hardest part was making a couple of strike plates to keep it closed tightly:



Also got a sneak peek of the finished cabinet when I test fit the control panel and the bezel / glass to take some measurements for upcoming work:



My new mantra.... someday soon, you will be done.... someday soon, you will be done... someday soon...

[tivogre]

It's been a slow couple of days, and I scrapped about an afternoon's worth of work that I just wasn't happy with.

This is what I've been working on:



This will be my method of securing the bottom of the glass with no visible screws, my admin panel, and the back rest for my control panel.

I'll try to keep it moving along better!

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2017

[tivogre]

So, How did I do?



I'll take it!

Got the Glass Retainer / Admin Panel / CP Backrest done today.

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2018

[tivogre]

Today, after taking a break this week-end to entertain company (with the MAME cabinet, of course), I got back to business.

The order of the day was the keyboard drawer and glides:





I still have to get some "trim" work done on the drawer... but the main drawer assembly is in place.

I also added a couple of shots of the glass retainer / admin panel while I had it all together:



Next up, finish off the drawer "trim" work and make / install  the panel for the coin door.

Today's full update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2020

[pointdablame]

This is my first time popping into this thread and all I have to say is this is the most over-engineered cabinet I've ever seen.  A lot of the woodworking is really completely unnecessary.

And I love EVERY BIT OF IT!   Great work all around.  It really makes my woodworking attempts look foolish in comparison heh.

Keep up the good work.. and the documentation.

[markrvp]

I think this cabinet will be able to withstand a direct hit from a nuclear missile.

[tivogre]

Today, I managed to find just enough time to cut out the lower front panel and install the coin door.  For now, it's just aesthetic... no connections... and the panel is just clamped in place:



What a huge difference that makes in the look of the cabinet!

Daily update here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2021

[Timstuff]

Now that is a coin door.

[tivogre]

Back from Memorial Day travels!

Time to get back to work.

I decided the coin door needed something a bit "more" than the flat panel, and I had some ideas about what while I was away:



Yes, I decided to add an "extension" to the panel to bring out the coin door, and give that big flat panel some character.

Full update here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2022

[tivogre]

Today was a day of dust.

I sanded the S-Curve smooth on my coin door panel assembly:



I also got around to installing the correctly colored reject buttons in my coin door:



This turned out to be a long and tedious job... I ended up removing ALL  of the coin mechs to get the reject buttons out.  That's like 32 TINY screws and a bunch of other stuff to take loose.  The plungers are easy - just remove a c-clip.  It's the "body" of the reject button that was a pain.

If I "went the long way around" on this, and there was an easier way, someone please let me know.  I may need to do it again some day.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try to laminate this assembly.  I'm nervous about the curvy shape.

Any laminate experts out there got any tips for dealing with the S-Curve shape of this thing?

Daily update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2023

[tivogre]

The firsts attempt at laminating this assembly went from this:



to this:



in a hurry!  And I picked up quite a few cuts on my hands along the way.

The week-end's painful journey can be found in my update here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2024%20&%2025

The story will (at least I think it will) have a happy ending though!

[maxxonline]

Today was a day of dust.

I sanded the S-Curve smooth on my coin door panel assembly:



I also got around to installing the correctly colored reject buttons in my coin door:



This turned out to be a long and tedious job... I ended up removing ALL

[M3talhead]

This thing is going to be bulletproof.

[tivogre]

Where did you get the colored coin reject buttons from?  I think those look great and add a little style to the bottom of the cab.

The reject buttons are from HAPPs here:

http://www.happcontrols.com/cc/420517xx.htm

And the Inserts (Player 1 - Player 4):

http://www.happcontrols.com/cc/42008400.htm

[tivogre]

This thing is going to be bulletproof.

I hope to never find out!

 

[tivogre]

Last night, I finished the coin door panel assembly, and was able to get the coin door mounted this afternoon after work:



For all the work / effort it was, I'm glad I did it!

Full update here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2026

[markrvp]

Holy Sh!t, that's beautiful!

[NinjaEpisode]

This thing is going to be bulletproof.

I vote that's what you name this cab: "Bulletproof".

[Soliton_Radar]

WOW

[mllkat]

I am really impressed with everything you've accomplished so far....and your web site documentation is excellent. Following along with your progress proves conclusively there are many different ways to achieve GREAT results. Keep it up and keep us informed...and the work on the coin door is stellar.

[Timstuff]

It's looking awesome. I can't wait to see more.

[tivogre]

Today, I made the trim piece that goes underneath the keyboard drawer and closes in the space back to the coin door panel:





The goal with the keyboard drawer is to make it seem as if there IS no keyboard drawer to guests.  The drawer will secure using a latch that is only accessible INSIDE the cabinet through the coin door.

I'm trying to decide if I want to put a strip of aluminum angle across the bottom of the keyboard drawer, or if that would be over doing it with the aluminum.  Sometimes less is more.

Opinions, anyone?

Full update for today here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2027

[KenToad]

My opinion is that you are an awesome woodworker.

Cheers,
KenToad

[markrvp]

What if you put the aluminum angle pieces along the vertical edges of the drawer so it looks like an extension of the aluminum angle strips running vertically on either side of the cabinet front?

[tivogre]

My opinion is that you are an awesome woodworker.

Thanks for the compliment... but I meant coments to the aluminum idea 

Besides an AWESOME woodworker wouldn't need to use Bondo so much!

 

[tivogre]

I had to clean up the shop yesterday... Too dirty / messy to work.

Since I had a clean environment to work in again, I switched gears today and did some laminate work.

I installed the laminate and buttons for the admin panel:



I also installed the laminate on the removable top light panel, along with the fans and light:



As always, much more detail in today's update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2028

[SNAAKE]

Looks great !! I really like the laminated coin door piece !

Please...PLEASE tell me you will be doing something with your foil covered panel.That thing is killing me over here

[armax]

The bondo you're using looks like fiberglass bondo, great idea!

[tivogre]

The Bondo you're using looks like fiberglass Bondo, great idea!

Yes.  It is fiberglass reinforced Bondo.  This stuff is tough as nails, and very easy to work with (if slightly messy).  I used to do custom install work for car stereos;  that's where I discovered the power that is Bondo!

My only cautions with this stuff for those who haven't used it: wear rubber gloves and long sleeves / pants... the stuff BURNS if it gets on you.  ABOVE ALL, wear a MASK when sanding.  The dust from this stuff is worse than MDF, and has fiberglass in it to boot.   

[tivogre]

Looks great !! I really like the laminated coin door piece !

Please...PLEASE tell me you will be doing something with your foil covered panel.That thing is killing me over here

I assume you are talking about the foil on the control panel body.

At this point, I have no plans to change it.  It actually looks pretty good in person (I don't see an issue in the photos).  I'm not sure what I would replace it with.

As I discussed on my CP building page, I don't think I could get laminate on it in a way that I would be happy with.  I would have two seams somewhere.  I also feel certain I couldn't get the laminate on there without a lot of voids... the shape of the CP is complex, and certainly not perfectly "square" everywhere.

I guess I could do the epoxy fill thing...  or I thought about (once, briefly) applying "real" aluminum with epoxy and sanding it to 320 grit for the same brushed look that the rest of the aluminum on the cabinet has.

I will likely build some other control panels for this at some time in the future.  I may try something else with them, including building them so that they can support an overlay.

[SNAAKE]

[Dire Radiant]

Parts Express vinyl would work well too. Otherwise this is looking incredible. No shortcuts or "Good enough" stuff here. This is cabinet building done RIGHT!

[tivogre]

I took a few days off.

Today, I got a few tedious things done, not the least of which was re-making the trim piece that goes from the bottom of the keyboard drawer back to the coin door.

I realized that the Bondo edge was too brittle, and wouldn't be durable enough over time (or even durable enough to finish the lamination).

It's all wood now, and the difficult lamination is complete.



It's MUCH harder to laminate things that don't have a square edge for the trimmer bearing to ride on.

Besides this piece,  I laminated the back door today, and applied Bondo to all of the screw holes / imperfections on the keyboard drawer.

Full update here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2029

[AceTKK]

I agree with Snaake re: the aluminum foil on the CP.  The rest of your cab looks so polished and clean, the foil looks tacky as hell.  If you want the aluminum look then get some sheet stock, hit it with some sandpaper or a wire wheel for the nice brushed look, and make a nice veneer.  Right now your cab is like a supermodel with a huge gold-plated front tooth.   

[tivogre]

After a few days off, I finished the laminate / paint / aluminum trim on the keyboard drawer and got it re-installed on the cabinet:





All in all, I think it blends in pretty well.  Hopefully it doesn't look too drawer-like.

I still have to cut the opening for the wire pass through in the back of the drawer and install the "locking" hardware.

Gory details:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2030

[tivogre]

Since the positioning of the hardware to "lock" the keyboard drawer will require tight tolerance, I decided that I needed to make and install the hardware to secure the coin door panel in final position first.

Here's what I came up with:



The 4 knobs can be tightend down so that the bolts go into holes on the cabinet frame.  This prevents the coin doow panel from being removed unless the knobs (accessible through the locked coin door) are loosened.

Full update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2031

[tivogre]

Well, it's been a busy week at work.  I have found an hour here and there to work on the cabinet... but haven't gotten the web site updated until today.  There are three new updates on the web site now.

1st Update:

I managed to get the hardware made / mounted for securing the keyboard drawer on Tuesday:



Full story is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2032

2nd update:

On Thursday, I did some "patch work" to the marquee panel and Bondo'd the "damage" from the jigs used to mount the drawer locking hardware:



Full story is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2033

3rd update:

Finally, on Friday, I stripped the cabinet down - hopefully for the last time, to the frame:



This was in preparation for applying laminate to the attached skin panels...



...including the expected difficult to laminate "hood" on the top back of the cabinet:



Full story here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Days%2034%20to%2036

[pathdoc2]

Wow is all I can say.  I thought I was a good woodworker.  Great job.

[tivogre]

I've now reinforced why I HATE applying laminate to curves!

On my FOURTH try, after wasting 3/4 of a sheet of 4' x 8' black laminate and quite a bit of epoxy, I FINALLY got that damn "hood" laminated!



Currently working on installing the back door of the cabinet.

Read the saga of many failures and one final triumph here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2037

So... what do you guys think... was it worth 3 days and ~$50 to get this ONE part done?

 

[CJK]

You have WAY too many Bessey clamps. You should give some of the unnecessary ones (basically, all you need is one) to other woodworkers in need. I will be happy to assist you with this charitable endeavor -- go ahead and send them to me, and I'll be sure they find a good home. Errr, homes.

-- Chris

[tivogre]

One can NEVER have too many Bessey K-Body clamps.

<Non-Paid Endorsement>

If you don't own some Besseys, and you do wood working, run to the store now and get at least a pair.  You'll never look back!

</Non-Paid Endorsement>

I built my collection over a couple of years of x-mas and birthdays.  I told every aunt, uncle, grandparent, and anyone else who buys $30-$40 presents for holidays that I wanted to build a set of good clamps.  Each holiday, I listed the number and sizes I still "needed" and e-mailed out links to them on amazon.com

They thought I was odd.

They were right.

I got my collection of clamps.

I would still like to have a few more of the 60"ers... but I can't justify buying them, as I rarely need anything that big.

[rchadd]

wow how heavy is that cab?

like the coin door

[nostrebor]

You have WAY too many Bessey clamps.   <snip>

-- Chris

blasphemy.


It is humanly impossible to have too many Bessey clamps.

[tivogre]

wow how heavy is that cab?

like the coin door

Actually... and I'm quite surprised...  it isn't very heavy.  At least without the monitor and the other "guts" in it.

As discussed earlier in this thread, I don't think the frame and ply-wood panels will end up weighing MUCH more than a "traditional" MDF cabinet with 2 x 4 bracing / monitor supports.

Even if it is a bit heavier, I think my "piece of mind" that the cabinet will be around for quite a while is worth it.  I am confident that this cabinet could stand up in the "outside world" if necessary.

Now, granted, I haven't added the side panels (which will be 3/4" Ply wood) yet.  When It's all together, I'll take some weights.  In fact. I might do a few weighings as I add components in.  That could be fun.

[tivogre]

I got that last strip of wood laminated, and am ready to re-mount the back door and lock sets.

Here's a sexy back shot...  ready for the door:



Once I get the back door back on, I'll work on the power and network ports on the back panel.

This week-end's goal is to get the sides at LEAST measured and marked...   but I've got a lot of little things to work on that might distract me.

I can see light at the end of the tunnel though!

Daily update here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2038

[CJK]

I would still like to have a few more of the 60"ers... but I can't justify buying them, as I rarely need anything that big.

My longest Besseys are 40" -- I have pipe clamps for really big items (full-height carcases, for instance), but those 60" K-bodies would be a nice in-between size.

Hmmm, too bad Father's Day just passed us...

-- Chris

[tivogre]

I can't believe it's been a week without working or updating!  Life is busy.

Anyway, I got the back door and lock sets re-installed, including the cam lock anchor plated from Bob Roberts.

I also implemented what is (I think) a fairly original method of getting power and network wires into the cabinet cleanly:



Someone's probably done something similar before.. but I haven't seen it.

In addition, I checked off a few more "punch list" items today:

Drilled holes and recesses for mounting the control panel to the frame.

Sanded Bondo on top of coin door panel.

Sanded Bondo on bottom of keyboard drawer.

Cut cord pass through on back of keyboard drawer.

All the gory details and pictures for all of this are here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2039

[armax]

tivogre, where did you get the plate and what exactly is it called?

[tivogre]

I ordered it from Action Electronics online.

http://www.action-electronics.com/ppkeysto.htm#Plates

It's in the "Stainless Steel Wall Plates" pdf here:

http://www.action-electronics.com/pdf/03-033ae.pdf

Part number WP-C/M

They have a WIDE variety of plates with different connector and hole configurations.

The pass through jack I used is on that same page in the feed through section.



Their prices and shipping were reasonable;  they were quick.

[tivogre]

Tonight I cut out the left side panel for the cabinet.

I still have to trim up the small radius corners, but It's pretty close.

I'm especially happy with the large radius curves:



Details of the cutting process are on my site here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2042

Next I'll finish up the small radius corners and see if this will be an acceptable template for the right side.  I think (hope) it will!

[kickngas]

Great work.  Beautiful curves!  I just have to ask....how much will that sucker weigh?  I just had to move my cab upstairs to my FROG, and it was like lead and didn't even have any electronics installed!

[tivogre]

At long last, BOTH side panels for the cabinet are CUT!!!

I spent a while today "tweaking" the left side panel getting the small radius curves the way I wanted them, and making sure I had a nice even reveal all the way around the frame.

It's amazing how much differences just the little detail of rounding over the sharp corners into smooth curves makes in the over-all appearance of the cabinet.

Once I was satisfied, I did a test fit of the left side panel on the RIGHT side of the frame;  It fit dead on!  That made my life MUCH easier.

At that point, I made fairly short work of duplicating the side panel;  here is the resulting test fit:



As you can see, both side panels, the control panel, the coin door assembly and the keyboard drawer all play together nicely. 

The gory details of side panel construction are here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2043

Next up is installing t-nuts into the side panels so they can be mounted, cutting the t-molding slots in the sides, and laminating the sides.

[tivogre]

I decided against using t-nuts to attach my panel sides.

Instead, I decided to embed bolts into the panels like I did for all of the other removable panels on the cabinet.

Yesterday, I drilled all of the through holes for mounting the panel sides, and cut all of the recess holes to conceal the bold heads:



While the side panels were in the (now dusty) shop, I went ahead and routed the t-molding slots in the panel sides.



I put up a tutorial on both of these processes (mainly focusing on getting the holes drilled square to the panel surface and getting a perfectly centered groove) as part of my web log update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2044

Next up will be laminating the inner panel surfaces and then installing the bolts with epoxy...

[tivogre]

I spent a few evenings doing some pretty mundane stuff...  drilling the bolt holes in the cabinet frame to match the sides, and filling in jig / screw holes with Bondo in preparation for laminating the side panels.



This week-end I got the inside of both panels laminated (the protective plastic is still on them for now):

   

I'll have to permanently install the bolts and fill in THOSE recesses before laminating the outsides.

The week-end update is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Days%2045%20and%2046

[tivogre]

Today I installed the bolts that will hold the side panels on to my cabinet frame.  There will be 10 1/4" bolts per side;  no exposed hardware on the outside of the cabinet.

After temporarily installing the bolts,



I filled in around each bolt head with some epoxy:



Giving me permanently installed bolts!



Web site has been updated:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2047

Next up is to sand the epoxy flat, touch up with some Bondo, then get the outsides of the side panels laminated.

[tivogre]

Today, I got all of the prep work done;  I'm ready to laminate the "Money Side" of the side panels!

I started by sanding down all the epoxy, going over the bolts with Bondo, and then sanding that smooth to get as good a surface as I can for the laminate application:



Then I traced the cabinet side outlines onto both sides of the laminate, as I have done before:

 

 

Next up is applying the contact cement and getting the LAST TWO SHEETS of laminate applied!!!

Web site update for today:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2048

[tivogre]

...
Well, almost.  I have the t-molding installation yet to do.  That will be last so I can get it right down against the control panel.

BUT the last of the laminate is applied.

I'll spare you the details here.  You've seen them before;  they're on the web site here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2049

The finished sides look GREAT!  Even better than I'd hoped.  Especially after I took off the protective plastic:

 

Unfortunately, black laminate doesn't photograph as well as it looks in person.

The to do list is getting shorter:

Complete the wiring for the admin panel, including the cabinet volume knob

Finish the marquee panel and install the glass / marquee

Bolt all the removable panels on to the cabinet

Tidy up the wiring in the cabinet a bit

Play some games!

I hope you guys are enjoying all this documentation.  It's a lot of work.  Hopefully, it will inspire or help someone else to build their own cabinet.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion!

[SNAAKE]

I must..WOW !! once again,good job !

EDIT : SAY !

[tivogre]

You must.... what?

Thanks for the compliment... I think...

 

[shodokan123]

show us when it is done

much <3 on the cab.

[tivogre]

Today I assembled the parts to make the volume knob for my cabinet:



This will be installed in the center of my admin panel, just below the bezel glass.

I'm still waiting on a shaft extension collar to arrive before I can install this volume knob.... but I tested it and it works great!

Full details / photos of the process are here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2050

[tivogre]

Today I worked on the wiring harness for my cabinet's admin panel.

The panel has 4 buttons on it.  Two green PAUSE (P) buttons and two red EXIT buttons.  I want the wired so that EITHER green button will register PAUSE, but BOTH red buttons must be depressed TOGETHER to EXIT.

Here's a schematic of how I wired them:



And here's the harness so far:



I'm going to splice an RJ-45 jack on the end of the harness so I can disconnect it easily for service if required.

Here's the more detailed web site update for the day:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2051

[tivogre]

Today I added the RJ-45 plug to my admin harness and installed the completed harness in the removable admin panel assembly:



I also started work on building this circuit:



Using the above circuit, I will be able to turn on or off the 4 free credit buttons underneath my control panel with a single lighted rocker switch inside the coin door.

The coin door switches will always remain active.

Details on progress today are at:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2052

[tivogre]

I have decided to use a DB-25 connector for all the wires coming in / out of the project box for the coin control circuit.

For any EEs (or just smart electronics folks) in the house, I have two questions before I finish building this...

1. Do I even NEED the diodes in the circuit above?

If I don't include them, then whenever a coin is inserted in a coin slot,
ground will show on the output side of the free credit button. Seems
this wouldn't be a big deal, because if the free buttons were "off" that
ground's going no where; if they were ON, then it's just as if I pressed
the button.

2. Do relays get hot or have a short life when they're "on" most of the time?

I expect that I will have the free credit buttons enabled most of the
time (thus the relay coil will be energized). The relay will be in a fairly
small project case.

[Ed_McCarron]

I have decided to use a DB-25 connector for all the wires coming in / out of the project box for the coin control circuit.

For any EEs (or just smart electronics folks) in the house, I have two questions before I finish building this...

1. Do I even NEED the diodes in the circuit above?

If I don't include them, then whenever a coin is inserted in a coin slot,
ground will show on the output side of the free credit button. Seems
this wouldn't be a big deal, because if the free buttons were "off" that
ground's going no where; if they were ON, then it's just as if I pressed
the button.

2. Do relays get hot or have a short life when they're "on" most of the time?

I expect that I will have the free credit buttons enabled most of the
time (thus the relay coil will be energized). The relay will be in a fairly
small project case.

I don't think the diodes are -really- necessary.  Worst case scenario, you've grounded a floating switch contact.  Even if both button and coin switch actuate at the same time, you've just created parallel paths to ground.  I don't really see any traps.

As long as your relay is rated continuous duty, it should be fine. 

What about something like this?  No relay.  Perhaps someone else will chime in - more people looking at a circuit helps prevent design errors.

Ed



Edit:  Goofy .jpg ate some lines...  theres a few horiz lines missing...


Edit #2:  On looking at the circuit again, theres an off chance that if you are NOT in free play mode, and someone puts a coin in at the same time someone else presses a free play button, 2 credits may register.  Don't think theres any potentially dangerous wiring in there, tho.

[wintermute]

No, I don't think there's any reason to include the diodes.

[Ed_McCarron]

Heh, great minds and all...

[wintermute]

Haha, you wrote almost exactly what I was going to say in my reply before I started drawing the circuit..  You must have been faster on the "draw".

good idea though 

wm

[tivogre]

Those drawing are great ideas you both had.  I had the same idea.

Unfortunately, I can't go that route.

The grounds for the free coin switches are shared with other buttons inside the control panel;  all wiring is going through DB25 / Parallel cables.  I DEFINITELY don't want to undo the wiring in there:



Since I didn't plan properly and use a dedicated ground wire just for the free coin buttons (seems obvious NOW) , I can't just "cut their ground".  I only have access to the 4 wires RETURNING from the free credit buttons.

That's why I'm going this (much more complicated) route.

It says nothing on the relay one way or the other about continuous duty.

[Ed_McCarron]

I expect that I will have the free credit buttons enabled most of the
time (thus the relay coil will be energized)

Bummer on the no common ground.

What about using the normally closed side of the relay, so that the free play buttons work when the relay is DEenergized? 

That said, I've had relays in control panels (industrial, not arcade) energized for 6 months at a shot.  They get warm, but all I've seen blow is the indicating lights on the relay.

Socket the relay, and get a spare?

[tivogre]

I only worked a bit yesterday.

I managed to get the switch and input connector mounted on a project box:



And assembled the input / output wiring harness:



As always, details on the daily website update:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2053

Next up is assembling and wiring the "guts" of the little black box.

[Pik4chu]

Those drawing are great ideas you both had.

[tivogre]

It's been a busy week-end!

I finished up the circuit for the free coin control switch.  It was a tight fit getting everything into the project box:



I ended up NOT using the diodes, as I believe they weren't needed AND there was no room in the project box for anything else!

In an unexpected twist for the Arcade Cabinet, my home media server PC crapped out.  I took this as a sign that I needed a better PC in the arcade cabinet!   

I moved the motherboard, processor, memory, and hard drive from the Arcade PC into the server case.

In its place, the Arcade Cabinet got a gift from New Egg:



To replace the Arcade PC, I bought a new motherboard, processor, memory and hard drive.  This allowed me to do a clean XP install and not have any headaches from changing the motherboard / processor from underneath the OS.

So...  the new Arcade PC is a 3.4 GHz Intel processor on an 800MHz front side bus.  1 GB of DDR400 ram, and a 10,000 RPM 74 GB SATA drive.  This should be able to play most of the classics.  (JOKE!)

After about a day and a half getting both PCs up and running, I moved on to tidying up the wiring harness that is the backbone of the cabinet:



All the gory details from this week-end are here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Days%2054%20to%2056

Next up on the punch list is to install the volume knob on the admin panel, mount the free coin control box, and then get this puppy all put together!

[Pik4chu]

It's been a busy week-end!

I finished up the circuit for the free coin control switch.

[tivogre]

I got a full evening's work in today;  I got a LOT done!

Progress today included mounting the Free Coin Control box:



...which lights up nicely!



Making a bracket for and installing the volume knob on the admin panel:





And starting on some FINAL ASSEMBLY!!!

I mounted the power strip and secured the wiring:



Covered the speaker panel in grill cloth:



And installed the Monitor, Bezel, Glass, Admin Panel, and Speaker Panel onto the cabinet frame:



Tomorrow I'll do some more final assembly.

All the gory details on today's progress (and about 30 new pictures) are here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2057

I'm in the home stretch!

[tivogre]

In a couple of hours last night, I cut out a mounting board for all of the cabinet interfaces and attached everything to it.

Here's a shout of all the interface boards as mounted in the cabinet:



What a rat's nest, eh!   

Details are here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2058

At this point, I just have to bolt on all the removable panels and the sides, and then hook up the PC and tidy up the wiring.  I also realized last night that I stall have to cover my marquee frame and install the marquee and glass.

[tivogre]

THE SIDE PANELS ARE ON!!!



Unfortunately, in my excited state, I forgot to take a picture of the sides on before I mounted the control panel.  No big loss, I guess.

I have also finished up the wire tidying:



That's pretty much as neat as I could get it in there.

BUT watch out for hydras:



Still to do:

     1.  Install the t-molding
     2.  Cover the marquee frame
     3.  Install the marquee and glass
     4.  Mount the subwoofer on the speaker panel
     5.  Install the top panel
     6.  Install the coin door
     7.  Software / front end configuration
     8.  Side art - hopefully pixelized aluminum space invaders!

I guess I should work "play some damn games" in there somewhere.   

Full daily update is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2059

[dweebs0r]

Wow,

Don't take this the wrong way but your cabinet is perfect, except the foil!!
It is so well thought out and perfectly engineered that the
foil "cheapens" it somehow.

Maybe it looks better in person but I cant see putting all of that effort into this cabinet and then leaving it partially covered in foil like a baked potato!

JMHO,

-Dweebs

[Pik4chu]

Wow,

Don't take this the wrong way but your cabinet is perfect, except the foil!!
It is so well thought out and perfectly engineered that the
foil "cheapens" it somehow.

Maybe it looks better in person but I cant see putting all of that effort into this cabinet and then leaving it partially covered in foil like a baked potato!

JMHO,

-Dweebs

I kinda have to agree. in your CP construction page I thoguht it looked cool and was a neat look, but seeing it all together as one Just doesnt give the same feel it used to.  Maybe if it was smooth and not crinkled?

[tivogre]

Unfortunately, there is no way I could EVER get it on there smooth.  You're gonna get a wrinkle somewhere. 

My though was that given that, may as well "go with" the crinkled look and "do it like you meant it".

SNAAKE has commented (negatively) on the foil before too.

I may replace it sometime down the road... but I still think it looks decent in person.

I'm also going to be covering the marquee frame in foil.  Maybe that will help... maybe not.

If you've got any other ideas how I could get that aluminum look (which I DO like a lot, and picked up on with the aluminum trim on the rest of the cabinet), I'm all ears!

Thanks for the compliments otherwise, though!

[Timoe]

I check this thread everytime you make an update and every tenth time I visit your site.  One day (when I have a full day off or something) I will sit down and study your process from beggining to end.  Very well documented and very original.

[tivogre]

I check this thread everytime you make an update and every tenth time I visit your site.  One day (when I have a full day off or something) I will sit down and study your process from beggining to end.  Very well documented and very original.

Last night, I was looking through everything on the web site;  I was surprised how much stuff is there.

It's up to about 600 pictures of construction progress.

If I printed it out, it came to about 250 pages.

I've almost written a short novel!

Thanks for looking;  I hope the effort of the documentation helps others out in the future.

[tivogre]

Today, I painted the edges of the cabinet sides black "just in case" before installing t-molding.

I got the t-molding done on both sides on the front below the control panel.

I also got the t-molding installed around the top on the right side panel.



BUT...  Not to be outdone by Mr. Bones... the last cut was a doozy.

Trimming the molding at the bottom of the back of the cabinet, I slipped with the utility knife and stabbed myself in the side of the left knee.  It was pretty deep and bleeding;  I didn't want to risk waiting around with a knee injury (worry of tendons and what not).

4 hours and one trip to the emergency room later:



T'was but a flesh wound... but I got 4 stitches inside the wound and 6 stitches on the outside.

Maybe in a day or two I'll get around to the left side.

I did a daily web site update.  But there isn't too much more there than in this post.

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2060

Maybe in a day or two, I'll get the other side done.

[Bones]

Mate this is the first time I actually waited for all the pics to download due to my slow service and I must say, you are doing an amazing job. Every aspect of your build is clean and professional and I can only imagine the amount time you have put into producing something like this.

It looks great.

Shame about the leg, could have been worse, you could have hooked yourself on the tackle.

[dennis808]

If you've got any other ideas how I could get that aluminum look

Check out this post:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=42161.0

The panel is covered with contact paper with brushed aluminum look, the stuff is sometimes used on (kitchen) cabinet-decorating, and is quite expensive.
I think your cabinet (together with your striving for perfection) deserve a roll of that stuff.

Another (Dutch) link with some varieties: http://zilver-metallic-plakplastic.deplakplasticsite.nl/zilver-metallic-plakplastic.htm

[Pik4chu]

If you've got any other ideas how I could get that aluminum look

Check out this post:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=42161.0

The panel is covered with contact paper with brushed aluminum look, the stuff is sometimes used on (kitchen) cabinet-decorating, and is quite expensive.
I think your cabinet (together with your striving for perfection) deserve a roll of that stuff.

Another (Dutch) link with some varieties: http://zilver-metallic-plakplastic.deplakplasticsite.nl/zilver-metallic-plakplastic.htm

lol darn-it, beat me to it!

[AceTKK]

I agree, the foil has got to go.  You spared no expense on this cab (a 10k rpm Raptor hard drive for a MAME cab? Overkill much  ) and, like I said earlier in the thread, the foil is like a gold tooth on a supermodel.  Aluminum sheet goods are fairly inexpensive, do it right or don't do it at all IMO.

-Ace-

[tivogre]

Anyone want to give me some pointers on working with aluminum sheet?

I presume I can route it with a carbide bit?

[AceTKK]

Yes, you can.  Thin stock (1/4" or less) machines very easily.  I would use a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade to trim close to size and then use the router to finish it off.  That veneer stuff posted above looks pretty nice too and would probably be easier to work with.

[tivogre]

I'd rather go with the real aluminum sheet.  It would be durable;  I could do the same "brushed" finish on it with the ROS that I did on the rest of the aluminum trim.

I'll look around for sources of aluminum sheet.

I'd need a piece about 8" x 10' to go around the control panel.

I see thicknesses  down to 1/32" from different internet suppliers.

Any idea what thickness I would need so I could "form" it over the marquee area?

I assume it would be malleable enough to shape over the marquee frame in 1 piece?

[tivogre]

Today, the knee felt well enough to do a few non-strenuous things...

...so I worked on the cabinet a bit!

I completed the installation of the t-molding.

I cut and installed a piece of black laminate for the inside bottom of the keyboard drawer:



That looks better, and will certainly wear better than the paint.

I also covered the marquee panel in (very controversial) foil:



Someday, when I research aluminum sheet a bit more and gain confidence that I can pull it off, I might replace the foil on the marquee panel and control panel with actual aluminum sheet.

Here's a test fit of the marquee panel:



I am out of glass points (used to hold the marquee and glass into the marquee frame), so I can't finish up today.

If I pick some up tomorrow, finishing up the construction phase should be a short order!

I think my to do list is down to:

     1.  Install the marquee and glass
     2.  Mount the subwoofer on the speaker panel
     3.  Install the top panel
     4.  Install the coin door panel
     5.  Software / front end configuration
     6.  Side art - hopefully pixelized aluminum space invaders!

Anyone know where I can get several 1/8" thick aluminum squares about 1 1/2" to 2" across?

I'd like to use them as the "pixels" for my side "art" project.

[tivogre]

At long last, all of the construction and assembly are COMPLETE!

My punch list is down to:

     1.  Software / front end configuration
     2.  Side art - hopefully pixelized aluminum space invaders!

BUT...  I think I'll take some time to enjoy it "as is" first.

Here are a few FINISHED shots:

Front:



Left:



Coin Door Panel:



Control Panel:



The last CONSTRUCTION update is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2062

I'll continue to update when I get some work done on the front-end and side art.

Without this site, completing this cabinet would not have come to pass!

Thanks for the support, suggestions and feedback!

[Bones]

That's a sweet looking build and should last a couple of hundred years after seeing the internal structure.

Congratulations & Great job! 

[psik0tik]

OOooooOoo nice

[tivogre]

Wow...

I Fell right off the first page already.

 

[kinu64]

I have been following this since you started.  What an amazing machine.  You showed so much care and detail in this and it shows.  I will be reading your website for a long time once I start construction on mine. 

Again, AMAZING.

[tivogre]

Thanks for the kind words kinu64!

In a minor update, I received a pair of Scorpion 3 light guns in the mail today.

Soon, I'll be hacking a HD power to dual gameport cable and working on getting the pair of guns up and running with the WinGun driver.

More photos and a write-up are sure to follow.

BTW.... IF I get the Scorpion 3 guns working correctly, I'll probably be selling the pair of ACT-LABs PC (original "space gun" version) guns.

[tivogre]

About a week ago, I received the pair of "Scorpion 3" GUNCON light guns that I ordered for my cabinet.

I was impressed with the was these looked / felt... even if they were a bit smaller and lighter than I expected.

I've spent a lot of time over the last week ingesting the various GUNCON information on the web and this forum.

Today, I received in the mail a package with the electronic components I needed to build the "interface boards" required to get these guns working with the PC.

Here's a shot of the first circuit I assembled:



This is a simple circuit that converts the 12V power from my PC power supply to 9V that is needed by the "Scorpion 3" guns.
It takes a 12V and Ground input and provides a regulated 9V output.  That, along with the 5V supply from the PC will power the guns properly.  I spliced the output 9V and 5V lines, along with a pigtail from ground to a pair of  PS2 extension cables.  This way, I didn't have to hack up the guns themselves.

All of the power comes from a hard drive Molex plug I spliced on to.

With the power circuit built, I was able to test the guns using the composite output on my graphics card and a 13" TV.  They seem to work!

Now... to get them working on my Wells Gardner 27" monitor, I need another circuit:



The circuit above will (supposedly) accept the H Sync and V Sync lines from a VGA output and create the Composite Sync signal needed for the guns.

I have not yet had a chance to verify that the circuit actually works wit the guns and the monitor.  To do that, I still have to hack into a VGA cable for the input signals.

That's best saved for the upcoming week-end. 

Wish me luck!