Construction materials

[Mr. Bubblehead]

In reading through the forums I've noticed that the majority of you build your stuff with MDF, as opposed to traditional particle board like most arcade games were traditionally made of.  I'm curious why that is...it has been my experience that particle board holds up a lot better over time, not to mention it's less expensive.  Is it because MDF is easilr to work with and has a smoother finish?

[Mark70]

I've never built a cab, and I'm no expert, but I'd say it's all about the finish.  Plastic laminate and laminating paper are difficult/crappy to work with.  You can paint mdf with minimal sanding.

[rescue161]

I built mine out of plywood.

My original Pac-Man is made of plywood.  I'm glad too as partical board just wouldn't have withstood the test of time.

It's lighter and holds up better than MDF in my opinion.

[webgeek]

Mine will be plywood as well.

Mike

[MameJunkie]

Mine is plywood.

Really depends on the quality of plywood and if you plan on painting or using lamanate.  If you use low grade plywood that has rough surfaces, painting it would look like crap.

Think MDF is easier because it is smooth but I believe it is heavier than a equal thickness plywood.

[Mr. Bubblehead]

I just wondered if there was some secret advantage of using MDF that I didn't know about.  All my cabs are constructed of part board, but I reinforce them well and I also have a method of sealing the surfaces to make them perfectly smooth as well as moisture and chip-resistant.

[Tailgunner]

Plywood is stronger, but it warps and delaminates when wet, and unless you're talking marine grade plywood it has voids in it. Marine grade plywood is significantly more expensive than MDF.

As to MDF versus particle board, MDF cuts and routes nicer, and needs minimal surface prep to finish. The cabinet making industry switched a long time ago to MDF for that reason.

The arcade cab manufacturers of the golden era were stuck with what they could get to build the cabs. Demand for the cabs was huge, and sourcing the materials for a several thousand cab production run ment they had to make do with what was available in sufficient quantities. 

[Skadar]

I went with 3/4" birch plywood for the cabinet I'm building now.  I personally can't stand MDF.  I don't want to build with stuff that I can pull apart with my bare hands.

The 3/4" birch plywood that I am using costs $45 a sheet.  Money well spent in my opinion.

[MameJunkie]

Tailgunner is right about the warping of the wood.  I have that problem with my cab.

[javeryh]

I really don't like MDF.