Author Topic: Building a Mini Arcade Cab (Read 10115 times)

Harpal · « **on:** December 18, 2005, 09:29:43 am »

Hi,
i am going to start building my first mame cab from

Nipedley · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2005, 09:30:59 am »

Of course its alright =) I look forward to seeing your plans, I'd build one myself if I wasn't so awful with woodworking! For the moment its restoration only

Harpal · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2005, 09:32:27 am »

here are the plans let me know what you think......

Harpal · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2005, 09:35:19 am »

Quote from: Nipedley on December 18, 2005, 09:30:59 am

Of course its alright =) I look forward to seeing your plans, I'd build one myself if I wasn't so awful with woodworking! For the moment its restoration only

am the same aint that good last time i did wood work was in high school lol, but as i got the wood free and most of the stuff already i am going to give it a try and do it, fingers crossed it comes out right

Nipedley · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2005, 09:44:24 am »

Quote from: Harpal on December 18, 2005, 09:35:19 am

Quote from: Nipedley on December 18, 2005, 09:30:59 am
Of course its alright =) I look forward to seeing your plans, I'd build one myself if I wasn't so awful with woodworking! For the moment its restoration only

am the same aint that good last time i did wood work was in high school lol, but as i got the wood free and most of the stuff already i am going to give it a try and do it, fingers crossed it comes out right

Last time I did work was in my secondary school too (though only about 2 years ago for me) came out incredibly bodged, ended up doing almost everything wrong hehe. I can only imagine what mine would end up looking like should I ever decide to do it! But hey, good luck to you. Your plans look good, since I'm not a builder I cant comment on any structural upgrades but it looks good to me! Very similar to one of my machines (though smaller obviously) in fact

Harpal · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2005, 09:50:03 am »

thank you, i just like a smalllook, and the main reason my heart has set to doing a mini pacman cab is the fact that i have a 13in to use in there....so far the cost have been next to nothing....
did say SO FAR!!!!

markrvp · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2005, 10:06:00 am »

Congratulations on your project. I look forward to your progress. Here is a link to a minipacman cabinet I built this year.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=36591.0

Here is another project underway by MameMaster that you might find helpful:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=36046.0

Harpal · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2005, 10:20:21 am »

oh i envy you.....

that looks great, dont expect my one to be anything like that..........as it will be my first ever one and i was thinking of doing a black finish to the whole unit and use velvet on the control panel to give it a lovely feel when i be playing it....
i will carry on with the links you supplied and get as much ideas of them as i can....

Harpal · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2005, 09:37:41 am »

Today was going to be my first day on this project and i already have a huge set back, last night my brother got out the pressure washer from the shed and also moved most of the wood out-side to get to it, and after he got his pressure washer and washed his car he totally forgot about putting the wood back into the shed, so today when i gone down and am thinking yep i can do this, all i see is half the wood has been soaked by the overnight rain.....
even though this is a big set back for me, i am trying right now to get some wood together, will let you all know once my project is up and away......

markrvp · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2005, 09:43:00 am »

Tie your brother to a post overnight and see how he likes getting rained on. He probably won't make the same mistake twice.

Harpal · « **Reply #10 on:** December 19, 2005, 09:45:02 am »

hmmm that is a wonderful idea, juist have to wait for him to get home, before i jump onto him and tie him up with my dogs chain in the garden......
lol that be a funny site!!!!

c64rulez · « **Reply #11 on:** December 19, 2005, 10:17:29 am »

Better still, tie him to one of the posts on EE

Harpal · « **Reply #12 on:** December 25, 2005, 06:43:43 am »

i started cutting out the sides and getting it all together yesterday and so far it has all gone to plan, i have mostly all ready to stick all together now the only think i haven't cut is the control panel yet, as am still having doubts with the ones on the plans....
i will have the pics up soon as i get my data cable back....

subcriminal · « **Reply #13 on:** December 31, 2005, 06:27:52 am »

Get the control panel drilled, routed and fitted up befor you screw it into the cab... sound advice.
I built my cab with blank control panel then had untold amounts of fun drilling and then wiring it up from inside the cab, very awkward way of doing it

A few questions:
Are you going to be using a router to fit t-molding?
What wood are you using? Particle board or MDF?
How are you going to paint it? Roller, brush? What type of paint?
These are just a few things I had to suss out before going too far. I Hadn't done any woodwork or painting before my project but it turned out OK for me.

Good Luck!

Harpal · « **Reply #14 on:** December 31, 2005, 12:34:50 pm »

well i finally have got it all conected together now and painted black, which really tired my hand out, i used MDF for the wood and for a first project it dont look too back, i screwed the monitor, motherboard, and hard drive inside, but did come to one problem the control panel i designed turned out to wide, so it needed triming down and as i was doing this with a planner i trimmed it too much and now mycab is with out a control panel at the moment....

this project has taken longer then expected, as i only get afew hours every other day to work onit, like yesterday my dog went missing so all night long i was looking for here, and finally at 5am in the morning i see her at the bottom of my street, she look tired and had a cut on her leg so took her straight to the vet and have just fed her now....

markrvp · « **Reply #15 on:** December 31, 2005, 08:22:20 pm »

Please post pics.

Harpal · « **Reply #16 on:** December 31, 2005, 11:26:38 pm »

will post pics tomorrow......
but going to say sorry now for the poor quality as my digital cam aint working i will take some of my phone......

you can see the missing control panel and no art work or marquee,etc...., still desiding what to go with.....

Harpal · « **Reply #17 on:** January 02, 2006, 06:37:26 pm »

here are some pics, there aint good at all, really poor, i was painting the cab black in colour then desided to go for a different colour so now am painting it green note, it is a really light bright green colour and it does look ok, am getting some pics made up which i can stick around the cab,
i will post better pics tomorrow, i mean there should be better as i will take them during day light....

Harpal · « **Reply #18 on:** January 02, 2006, 06:39:04 pm »

you cant even hardly see it, am sorry about that, anyway i have just painted it now anyway so soon as the paint has dryed i will bring it back inside and will take some more pics and post them so hopefuly you will be able to see the cab much better

Harpal · « **Reply #19 on:** January 02, 2006, 08:11:35 pm »

here are the pics i promised just taken now, after i moved the cab back inside -

Harpal · « **Reply #20 on:** January 02, 2006, 08:13:42 pm »

here some more pics and i thought i put a pic of my mame cab in there as well....
so far i have 2 fruit machines one is a lord of the rings and the other is a simpsons one,1 jamma upright and 1 mame think 2 more arcades and 1 pinball machines and my very own amusement room is done

Harpal · « **Reply #21 on:** January 02, 2006, 09:06:39 pm »

still trying to work out what sort of control panel i should do for it, should i just do a single player cab, as it is smaller then the others or i can make it 2 player and only play classic games of it which dont involve more then 2/3 buttons on either side....
very difficult to make my mind up and ideas anyone???

simcomm · « **Reply #22 on:** January 02, 2006, 10:48:15 pm »

Here's my 75% version minus the sideart.....

Harpal · « **Reply #23 on:** January 03, 2006, 06:45:43 am »

hmmm single joysitck think i should just go with that....
cheers for the pic, ur cab looks great....
wanna sell it

Harpal · « **Reply #24 on:** January 03, 2006, 04:04:02 pm »

i dont like the colour, like it is nice but too much of a girlie coulour, so i am going to paint it black....

Harpal · « **Reply #25 on:** January 05, 2006, 01:18:57 pm »

bought more supplys today as i wasted alot from messing up, anyway the cab is painted black now and looks much better going to start doing some art work to it now and will take some pics with my cam and put them up on here later....

Harpal · « **Reply #26 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:30:33 pm »

here are the pics now that i have painted it black, think it looks much better.....
what do you all think???

Harpal · « **Reply #27 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:36:27 pm »

more pics......
let me know what you all think #and can anyone give me any idea on what to do fir a control panel......

Harpal · « **Reply #28 on:** January 06, 2006, 05:16:09 pm »

made up two lots of designs one is for a 1 player control panel and the other a 2player 1, going to scan the images tomorrow and put them up so you all can tell me what you thinkand which you perfer......

and by the was is there any hulk maquee going for sale or any i can down load and print out as you canb see i have gone with the hulk on this cab,looks ok dont you think???

arcadefever · « **Reply #29 on:** January 06, 2006, 09:49:24 pm »

i like the design of the cab, but i`m not a fan of the hulk stickers $:-\$

Harpal · « **Reply #30 on:** January 07, 2006, 06:14:16 am »

Quote from: arcadefever on January 06, 2006, 09:49:24 pm

i like the design of the cab, but i`m not a fan of the hulk stickers

Nipedley · « **Reply #31 on:** January 07, 2006, 09:19:26 am »

I only have two gripes; 1) The monitor size looks pretty small in comparison to the bezel,
2) The art.. wouldn't be my personal choice, but if you like it go for it.

I do have one thing to say though, it isnt exactly.. pac-ish eh?

arcadefever · « **Reply #32 on:** January 07, 2006, 09:59:17 am »

i dont think you will found a hulk marquee but if i was you i will design one and ask them to do it for you

http://www.classicarcadegrafix.com/sunshop/index.php

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #33 on:** January 07, 2006, 10:04:46 am »

My only comment is that, for somebody who seems to have a lot of electronics passing through their home, you really need a decent camera !

Cheers.

Harpal · « **Reply #34 on:** January 07, 2006, 01:48:46 pm »

Quote from: CheffoJeffo on January 07, 2006, 10:04:46 am

My only comment is that, for somebody who seems to have a lot of electronics passing through their home, you really need a decent camera !

Cheers.

lol, i do have a new one i just got a week ago, but it still in the box cant be bothered to get it out and install the drivers for it, noing me i will probaly break in soon as i get it out of the box, i go through 4 mobile phones a year, as i am always dropping them or putting them in stupid places where there get droped/kick you name it.,.....
anyway as you ask so nicely i will go and get it and take afew pics
HAPPY NOW!!!!

Harpal · « **Reply #35 on:** January 07, 2006, 01:51:35 pm »

Quote from: Nipedley on January 07, 2006, 09:19:26 am

I only have two gripes; 1) The monitor size looks pretty small in comparison to the bezel,
2) The art.. wouldn't be my personal choice, but if you like it go for it.

I do have one thing to say though, it isnt exactly.. pac-ish eh?

Nipedley · « **Reply #36 on:** January 07, 2006, 02:01:31 pm »

Quote from: Harpal on January 07, 2006, 01:51:35 pm

Quote from: Nipedley on January 07, 2006, 09:19:26 am
I only have two gripes; 1) The monitor size looks pretty small in comparison to the bezel,
2) The art.. wouldn't be my personal choice, but if you like it go for it.

I do have one thing to say though, it isnt exactly.. pac-ish eh?

Harpal · « **Reply #37 on:** January 07, 2006, 06:24:29 pm »

that is abit steep, maybe if you lived in london i could have helped you build urs and you could have help me build my one.....

Grasshopper · « **Reply #38 on:** January 07, 2006, 07:41:15 pm »

Three cabs already and you've only been on this board for about a month! That's just greedy.

If you ever run out of room I might be prepared to take one off your hands.

Harpal · « **Reply #39 on:** January 07, 2006, 08:42:37 pm »

Quote from: Grasshopper on January 07, 2006, 07:41:15 pm

Three cabs already and you've only been on this board for about a month! That's just greedy.

If you ever run out of room I might be prepared to take one off your hands.

how many cabs do you have at the moment, and for the record i dont have 3 cabs i have 4, theres one upstairs in my bedroom, thats called mother mame all roms and emulators are on there.....
anyway do you live locaL, if you do then great come down and help me finish my cab......


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