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Anyone make a cab out of anything other than MDF?

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bosco:
I'm about ready to make my cab.   I really don't want to make it out of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- particle board.  I would like to use some sort of cabinet grade plywood.  My problem is I don't want to see the grain when I'm done painting it.  Any ideas?  Different wood?

prOk:
if you don't want to see grain and you're painting/covering it, cabinet grade plywood is a complete waste of money.   MDF is just fine for building arcade cabs and it paints quite well.  Don't psyche yourself out of using that for no reason, you 'd be surprised how much is made from the stuff out there (even at robb and stuckey furniture stores you'll find it in a 10,000.00 dresser).   Besides, MDF works easier than ply to boot.

I've built dozens of cabinets over time from MDF, Particle board, Plywood, you name it.. all depends on what result i'm after.   

/b

kevink:
Yea, I made mine out of 3/4 Birch plywood.  It's expensive, but I have no plans to build another, and I wanted to make sure I built it to last.  As far as being a complete waste of money, I don't know.  I used a rustoleum hammered finish paint on mine.  It is pretty glossy and didn't match well with the flat background of the sideart I ordered, but that looks better than my carpentry work in my opinion.  I should have built my cab out of metal. ;D

prOk:
I do believe building a cabinet you want to paint and not see wood grain in would be a waste..   To think that somehow plywood is more 'built to last' than mdf is untrue.  There are plenty of original cabinets from the 70's in great shape built of mdf.   All wood based materials are subject to deterioration due to poor treatment.. they all just show it differently.

Simple reality is, someone building a brand new cabinet today, even if you made it from mashed potatoes... you're going to take care of it.. it's not bouncing around trucks on an arcade route.. it's plopped in your basement or gameroom and there it sits.  (for the realistic year, maybe two you actually keep it).

MDF, Partical board, plywood, solid wood.. all just fine materials to build an arcade cabinet from.. no one material is 'superior' to build with.  Aesthetics are really all that matters when it comes to choosing materials.

/b

bosco:
Yeah that was my idea, building it to last.  If press board gets wet...it starts to fall apart (not that I'm ever planning on it getting wet).  I also found that anything built out of particle board is very heavy.  Since I was building it for myself
I thought I would spend good money and make it REALLY nice.  But maybe PrOk is right, maybe I'm going overboard.  Thanks for your thoughts....any other input would be appreciated.

Oh I was originally thinking of a grand piano.  I know they are made out of wood (not press board) and I remember seeing a high gloss paint without seeing any grain.

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