Newcomer questions :D

[tist]

Well ever since I've been a boy its been a dream of mine to have an arcade machine of my own. What would be better then having a bunch of buddies over playing the games we all love. but, enough babble il get to the point.

I stumbled across this whole seen about 2 weeks ago, since then i've been researching like a mad man, analysing pretty much every aspect of creating my own mame machine. but i'm having doubhts now whether I can do the wood construction part of it. The wiring is no problem i've done that sort of stuff before but i'm not exactly a great carpenter.

I do not have access to a router and i would very much like t-molding. Any idea how much one would cost to rent? Would the entire wood construction part be able to be finished in one day you think? How much would enough MDF cost for a stanard cabinet.

[Encryptor]

I'm a NooB as well and have been researching a ton. I'm not sure where you live but I figure most Home Depot's are fairly close on there prices. I've decided to go with the basic plan that Lusid used and I figure I'll need 3 sheets of 5/8" mdf for the main cabinet and one for an extra control panel or two. In my area (Albany, NY) a 5/8" sheet of mdf at HD is about $20 so I'm looking at around $80 for mdf. Then there are misc items like screws and wood glue. I'm also going to brace the inside with 2" x2" so that adds extra as well. Then there are threaded inserts and bolts and on and on. There are many things to consider and many extra's to buy. I ran across this link of someone that built a cabinet in 24 hrs. Good Luck!

http://chris.polymathic.net/cabinet/index.shtml

Encryptor

[sealslayer]

If I was you I would buy a router, the cost of renting one would be very near the same price as buying one, you don't have to buy a top of the range router.

I paid

[sfrascella]

    If you have help you could possibly have the cab built in one day. That said, don't do it. I was in such a rush to get mine built (took about a week) that I made a few mistakes that later on caused alot of frustration. Take your time and make sure that all your cuts are square.
     After getting the thing built you also have to consider the finish, paint, laminate, etc. Then artwork , the control panel, none of these should be rushed. You should also think about making a cardboard mock up of the CP to make sure it feels comfortable to you. And check out Saint's book, alot of good stuff in there.

[pointdablame]

If you are really concerned about whether you have the woodworking ability, and if you don't have all the tools you need.. just buy a cabinet.

Find a gutted generic cabinet and start with that.  You can get a nice cab for MAME for cheap if you look around, and often you'll get a lot of "extra" that people wind up buying new like coin doors, bezels, marquee retainers... etc.  You may even find a nice cab with a working monitor.


Don't destroy a classic cab though!

[tist]

thanks for the replies, but ya im definately not going to buy any pre-built cabs. building it is half the fun haha. since the routers would most likely be expensive to rent as well, i may just buy one or find one a friend may have by chance. as for construction, i don't want to rush it. but the reason asking for whether it could be finished in a day is because i was going to rent a router.

[RayB]

tist, are you dyslexic? 

[quarterback]

I know you said you want to build it but, personally, I agree with pointdablame.   Buying a cab was easier, cheaper and much more expedient and I'm glad I did.

Arcade projects are those kind of projects that never seem to be quite 100% completed.  There's frequently just one more change here or there that you want to make.   I've been working on my upright for a couple years now and it's still not 'done'.  I can't imagine how much LESS 'done' it would be if I built it from scratch.

If you have access to tools, space, friends etc, then I think building is cool.  But with all the cutting, clamping, gluing, sanding, painting, sanding again, and more that's required, I'm very happy that I bought a used cab.

If you are really concerned about whether you have the woodworking ability, and if you don't have all the tools you need.. just buy a cabinet.

[tist]

ya you're definately right quarterback, and i may be dyslexic rayb unfortunately i don't like to go the easy way out and have concluded im going to make my own. construction should start in a few weeks when i get some more funds for the project. il be happy to post pics along the way you can marvel in my accomplishments /or failures 

[quarterback]

il be happy to post pics along the way you can marvel in my accomplishments /or failures 

Definitely do.   Start a thread in the Project Announcements forum and take everybody through your process.  It's amazing how much people learn and are inspired by the projects in there.   

Good luck and welcome to BYOAC!

[miles2912]

If you want a deceint router for cheap harbor freight is the answer.  You can also sign up for their coupons and save even more.  My bits cost more than the router did and it was fine for one cab.  Any more work and I would go with another brand but for some light duty routing they are it.

D-

[Xam]

If you want a deceint router for cheap harbor freight is the answer.  You can also sign up for their coupons and save even more.  My bits cost more than the router did and it was fine for one cab.  Any more work and I would go with another brand but for some light duty routing they are it.

D-

Yup! I got a decent router there for $40.00. It was their $80 model on sale. Be patient and you can get some cheap and decent tools there. Mind you I said decent...not good or great. That being said, my brother got a recip saw from there for $20.00...been using it daily at his job as a plumber for over 2 years now...but this is the exception and not the rule. The tools at HF should do fine for occasional light use.

...Oh yeah! Not to try and hi-jack the thread...but I started my cab today... I will post in projects before long.

Starting this cab has made me realize just how defunct my carpentry skills are...LOL!

Xam

[lhallmark]

Pawn shops are also a good place to find used tools at a discount. Good luck with your project.

[tist]

wow thanks for the tip on harrbor freight, really seem to have great prices! not the best quality tools im guessing, but for what i want to do, seems great.