T-Molding Back & Bottom?

[MameJunkie]

I don't remember off the top of my head.
Does the cabs normally have t-molding all the way around?
Or is it only the top and front?

I'm ordering some t-moldings and it comes in 20ft increments.

The dimensions all around is 22'.  If I don't put it on the back or bottom, I only need 20', else I need to get 40'.

[RayB]

Some do, some do not. Some even have it only partially. It's your choice.

[Wade]

I don't remember off the top of my head.
Does the cabs normally have t-molding all the way around?
Or is it only the top and front?

I'm ordering some t-moldings and it comes in 20ft increments.

The dimensions all around is 22'.  If I don't put it on the back or bottom, I only need 20', else I need to get 40'.

I have a dozen original dedicated games and almost all of them DO NOT have molding on the back or bottom.  There is only one exception to this rule among my games and the games I've had in the past.

Wade

[ahofle]

Personally I'd put it all the way around.  It looks nicer and the t-molding on the bottom offers some minimal protection against chipping too.

[Fozzy The Bear]

Personally I'd put it all the way around.  It looks nicer and the t-molding on the bottom offers some minimal protection against chipping too.

I have to agree here..... I can think of at least five games where I work that have T-molding all the way round. It does indeed help to protect the cabinets. Although I have to say that I've seen a Point Blank cabinet that I had to repair recently where the bottom front corners had been broken, even with T-Molding in place.  Cabinets made from particle board (Chipboard) are more prone to this than plywood or MDF ones though.

It really depends on the look you're after.... some cabinets like Defender or Point Blank really need T-Molding all round because of sloping tops or curved bottom edges etc etc... it depends on your design.

In any case, T-Molding is cheap enough stuff for it not to be a cost issue. Just a question of what you like yourself.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[MameJunkie]

The price difference is minor...20' for $14 or 40' for $21.

The major concern is that i'm going to be putting it in after i'm done with the painting and major construction.

I've never did it before...worry about messing it up.  So if I do less...less likely to phuck it up.

[vorghagen]

In that case it might be an idea to do it all the way round starting with the back and bottom. Use it as a practise run for the front and top, then if you do phuck it up (not likely since t-molding is reasonably easy to install) then it's hidden from plain view.

[Fozzy The Bear]

I've never did it before...worry about messing it up.  So if I do less...less likely to phuck it up.

Ermmm No not really...... It's not difficult to do, but you really should be cutting the slot to take it, long before you paint the cabinet! otherwise you'll damage your paint.

Ideally you should cut the slot for it before you even assemble the cabinet.

Make sure you use the correct slot cutting bit in your router, and set the router correctly to get it lined up in the middle of the edge. Other than that, it's just a case of tapping it into the slot with a mallet. You really can't go wrong here.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Wade]

It really depends on the look you're after.... some cabinets like Defender or Point Blank really need T-Molding all round because of sloping tops or curved bottom edges etc etc... it depends on your design.

Actually, Defender doesn't have molding on the back or bottom... Neither does any Williams from the early 80's (all plywood) or any Midway from the early 80s (MDF or plywood).

Now that you mention it, it seems that it is mostly cabinets that are particle board that have molding all the way around.  Probably because it isn't as strong as MDF or plywood.  The only game I have with molding all the way around is particle board (I also have one particle board game that doesn't have it on the back or bottom).  Both particle board games are Atari games.

With Ply or MDF I wouldn't hesitate to skip the molding on the back or bottom because both of those materials are plenty strong as it is.  But it really comes down to preference, obviously there is no right or wrong way (unless you are trying to mimic a particular cabinet).

Wade

[RayB]

I'll correct you Wade:
Midways have the t-molding wrapping around the top back, about 8 inches down and then it stops. ;-)

Atari cabs tend to have molding along every edge available.

[Fozzy The Bear]

I'll correct you Wade:
Midways have the t-molding wrapping around the top back, about 8 inches down and then it stops. ;-)

Atari cabs tend to have molding along every edge available.

Actually, I'll correct him even further... My original defender cab has T-molding all the way down the back. They weren't all built in the same place at the same time.  And another quick correction Wade... There are no MDF cabs from the early eighties, they're all plywood or chipboard (particle board), because there was no actual MDF in the early eighties. 

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear) 

[patrickl]

Lol wade, you really need to learn that there is more variation than just the few cabs that you can see

[Stingray]

For whatever it's worth I just put it on the top & front. I don't see any reason to put it where it's not going to be seen.

-S

[RayB]

Fozzy: Defender = Williams. Back then they were not the same company.

[cpetzol2]

Question Guys.

What is the best way to put T molding in??

How do you go about cutting the groove for it to fit in.

Also, on my Control Panel, Im getting a print from Mame Marquees. Anyone have suggestions on how to cover up the edges. Do People use T MOlding for that, or do you make some kind of wood trim.

Thanks

[sealslayer]

You need a router Slot cutting bit to cut the groove out for the T-molding,

http://www.t-molding.com/cart/customer/home.php?cat=5

I used T-molding to cover the edges of my CP, I think its the easiest and neatest way of keeping everything in place.

[Wade]

Hey, you guys can bust my balls all you want, but get the facts straight first...

RayB, a small strip of molding around the corner doesn't quality as "T-molding on the back".  A lot of the part with molding on the rear corner is on the "tab" that sticks up above the top of the game, so it could be considered the "top of the game".  Not to mention, most Midway's I've seen have maybe 3-4" of molding there, not 8"...  8?!?

Fozzy, your Defender has T-molding all the way down the back?  Wow, only one I've ever heard of, out of dozens I've seen...  guess you just have that one "special" cabinet.   I'll forgive you though if you double check and realize you're wrong.

Secondly, Sure there were MDF cabinets in the early 80's.  Most Galagas were MDF, most Gottliebs (Q*bert), Taitos, etc.

You guys seriously need to do some homework if you want to try to bust me on this stuff.

And PatrickL, no need to jump on the bandwagon, as obviously this wagon needs stronger wheels...

TTYL,
Wade

I'll correct you Wade:
Midways have the t-molding wrapping around the top back, about 8 inches down and then it stops. ;-)

Atari cabs tend to have molding along every edge available.

Actually, I'll correct him even further... My original defender cab has T-molding all the way down the back. They weren't all built in the same place at the same time.  And another quick correction Wade... There are no MDF cabs from the early eighties, they're all plywood or chipboard (particle board), because there was no actual MDF in the early eighties. 

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear) 

[patrickl]

The point is that you can never prove that something does not exist by looking at a few examples

[Texasmame]

I don't remember off the top of my head.
Does the cabs normally have t-molding all the way around?
Or is it only the top and front?

I'm ordering some t-moldings and it comes in 20ft increments.

The dimensions all around is 22'.  If I don't put it on the back or bottom, I only need 20', else I need to get 40'.

FWIW, my cab was one of those.  It had the grooves on the top, front and about 3" on the bottom/front.  No grooves on the back or bottom for the T.

YMMV

[Wade]

The point is that you can never prove that something does not exist by looking at a few examples

This is true!

Wade

[Stingray]

Secondly, Sure there were MDF cabinets in the early 80's.  Most Galagas were MDF, most Gottliebs (Q*bert), Taitos, etc.

I have a Midway Blue Print cab (1982). If it's not made out of MDF, it's made out of something that looks exactly like MDF.

-S

[Fozzy The Bear]

Fozzy, your Defender has T-molding all the way down the back?  Wow, only one I've ever heard of, out of dozens I've seen...  guess you just have that one "special" cabinet.   I'll forgive you though if you double check and realize you're wrong.

I'll forgive you for suggesting I double check..... You are clearly an absolute god and know everything there is to know about Defender Cabs  I am clearly not worthy to be in the presence of such a person as you Wade.

I'll take bets that you've never seen a UK Williams Cab!.... They shipped the boards over here and the plans for the cabinets along with stencils for the artwork... they were built over here and not shipped as complete cabinets. SO! the majority of Williams Defender Cabs in the UK DO Have T-Molding all the way down the back.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[More Cowbell]

My Defender cab doesn't have t-mold down the back. I did put it on the back of my MAME cabinet but that was simply because I had enough. I agree with Stingray (you'll never hear those words again) in not putting it where people won't notice it. I also took this stance on the innards and the back paint

[FrizzleFried]

A brief history of MDF:

About 65 to 70 percent of a tree can be used for solid lumber, but what about the rest? In the past the answer was simple: It was burned or dumped in landfills. Today more than 95 percent of a harvested tree can be put to good use thanks in great part to the increased use of engineered wood products. Among these, medium density fiberboard, or MDF, has enjoyed remarkable success over recent years. As the MDF supplier for the Charlestown house, I'm in a good position to tell you about the material's history.

The material got its start in the United States in 1966, at a plant in upstate New York. As it became clear that making MDF offered a far better use of residual wood than disposing of it, production soared. Today there are some 27 plants in the US and Canada, and more than 100 worldwide. Recently the industry has expanded its use of recovered materials to include agricultural by-products such as wheat straw and post-consumer recycled wood.

Taken from: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/interiors/article/0,16417,195108,00.html

So being that MDF was created in 1966,  I don't think there would have been any problem for manufacturers to use it for their cabinets in the early 1980's. 

[Wade]

Fozzy, your Defender has T-molding all the way down the back?  Wow, only one I've ever heard of, out of dozens I've seen...  guess you just have that one "special" cabinet.   I'll forgive you though if you double check and realize you're wrong.

I'll forgive you for suggesting I double check..... You are clearly an absolute god and know everything there is to know about Defender Cabs  I am clearly not worthy to be in the presence of such a person as you Wade.

I'll take bets that you've never seen a UK Williams Cab!.... They shipped the boards over here and the plans for the cabinets along with stencils for the artwork... they were built over here and not shipped as complete cabinets. SO! the majority of Williams Defender Cabs in the UK DO Have T-Molding all the way down the back.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

I apologize for not considering your location, I was talking about original US dedicated video games, not secondary market or foreign market games.  Most people would say Centipede has great and colorful sideart, well, didn't most foreign Centipedes have woodgrain sideart? LOL!  Guess they aren't talking about the foreign market.

Seriously... I was talking US cabinets implicitly, I can't speak for the foreign cabinets.  They fall into the same category as conversion cabinets, "anything goes" as far as I'm concerned.  Some areas have no dedicated cabinets at all. 

Wade

[shardian]

... My original defender cab has T-molding all the way down the back. They weren't all built in the same place at the same time. 

I'll take bets that you've never seen a UK Williams Cab!.... They shipped the boards over here and the plans for the cabinets along with stencils for the artwork... they were built over here and not shipped as complete cabinets. SO! the majority of Williams Defender Cabs in the UK DO Have T-Molding all the way down the back.

So in this case, a UK cabinet is technically not an "original" cabinet to its truest form by your own admission. This info would have been nice to include in your original post, don't you think?