Cocktail MAME machine built into a corner table

[Odin]

I need to put a pub table in my game room.  I've got a corner open when it won't interfere with the pool table or other stuff and we've been looking for a small round pub table.  But a round table in a corner is a little odd because the back half of the table doesn't mate up to the wall and you can barely get 2 stools in front of the table.

So I thought about building a 1/4 circle "pie slice shaped" table to fit into the corner and mounting the table from the wall so stools could pull right up to the corner table.  It would be space efficient and look cool made from oak and stained to match the pool table.

Then I had an idea of how I can squeeze another game into the room (already have a big MAME upright).  I could build a cocktail style machine into the table.  A 19" PC monitor angled under a glass tabletop insert would still allow the table to be used as a table, and the control panel could be flushed under the center of the curved table edge.  I could build the electronics into a cabinet that went up under the table and also concealed the table mounting studs that mount the whole thing to the wall studs.

Any thoughts on this idea?

[NickG]

did you see meltman's WIP (link)
It looks very stylish and is 4-player.   

That could be one advantage of having the screen at 45° to the corner with controls all around, but...
If you don't often have 4-players and you play vertical and horizontal games it might be better to build a rectangular cocktail so that you can play either screen orientation without rotating the monitor.  I use my generic Dynamo cocktail like this; one controls set for horizontal games and one for vertical games; just no head-to-head because it's in the corner

[Odin]

did you see meltman's WIP (link)
It looks very stylish and is 4-player.   

That could be one advantage of having the screen at 45° to the corner with controls all around, but...
If you don't often have 4-players and you play vertical and horizontal games it might be better to build a rectangular cocktail so that you can play either screen orientation without rotating the monitor.  I use my generic Dynamo cocktail like this; one controls set for horizontal games and one for vertical games; just no head-to-head because it's in the corner

Meltman's deal is bad ass, that's very similar to what I had in mind, with some changes. 

I can't do a cocktail game because the single request my wife had for the game room was that we get a pub table (I have no idea why this is so important) and she wants the table up high with 2 high back swivel barstools.  Since the room is filled with my big upright arcade machine, lots of neon beer signs, pool table, LCD TV, darts, etc... all of which she had no input about, I told her I'd go ahead and do the pub table deal instead of another video game.  So now I'm trying to work another game into the pub table deal so we can both get what we want.   

I mainly only play the classic arcade games (I'm 36 and can't comprehend the newer fighting games, I just don't get it) my MAME machine is geared towards accurate play on the classics.  So I don't have the ability to play head to head 2-player games.  it would be cool if my pub table/cocktail could accomodate 2 players. 

I'd like the control panels to be recessed so the table top is flush and made from oak with a smoked tempered glass square insert set in flush with the top that the monitor is mounted under.  The "game" portion of the table wouldn't interfere in any way with using the table as a table, but it would still be easy and comfortable to play.

As far as monitor configuration, I guess it would be a compromise because I'd have to mount the 19" PC monitor one way or another.  I'd mount it horizontal and my verticle games would be pretty small I guess on a 19" horizontal monitor.  But I have a machine with a 27" monitor if I need to play verticle games on a full sized monitor.

For controls, I'd like a left and right control station each with the 8-way & 7 buttons.  Then in the center I'd have a 4-way with maybe 3 buttons each, a trackball and spinner .  That should allow all of the classic to be played with the center 1-player station, and the 2 outer stations would be used only for head to head games and games that require an 8-way joystick.  Plus a P1 and P2 start buttons, P1 and P2 coin buttons and a pause button.

That's 3 joysticks, a spinner, a trackball and 22 buttons.  If the P1 8-way and the 4-way share keys, and if the 3 buttons in the center shared keys with 3 of the P1 buttons, I'd still need to map 19 buttons plus 8 joystick keys.  That's 27 inputs on an Ipac, which should be just right for a IPAC2 with 28 inputs.

[SavannahLion]

Everything but the wall stud issue. It would make it kind of hard to move it out of the corner if your needs/tastes ever change. What about bringing the pedestal foot out in a 1/4 circle as well and then you can use it as a sort of foot rest?

[Odin]

Everything but the wall stud issue. It would make it kind of hard to move it out of the corner if your needs/tastes ever change. What about bringing the pedestal foot out in a 1/4 circle as well and then you can use it as a sort of foot rest?

I'm thinking that if I don't wall mount it then I'll need fairly substantial legs to keep the heavy sucker stable.  And I'm trying to conserve floor space, so the legs cause issues with the barstools which is why I wanted a "floating" table. 

I don't mind mounting it to all studs because I don't plan on moving any time soon, I have nowhere else in the house that I would ever put this thing, and if I do move I can easily have the drywall patched and repainted when I remove the beast.  I think the whole deal can be mounted using angle aluminum brackets into studs, but I will need to make the whole thing sectional so it can be assembled in the game room.  The game room is upstairs and there's a 45* angle on the stairs, so nothing really big can go up the stairs without being disassembled (hence, no original upright arcade games).

[SavannahLion]

If I'm picturing it right, is aluminum brackets going to be strong enough? Steel brackets might sport more strenght and they'll be flat enough that you can hide them behind the shelf to really give it a floating look.

I'm interested to see how this turns out.

[horseboy]

Adding 1 support leg to the front wouldn't really get in the way, and would do wonders for the stability. You might also look into adding them where the table meets the wall.

[Odin]

I'll have to see how stable it is without legs before I make that final decision I guess.  I would build a frame of 2x4's and secure it to the studs.  The project will probably take a while because it's still in conceptual mode and I don't have a lot of free time right now, but I definitely want to do this in the coming months.