Building a Candy-esce cab

[stuckpixel]

So, I've been looking around, and I'm curious if anyone has had any experience trying to build one.

My situation, the wife has finally agreed to let me build a cab (yay!) but she wants something a bit smaller than a full-sized arcade.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience or has any ideas about it. I'm planning on building from scratch (with the help of my father with some of the woodworking).

Here's an example that I think I'm going to try and mimic.

[Kaytrim]

Those Candy cabs are made with plastic skins and metal control panels.  You might have a space issue if you try to follow the measurements too closely while building with wood.  Another option is a cocktail style cab or a bartop model.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[stuckpixel]

Right, I know they're rather thin. I honestly _don't_ need that much space though. I'm still deciding if I want to go with an LCD for the display or if I want to drop some coin in a TV.

[shorthair]

You'll spend far less on a used, though fairly recent, CRT TV, locally. At least 27's are going for a hundred or less all the time round here. I've recently been thinking of something similar to your idea. That kind of woodworking, though, includes carving and stuff. And if you're going to that much trouble, why copy something else?

[stuckpixel]

Carving? I guess I'm not seeing where that will be necessary.

Again, I'm just using the Candy form-factor as more of a starting line. The actual cab will probably be more streamlined than your typical candy cab.

The real debate is that I have a 19" LCD available for use now, at no cost (my current monitor). I could either use that, or look at getting a TV. A TV would more accurately give the big monitor right in your face feel, but I'm torn. I'll probably prototype a few things.

[unclet]

Dont be torn .... you can find cheap 27" TV's in the classified section of your newspaper easily (or at least I can all the time around me) since people are moving towards wanting thin plasma screens.   Getting a nice Sony or JVC TV with S-Video out can be found near me for about $50 to $70 only.    This is a great deal and would look much better in a cabinet compared to a 19" computer monitor.   You can also search craigslist.com for sales in your city.

I never understand why people worry themselves over an extra $100 to $300 worth of parts or enhancements for their cabinet.  I mean if you are going to build this cabinet from scratch and intend to keep in around for a long time, then the money spent is pretty minuscule in relationship to how long the cabinet will be in the family.   If you can not afford an extra $100 to $300 on a cabinet, you probably should save your money for more important things ... like food, clothes, etc.... 

Ok, just my opinons of course........ but go with the TV ..... you will love it. 

PS:  You will need a video card to connect the TV to your computer, but dont worry, you can find one for about $20 delivered on Ebay since Mame does not need the top-of-the-line video card.

[shorthair]

Oh, you mean you just want a sit-down type cab similar to a Candy. Sure, that's been my primary design criterion. My problem is that I like to have more foot room than they offer. But in my current hackneyed set-up, where I have the panel on a small wheeled desk in front of my monitors, I found out I like to be back a bit, so I don't need the CP to mount to the cab. Anyway, curious to see how you make out in this...

[NoOne=NBA=]

The one measurement I would highly recommend that you disregard is CP depth.
Make sure you leave yourself room for whatever controllers you decide you want.
Almost all the candy cabs are made for the thin Asian sticks/buttons.

[chrisb]

Check out this neat project over at killercabs:
http://www.killercabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2743&sid=e3425376bd0a0235b1b868add9e84717

[shorthair]

That's cute. SMALL, though. Though perhaps wasteful of wood, he had a neat idea to fairly easily get a round-cornered CP. And though of course I'd design it a little differently, the only thing I'd make a big change on is the rear support. I'd make it a larger container; more wood, but wouldn't be as deep...plus you could store things in the back if you wanted.

[tetsu96]

Check out this neat project over at killercabs:
http://www.killercabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2743&sid=e3425376bd0a0235b1b868add9e84717

Heh, that cab is cute as anything, but it's meant for little people.  REAL little since even Japanese candy players would be a bit too big for it.   

Seriously though, I saw this a while back and thought it was a great build for someone wanting something like a candy (especially if you go flat screen CRT):

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=49644.0

[stuckpixel]

The first project is all sorts of awesome, though it is really tiny. Looks like a baby Tekken5 cab. -------> Second one is really neat as well, looks like he's using a 20" CRT in there, which my 19" LCD should have about the same viewable area. Granted, 27" would be a hell of a lot nicer =P I'd really like to go TV, but I worry about how much larger that is going to make the cabinet. What I'm shooting for right now in the way of controls is 2 "Street Fighter" setups, a 4/8way in the middle with a few buttons, trackball, and _maybe_ a spinner. I was wanting to go 4 players, but that'd be just too much real-estate. Plus, It'd be rare that I have more than two people over at a time anyways. So yeah, disregard the tiny CP. Check. I'll have to start working on some sketches to see which I'll like better. Thanks for those links! If anyone has anything else in that vein, please throw it my way.

[shorthair]

Seriously though, I saw this a while back and thought it was a great build for someone wanting something like a candy (especially if you go flat screen CRT):

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=49644.0

Now that is ---smurfing--- clever.

[vrf]

That mini candy cab is seriously awesome. I'm gaining a new appreciation for MDF when I see how well it can be formed in projects like this one and in Timoe's mini-sticks.