to cupholder?...or to not cupholder?....that is the question!

[hulkster]

so ive seen several new projects with people using cupholders attached to their cabs.  when i made my first cab, i put cupholders on it, but i dont recall ever using them...but being that my first cab sucked big donkey balls anyway, there was no reason to play for long periods of time.  now that i have a nicer cab, i was thinking of adding cupholders. 

i would probably add those flip out cupholders to keep it hidden, but my main concern is that what if install them, drilling holes and all that....and end up not liking it.  then i have holes in my cp or whatever, and it sucks.

so i guess my question first is...should i add cupholders to my cab?

second question is...are there cupholders that dont require drilling them into the cab itself? 

[FrizzleFried]

I never quite understood the desire to have cupholders on  a cabinet?!?  I mean,  aren't there tables,  ledges,  SOMETHING where you can put your cup down near your cabinet?   I suppose I understand why some put ash trays,  but I'd never do that either.

Just my opinion.

[Green Giant]

I personally want cupholders, just haven't seent the flipout ones anywhere.  Where my cab is there is a table on the left but wall on the right.  Works fine for one player, but when playing with two people the other person is in trouble.

Yeah I usually use the top of my cab, but when a short person comes over they will have trouble.  I want something easier to reach on the side of the cab so I can grab a swig of Shiner and keep right on button mashing.

[one2three]

Cup holders are a must in my book. If not present the closest horizontal surface will get used which may be another CP or machine top.

Just remember that Jack and Coke is a  to clean out of CPs.

I would recommend going with the fold up kind like you mentioned.

[ahofle]

I have foldout cup holders on the sides of my cabinet.  Using a table or desk nearby isn't the same -- I usually take a quick swig of beer in between levels of Joust or Gauntlet for example.  Strangely, I get more 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from guests over those stupid cup holders than any other part of the cabinet.   
If you do decide to get some, get the kind with the adjustable 'claw' that can accommodate glasses in addition to cans/bottles.

EDIT: like these:
http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/50-79451.htm

[Chris2]

Remember: if you're getting cup holders, you should have some stools to go with them.

[one2three]

Remember: if you're getting cup holders, you should have some stools to go with them.

And vice-versa. If you have stools at your cab, your drink needs to be within reach from that position.

[langdoguk]

Just remember you ALWAYS  must be responsible with beer , DON'T EVER SPILL IT !

AND NEVER ON YOUR MACHINE 

It's a must for me 

LOVE BOTH

[telengard]

Seems to be a question of taste.  I personally want my cab to look as authentic as possible.  So no cup holder for me.

Doesn't mean drinking *near* the cab is off limits though.   

~telengard

[Skeeve]

hmm... I'm thinking something like this for my cab -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-96-HYUNDAI-SONATA-IN-DASH-CUP-HOLDER-SLIDE-OUT_W0QQitemZ130081708049QQcmdZViewItem#ShippingPayment

it would seem to stealth nicely 

[hulkster]

thanks for the replies guys.  yeah i have two stools for my cab (check my site), and i thought about putting the cupholders on the other side of my pedestal cp.  like, where the top buttons are...but on the other side.  that way, they wouldnt get in the way.  im still wondering though if it will mean spillage on my cp art.  i dont have any plexi on it...its just adhesive vinyl and so far its held up very well.  anyway....heres another link for the cup holders http://www.foldingcupholder.bravehost.com/  not sure if those have the adjustable arms but it doesnt look like it.  however, neither do the ones mentioned here http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/50-79451.htm 

[Apollo]

Beer drinking and playing my arcade machine go hand in hand (the beer fridge is about 3' from my cabinet right now) so cup holders were a must.

[rlemmon]

I wouldn't. They stick out like a sore thumb and I have never seen a real cab with a cupholer on it. I put mine on the wall next to my cab.

[superbigjay]

hmm... I'm thinking something like this for my cab -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-96-HYUNDAI-SONATA-IN-DASH-CUP-HOLDER-SLIDE-OUT_W0QQitemZ130081708049QQcmdZViewItem#ShippingPayment

it would seem to stealth nicely 

I agree with Skeeve, you need cup holder that are discrete when not used.
IMO slide-out cup holder are the best solution.
The folding one are cheaper and seems a good compromise.

Let us what you get.  I might use the same for my cab when I get there... 

Jay 

[rooterman]

I never liked how they look.

r

[ahofle]

http://www.foldingcupholder.bravehost.com/  not sure if those have the adjustable arms but it doesnt look like it.  however, neither do the ones mentioned here http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/50-79451.htm 

Umm they both do.
"Arms adjust horizontally to hold virtually any size cups, cans, bottles,  e.t.c..."
"Adjustable arms hold cans, glasses, insulated drink holders and bottles."

[SavannahLion]

I don't really subscribe to the idea of cup holders in an arcade machine. It just doesn't... you get the idea. In any case, I looked around a bit. My goal was to find a cup holder that was functional but didn't look like a hack job.

MAME Frame uses cup holders that fold up. Looks nice, but kind of flimsy.

If you can't hide it, flaunt it with a Swirly Gig. OK, I'd thought I'd throw that in for shits and giggles.

Maybe someone could loan you their girl friend?
Or, perhaps not.

It might take a little doing, but this billet cup holder that's CNC machined looks really snappy and, more importantly, durable enough to belong on an arcade cabinet.

I'm out of ideas.

[BrentRadio]

Nooooooooooooooo.............

Just use a table for your 

[Malenko]

it comes down to your preference since its your cab. If you think they look tacky then dont add them. Im still on the fence about them myself, since my arcade machine is less then 2 feet from a table... but when I move into my new house (just gotta buy it first) I'll most likely add stools and cupholders..... the flip out kind

[severdhed]

I put flip down cupholders on my cabinet, but I must say they don't get used very much.  My wife and I don't drink alcohol, and I have pretty much quit drinking soda at home anyway...so If i have something to drink, it is in a glass, which just doesnt fit in my cupholder anyway.  When i was drinking cans of soda constantly, they were great...but that stuff is bad for your, so I am thinking of removing the cupholders since they do me no good.


i got my flip downs at WalMart for around $4 each.

[Green Giant]

I put flip down cupholders on my cabinet, but I must say they don't get used very much. 

My wife and I don't drink alcohol,

You poor poor man... 

[hulkster]

I put flip down cupholders on my cabinet, but I must say they don't get used very much. 

My wife and I don't drink alcohol,

You poor poor man... 

meh, alcohol is overrated.  i drink beer occasionally and i like it, dont get me wrong  ...but alcohol doesn't always equal fun.  most of the time, it equals annoyingly loud people, spillage of some sort, breaking or scratching of furniture or other useful item, frequent bathroom trips, plus its expensive and if you drink too much you feel like crap the next morning and have cotton mouth.  yeah its fun to drink a lot with friends, but thats really the only positive.

so all that to say...you arent missing much.  but i do drink a lot of "soda" as you call it...but here in the south we call it all "coke" regardless of what it is.  so i drink a lot of cokes.  (thats sprite, dr. pepper, mountain dew, diet coke...its all coke) 

[shardian]

I put flip down cupholders on my cabinet, but I must say they don't get used very much. 

My wife and I don't drink alcohol,

You poor poor man... 

meh, alcohol is overrated.  i drink beer occasionally and i like it, dont get me wrong  ...but alcohol doesn't always equal fun.  most of the time, it equals annoyingly loud people, spillage of some sort, breaking or scratching of furniture or other useful item, frequent bathroom trips, plus its expensive and if you drink too much you feel like crap the next morning and have cotton mouth.  yeah its fun to drink a lot with friends, but thats really the only positive.

Heh, yeah I was around too many"loser drunks" as a kid to think being drunk is cool. I like to get to the "feet tingly" level of alcohol, which is ususally just one drink,and anything past that just isn't fun anymore. Shoot, in the last two years I think I have had one or two of those Mike's hard cola things total - drinking just doesn't do it for me.
In high school and college I would go to the parties and stay sober, then just sit back and watch the hilarity unfold. Needless to say, I have plenty of dirt on pretty much anyone I went to school with reserved if the need arises.

[Jouster]

So far I've only built a bartop...and hence is usually very close to some sort of flat, level surface that is suitable for either a drink or bartop style cab....imagine that!

But when I do build a bigger stand alone cab, I'm planning on putting some drink holders on it.  I do recall seeing some games at an arcade that did have cup holders...but I guess they were um...'after market' add-ons.

Jouster

[chadandjody]

I picked up an old cabinet that had one of the nice cup holders mounted on the side.  The monitor in the cabinet was broken so I tried removing it with the cabinet standing up but it was too difficult.  Instead I set it down on it's side and and promptly heard "CRUNCH".  Apparently those things aren't sturdy enough to support an entire cabinet, who knew? 

[oqqalz]

I have a wide wing 4 player console.  The fold up cup holders on the back side of the extended wings are perfect for concealing the cup holders when not in use.

[hulkster]

I have a wide wing 4 player console.  The fold up cup holders on the back side of the extended wings are perfect for concealing the cup holders when not in use.

can you post a pic of your cp?  this is what i was planning on doing...putting cupholders behind the cp so no one would see them.

[DEMENTED]

Just buy a couple of these http://www.zymetrical.com/product.asp?3=830&dc=JSA/Q/w/u3/8W&gclid=CIWA7MXKjI4CFSJ6UAod8xXZtw

Remember to take pictures of your friends wearing one for later blackmail/ridicule situations

[Green Giant]

I put flip down cupholders on my cabinet, but I must say they don't get used very much. 

My wife and I don't drink alcohol,

You poor poor man... 

meh, alcohol is overrated.  i drink beer occasionally and i like it, dont get me wrong  ...but alcohol doesn't always equal fun.  most of the time, it equals annoyingly loud people, spillage of some sort, breaking or scratching of furniture or other useful item, frequent bathroom trips, plus its expensive and if you drink too much you feel like crap the next morning and have cotton mouth.  yeah its fun to drink a lot with friends, but thats really the only positive.

Heh, yeah I was around too many"loser drunks" as a kid to think being drunk is cool. I like to get to the "feet tingly" level of alcohol, which is ususally just one drink,and anything past that just isn't fun anymore. Shoot, in the last two years I think I have had one or two of those Mike's hard cola things total - drinking just doesn't do it for me.
In high school and college I would go to the parties and stay sober, then just sit back and watch the hilarity unfold. Needless to say, I have plenty of dirt on pretty much anyone I went to school with reserved if the need arises.

Never really been drunk and played my arcade.  Usuallly we are drinking beer, and I have only been drunk once from beer.  Last time with a friend we finished off a 12 pack while playing games for a few hours.  Noone was drunk, much less tipsy, so there was no drunk behavior.  On a side note, my friend is about 6'5" and I am 6'6".  You old guys should live a little.  See if you can get your hands on some Shiner.

[hulkster]

I put flip down cupholders on my cabinet, but I must say they don't get used very much. 

My wife and I don't drink alcohol,

You poor poor man... 

meh, alcohol is overrated.  i drink beer occasionally and i like it, dont get me wrong  ...but alcohol doesn't always equal fun.  most of the time, it equals annoyingly loud people, spillage of some sort, breaking or scratching of furniture or other useful item, frequent bathroom trips, plus its expensive and if you drink too much you feel like crap the next morning and have cotton mouth.  yeah its fun to drink a lot with friends, but thats really the only positive.

Heh, yeah I was around too many"loser drunks" as a kid to think being drunk is cool. I like to get to the "feet tingly" level of alcohol, which is ususally just one drink,and anything past that just isn't fun anymore. Shoot, in the last two years I think I have had one or two of those Mike's hard cola things total - drinking just doesn't do it for me.
In high school and college I would go to the parties and stay sober, then just sit back and watch the hilarity unfold. Needless to say, I have plenty of dirt on pretty much anyone I went to school with reserved if the need arises.

Never really been drunk and played my arcade.  Usuallly we are drinking beer, and I have only been drunk once from beer.  Last time with a friend we finished off a 12 pack while playing games for a few hours.  Noone was drunk, much less tipsy, so there was no drunk behavior.  On a side note, my friend is about 6'5" and I am 6'6".  You old guys should live a little.  See if you can get your hands on some Shiner.

ive done plenty of "living" and ive also seen some of my friends get close to "dying" when it comes to alcohol.  no thank you.  plenty of ways to live without making a fool of myself at the same time.

[tba]

well to get this thread back to cupholders, i added them to mine, but my cab isn't the showiest, so i wasn't TOO concerned about looks, but i got the fold up ones (like the ones pictured above), back cab black holder, you barely notice them. i picked them up at wal mart in the automotive section. for about $5 a piece it is convenient to have a drink handy.

[Apollo]

I don't see the big deal, do they really look that ugly?

[AMDman13]

I don't think it's a big deal one way or the another. I think Apollo's look sweet!

I just didn't add them as I wanted my cab to look as streamlined and authentic as possible. My friends and I are serious beer drinkers when it comes to playing my arcade and we just sit them here there and everywhere. No one would even think to put their beer anywhere actually on my cab. They would pull back a bloody stump and they know it!! We just sit our beers here there and everywhere.... On top of stools a shelf on the window sill etc... Either way !

[Avrus]

I don't see the big deal, do they really look that ugly?

Beauty and function are in the eye of the beholder.