Making a cab come apart in two pieces?

[kelemvor]

Just wondering two things.

Has anyone made a cabinet where the top and bottom come apart for easier transport or whatnot?  There was a link in the PA book to one like this but the link is dead so I don't know what it was.

or

Has anyone taken an existing cab and somehow converted it so that it can be taken apart for easier transport and such.

If so, how di dyou do it and how well did it work?

Thanks.

[Angry_Radish]

The UAII style cabinets can be done like that..
http://www.mameroom.com/product_UltimateArcadeII.asp

[superart]

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[Green Giant]

The UAII style cabinets can be done like that..
http://www.mameroom.com/product_UltimateArcadeII.asp

The two piece UAII cab is in no way portable, weighs a ton and very difficult to separate.  You might look at the slim cabs by knievel or focus more on material than anything. 

Like the above post says, something similar to a bartop with a separate base would be better.

Why do you need it so portable anyways?

[kelemvor]

I don't NEED it portable.  Just thinking ahead since we'll be moving eventually and might want to go from downstairs to upstairs or things like that.

Suits, how did you connect it with bolts?  DO you have a picture or can you describe what you did?  Just a bracket of some sort that you bolt together inside or something like that?

I thought about some sort of latch on the inside where you can twist it to tighten it and then clamp it down or something.

[superart]

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[superart]

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[superbigjay]

Well mine is built in 2 parts.

It's based on UAII plans that I slightly modified.

As Green Giant said, Each part takes as much place as the whole cab.
Each part is however 1/2 the weight, so it's easier to move...

here's some pic...

Jay

[kelemvor]

Other reason I want it somewhat portable is it will live in the basement most of the time but might need to get moved out to the deck during parties and cook outs.

But I think I may just take a normal cab and literally cut the thing in half.  Then I can put some dowel type things in the cut area to line it up and hold it all together with some adjustable clamps from the inside.

Of course I'll have to whip up something to test it first but hopefully it will work...

[DaveMMR]

Other reason I want it somewhat portable is it will live in the basement most of the time but might need to get moved out to the deck during parties and cook outs.

I have a relatively small cabinet and it took the better part of the day to move it up the stairs  and into where it has to go.   You bring an arcade cabinet outside during cookouts and such, you're going to have to convince people to "stick around" and help you bring it back inside lest it becomes a victim to the elements.

But I think I may just take a normal cab and literally cut the thing in half.  Then I can put some dowel type things in the cut area to line it up and hold it all together with some adjustable clamps from the inside.

.

All the two piece cabs I've seen are designed with separation in mind (the top is slightly wider than the bottom part).  If you take a normal cab and cut it in half, at worst, you're compromising the structural integrity of it's design, and at best, it's going look kind of silly.

Sorry to tinkle in your cornflakes but those things are still hard to move, two pieces or not (you still have to take the monitor out, disconnect wires, etc).  The two piece design is more of a aesthetic choice and the only way it's a benefit over standard one-piece design is if you have really, really tiny doorways. 

[superart]

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[buks]

I studied the UAII design (okay, looked but studied sounds better !) and made my own version. The top comes off which does make it a lot easier to move from the garage into the house. I made mine out of plywood though so its lighter than the mdf that most people seem to use.

I haven't bolted it on either as the wight of the TV keeps it together - plus it "slots" into some battons so theres no way it would come aprt by accident.

I'm going to be moving the cab upstairs soon so I'm really glad it comes apart otherwise theres no way it would go up there.

Buks

[CheffoJeffo]

I'm not really sure what to say here as I don't see any significant advantage to having a normal-sized cab that comes apart into two pieces. I have moved every cab(*) in my basement myself using a basic appliance dolly. I'm not overly big or strong (although I can apply a bit of leverage at 6'2" and 225lbs) and my main issues are always getting around corners. For my part, I would prefer to suffer the extra exertion rather than have to remove the monitor and have to disassemble when I want to move a cab.

* - The one exception is a Dynamo Showcase, which, at 800 lbs, was too heavy and too big for me to move without disassembly (and I will NOT be disassembling it again -- it's going to stay with the house if I ever move).

I guess, however, that for those who don't have/want a dolly or ready access to "cab relocation buddies", that there may be something to be said for the two-piece design.

Having said that, I would NOT cut an existing cab in half and hope to secure it with something like panel clamps.

You might want to consider building a slim cab -- the work that Knievel, spacies and others have done there have convinced me that it is a good alternative to a full-size.

[superart]

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[CheffoJeffo]

* - The one exception is a Dynamo Showcase, which, at 800 lbs, was too heavy and too big for me to move without disassembly (and I will NOT be disassembling it again -- it's going to stay with the house if I ever move).

It depends on how you set up a two piece. For mines dissassembly is easy as disconnecting the coin door wires. You see my two piece has the TV up top, along with the marquee light, an the control panel. On bottom the computer sits fully entact, and the coin doors are mounted as usual. Now when I move the top piece I don't have to take out the monitor since it secured tight, or the marquee/light. The control panel is removable and fairly easy to unhook.
-Now before I move the top piece all I have to do is unplug the Ipac from the computer, and the cables connecting to the computer through the coin door. Then I just roll those wires up through a whole from which they all go down (includes the TV cables(s-video/plug), the marquee light plug, the cp cables) and just rest them inside the top.
-Now you can move the top piece no problem
-Then you can move the bottom piece, mines is a one man job. The top with the monitor(notice the monitor sets at a slant) is a two man job (unless your a powerlifter).

There are always exceptions, but I had presumed that we were talking about a normal-style upright.

I note that your new cab is much more showcase-like in style and that my exception to the disassembly rule was my showcase:



 

[superart]

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[Kajoq]

Suits, That pic you posted is a pic of my cab.  It is in fact in two main pieces (3 if you count the control panel)

Without taking out the monitor theres no good way for me to get at and see exactly how they're attached though.  There was another guy on the forum doing a Mercs cabinet restoration that might have better pics of the internals.

By poking my head in the back panel opening its basically just the top bolts into the bottom and theres some internal framework to hold in the monitor and reinforce the cab for the weight of that

[kelemvor]

If I build my own, I'll probably do something along the lines of "The Woody" that Knievel did:
http://www.knievelkustoms.com/thewoody.htm

I'd use that style anyway but wouldn't make it wood grain.

But I may get an existing cabinet and was looking for a way to possibly mod it to be taken apart.  I guess I'll see if I end up with the premade one first or not and go from there.

[michelevit]

I've built a two piece cab.

here are some pics of the design i used for a mid sized cab.

The main cab which houses the monitor, pc, and controls sits
on a matching box.

the bottom is simply a box with the same width and depth and matching t-molding.

the advantage is...

you can place it on the ground and small children can play it.
it is transportable upright in a minivan or suv.

this makes it more sellable.

once the cab is assembled, you can't tell it it two pieces.

i encourage you to try a two piece design. also if you build by yourself
a smaller cab is more manageable to build and assemble.

here is a better pic...

http://www.ameliavitarelli.com/public%5Fhtml/minicade2/slides/minicade-%20054.html

[DaveMMR]

I've built a two piece cab.

here are some pics of the design i used for a mid sized cab.

The main cab which houses the monitor, pc, and controls sits
on a matching box.

the bottom is simply a box with the same width and depth and matching t-molding.

the advantage is...

you can place it on the ground and small children can play it.
it is transportable upright in a minivan or suv.

this makes it more sellable.

once the cab is assembled, you can't tell it it two pieces.

i encourage you to try a two piece design. also if you build by yourself
a smaller cab is more manageable to build and assemble.

here is a better pic...

http://www.ameliavitarelli.com/public%5Fhtml/minicade2/slides/minicade-%20054.html

That's a pretty nice design.  However, the two-piece design they're referring to is where the top half (monitor) separates from the bottom.  When together it resembles a standard upright.   

[superart]

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[Kajoq]

I'm somewhat of a Street Fighter 3 fan.  I bought the cab as Street Fighter 3: New Generation, and it came with a 3 player style capcom control panel , that was set up for p1 and p2 only, and that Marquee.  I'm actually trying to sell the SF3 cart now that I have Super Turbo in it

Those are sanwa buttons/joysticks.  I just built that control panel a few weeks ago.