What type of wood should I use to build my cabinet or control set?

[saint]

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[Zobeid]

I think the reason it keeps getting asked so many times is because everyone is looking for a definitive "right" answer, and there isn't one.

MDO sounds great -- if I can find some.  My local lumber yard has MDF and plywood.  All these and more have been used successfully, they all appear to have pluses and minuses.  I still haven't decided.

You might find this amusing. . .   I corresponded with someone who is in business making custom MAME cabinets.  His opinion, unfiltered: "I prefer particle board it is strong and with 1 coat of primer ans 2 coats of paint iit should last forever.I could use MDF if wanted?It doesn't cost that much more.I've used both before and it really doesn't matter.If you are planning on using t-molding you can't use plywood.Its not solid enough to router the hole."

Somebody asked about using unconventional materials like metal or plastic.  It's an interesting idea.  I think it would be cool to try building a cabinet out of honeycomb sandwich panels.  It would probably require epoxy to hold together in key places (kind of like a big model rocket), I don't think wood glue or screws would work.  The edges would have to be finished with something other than T-molding, I'm pretty sure.

The resulting cabinet would be easy to move around, but it would be so lightweight that I wonder if it would be stable during gameplay.  I wouldn't want somebody giving it a shove and knocking it over.   

[LLUncoolJ]

I think the reason it keeps getting asked so many times is because everyone is looking for a definitive "right" answer, and there isn't one.

MDO sounds great -- if I can find some.  My local lumber yard has MDF and plywood.  All these and more have been used successfully, they all appear to have pluses and minuses.  I still haven't decided.

You might find this amusing. . .   I corresponded with someone who is in business making custom MAME cabinets.  His opinion, unfiltered: "I prefer particle board it is strong and with 1 coat of primer ans 2 coats of paint iit should last forever.I could use MDF if wanted?It doesn't cost that much more.I've used both before and it really doesn't matter.If you are planning on using t-molding you can't use plywood.Its not solid enough to router the hole."

Somebody asked about using unconventional materials like metal or plastic.  It's an interesting idea.  I think it would be cool to try building a cabinet out of honeycomb sandwich panels.  It would probably require epoxy to hold together in key places (kind of like a big model rocket), I don't think wood glue or screws would work.  The edges would have to be finished with something other than T-molding, I'm pretty sure.

The resulting cabinet would be easy to move around, but it would be so lightweight that I wonder if it would be stable during gameplay.  I wouldn't want somebody giving it a shove and knocking it over.   

I wouldn't want to put a crt monitor it that, it would be extremely top-heavy. I have been working with mdf. It is the easiest thing in the world to cut and route. It is a pain to drill with a hole saw when you build your cp though. It also soaks up primer and paint, add extra to your budget if you go that route.

[Lecithin]

MDF is what I go with, its an easy to work with engineered wood and it is very cheap (helps if you have to replace something because of a screw up).

[ViciousXUSMC]

When I build mine one day it will be MDF, Vinyl instead of paint/primer, and T-Molding to top it all off.

Chances are mine will not be top heavy because it wont have a top

It will be a stand alone control panel, with the box infront of it that will have a projector that throws the image on a wall or screen with a dreamcast, pc, and maybe something else inside of it.  The idea is to have it portable so I can take it places like my big hotel parties.