Best Nintendo white t-molding ?

[Level42]

What did you guys use as Nintendo white flat t-molding ?

I've been satisfied with www.t-molding.com 's products so far, is this the best to get ?

Thanks !

[joeks]

hi level42,
first i must say, i've been looking at your topics of restorations for the past couple of days and am very impressed and jealous
especcially you nintendo cab, what a find! and that in the netherlands. ik kom zelf uit goes

i am building a mame donkey kong cabinet from scratch myself and bought a lot of stuff, including 5/8" nintendo t-molding (http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=TMW58IN), from www.mikesarcade.com and am very happy with it. for as far as i can judge that is, since i am not done with the cab yet.

if you like, you can check my progress on www.donkeykongarcade.blogspot.com.
and yes, i should have routered the t-mold slot BEFORE constructing the cabinet

good luck and greetings,
barry

[JeepMonkey]

I purchased some of the "flat" t-molding from T-Molding.com.  The stuff I got was rounded, not really flat at all.  I tapped it will a rubber mallet and it flattened a bit more, but I am not too impressed with this stuff compared to the original Nintendo t-molding.  Maybe I just assumed it would look a lot like the original Nintendo t-molding.

[FrizzleFried]

Whatever you do make sure you have a CENTER CUT T-Molding channel as some are not center cut...and T-Molding for the offset cut is impossible to find.  You have to go a little bigger and deal with a lip or cut the lip off.

[Level42]

I purchased some of the "flat" t-molding from T-Molding.com.  The stuff I got was rounded, not really flat at all.  I tapped it will a rubber mallet and it flattened a bit more, but I am not too impressed with this stuff compared to the original Nintendo t-molding.  Maybe I just assumed it would look a lot like the original Nintendo t-molding.

Thanks Jeep, I was a bit worried about that. The picture on t-molding.com is a bit misleading, it's pictured too much from the top, probably too hide the difference with the real stuff....

www.t-mold.com has a bit more honest picture I guess, at least this shows that it just isn't exactly flat.


Joeks, dankjewel en welkom ! Altijd blij Nederlanders hier te vinden ! I think the original Nintendo t-mold should be 9/16" not 5/8" ?

Is it possible that the t-mold only gets really flat when you actually install it ?

I still have the original strips, maybe I'd be better off trying to clean it, if possible at all...

[Bender]

Original Nintendo cabs come both 9/16 and 5/8 depending on the type of wood, Ply or particle
the t-molding does get flatter when installed, but not quite as flat as the original and i find it to be more matt than the original, I'm thinking of trying to polish it some how

[JeepMonkey]

Here are a couple control panels, one has original t-molding and the other "flat" t-molding from t-molding.com.  If these pics aren't good enough I can take some others.

[Level42]

Thanks, great pics, they really show the difference very well !
I'm quite disappointed by the repro stuff. It looks like it's much thicker apart from the angle.

However, the picture that shows it from the top surely makes the repro stuff look better. I think that when you look at the cab the repro still would look better than the old worn stuff ?

I'll check how bad the original T-molding on my cab is....

[Level42]

Checked it and cleaned it with my trusty "Dasty" and it turned out VERY nice. Sure, there's some (burn) marks I can't get off and there are a few dents, but overall it looks pretty nice. I'll try to refit them when I'm ready with the black painting of the cab and see how I like it. I may very well keep the originals

Thanks for the help and info !

[SavannahLion]

Nintendo wasn't the only one with flat t-molding. My SEGA cab has black flat t-molding. I ordered sample sizes and IIRC, the equivalent Nintendo size was what fit, but the rounded top was nowhere close. I didn't order the white Nintendo molding to see if it was a fit (aside from color). I thought about ordering samples from other suppliers, but everyone seems to order from the same manufacturer. 

I saw one manufacturer offer custom extrusions for t-molding. What's the possibility of a group buy?

Of course, who's going to want the black?

[Level42]

I wouldn't count to much an a custom run. I've enquired around here about pricing and you'll be surprised....

_IF_ there's going to be any custom T-molding done the black very wide and ribbed T-molding for Star Wars cockpits need to go first

I keep having the idea that I've seen T-molding like the Nintendo stuff at some local DYI shop but it might be just my mind getting older....I'll check anyway. At least, I think the originals that were on the cab are decent enough to go back...

[Level42]

Hey how about this stuff:

http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=TMWF916IN



Looks a lot more like the real thing !

Anyone used this ?

Strange that he also sells this:

http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=TMW58IN



And mentions it's for the same games ?

[SavannahLion]

Did some cabinets come with the rounded and some come with the flat?

I was talking with someone else about their cabinet and they didn't have the slightest clue what I was talking about.

[jimkirk]

I just ordered T- Molding from mikes arcade and I will let you know how it looks compared to the original. I previously ordered from quarterarcade and T-Molding.com and both were slightly rounded with T-molding being a little flatter.

[Level42]

Thanks, will be interesting !

[Level42]

Jimkirk, did you receive it yet ?

[jimkirk]

Jimkirk, did you receive it yet ?

I received my t-molding from mikes arcade and it is a little flatter than the t-molding.com stuff. The t section is thinner so it should lay flatter when installed other wise it looks the same. Dull finish with a slight hump in the middle like all the rest of the t-molding I have seen. I have bought from 3 different sources and mikes is the one I would buy if I had to choose one. Hopr this helps.
JIM

[2600]

Jimkirk, did you receive it yet ?

I received my t-molding from mikes arcade and it is a little flatter than the t-molding.com stuff. The t section is thinner so it should lay flatter when installed other wise it looks the same. Dull finish with a slight hump in the middle like all the rest of the t-molding I have seen. I have bought from 3 different sources and mikes is the one I would buy if I had to choose one. Hopr this helps.
JIM

Got any pics of them separately or together?

[Level42]

Thanks. This confirms my decision to keep the original T-molding. I guess when it's really bad, Mike's the best to go with. Still I'd like to see some pictures if possible.

[Level42]

Shameless bump for pic-request