Cabinet Design Suggestions

[Aabra]

I'm not much of a woodworker but I've gotten in touch with a professional arcade machine factory/workshop.  These guys are serious and have 6 people or so building them all the time.  They're in Mexico though and have *never* dealt with a request like mine.  They have no idea how I plan on making this work with 4 players even.  (IPACs etc aren't exactly common since they're more for MAME which official cabinets obviously can't use)  They do however make extremely high quality cabinets and told me that if I design it, they can make it using very high quality wood/materials/etc... as long as I worry about wiring it, configuring the software, etc.


So, my question to all of you is - what type of design should I go for?  What should I base the design off of?  What little features are great for convenience/etc.  This is for a 4 player stand-up machine.  What are your thoughts on this so far?

My list so far is:

Base the design off mameroom's ultimate arcade 2?  Maybe something different?

Add Wheels

Modify the back to add ventilation and maybe add some kind of door so I have easy access to it.

Modify the front so it's a big door and can access the front of the computer easily yet still have a coin door for show

For the control panel add hinges so I can open it up easily.

Add pinball buttons to the cp

Add some extra holes underneath the cp on the part that overhangs the machine - these would be for USB ports - they'd be underneath so you wouldn't be able to see them but I could connect gamepads/etc there.

Somehow modify the design so that there is sufficient space (before the buttons and joysticks start) to attach a steering wheel if I so desired... ideas on this?

Somehow modify the keyboard drawer so that it's more like a normal keyboard drawer on a office desk.  I still want the cover but when I take the keyboard out I want that cover piece gone because it gets in the way of the person trying to type or use the mouse.  Any ideas on how I should do this?

Anything else???

[garnerb350]

Try Jakobud...

www.jakobud.com

He has plan designs of the orginal game cabinets...U might can also take the plans and modify them to your liking....I myself used the plans from www.arcadecab.com. ( I personally have an x-arcade cp ( 2 player ) for mine....but I believe that there are plans for a custom cp...where you can have 4 players etc...Or Maybe you can take both sites and combine em to make Devastor of the Constructiocons....

[Turnarcades]

First question is if these guys are commercial cab builders, how much are they charging you? Wouldn't it be easier to find a good quality ex-Jamma or local cab builder? Outfits like ours surely exist in small pockets on your side of the pond.

Secondly,

Base the design off mameroom's ultimate arcade 2?  Maybe something different?

Add Wheels

Modify the back to add ventilation and maybe add some kind of door so I have easy access to it.

Modify the front so it's a big door and can access the front of the computer easily yet still have a coin door for show

For the control panel add hinges so I can open it up easily.

Add pinball buttons to the cp

Add some extra holes underneath the cp on the part that overhangs the machine - these would be for USB ports - they'd be underneath so you wouldn't be able to see them but I could connect gamepads/etc there.

Somehow modify the design so that there is sufficient space (before the buttons and joysticks start) to attach a steering wheel if I so desired... ideas on this?

Somehow modify the keyboard drawer so that it's more like a normal keyboard drawer on a office desk.  I still want the cover but when I take the keyboard out I want that cover piece gone because it gets in the way of the person trying to type or use the mouse.  Any ideas on how I should do this?

Anything else???

With this many shell mods you may do better to design a basic cabinet shell yourself with a detachable panel that is sent to you blank. This way you can mark up and test the feel of control layouts yourself and be able to just swap the panel out if you decide you don't like a certain layout. Whatever you do make sure you have plenty of internal access, remember tons of ventilation is not necessary and think about drilling the panel yourself as it is dead easy and gives you chance to add extra buttons etc. as you find you need them.

[Aabra]

First question is if these guys are commercial cab builders, how much are they charging you? Wouldn't it be easier to find a good quality ex-Jamma or local cab builder? Outfits like ours surely exist in small pockets on your side of the pond.

Let's just say.... Viva Mexico.  I'm Canadian but I've lived down here the last 5 years and when it comes to woodworking - things are *extremely* cheap around here.  Monitors, electronics, computers, etc are the same price (or higher) than in the US but for pure carpentry you pay very little.

If I just bought a very high quality normal cabinet new it would cost me 870 pesos.  ($63 US)  However this would only be big enough for 2 players, and not have all the modifications I want.  Because I want... what I want he told me it obviously depends on how much wood is used but the absolute maximum is could cost is 3000 pesos ($219 US - yes, including the CP) It will probably cost a lot less but he didn't want to tell me too low of a price just in case I asked for something ridiculous.

I think it would be fun to completely build it myself but my problem is that I live in an apartment and there simply isn't anywhere to really put the "work in progress" - not to mention the fact that I have absolutely no power tools of any kind whatsoever.  I have a hammer and a bunch of screwdrivers..... and that's pretty much it.  Heck I need will need to buy a wire stripper to do the wiring on the cabinet!! 

I want to make sure I get the design right the first time and if I need any modifications later on well then... maybe I can borrow a drill from somebody.    One of the nice features of the ultimate arcade 2 base design is that when it comes to the control panel...  take out 8 screws from under the cp and it's off.  (Which by the way is probably the only way I'd get it through the door.)  Of course I'm sure most cabinets are like that.

[Jack Burton]

How big can the cab be?  Cause if it is a 4 player cab I would go nuts and put a big 37" or higher display in it. 

[Aabra]

haha well, it has to be able to get through my doors.... and not use up an absolutely ridiculous amount of space.  I'm planning on putting a beast of a machine in it and buying a couple xbox 360 controllers as well to use for games like Assassin's creed, Oblivion, etc... not to mention Street Fighter 4.  It won't be exclusively old arcade games.  It's for this reason that I'm thinking of getting a 26" LCD Computer Monitor so that I can support a lot more resolutions. 

I'm thinking of this one but haven't made my final decision yet:

http://www.digitalife.com.mx/detalle.php?idProducto=6215


As far as the room is concerned it needs to be able to fit comfortably in the space in the picture.  It is 148 centimeters (or 4' 10")  from the bar to the sofa however it will need to have 4 people comfortably standing around it as well so keep that in mind.  (People will be able to put their beers on the bar while playing... heh)