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Basically 100% done MAME cabinet. . . On like Donkey Kong
Chicken McNobody:
Now I have to put some bolts into the coin door, and I also need to wire a central power switch for it all. But other than that, this one is the can! This has been 5 years in the making, and I couldn't be more satisfied.
On the subject of power, does anyone have a suggestion on how to wire the computer's power switch with a power strip? Right now, I have it where it requires the computer to be turned on separate from the rest of everything else.
Thanks in advance for any help and checking this out. And my 4 year old daughter is playing Moonwalker, and she is actually pretty decent at it. She loves saving the children the most. . .
javeryh:
Real nice job. What I usually do is wire the pins on the computer's motherboard for the power button to a microswitch just like any button. Then I plug everything into a SmartStrip with the computer being the "hot" plug. One press turns everything on and off.
A couple of questions:
What kind of monitor are you using and how did you mount it?
How did you finish the cabinet (I assume paint but spray or brush?)?
:cheers:
Chicken McNobody:
Thanks for the advice on the power switch, I'll give it a go soon. Like most people, I am having a hard time prying myself away from this to do anything that isn't playing the games themselves.
It is actually an old school 19" CRT computer monitor that I got as a hand me down for what was originally to be a MAME cocktail project. I picked up a Midway Space Invaders cocktail game from Craigslist that needed very little restoration, so that replaced the need to MAME a cocktail game.
I removed the monitors front plastic bezel to allow a curved CRT bezel to clean up the opening, and then I cut a large piece of cardboard to fit with the opening, and painted it black. Since it is so dark in there, it looks great, even if it is very very low budget. I put a 2x4 at an angle to sit the monitor on, and then put another angled in the back for it to rest against and not fall back or out. I then took two 2 1/2" lag screws and screwed through the 2x4 and into the monitor casing (I made sure there was enough room to do so first.) And this made so the monitor stays put, and won't risk sliding down in heated play.
I intentionally have the monitor set a little lower than maybe was needed to allow a good angle for taller people looking down. The Wife and I are 5' 4" and the cabinet is about that same height. Also this allows our daughters to see it when they are sitting on the bar stools used from the kitchen. You can see in the one picture that my oldest is perfectly lined up to see and play with ease. And that was very important to me. My neighbor is about 5' 10" and he says the angle is great from him whilst looking down at the screen, so it worked out as I had hoped.
The cabinet itself is painted, I am not 100% sure how it was applied, as the basic cabinet and side art was another purchase on Craigslist. I have very little woodworking skill and no access to a shop, so this was a perfect set up for me to finish. I added the back panel and all the interiors, as it was just a scratch built "shell" that was already dressed up, and ready to finish.
I know a lot of you will chastise me for this, but I am simply using MAME32, and don't have a "front end" set up. I tried using MaLa and maybe I'm stupid with this, but I can't get it to only show the games I have available. The list is all the games that MAME32 works with, and that is 6,000, when I have only about 1,500. I don't plan on or intend to have the full 6,000 to play. I am more than satisfied with my selection, and may add here or there from time to time.
Any help on this would be great, I tried reading the threads about using MaLa and the likes, and I guess my brain can't process what I am doing. Since I can't seem to get it to work right for me.
pinballwizard79:
That machine is super nice
Chicken McNobody:
Thanks for all the kind words, I worked pretty hard on it, and am very proud. My girls love to play it, and that makes it all worth while. I am not the kind to document the process, so I have no mid production pictures. I'm sorry, I know a lot of you enjoy seeing those, but that's not how I work.
For those who may have missed it in my art posting, here is another picture of the CPO itself. It worked out perfectly and Mamemarquees is the only way to go in my opinion. Scott is very pleasant to deal with and is a true master at his craft.
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