The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Knievel on July 16, 2006, 10:25:47 am
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Doing something different than my usual Dynamo-style cabinets so I thought I would share it.
This one will will feature a furniture style cabinet built from 3/4" maple veneer plywood and a 19" LCD monitor.
It will be stained a dark mahogany color, with black t-mold/controls.
Some build pics..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/sidecut.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/build1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/build2.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/build3.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/build4.jpg)
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oooh yeah,
everyones talked about the furniture style cab at least once with their wives. Keep the pics comin'.
Any t-mold? what color?
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I'm building this cabinet for someone actually, but I plan to make a copy of it in a lighter color for myself.
I'll be using the black leather-look t-mold on this one. Trying to keep it classy. ;)
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Looks good, Brad, and I am envious of your shop.
Is stability going to be a problem with this thin a design ?
Cheers
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Do you own enough clamps?
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Seems pretty stable so far Jeff. With the LCD monitor it shouldn't be top heavy, and I'm using a clamshell Dell tower which is fairly hefty. With all that weight resting on the bottom it should stay put.
My shop is alright, but being in the garage it tends to collect a lot of crap. I'd love to build a separate, dedicated shop someday.
Yes I've got about 40 of those clamps. Princess Auto up here regularly has them on for $5 each. They aren't the best but fine for jobs like this.
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Repeat after me:
"You can ever have enough clamps."
Looks good. I'm rather partial to the thin, wall hugging, cabs.
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Seems pretty stable so far Jeff. With the LCD monitor it shouldn't be top heavy, and I'm using a clamshell Dell tower which is fairly hefty. With all that weight resting on the bottom it should stay put.
LCD's have come a long way in supporting non-native resolutions. I'd still have to double check an LCD against all the roms I would be running on it. Out of scan errors seem to occur less and less - but you should double check to be sure.
Overall, this is going to be a nice looking cabinet that will help blur the lines between furniture and arcade cabinet - this will put the FUN in function... ahem... YES! I realize how cheesy that sounds.
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Hmm, Knievel is the expert but I too would be concerned about someone pulling that sucker over in a heated game of Street Fighter Alpha or something.
Hate to see you have to put a big ugly base on it though.
-D
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Given that you're going for a classic wood finish, I take it you're not going too fancy with lighting, neon, etc.? On my first cab I went with a mahogany CP and people just loved it. I doubled up the 3/4" wood at the edge giving a substantial "feel". I'm looking forward to following your progress.
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LCD's have come a long way in supporting non-native resolutions. I'd still have to double check an LCD against all the roms I would be running on it. Out of scan errors seem to occur less and less - but you should double check to be sure.
Overall, this is going to be a nice looking cabinet that will help blur the lines between furniture and arcade cabinet - this will put the FUN in function... ahem... YES! I realize how cheesy that sounds.
Well this fellow is actually interested in Visual Pinball more than anything. Although I think he will enjoy it as a jukebox as well. Mame and any other emulators are a bonus for him, believe it or not. If they are all run at 1024x768 they will be fine, that's what I've always done with all my PC monitors anyway.
Glad you think this will be a 'nice looking cabinet'..I'm making it up as I go along. :)
Given that you're going for a classic wood finish, I take it you're not going too fancy with lighting, neon, etc.? On my first cab I went with a mahogany CP and people just loved it. I doubled up the 3/4" wood at the edge giving a substantial "feel". I'm looking forward to following your progress.
No lighting on this one other than the marquee. Going for a stealthy looking CP with a mahogany finish and all black controls, even the trackball. I will be labeling the admin buttons and coin/player buttons with some of the cool labels MikeDeuce is producing..
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=49291.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=49291.0)
So here's the CP top for this one. My usual layout but the top is smaller and angular, in keeping with the shape of the cabinet..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/cpt.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/cpb.jpg)
And here's a final look at the cabinet before I start staining. Clamps are off and this baby is solid. The front of the base was added as well..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/prestain1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/prestain2.jpg)
Tune in tomorrow...
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I know now why you never do a build post, cause you finish in the time it takes most people to measure there cuts :cheers:
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Great work so far, Knievel. Cool choice on the vinyl decals by MikeDeuce. They look great, and I'm planning on getting a set of the player cuts for a set of CPs I'm making for my PS2. I really like your control panels! All the cuts and routes are amazing; Do you do them by hand?
This may be a stupid question, but which of the two control panel pictures are of the top? Is the black side the bottom? I know the file is named cpb.jpg, but b could mean black, or bottom. :-[
I still haven't completely gotten this whole mounting of joysticks concept down yet. :(
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Thanks, I do all the routing by hand. Using the templates I created they rival a CNC cut CP.
Yes the black side is the bottom. I top mount my joysticks to get the max stick length, you'll find various opinions/discussions on mounting joys.
Going to try and get this one completed this week so expect daily updates..
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Keep em coming. Especially the CP photos. :cheers:
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Are you a woodworker by trade or is it just a hobby? All of your creations have super clean lines. It looks fantastic so far.
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Talk to me about tearout on the t-molding slots... I'm thinking about a plywood cab, but I want t-molding on the edges 'fer shure dude. I'm afraid the slot cutters gonna rip the plywood to shreds. Any hints/tips would be most helpful. I'm unable to do the woodwork myself as you know (The LEDs are working awesome by the way, I'd have sent pictures, but I decided to build a bigger control panel, still building...) so I'm trying to gather as much info in the planning stage before I farm out the woodwork.
Lance
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OK there will be plenty of CP pics. :)
I'm actually an electrician by trade but carpentry/design comes naturally to me and I enjoy it more. I'm also branching into computer tech and graphic artist..thanks to these machines.
Lance I didn't have any issue with the t-mold slot in the plywood. Now I used Furniture Grade maple plywood which is about $80 a sheet so I imagine the core is better constructed than some cheaper ply. Best to do a search on that and see if anyone else has had problems with that.
So I got the CP box built today. It's made from the same 3/4" maple ply and I mitered all the joints to make it look like one solid piece (btw it's upside down in the first pic)..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cpbox1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cpbox2.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cpbox3.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cpbox4.jpg)
And here's a sneak peek at the color of the cabinet. You won't find this at the hardware store, I combined 3 different Minwax stains to arrive at this shade..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/stain.jpg)
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Awesome - just remember to mix up enough of your custom blend stain for the entire thing (or have a recipe written down). It might be tough to match it exactly if you don't get it all stained at once...
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Wow, that is an awesome shade. I know that you said you will be taking plenty of CP shots (which is a big bonus for me as that is the most interesting part of a cab, imo), but...
Would you be able to post pictures of the panel after the joystick mount plates are in, but just before the overlay goes on? I haven't been able to find a good picture of that point in the process. :-[ I've just been confused by the fact that Happs joysticks seem to have a lip on the top of their base and then the middle is slightly lower than the rest of the stick. Does that affect laying down the overlay at all?
Hah, sorry if that is a pain in the ass! If it is, don't bother... but it never hurts to ask! ...right? ;D
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Yea it looks pretty nice, even darker in person. I made up a big batch so no worries there. :)
Yes the Happ joy mounting plates are recessed in the center. When I was using glossy paper for my art I would just lay it loose over the mounts and then cover it with 1/8" plexiglass. Never had any issues with the art dipping into the recess.
Now that I'm using the self-adhesive vinyl overlays from mamemarquees.com I cut cardboard spacers and fit them into the mounting plate recesses to support the overlay in those areas. And then I still cover the CP with plexiglass.
I'll take pics of this one but you can see some I took of the Arcadeus CP as I was building it, over in Jontox's blog.. http://arcadeus.over-blog.net/album-128340.html (http://arcadeus.over-blog.net/album-128340.html)
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Now that I'm using the self-adhesive vinyl overlays from mamemarquees.com I cut cardboard spacers and fit them into the mounting plate recesses to support the overlay in those areas. And then I still cover the CP with plexiglass.
I wish I was that clever. :( I had seen those pictures before, too. Haha, I can't get over how nice your panels are. And you say it's all the template? So, basically like Drew's sawboard but for your router instead?
I apologize for all the questions, Knievel. I'm just interested, that's all.
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WOW, I really like the look of the CP box. That's some nice plywood. You're already giving me ideas for the next cab and I haven't even finished my first!
I'd like to see how Knievel makes his templates as well as get a peak at the templates themselves but here is a link to how I made mine.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=51235.0
:cheers:
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Excellent craftsmanship! Next will be the rolltop desk cab. ;D
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Looking at your woody gives me a .....
I thouroughly enjoy your projects keep them coming...
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Finally..a woody joke. :)
Good writeup Tim, never saw that before. Here's a look at the templates I use to make my standard CP top..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/templates.jpg)
So I got a few coats of stain on the maple CP overlay and just sprayed it with a matte clearcoat...
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cpoverlay.jpg)
And here's a pic of the CP top with the joy and trackball plates all installed...
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cppieces.jpg)
I'm going to glue it up tonight. So what I'll end up with is a sandwich of 5/8" MDF, 1/8" stained maple ply, and then I'll top it with my usual 1/8" plexiglass cover. The bottom edge of the MDF will be bevelled slightly to get the 3/4" thickness required for the t-mold.
Made up the keyboard drawer today as well. The front is angled to match the angle of the bottom half of the cabinet. Not very exciting but here's a pic, that bottom piece is just there to hold the angle...
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/keybrd drwr.jpg)
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You do have a thing for scale. What are your outside dimensions for your CP top? It's a great layout.
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This one is 34"x14".
My usual tops are 35"x16" so it's a little smaller, the control layout is the same though.
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Just out of curiosity, what type of joysticks are going in this panel? Has he decided on a color for the buttons?
Oh, and did those joysticks need the little sheet of cardboard, or is that how they normally look? ;D
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Awesome work, Knievel! This is going to be a classy one.
When you say you're going to glue it up, are you planning on gluing the maple ply on to the MDF substrate? Just curious if that locks in the trackball/joysticks... not that I hear of these components failing often in personal machines, but just curious :)
thanks for the links/mention, too :D
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So I see your templates. Thank you.
What kind of router bit do you use with those templates? Do you use a patern bit with the bearing on the top or do you use a regular mortising bit with the base plate bushing?
Oh and I love the panel and the technique. It just looks so clean.
Question number 2: What is the diameter of the hole for the joystick, 1"? Assuming you are using Happ sticks.
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Just out of curiosity, what type of joysticks are going in this panel? Has he decided on a color for the buttons?
Oh, and did those joysticks need the little sheet of cardboard, or is that how they normally look? ;D
Happ Super joysticks, Happ 3" USB/PS2 trackball, regular Happ buttons and a Slikstik Tornado spinner...everything in black. No cardboard fillers needed this time, since the overlay is rigid 1/8" plywood.
Awesome work, Knievel! This is going to be a classy one.
When you say you're going to glue it up, are you planning on gluing the maple ply on to the MDF substrate? Just curious if that locks in the trackball/joysticks... not that I hear of these components failing often in personal machines, but just curious :)
thanks for the links/mention, too :D
Thanks Mike, hopefully this will draw more attention to your labels. I know you do it as a service for everyone here. I realize the labour that goes into weeding the vinyl..you are not in it for the money. :)
Yes I am gluing the ply overlay to the MDF, it will make the joystick bases permanent. The guts of a Super joy are accessable from the bottom so that shouldn't be an issue. As for the trackball it mounts from underneath so it can be removed anytime if required.
So I see your templates. Thank you.
What kind of router bit do you use with those templates? Do you use a patern bit with the bearing on the top or do you use a regular mortising bit with the base plate bushing?
Oh and I love the panel and the technique. It just looks so clean.
Question number 2: What is the diameter of the hole for the joystick, 1"? Assuming you are using Happ sticks.
Tim I use a regular straight 1/4" bit with a base plate bushing system.
The holes are 1 1/8", same size as the buttons. 1" would be fine with the Happ's too.
Hope to get the CP finished tomorrow..check back for pics :)
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Finally..a woody joke. :)
Has anyone ever told you you're far too quick as well....
This project is moving at a frenetic pace...
Looking fantastic though
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I'd be interested in any hints and tips WRT finishing maple. Eventually I'll get all the cutting done for my cocktail cab (also maple ply) and I'll have to stain the beast.
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Well I knew going in that maple is hard to stain dark and it's taken a lot of coats to get there. Hopefully you're going for more of a oak finish which shouldn't be difficult. If your cabinet is still in pieces I would suggest staining it now with the Minwax Poly-Shades product, It's a stain and poly all-in-one and really produces a nice easy finish. 2 or 3 coats, sanding in between, should do it.
So I got the CP assembled and wired up yesterday. Haven't taken any pics of the topside yet but here's the wiring job. Was fairly easy by my standards, no LED's to wire for a change. :)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring2.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring3.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring4.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring5.jpg)
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Where do you buy your wire? I went to Frys as they had wonderful solid strand wire, but none in blue. I bought a bunch of it in all sorts of colors. Now, I understand that the wirecolor makes NO difference to how the thing works. But, If you want it to look good then color does matter. Anyway, wardjigetit?
Also, roughly how many feet of wire of the blue did you use?
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Head to Home Depot and follow the *ding-dong* sounds. A roll of green for the grounds and a roll of another color for the control wires will cover a CP like this one.
There's 65' per roll and it's 20 gauge. Up here they've normally got green, yellow, purple, red and blue in stock.
I wouldn't suggest solid wire if you are the type of person who is constantly lifting the lid and mucking around in your CP box. If you bend the stuff enough times it will break..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wire.jpg)
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Looks great! You do such a clean wiring job - totally opposite of the rats nest I created...
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Rat's nest? Compared to mine, yours looks like an operating theatre!
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Your wiring jobs are so clean :applaud:
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Cool, I'm excited to see your take on a wood Cab. One of the first cabs that inspired me to start on my own was made of natural wood. Even though it's not the 'traditional' look, I still like the "homey" feel of some of the wood Cabs.
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Yeah me too, this one..http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/ (http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/)
I love how the black monitor area stands out from the oak cabinet, nice contrast.
So thanks for all the compliments on my wiring guys. Really it's nothing special though.
The secret is that solid wire, you can bend it to go where you want and it'll stay there..just don't fiddle with it later.
The CP is completely finished, will post pics tonight..
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It's tonight. Where's the pics? ;D
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Yeah me too, this one..http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/ (http://netbox.home.mindspring.com/arcade/)
I love how the black monitor area stands out from the oak cabinet, nice contrast.
Haha, same one! Yeah, I admired that cabinet for many years before taking the plunge to build my own. Hope yours turns out just as good. You have a great start with that stain already. :)
Does 'netbox' hang out here by chance?
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That was one that would have won a MAMEY had they had them then. I remember when that one was announced.
Ok it is morning and no pix. Mark, will you have a little chat with Knievel and tell him to get on the ball. He's slackin a bit. ;D
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Sorry guys, late running football game kept me away from the task at hand..GO BOMBERS!!
So here are some pics of the CP, finished except for adding Mike's button labels. Hope to get those on later today. I'm finding it really tough to get an accurate picture of this thing. The color of the wood looks different depending on the light. Anyway these are the best I took so far..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp0.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp2.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp3.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp4.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp5.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp6.jpg)
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Wow!
:applaud:
Cheers.
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That is absolutely gorgeous. How many coats of varnish are on that thing?
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Ghaw, dat shur iz perdy.
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That is one classy looking panel. This thing would look nice in any room of virtually any house, which is one of the things I like about the wood cabs. Sure they're not authentic, but not everyone has a "game room" that they can put some of the more authentic cabs in.
Absolutely fantastic job.
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What a shine... I can't believe it's not plexi :notworthy:
Whoops, -1 for my reading comprehension. In the last picture where it looks almost satin-matte at the front I had convinced myself it was finished wood only.
Looks awesome!
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How did you do the black areas around the controls?
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Thanks guys, it is plexi on top actually. The final layer of the 'sandwich' I mentioned earlier. I put 4 coats of stain and 2 coats of poly on the on the CP and box to get that color though.
I forgot to mention the black 'halos' I put around the controls. I did a test fit and wasn't happy with the way things looked, just seemed to be missing something. So I lifted the plexi off and attached ovals I cut from some Happ Pica vinyl to the CP..to make the control areas a little more substantial.
Again it's hard to get an accurate picture but they look pretty cool, more subdued than in the pics.
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I like how dust free it looks under the plexi. Any tips for stopping that dust magnetism (or static, whatever) of the lexan when you take off the protective layer?
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Very clean !
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Nice!
But, Knievel, your woody... it's so small...
>:D
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Well when your balls are as big as Knievel's everything else seems small. :)
Tim I normally use a Swiffer-type cloth to wipe down the CP right before the plexi goes on. Also wipe the plexi itself off really good before you peel the protective film off. Any dust on there will find it's way onto the plexi as you peel it back.
And of course you want to do your assembly in a low-dust area...probably not the workshop.
I decided to work on the cabinet instead of the button labels tonight so I'll get those done tomorrow. Safe to say that this unit will be completed this weekend. ;)
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How were you able to cut the vinyl ovals so cleanly? I don't have much luck cutting curves.
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Wow.
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Mark I just cut them out with a sharp pair of scissors. That Happ vinyl cuts nicely.
To get the shapes I trimmed the halos out of my usual CP art using Photoshop and them printed them on some rigid photo paper. Them I taped them to the vinyl using packing tape and cut them out. Worked really well.
Put some of the button labels on this morning, it's actually a lot of fun and really easy. Thanks again Mike!
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/decals1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/decals2.jpg)
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Mmmmmmm, well I normaly am fanaticaly against making a cab look like a piece of furniture
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55512.0) but if there is one man to do it the right way, it is Knievl.
If the cab ends up like the CP (and there's no doubt in my mind that it will), I say: :notworthy:
Question: What buttons do you use for your trackball buttons, I mean if you use the trackball as mouse in Windows f.i. ?
Indeed, great job on the wiring, I like my wiring tight too:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=51119.0;attach=42182;image
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Like the rest of your projects this is amazing.. :applaud: :applaud:
You set the bar very high for the rest of us...
The black around the buttons is a nice touch and I have to agree makes them more substantial to look at...
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Thanks, I probably should have took a pic without those black ovals just to show the comparison. Without them the contols looked kinda like they were just floating around.
So I got it all finished today, except the marquee which is just temporary. It really came together nice. You never really know how something you design from scratch is going to look until you've built it. I think everything looks well proportioned and I have to say the LCD is beautiful.
Had some family over tonight and everyone said it was easily the nicest cabinet I've built. :)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/4.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/5.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/adminbuttons.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/2.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/7.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/6.jpg)
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Damn. I've never seen a woodgrain cab I liked before, I always figured I never wood.
:applaud:
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:applaud: Simply beautiful - and you put this thing together so fast!
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Great work, Knievel. It looks fantastic.
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:cheers:
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Damn. I've never seen a woodgrain cab I liked before, I always figured I never wood.
:applaud:
I'm with you, Kremmit. I'm not a fan of the woodgrain cabs in general, but this is a complete thing of beauty.
Great great job Knievel
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Once again, a thing of beauty ... and fast in the building. :notworthy:
How did the stability end up ? I guess if it were a problem, you could add one of those furniture tethers to the back since you made everything easy to acess from the front.
Simply beautiful.
Cheers.
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No doubt about it, this is a benchmark to which others will be compared. I definitely wouldn't mind having one of those in my house!
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Hey thanks guys, she's a beauty alright. Going to be a tough one to part with.
Jeff it seems very stable, a bit of movement if you're really yanking on it. It's on the carpet here, the fellow I built it for has hardwood floors so it should be fine.
Gotta say I like the mahogany color now that it's done. Of course our house is all light maple so I may have to stick with that for mine. Also considering a ebony stain, although I'd probably have to go with something grainier like oak to get that to work.
Here's a few pics I took as I finished the assembly.
A shot from the back before the t-mold went on..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/stained1.jpg)
The mount for the monitor. Four screws go through the MDF support I built into the factory holes on the back of the LCD monitor..nice and secure. I finished it with a sheet of black posterboard with the screen area cut out, and a piece of 1/4" glass..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/monitorarea.jpg)
The marquee area. 18" under-counter light with the switch relocated to the top of the cabinet. Foil tape applied to help reflect the light onto the marquee art..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/buildpic3.jpg)
T-mold on, keyboard drawer, marquee light and admin panel installed..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/buildpic2.jpg)
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Offtopic here but have you built any furniture for around the house, Knievel?
I paid a pretty good bit of money for some cherry end tables and a coffee table and they dont look any better than this cabinet.
-D
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Seriously gorgeous... your shop/techniques/skills must be ridiculously fine tuned to be able to put something like this together so quickly.
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Excellent work. Lots of people build arcade cabinets - you just build them better. :applaud:
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Well, I tend to not agree with your family, because I do like your other cabs better, but that's because I like to see a real / full-size cab. (I keep thinking you shoved that woody one through the wall :laugh2:).
Just a personal taste.
But in this concept, I don't think you could have done any better than this, indeed, very very stylish, well done !!!
:notworthy:
One request: can you put up a picture of the completed CP TOP ?
One question: what buttons do you use when using the trackball in Windows ?
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Can you feel the love in here today? thanks for the compliments. :)
Dweebs I don't really build furniture persay, mostly built-in units like this..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/entctr.jpg)
LVL42 I'm not sure what you're asking for picture-wise..plenty of CP Top pictures here, no?
Sorry I missed your second question earlier. The black button to the right of the P1 start button and the one to the left of the P2 start button are the mouse buttons.
Think I'll get some of the mouse labels from Mike for those as well.
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Wow.
Good stuff there.
Next project, BYO coffee table.
Wait, do the coffee table after my replacement Dynamo control panel. ;)
-D
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Yup, your my priority. After a good shop cleaning that is.
It's been over 90 degrees here every day of this project..and much hotter in the garage. I kind of let things pile up so I could avoid heatstroke.
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90 degrees??
The wintery goodness of the great white north must be seriously overrated.
-D
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Knievel,
Amazing job... It makes me feel so inadequate. I wonder if its too late for me to take shop again.
Quick question on your button layout. I know from your other cabs, that you favor this 6 button layout. How do you find it during use? I have seen the overlap approach before, but it seems that most people overlap it the "other" way where the bottom row is closer to the joystick.
Your button design defintely adds a bit of artistic flair (versus 3 lined up on top of 3).... I am wondering how it plays with fighters (where top is light punch, bottom hard punch, etc).
Thanks for your insight.
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Oh we get the extreme highs and lows of temperature here alright.
Edge I have to admit I don't play fighters much so it doesn't bother me. Someone else with the same button arrangement might have an opinion but I think it works well..
Never too late to take up carpentry..I didn't even take woodshop. :)
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Jeff it seems very stable, a bit of movement if you're really yanking on it. It's on the carpet here, the fellow I built it for has hardwood floors so it should be fine.
Excellent -- that cocktail I have at the cottage consumes a bit more real estate than I would like and that beautiful creation of yours would work perfecty in its' spot (not to mention fitting the decor better)and a vertical screen would make the jukebox aspect more usable.
Again -- stunning work!
Cheers.
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Very nice...
If, and I say IF, you have a top-heavy problem, you could consider filling a chamber at the base of the cabinet with play sand (available at Lowe's / Home Depot). You MUST dry the sand completely (open up the bags, spread it around thinly in a dry location) before enclosing it to ensure that you don't trap moisture, but it works great if you take the time to do so.
I've not used it in a cabinet, but the "stage" in my Home Theater is entirely filled with sand to acoustically isolate my subwoofer (which sits on it behind the screen wall) from the rest of the room. I had to ensure that the sand was entirely dry before sealing things up.
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(Not so) Quick questions:
What do the three buttons on the top left and top right of the CP and the 4 underneath the monitor do? Based on your labels I can make a pretty good guess but I'm still not sure of one...
Coin, Start, ____ - on the top left of the CP
____, Start, Coin - on the top right of the CP
Exit to FE, Quit - underneath the monitor on the left
Quit, Exit to FE - underneath the monitor on the right
Am I close?
Also, is there a one-button power on for the cabinet?
Finally, from the pictures, it looks like you mitred the bottom of your CP box too... if so, :notworthy:
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Very nice...
If, and I say IF, you have a top-heavy problem, you could consider filling a chamber at the base of the cabinet with play sand (available at Lowe's / Home Depot). You MUST dry the sand completely (open up the bags, spread it around thinly in a dry location) before enclosing it to ensure that you don't trap moisture, but it works great if you take the time to do so.
I've not used it in a cabinet, but the "stage" in my Home Theater is entirely filled with sand to acoustically isolate my subwoofer (which sits on it behind the screen wall) from the rest of the room. I had to ensure that the sand was entirely dry before sealing things up.
You can pour the sand into a plastic bowl and microwave it to dry it. Works a treat, and won't hurt your microwave. <----- (this assumes that you are using river/beach sand and not iron slag or sumthin.)
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Knievel,
WOW!
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What do the three buttons on the top left and top right of the CP and the 4 underneath the monitor do? Based on your labels I can make a pretty good guess but I'm still not sure of one...
Coin, Start, ____ - on the top left of the CP
____, Start, Coin - on the top right of the CP
Exit to FE, Quit - underneath the monitor on the left
Quit, Exit to FE - underneath the monitor on the right
Am I close?
Also, is there a one-button power on for the cabinet?
Finally, from the pictures, it looks like you mitred the bottom of your CP box too... if so, :notworthy:
Top left halo of the CP - PLYR1 COIN/PLYR1 START/LEFT MOUSE BUTTON
Top right halo of the CP - RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON/PLYR2 START/PLYR2 COIN
The 4 buttons under the monitor left to right are - LISTS(game lists)/EXIT, EMU(emulators)/PAUSE
No one-button power on. I usually set my cabinets up to go into standby mode after a set amount of time. And the marquee light has it's own switch on top of the cabinet.
Yes all the joints on the CP box were mitred. :)
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Well, not a lot to say really apart from I'm glad I got a waterproof keyboard ;D
Very nice in fact it's sexy
Shane
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Your first post was 9 days ago. When did you make your first cut? Very quick turn-around ! You must have a very understanding wife.
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Well, not a lot to say really apart from I'm glad I got a waterproof keyboard ;D
Very nice in fact it's sexy
Shane
Thanks but I'm thinking you need to get out more. :)
I started this cabinet the day before the first post, it was a pretty quick build. Mostly because I gathered all the materials beforehand..and set-up the computer. Bringing the various arcade parts up from the US is normally what slows me down.
As for my wife you have to remember this one was for someone else. She never has a problem with extra money coming into the house...never.
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Absolutely gorgeous :cheers:
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Holy S that is a pretty cab. I might just be ..erm... borrowing that design one day. My cab is huge and I have been seriously considering something new.
Awesome work.
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Kneivel,
I'll echo everyone else's sentiments and chime in that you've definitely made an impressive cabinet! I agree that this will be a cabinet to gauge other 'woodys' by - that's for sure.
Quick question though - where did you get the button labels from? I did a search (tried several different ways) but wasn't able to come up with much that led me to anything concrete. Thanks!!
Mark I just cut them out with a sharp pair of scissors. That Happ vinyl cuts nicely.
To get the shapes I trimmed the halos out of my usual CP art using Photoshop and them printed them on some rigid photo paper. Them I taped them to the vinyl using packing tape and cut them out. Worked really well.
Put some of the button labels on this morning, it's actually a lot of fun and really easy. Thanks again Mike!
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/decals1.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/decals2.jpg)
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http://ironvulva.com/jump.html
reading entire post usually helps
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http://ironvulva.com/jump.html
reading entire post usually helps
Thanks very much for the link - I'm not sure how I missed it.
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oh my god :o
knienel what have you done :dizzy:
i read your first few posts and i was wondering how your project will turn....
but i've to say that when i check today i was very surprise about it ....
this is very nice....i didn't think that it could turn so nice like that...
the shape and color of the wood are perfect...
it look like a million $ cab :cheers:
well done :applaud:
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you've already hear it...but BEAUTIFUL!
I really like your take on a modern cab design with the LCD...and of course that beautiful wood!
Well done. :cheers:
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Very nice Knievel - is there anything you touch that doesn't come out sweet?
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Damn. I've never seen a woodgrain cab I liked before, I always figured I never wood.
:applaud:
What he said
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very sexy, lookin real classy :cheers:
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Thanks, lots of intrest in this style of cabinet. The wood finish is very high on the 'wife acceptance factor' scale. :)
But really it seems to be more of the size and weight of the machine that's appealing. You can fit it almost anywhere and you can move it without blowing out your back.
I'll soon be building one in the classic black and blue theme, I'll post a pic here when I'm done.
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Thanks, lots of intrest in this style of cabinet. The wood finish is very high on the 'wife acceptance factor' scale. :)
But really it seems to be more of the size and weight of the machine that's appealing. You can fit it almost anywhere and you can move it without blowing out your back.
I'll soon be building one in the classic black and blue theme, I'll post a pic here when I'm done.
Truly fantastic effort.
I can really appreciate you high level of OCD ;) I have a real need of perfection in my hobbies but I've never been able to couple that with the initiative to finish anything in less than 2 years.
Under 2 weeks... WOW!
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It's been said, but I must reiterate it.. Fantastic job!
I do agree it seems a little too thin in the depth area. I am postive this has more to do with my mind having a set depth of what a cabinet looks like normally. If flat panels had been around all along I am sure seeing a big huge thick cabinet would seem very awkward and clunky.
I hear a lot of talk about your other cabinets, but have failed to find any. Is there a main hub to check them out or are they spread through out the board history?
Edit:
Nevermind. Checked your profile and found your page. Should have tried that first off.
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That's really just impeccable wiring and I love the color scheme.
I wish I'd seen your control panel cut out for the trackball before I fixed mine...I didn't really understand how to recess the faceplate, so we mounted it on top...and in so far as it goes, it looks ok I guess....but been thinking recently that I wish I'd recessed it.
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We're not worthy .. :'(
Anyway ..AWESOME.
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I'm dreaming about a finish like that :applaud:
Wow, in french: j'suis sur l'cul
Olivier
http://www.mame-arcade.fr (http://www.mame-arcade.fr/index_en.html)
(http://www.mame-arcade.fr/mame-arcade_88x31.gif) (http://www.mame-arcade.fr/index_en.html)
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Hey Knievl,
What router bits are needed to get the trackball and joysticks so beautifully recessed like that ?
I'm very new to routers and stuff so please be patient with me :D
What would you consider to be an essential set of router bits for a cab builder (I'm aware of the slot cutter for T-mold).
What do you guys mean with "mitering" (I still keep learning new English words here :D) and what is needed ?
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Hey Knievl,
What router bits are needed to get the trackball and joysticks so beautifully recessed like that ?
I'm very new to routers and stuff so please be patient with me :D
What would you consider to be an essential set of router bits for a cab builder (I'm aware of the slot cutter for T-mold).
I would say the essential bits are (someone please add if I'm forgetting anything):
1. Slot cutter for t-molding
2. Dado cutting bit to recess trackball and joystick plates
3. Flush trimming bit to make exact copies of cabinet sides or off of a template
What do you guys mean with "mitering" (I still keep learning new English words here :D) and what is needed ?
To "mitre" a joint means simply to cut two pieces of wood at a 45-degree angle to form a 90-degree corner. You can to this any number of ways but a table saw and a mitring jig will probably produce the best result. You can use a jigsaw or circular saw with a fence though to make nice mitred joints in plywood and you can use a radial saw or even a mitre box for long and narrow pieces of wood (like trim).
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Where did you order the "arcade mania" artwork from its awesome!
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I have the same marquee, and got it from:
http://www.mamemarquees.com/marquees-c-21.html?osCsid=8886af2e91683427e3f9a846a97840bc
I'm glad this thread was bumped since I'm new to this board.
The Knievel arcade is something to behold. If you're still around, I have some questions about this one:
- Would you do anything differently next time -- especially in terms of shape of the cabinet, adding trim, dimensions of CP, etc?
- I'm curious what the cost of the cabinet was (not including HW)?
- What LCD did you use, and how did you mount the LCD panel in the cabinet?
I also wanted to take this opportunity to say that I've always thought it would be extra cool to have an inlaid wood CP, where the design of the inlay compliments the control layout -- like "circle with sun shaped rays" around each joystick, an "orbiting rings" around the trackball, "$" for coin up, etc. But I could never picture what a cabinet worthy of a fancy inlaid wood control panel would look like until now. Putting a work of art on your standard mameroom Ultimate Arcade II laminated MDF board (like I have) would be ridiculous.
Incidentally, when a friend of mine heard about my idea for an inlaid wood CP, he suggested if I wanted to do it, there is a chain of hobbiest woodshop stores here in the bay area called http://www.sawdusthop.com that let you pay a monthly membership fee to use their equipment. They have all the fancy planers, drill press, and even a CNC machine, so if someone wanted to do it, they wouldn't need any tools, or even a real workshop to do it cheaply.
Jason
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i did read through the whole thing and unless i missed it wot size is the lcd?
i will definately model mine on this as it will save space.... :cheers:
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I believe he states he is using a 19" in the first post of the thread.
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Another outstanding cab, Knievel.
-S
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Beautiful!
Love the detailing too.
:applaud:
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Knievel: How does the LCD look for Mame? I know you stated that it looks beautiful but does it look authentic or very blocky/pixelated because of the higher resolution? I'd appreciate anything you could tell me about the monitor. THANKS!!
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Sorry I've been neglecting this thread..
javeryh> The LCD looked great on the games I tried out. There was one side-scrolling game that I noticed some 'tearing' on but a little tweaking in the mame.ini fixed that.
I really couldn't notice any differences between it and the CRT PC monitor monitors I normally use. Everyone who saw it assumed it was a CRT. Keep in mind I'm used to PC monitors and the pixelation that comes along with them. I love that kind of detail and actually use the effect 'sharp' in my mame settings to get it even more detailed. ;)
jlfreund> Having built several of these slim cabinets now I can safely say no, I wouldn't change anything with the design or the CP. If I get someone else wanting a woodgrain cabinet I will talk them into a wood-look laminate though. Way too much time and mess involved in a stain job. Days after the completion of this one I found some formica laminate that matched my stain almost exactly. :P
I'm going to keep the costs to myself on this one, my customers are lurking. 8)
The LCD was 19" Samsung Syncmaster, I don't recall the model#. It had a 8ms refresh rate. You can see the mdf mount I made in one of the build pics. 4 screws went through it into the factory mounting holes in the monitor.
For those who missed the black version...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=58647.msg578324#msg578324 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=58647.msg578324#msg578324)
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It's so hard to go past this thread without at least saying ' what a fantastic effort'.. so here goes... what a fantastic effort!!!!
Very inspirational.
I'm building a cocktail cab at the moment with a stained wood finish ( again, it was the only way the wife would let it in the house) and I can only hope it looks anywhere near this quality.
Great job! :applaud:
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Knievel - I posted this elsewhere but I think you probably know the answer:
I am hinging the front panel of my cab that the coin door is on exactly like you hinged the door on the Woody. I framed out the opening on either side using .75" thick MDF so I can mount the hinges and so the door has something to close up against. I guess this is really a cabinet-making question but how wide should the door be? I want to give the illusion as best as possible that the coin door panel does not move (I am installing a magnetic catch on the other side) but if the door is as wide as the opening it will not pivot on the hinge (it is pretty snug right now). How much is customary to shave off of each side? The hinges I bought are the same kind that you used for the Woody cabinet and the panel is supposed to be the entire width of the opening but movement is being restricted by the cabinet sides...
Any help would be great! Thanks!!
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Making the door 1/4" than the opening normally works for me, so an 1/8" off either side. You could try trimming less and test fitting it. 1/4" would be the most you'd need to trim off.
If you use the Inset type of European hinge you don't need any sort of frame. The hinge mounts directly to the the side of the cabinet.
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Nice work, EK, you are gifted. Funny, cos just the other day I was thinking how I hadn't seen a panel wired like some PTP guitar amps are wired....till I came across yours (and McCoy178's)! Now that is some sweet wiring.
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Very nice!
I'm new to the BYOAC world and seeing projects like these really inspire me to build one too.
Keep up the good work! :)
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Such a nice cab. I can see it standing in some executive's office. Just give it some gold t-molding. ;-)
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Very cool project. Just followed the link in the 10 worst things thread. I like this place that it's nice and flat to the wall since it's an LCD. I'm sure I could get the wife to go for this idea over getting a fullsize cab like TMNT.
Hmmm
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I go away for a while and I come back to this. This hobby progresses faster than any other. The standard of craftsmanship just keeps getting better and better. I was going to post a "hey guys I'm back thread" but I'm far too busy gawping at projects like this with slack-jawed admiration. Truly magnificent.
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OK - this is probably a total noobie question here, but in this picture I see some plastic spacers under the encoder. I need to get a bunch of spacers for the motherboard and other stuff I'm going to mount in my cab and juke. What exactly are those and where can I pick them up? Is that just a generic item I can get at any home improvement warehouse store?
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring4.jpg)
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You can get those mounting squares at Home Depot and probably Lowes, etc. They'll be in the electrical aisle with the nylon ties. I've found them in black too.
Such a nice cab. I can see it standing in some executive's office. Just give it some gold t-molding. ;-)
It is! ..no gold t-mold though. ;)
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Did you mean the cable management squares you have on there? I'm not sure if we're talking same thing - I'm looking to find these:
(http://www.eyman.net/ASFN/spacers.jpg)
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I got mine from Mcmaster-carr. Part number 94639A620. They are sold in packs of 100 for around $7.00 a pack.
In the past Drewkaree has suggested using Bic pens with the guts taken out and cut to size.
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Oh, sorry I guess I misread that.
That is actually silicone aquarium tubing :D. Cheap and you can cut it to whatever height you need.
I'm sure you can get real stand-offs from a computer supply place if you want.
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I know its been said before, but that's some damn nice wiring there, Knievel... do you have to do everything perfect?!?!? ;D
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I'm trying to get a sense of scale for the control panel (and the overall cabinet design) and I was wondering what the dimensions of the CP top are as well as the dimensions of the box (or at least the height of the front and back panels so I can get the slope just right). Any help would be great. Thanks!
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The CP top is 34"x 14". The CP box is 33" long x 12" deep overall. The back is 5 1/4" high and it slopes down to 4 1/4" at the front.
I find the 1" of slope to be perfect. You'll want to put about a 5° bevel on the top edge of the front and back pieces to match the slope of the sides.
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The CP top is 34"x 14". The CP box is 33" long x 12" deep overall. The back is 5 1/4" high and it slopes down to 4 1/4" at the front.
I find the 1" of slope to be perfect. You'll want to put about a 5° bevel on the top edge of the front and back pieces to match the slope of the sides.
Awesome. Thank you!! Something tells me you had that memorized. :cheers:
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Do you use the same 1" slope on your Neon Mame style cabinets also?
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Yes.
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The CP top is 34"x 14". The CP box is 33" long x 12" deep overall. The back is 5 1/4" high and it slopes down to 4 1/4" at the front.
I find the 1" of slope to be perfect. You'll want to put about a 5° bevel on the top edge of the front and back pieces to match the slope of the sides.
Hello Knievel,
quick one...
5 1/4" back and 4 1/4 front are without the CP top right?
Jay
PS: by curiosity, how many cabs have you completed now? (or did you already stop counting ;))
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Yes that's just the CP box.
Hmm..hard to nail down the number of cabinets I've done.
Only a handful for myself.. lots for others. :)
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Well, I finally bought some plywood this weekend and I'm thinking about giving one of these a shot... anyway, one quick question before I begin - how wide is this cabinet? (with or without the 3/4" thick sides - just please specify which dimension you are giving). I didn't see it posted in this thread. Thanks!! :cheers:
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23 1/2" ID, 25" overall with 3/4" sides.
Good Luck! :)
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23 1/2" ID, 25" overall with 3/4" sides.
Good Luck! :)
Awesome - thanks! I hope to get started soon - now that I have materials I'll be much more inclined to do so.
I'm actually torn as to whether to try and deepen your design and put a 27" arcade monitor in there or just use the 20" LCD as originally intended. My fear is that I lose the elegant proportions by doing something like this plus making the stained side surfaces a little too big (lots more surface area) and not looking quite right. Any thoughts on this? A 20" LCD seems small for a full sized stand-up but I've never built one before (just a cocktail and a mini) so what do I know? Thanks again! :cheers:
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Yes a 27" CRT would kind of defeat the purpose of this design.
To choose a monitor size you need to take into account it's placement in the cabinet.
In this case it's eye-level, nearly vertical, and you're only standing a foot or so away from it. Given that, a 20" LCD is plenty big.
And if you're like me you grew up playing real arcade machines, and most of those only had 19" monitors. ;)
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Yes a 27" CRT would kind of defeat the purpose of this design.
To choose a monitor size you need to take into account it's placement in the cabinet.
In this case it's eye-level, nearly vertical, and you're only standing a foot or so away from it. Given that, a 20" LCD is plenty big.
And if you're like me you grew up playing real arcade machines, and most of those only had 19" monitors. ;)
Heh, that's what I thought. I did grow up playing on 19" monitors so it shouldn't be that big of a deal but I do have the dream of a 27" one some day. I'm building this one for my brother-in-law though so I guess it doesn't matter! ;D
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I don't really hate to resurrect this thread ;D
Did I miss it somewhere, or can you just repost it here: what was your 3-stain "recipe" for this color?
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Wasn't really a recipe I'm afraid. I started with Mahogany Minwax and added in Provincial and another one? until I was happy with it.
I actually found a laminate afterwards that matched it almost exactly. :P
PS thanks for the 'Hell Yeah' :)
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Knievel - I'm in the early construction stages of building my very own "Woody" (pieces are cut - glue-up tonight! some seriously tricky angled cuts in there!). I'm wondering where in the world you found somewhere that sells 1/8" cabinet-grade plywood and 5/8" MDF for your control panel top? I've been to 3 different lumber yards and they all said they've never even heard of either - I can get 1/4", 1/2" or 3/4" of each but nothing else...
Do you have any ideas as to how you would make your control panel "sandwich" with those dimensions? I have a 3" highlip trackball but I'm afraid that if I use a 1/2" MDF base with a 1/4" top layer plus the 1/8" plexiglass it will be too thick on top - not to mention routing the groove for the t-molding would be tougher (I'd probably have to glue everything up before cutting the slot). Any ideas if I can't find 1/8" cabinet grade birch plywood??
Thanks! :cheers:
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Knievel,
Your woody cabinet is beautiful. I've been dreaming about building a cabinet for many years but I've held off because I knew I'd have to store it in the garage because the wife wouldn't let it in the house. I think a woody style cab like yours will pass the wifes approval.
Will you be willing to share the basic dimensions of this cabinet?
I know the CP top is 34x14
What is the overall height, CP height, and base width and depth?
I'm drafting this up in some CAD software and some rough numbers could speed things up. :cheers:
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Wanted to share my woody. Never built anything like this before, but was totally inspired by this forum. Knievel was a huge inspiration and VERY helpful. Anyway, my kids absolutly love these silly retro games. Mine isn't as nice as the original "Master", but we love our Woody :)
http://www.bschinker.com/
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Wow that cabinet is beautiful, nice job! :cheers:
Make your own Project Announcement ASAP so other can appreciate it.
Sorry I missed those 2 questions guys. If you still need info just PM me..
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So here are some pics of the CP, finished except for adding Mike's button labels. Hope to get those on later today. I'm finding it really tough to get an accurate picture of this thing. The color of the wood looks different depending on the light. Anyway these are the best I took so far..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/cp0.jpg)
On the Flyercade CP there were no lateral mouse buttons, so I assumed the two near the spinner worked as mouse buttons, but now I'm puzzled. What's their purpose? And, are they parallel wired with the laterals? ???
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The buttons beside the spinner are wired directly to the Plyr1 buttons 1 and 2.
I mainly use them when I'm playing 4-Way games..like Donkey Kong.
On the Neon and Flyercade machines I wired the mouse buttons to a couple of existing buttons.
I've done dedicated mouse buttons ever since though.
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Thanks for the explanation. Cool cab, by the way. "I'm of a mind to make some woody" ;D
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This is a GREAT looking woody!
I'm a n00b and I'm thinking of building a LCD slim cabinet myself like this, do you have the plans for the cabinet availible?
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Hey thanks guys, she's a beauty alright. Going to be a tough one to part with.
Jeff it seems very stable, a bit of movement if you're really yanking on it. It's on the carpet here, the fellow I built it for has hardwood floors so it should be fine.
Gotta say I like the mahogany color now that it's done. Of course our house is all light maple so I may have to stick with that for mine. Also considering a ebony stain, although I'd probably have to go with something grainier like oak to get that to work.
Here's a few pics I took as I finished the assembly.
A shot from the back before the t-mold went on..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/stained1.jpg)
The mount for the monitor. Four screws go through the MDF support I built into the factory holes on the back of the LCD monitor..nice and secure. I finished it with a sheet of black posterboard with the screen area cut out, and a piece of 1/4" glass..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/monitorarea.jpg)
The marquee area. 18" under-counter light with the switch relocated to the top of the cabinet. Foil tape applied to help reflect the light onto the marquee art..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/buildpic3.jpg)
T-mold on, keyboard drawer, marquee light and admin panel installed..
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/buildpic2.jpg)
May I ask how the LCD mount is secured to the cabinet? I am looking at doing the same thing. Thanks!
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Anyone know what is the average spacing on the buttons
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On the main byoac page click on layout and design, there are some visio and other templates there, thats what I used.
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http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/woody dimensions large.jpg (http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/woody dimensions large.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/woody dimensions small.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/2woodys.jpg)
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Awesome Thank you !!
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Incredible Knievel, just incedible :applaud: Great crafsmanship!
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The 2 black cabs in the picture look like my video wizard, nice cabs.
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The 2 black cabs in the picture look like my video wizard, nice cabs.
They look like standard Taito cabs - I've been looking for one for a while but no luck.
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Correctomundo ...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=65678.0
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Correctomundo ...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=65678.0
yeah, those are my second favorite Knievel cabs (with the Woody being my favorite). :cheers:
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:applaud: :applaud: :applaud: GREAT WORK!!! :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
It's nice to see someone put a professional touch on things. :burgerking:
There were many, thoroughly justified, compliments on your wiring job/art. :afro:
...but, it seems people weren't too sure where to get the good stuff. I am new to the arcade owning/building scene, but I have been putting watercooled computers together for about 6 years now(oh the crappy setups in the beginning years :banghead:) and i have completely rewired every wire on a power supply (before the buggers came out with that cool modular stuff :badmood:) so, i really appreciate how good your wiring comes out. :notworthy:
oh yeah, the point... :blah: ...I get most of my wire and sleeving, both of which can be ordered as UV reactive, from www.frozencpu.com (http://www.frozencpu.com)
no, I don't owe them money nor do I work for them. I just have been buying stuff from there for a long time and some of my other online modding sources have gone out of business lately :cry:
EDIT: They have these things called "wire saddles" that could help almost anyone have a neat wiring job like Knievel... well, I still like his better, but these make it :censored: close :afro:
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Thank you Knievel.
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Knievel - almost to the point of being able to assemble my woody clone cab. I have all the peices cut out except for the control panel box.
I'm curious on a couple things, how did you connect the admin panel / monitor bracket later on? Pocket screws?
I have the admin panel already cut out and after drilling for the four buttons, I'm thinking of applying some edge banding and using a biscuit on each side and some glue. I saw you used biscuits elsewhere.
What are you using as the black ring material in the speaker cutouts? Is that edge banding? I have rectangular speakers I'm going to use, possibly cut a recess down into the wood like you did, leave a small lip I want to get black.
Thanks!
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@bratwurst
Can't help with the questions, but I had to say, I love your avatar!
I've haven't thought about the church of the subgenius since high school. Great stuff.
Slack on!
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Knievel,
Would you be willing to post some rough dimensions of The Woody? My wife is OK with the MAME machine idea, but she doesn't care for a monster sized cabinet. Quite frankly she's right as it wouldn't really 'gel' with our house. We think The Woody is pretty close to what would fit nicely with the space we have available.
If anyone else has dimensions of slim cabinets that would be great as well. I appreciate any help anyone can give.
Thanks!
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http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/woody%20dimensions%20large.jpg
Plans were posted a few pages back on this thread.
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FYI - that top dimension should be 16-1/4"
I know from experience.
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Thanks!
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http://members.shaw.ca/knievelgod/woody/woody%20dimensions%20large.jpg
Plans were posted a few pages back on this thread.
Bah...sorry about that. I managed to miss page 4 entirely when I was reading through. I was trying to get it all in while I was on break.
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Glad I could help. Knievel is the man, no doubt.
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FYI - that top dimension should be 16-1/4"
I know from experience.
Really? I think I cut mine at 15 1/4" I'll have to go back and look. The angles looked like they were correct at 15 1/4".
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FYI - that top dimension should be 16-1/4"
I know from experience.
Really? I think I cut mine at 15 1/4" I'll have to go back and look. The angles looked like they were correct at 15 1/4".
Please let me know what you find...
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FYI - that top dimension should be 16-1/4"
I know from experience.
Really? I think I cut mine at 15 1/4" I'll have to go back and look. The angles looked like they were correct at 15 1/4".
Maybe I messed up somewhere but the top of the one I built is definitely 16-1/4". It is the only possible way to get the front of the marquee area perpendicular to the ground and in line with the back of the control panel area...
(http://bp0.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R2v1a-IYVNI/AAAAAAAAAkk/XFwqQyuF8vw/s400/cabinet+-+assembled+-+front.JPG)
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Mine is 15 1/4". How long is the angled length on yours where the monitor goes? Mine is pretty much exactly 24". The length is not shown on Kneivel's spec sheet.
Do you know what the angles are in degrees on the back to the top? I think mine was 100 degrees, and using an angle tool I was able to check the top part where the marquee was, and it was 80 - so it lined up properly to be perpendicular to ground. I don't think it is supposed to line up to the back of the control panel looking at the side view Kneivel posted. However, I think that's a good looking design either way.
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By looking at your wiring pics am I correct in saying that you choose to solder everything to the switches rather than using disconnects?
It definitely makes it look cleaner that way but what happens when you have to replace a switch once it gets worn out? Would you just splice and resolder it?
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Mine is 15 1/4". How long is the angled length on yours where the monitor goes? Mine is pretty much exactly 24". The length is not shown on Kneivel's spec sheet.
Do you know what the angles are in degrees on the back to the top? I think mine was 100 degrees, and using an angle tool I was able to check the top part where the marquee was, and it was 80 - so it lined up properly to be perpendicular to ground. I don't think it is supposed to line up to the back of the control panel looking at the side view Kneivel posted. However, I think that's a good looking design either way.
I'd have to check - to be honest, it was the only dimension that didn't match the plans so I just assumed that it was a typo. Everything else was exact - the 7" under the marquee area, the 90 degree bend (which is a PAIN for the t-molding), etc. I did assume the marquee lined up with the back of the CP which could throw it off. It doesn't matter though - got any pics of yours??
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I would agree it doesn't really matter, the design will look great either way.
I'm going to drill my admin buttons today, hopefully make the cuts for the speakers soon, and then I'll be able to start assembly of my cabinet.
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Hi, sorry to drag up an old post (but hey, OMG, what a post! ;D ), but I was wondering, how wide is this cabinet???
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Well, I finally bought some plywood this weekend and I'm thinking about giving one of these a shot... anyway, one quick question before I begin - how wide is this cabinet? (with or without the 3/4" thick sides - just please specify which dimension you are giving). I didn't see it posted in this thread. Thanks!! :cheers:
23 1/2" ID, 25" overall with 3/4" sides.
Good Luck! :)
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Ah! Thank you very much. I should have gone to Spec Savers... :lol
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Q: What encoder is that???
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring4.jpg)
??? ??? ???
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From the sticker and layout it looks like an older keywiz eco model from Groovy Game Gear.
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For those asking about standoffs, personally I just use PEX pipe, the 1/4 supply type one. It's sooooooooo cheap.
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From the sticker and layout it looks like an older keywiz eco model from Groovy Game Gear.
Thank you! :D
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Love your cabinets Knievel, currently building one based of your ever popular Neon,
though I must confess, if id seen the Evolution first, I would probably be building that instead ;D
Just wondering how you attach the Control Panel to the CP box?
Do you just glue/screw/biscut and hope to never have to open it again? Or do you use hinges/catches or something else?
If anyone else knows the answer that would be very helpful, thanks
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He used velcro to hold it down and a credit card to separate when needed.
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He used velcro to hold it down and a credit card to separate when needed.
I've tried this before and I ended up switching to latches to hold the CP in place. The velcro holds really really well but I found that over time the CP would move ever so slightly when playing with the velcro holding it in place. It was making me nuts so I installed 4 latches (the kind that keep a cocktail cabinet shut) and it hasn't budged since. There's a good chance I wasn't using enough velcro - oh well... my $0.02. :cheers:
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Whatever happened to Knievel? :dunno
Maybe he is planning his next great revolutionary thing for custom built arcades ;D
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With a lot of help, I've finally managed to build a version of the Woody with a few tweeks this weekend, did it all in 2 days (proper mission! Pictures coming soon), but I have a question, how well does the PC cope inside? Does it get really hot? I noticed you've got no vents or fans. I'm thinking of adding some.
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Love your cabinets Knievel, currently building one based of your ever popular Neon,
though I must confess, if id seen the Evolution first, I would probably be building that instead ;D
Just wondering how you attach the Control Panel to the CP box?
Do you just glue/screw/biscut and hope to never have to open it again? Or do you use hinges/catches or something else?
If anyone else knows the answer that would be very helpful, thanks
I used hinges on my Woody copy and painted them to fit in with the rest of the cab. Looks fine and does the job. Didn't like the velcro idea TBH, as it wears out over time.
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Sorry for thread necromancy but this seems the most appropriate place. I very much like Knievel's woody design and have a first draft of his cabinet done in sketchup. I wanted to share that sketchup file with any others who were interested.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/208302/RoundedWoody-NoCP.skp (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/208302/RoundedWoody-NoCP.skp)
It is only a first draft, no control panel details, a few other pieces omitted for now pending cabinet specific decisions. I used the dimensions provided in this thread and made assumptions where details were not available. Should be very close to knievel's actual dimensions.
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anybody know how he's gluing this stuff together, biscuits, dowels or just glue
man there isn't one screw I saw in the whole build!
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Bender, I wondered the same thing. I sent him a PM a while ago but haven't heard back. Dunno if it's a trade secret of if he just isn't checking his messages. I know glue bonds are pretty strong, but I'd be surprised if there was NO reinforcement on the whole cabinet. . . ?
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anybody know how he's gluing this stuff together, biscuits, dowels or just glue
man there isn't one screw I saw in the whole build!
I seem to remember a picture where he uses biscuits and glue. Anyways vere clean looking woodworking.
Razzer
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anybody know how he's gluing this stuff together, biscuits, dowels or just glue
man there isn't one screw I saw in the whole build!
If you look closely at the back edge of the cab side in the first picture of this thread you can see the slots that have been cut for the biscuits.
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This was my inspiration...
(http://members.shaw.ca/knievelkustoms/woody/wiring4.jpg)
It ended up looking like this.. ;D
(http://www.koskimaki.se/res/MAME/IMG_2871.JPG)
I AM going to re do it... I'll do a 4 button - 2 player CP since I realized I don't play fighting games... EVER.. ::)
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lol, yeah.. I tried copying the neatnes of that setup too.. :'(
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It's definitely biscuits. That's how I held mine (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=73552.0;attach=90804;image) together and it is rock solid.
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wait.. Jav...
you holding out on us? what project is that?
Yeah, I totally see the biscuit slots on that first pic, originally I was so distracted comparing it to the shape of the namco cab behind it
it is such a pleasure going through this thread again... Man he's good!
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lol, yeah.. I tried copying the neatnes of that setup too.. :'(
It'll be hard to match unless you use solid core wiring.
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wait.. Jav...
you holding out on us? what project is that?
Nah, it's a VERY old project that I haven't quite finished yet. It is absolutely the next thing I'm going to be working on though (soon!). I actually haven't done ANY work this entire year on any projects but at the end of the month my wife and kids will be gone for 10 days or so and I'm hoping to finish it up (or get very close). It is stained and the t-molding is on but I still have a lot to do - looks pretty nice. 2 full weekends should help me put a dent in it.
It was originally going to be for my wife's family beach cottage in Salisbury, MA but since renovation plans got scrapped I put it on hold. I'm afraid the salt air would ruin the cabinet if I left it at the beach - there is no temperature control at the cottage so until it gets renovated (which is looking more and more like never) I don't think I'll bring the cab there. I might just be selling this one unless I can find a home for it.
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I used biscuits on mine as well, no screws except for the base 2x4's.
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Define Biscuits
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Define Biscuits
Here you go (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner)
Just like the mints in the urinal, they are not meant to be eaten ;)
(http://www.wolfcraft.us/images/photographs/Buscuits.jpg)
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Just wanna say thanks, because I've used your basic design to start. It's a really nice size. Slim and elegant.
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Define Biscuits
Here you go (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner)
Just like the mints in the urinal, they are not meant to be eaten ;)
(http://www.wolfcraft.us/images/photographs/Buscuits.jpg)
:laugh2: :laugh2:
ummm Tasty!!!!!
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I love this style of Cabinet, so I think my project will be based on it. I think I'll go with MDF and Paint it Black..."I see a red door"...
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Define Biscuits
Here you go (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner)
Just like the mints in the urinal, they are not meant to be eaten ;)
(http://www.wolfcraft.us/images/photographs/Buscuits.jpg)
:laugh2: :laugh2:
ummm Tasty!!!!!
So you treat it like a dowel? Cut slots in the wood and set it in? why is this better than dowels?
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The biscuit expands as the glue dries making an incredibly strong bond. Also, biscuits are used mainly for edge joining two boards which dowels aren't really suited for.
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So you treat it like a dowel? Cut slots in the wood and set it in? why is this better than dowels?
Biscuits are a lot easier to use than dowels if you are shooting for hidden joinery. They don't have to be perfectly lined up, there's some side to side play. Using dowels without drilling all the way through would be a challenge for an experienced woodworker, but biscuits are pretty much no-brainers.
PS since this is my first post in this epic thread, I just have to complement Knievel - your projects are works of art!
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As Roo said the primary benfit to biscuits over dowels is you have more leeway, that is to say the holes you cut do not have to be quite as precise. Another option is a kreg jig system. My father in law (professional wood worker) is partial to them.
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Congrats knievel! I will be the second person on these forums borrowing from your ideas!
I think I saw a picture somewhere that shows that you did a door in the front. If so ...
Do you have any up close pictures of the door on the bottom front? I'm curious as to how one gets a professional look. Is it just a hinged piece of plywood?
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Congrats knievel! I will be the second person on these forums borrowing from your ideas!
hah. more like 102nd. but what a design to base a cab off of!
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Congrats knievel! I will be the second person on these forums borrowing from your ideas!
I think I saw a picture somewhere that shows that you did a door in the front. If so ...
Do you have any up close pictures of the door on the bottom front? I'm curious as to how one gets a professional look. Is it just a hinged piece of plywood?
I haven't seen knievel around in a while so hope you don't mind me jumping in here. Check out his Arcade Mania cab: http://knievel.webs.com/arcademania.htm (http://knievel.webs.com/arcademania.htm)
Near the bottom there's a pic of his cab door, he used european hinges there. If you search on european hinges on the forums here you can find some good examples of how to use them.
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FYI - that top dimension should be 16-1/4"
I know from experience.
Really? I think I cut mine at 15 1/4" I'll have to go back and look. The angles looked like they were correct at 15 1/4".
Maybe I messed up somewhere but the top of the one I built is definitely 16-1/4". It is the only possible way to get the front of the marquee area perpendicular to the ground and in line with the back of the control panel area...
(http://bp0.blogger.com/_CXccc8RIW9I/R2v1a-IYVNI/AAAAAAAAAkk/XFwqQyuF8vw/s400/cabinet+-+assembled+-+front.JPG)
To answer your question regarding the top-length on the plans being shown as 15.25". That is the correct dimension. I drew the plans in AutoCAD starting with the upper left corner and working my way around the design counter-clockwise, and the top length came out to exactly 15.25". I suppose you could turn the 7" (speaker area) width to something longer if you preferred, and perhaps that is what you did on your design?
Does anyone have width from outside left panel to outside right panel of this woody design?
Also, what is outside width of the finished control panel?
Haven't seen Knievel in a while. Hope everything is ok at the homestead.
Thanks.
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Does anyone have width from outside left panel to outside right panel of this woody design?
23 1/2" ID, 25" overall with 3/4" sides.
Also, what is outside width of the finished control panel?
The CP top is 34"x 14". The CP box is 33" long x 12" deep overall. The back is 5 1/4" high and it slopes down to 4 1/4" at the front.
I find the 1" of slope to be perfect. You'll want to put about a 5° bevel on the top edge of the front and back pieces to match the slope of the sides.
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Thank you DVmaverick. I must have skipped over some of his quotes. Thought I read them all. Thanks.
I am planning on building a woody myself for the house. It's my first cabinet and seems much less involved and cheaper build than something like a Neon Mame or this one, which I already want to try next:
http://robandgabe.com/rdowney/arcadeodyssey/ (http://robandgabe.com/rdowney/arcadeodyssey/)
That guy spent a ton of money on his lighted stuff and it looks incredible, but I just don't have that kind of dough to be dropping on my first cabinet. :)
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Any idea what the radii are for the EVOLUTION version of this cabinet?
Evolution Link:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=70519.msg723545 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=70519.msg723545)
And also what the radii are for the control panel (top) corners on both these cabs?
Everything looks about 1" - 2" radius but I can't be sure by looking at the pics.
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New to the forum and I'm in the process of building a cabinet. I came across Knievels cabinet and found it to be perfect for what I'm wanting to build. Is there anyway to get a hold of Knievel to see if I could use his plans?
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He's still active on the boards. Not SUPER active, but active. Get a few more posts registered under your name and you can PM or email him.