The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Woodworking => Topic started by: brained on April 06, 2004, 04:04:14 pm
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Well here's the thing. I'm planning on building a CAB for me. I've been concerned about the wood used in the construction since I
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This was discussed very recently - search back about two weeks.
IMHO, MDF is really easy to work with for a newbie woodworker and easy to paint. Downside: it's as heavy as lead. :)
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if you have a limited budget... I'd say go for MDF...
if you don't like MDF... (MDF dust is not exactly good for your lungs...) I would suggest you to look into plywood before particle board... plywood is a little lighter and very strong... (I don't think wood dust in general is good for your lung... but I heard that MDF dust is the worst...)
:P :P
and for you mentioned about moving soon... I'd say... put 4-6 wheels under it... and you'll be set....
make the cabinet width to be like under 27 inches and it should fit thru most doors... if CP is larger.. then make it so that the CP box can be taken off easily...
and if you really have problem moving it up and down stairs.... (at that time of move.... take out the monitor...
and 2 guys can move it easy....)
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Geez this question is asked every single freakin week
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sorry for the dumb question :-[
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not a dumb question at all
otherwise it wouldn't be brought up all the time.
All types have advantages/disadvantages...
MDF - Heavy, Lots of sawdust, Smooth without TONS of sanding, Easy to work with
Plywood - Lighter, Stronger, Harder to work with, expent to sand a TON before painting
There are some others out there... but these seem to be the favorites.
going with 3/4" is good because you can use standard T-molding (good thing... 1/2 - 1/4 the price I believe).. And for cocktail tables you can use standard glass clips.
3/4 plywood is overkill on strength... But that isn't a bad thing..
Am I forgetting anything?
I go with MDF for control panels myself.
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As long as we're talking wood, any opinions on what wood works best with laminate? Will one type of wood warp, expand or shrink? Also it is my understanding that if you buy 3/4" plywood, the thickness will actually be slightly smaller than 3/4". Does this cause problems with the T-Molding.
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MDF is very stable, but it doesn't take shock very well. It has to be braced inside more than the rest.
It's easy to cut and you don't have to sand anything to make it look good. Plywood is stronger, but it has a bad surface texture for nice finish. You end up paying a lot for it after all the things you have to do to it.
They all create dust. MDF will create clouds of dust, so be ready for it.
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mdf is a heavier than a beotch (and you know how heavy that is!), but its pretty sturdy...and best of all cheap. plywood just looks like crap to me. just depends on how much time you want to spend on building vs. time spent on sanding/painting.
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I used Birch Plywood on my mini mame, it has a smoth finish, but I then put on formica on it , I dont know how paint would go on it, but I think a few coats would do the job. For formica you would need a router to do a nice job on the edges. Im new here myself.
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I'm using oak plywood for my cabinet which has a very nice/smooth finish to it and looks nice when stained. It is a very hard wood compared to MFD. Drilling 1 1/8" button holes in MFD is like putting a hot knife through butter compared to plywood which takes a little more effort to cut.
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FWIW, I used plywood for my all-in-one control panel. I spent 2 hours sanding last Sunday, but I have a nice smooth surface now. Sanded with 60grit then finished with 150grit. I haven't painted yet, so I can't say what it's going to look like when it all said an done. I going to use a 220grit and sand between coats to get a smooth finish.
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why do you spend all that time sanding. I bought 3/4" birch plywood. It is finished on one side so no need for sanding. Just Prime and paint. It may cost alittle more but it worth it
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Go ahead and slap me if this is a stupid suggestion from a rookie.
Why use wood at all? Why not use metal, plastic, or fiberglass with interior wood supports. I'll be you can find a perfect pre-built case at an Army thrift store (ie an old ammo case, old control console, or old equipment case)
NoBonus
Newbie, Neophyte, Rookie
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so everything looks like i'll be going on MDF.
I don't like much sanding and as reeboy said it seems that plywood is too hard. MDF is cool enough then.
So Lilwolf said about 3/4 mdf, but is it okay too use 1/2 or 5/8" MDF, instead of 3/4?. since MDF it's kinda heavy 3/4 will make it heavier.
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Go ahead and slap me if this is a stupid suggestion from a rookie.
Why use wood at all? Why not use metal, plastic, or fiberglass with interior wood supports. I'll be you can find a perfect pre-built case at an Army thrift store (ie an old ammo case, old control console, or old equipment case)
That's not a stupid suggestion at all. That's the beauty of this hobby. Personalize it and make it your own. Interestingly enough, my brother and I actually looked at fiberglass for parts of my cabinet, and ultimately decided on MDF.
It would be pretty interesting to see a cabinet made entirely of old Nintendo decks all glued together...
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Go ahead and slap me if this is a stupid suggestion from a rookie.
Why use wood at all? Why not use metal, plastic, or fiberglass with interior wood supports. I'll be you can find a perfect pre-built case at an Army thrift store (ie an old ammo case, old control console, or old equipment case)
That's not a stupid suggestion at all. That's the beauty of this hobby. Personalize it and make it your own. Interestingly enough, my brother and I actually looked at fiberglass for parts of my cabinet, and ultimately decided on MDF.
It would be pretty interesting to see a cabinet made entirely of old Nintendo decks all glued together...
Hahahahha i've seen weird stuff, but that would be really cool!
Check this out a nintendo pc!!
(http://www.junkmachine.com/nintendo/pictures/dvdopen.jpg)
(http://www.junkmachine.com/nintendo/pictures/rear.jpg)
i'll be kinda mainstream, i'm sticking with the MDF..
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WOW!! ::) ::)
Now that's slick!
I've seen Nintendo's converted into lots of things, but never a full computer.
Good luck on your cabinet!
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So Lilwolf said about 3/4 mdf, but is it okay too use 1/2 or 5/8" MDF, instead of 3/4?. since MDF it's kinda heavy 3/4 will make it heavier.
I don't believe the entire cab needs to be 3/4" MDF, but I think the sides and CP should be. The front, top & back could be 1/2 or 5/8. The bottom should be strong if you have wheels on it, but if you don't have wheels, then 1/2 or 5/8 would work there as well since the sides would rest on the floor.
I am about 70% complete with my cab. I used 3/4" MDF throughout, but did build it as a 2 piece.
Dave
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So Lilwolf said about 3/4 mdf, but is it okay too use 1/2 or 5/8" MDF, instead of 3/4?. since MDF it's kinda heavy 3/4 will make it heavier.
I don't believe the entire cab needs to be 3/4" MDF, but I think the sides and CP should be. The front, top & back could be 1/2 or 5/8. The bottom should be strong if you have wheels on it, but if you don't have wheels, then 1/2 or 5/8 would work there as well since the sides would rest on the floor.
I am about 70% complete with my cab. I used 3/4" MDF throughout, but did build it as a 2 piece.
Dave
Hmmm.. two pieces? how's that????
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Hmmm.. two pieces? how's that????
I guess technically it would be a 3-piece, but the panel will be bolted in place and won't really need to be removed to move the machine. The base is 26" wide and holds the control panel which slightly overlaps the sides at 27.5 inches. The top is also 27.5 inches wide and it sits down on the base and overlaps it by a couple inches. I took clues from several other cabinets, but I just started drawing until I got the profile and design I liked best. Sorta a Defender meets Joust cabinet in 2 pieces.
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Hmmm.. two pieces? how's that????
I guess technically it would be a 3-piece, but the panel will be bolted in place and won't really need to be removed to move the machine. The base is 26" wide and holds the control panel which slightly overlaps the sides at 27.5 inches. The top is also 27.5 inches wide and it sits down on the base and overlaps it by a couple inches. I took clues from several other cabinets, but I just started drawing until I got the profile and design I liked best. Sorta a Defender meets Joust cabinet in 2 pieces.
yeah!! i've seen those kinds of cabs. !! :D, there neat, but i think they need more woodworking, I'm not good with wood, so i'll make simple ;)
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why do you spend all that time sanding. I bought 3/4" birch plywood. It is finished on one side so no need for sanding. Just Prime and paint. It may cost alittle more but it worth it
I had particle board lying around. That's the only reason I used it. I don't mind spending some time sanding. It was actually kind of fun. If I would have had to buy wood for this project I would have gone with MDF.