Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Blyths on December 16, 2010, 02:15:41 pm

Title: UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.
Post by: Blyths on December 16, 2010, 02:15:41 pm
Hi all,

I have been into arcade games all my life and can still remember when space invaders and asteroids were the best games around  ;) My first console was an ATARI with walnut dash, then commodore 64, then Amiga, then PC.

I found MAME by accident years ago, then found out about these strange people  :P building there own arcade machines and have always wanted 1 of my own. The closest I have got so far was buying a X-Arcade duel controller, then later the Tankstick, which to be honest I have had no issues with.

After years of looking I have decided that next year I will start my build and even if it takes 12 months I will have my own arcade machine  :angry:

I liked the basic design used at arcadecab.com which i had planned to use with my X arcade and have had the plans sat in a draw for a couple of years but since the measurements are all in inches I have decided to use my own and use MM (millimetres).

I recently bought a VGA 29" monitor from Franco  :cheers: so had a guide what my measurements need to be and have drawn a template on graph paper. I then wasnt sure how it would look so using a scale of 100:1 I copied my plans onto cardboard and made i model to see how it should look!                                                                                                                        (http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2458.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2464.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2466.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2465.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2467.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2470.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2471.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2474.jpg)

(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/Blyths/Mame%20Cabinet%20Plans/100_2475.jpg)

So hopefully after christmas a can buy some MDF and have a start!



Title: Re: UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.
Post by: Rando on December 16, 2010, 02:31:54 pm
Hi Blyths!
I'm in the planning stages, much like you, so I can't offer much in the way of insight other than to say:

Make the first ever cardboard cab!  That is so awesome, insert some hidden steel supports and have a paper based cabinet!

Ugly?  Sure.  But awesome?  Oh yeah!  :afro:
Title: Re: UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.
Post by: Termin8tor on December 16, 2010, 06:32:05 pm
Good Luck, you say you "had planned" to use the X-Arcade. I hope you've now decided to build your own CP. It will look so much better.
Title: Re: UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.
Post by: jipp on December 16, 2010, 07:26:59 pm
hey, welcome to the forum.  I too am in the process of building a cab. started 5 months ago..  anyhow im in the home stretch.. getting closer every time i think about it..  i too like you research plans...  and i first came across some plans that were printed on graft paper like you, 1" per square..  anyhow..  before i cut a piece of wood i built a card board model of that cab.  i think they refer to them as lucas plans?  i forget now, at any rate.  i ended up going with plans from mameroom.com cause my door ways are narrow and needed to get it in and out.  so the ultimate 2 plans are in two pieces so i can get it in and out of door ways.  if it was not for me building the cardboard model first i probably would of built something i could not get in and out of my room.. you are on the right track with the model.. and look forward to your build.  rock on man. :)

chris.
Title: Re: UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.
Post by: Blyths on December 17, 2010, 02:31:36 pm
Yeh I plan to build my own controls, ;D  thinking instead of a spinner I will use a trackball for tempest etc, and put a rotary joystick in the place for the spinner as i like ikari warriors etc
Title: Re: UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.
Post by: notroubleclubber on December 19, 2010, 04:39:51 am
Im in the uk in the south west so if you need a hand pm me.

Im on my 3rd mame cab build.
1st one was a generic jamma cab that i ripped apart and used a ipac with a pc monitor. I got bored and sold it.
Then a few years down the line i got hold of a neo geo 6 slot cabinet. I kept the arcade monitor and controls and just stuck the pc in using an avga and jpac. I could never get the resolutions right and ended up selling that.
I now built and owned my 3rd cab. I got the cab from ebay non working so got rid of the monitor and built my own control panel. I got the biggest pc monitor i could (as wanted to play pc games too on it) which was a 21" and built up a new cab. This cab is a monster pc with just about every emulator and rom on it and runs fine. I wish i could have a bigger monitor in it but its not too bad.

Good luck with the build...I never bothered planning as i always had my cabinets already built as just reconditioned old ones. I could do with a smaller cab now!