Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: chemicalviper on August 28, 2011, 01:32:01 am
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I did some searching, had to resort posting some questions. Sorry for my extreme newbieness
My plan is to do a mame setup and I don't have all the necessary tools to build from scratch. So I grabbed this GT Fore cab (I think thats what its called).
1. Can't afford an arcade monitor. If I were to mount an LCD monitor in there, whats the best way (wood wise) to mount it? I literally have no wood working knowledge. Should I glue some MDF blocks to the side and screw a horizontal board to those blocks?
2. Suggestions for said bezel onto monitor? I notice suzo-happ sells a fit bezel for this cab. But is this my best option since I am not using an arcade monitor?
3. Any suggestions for someone to make me an arcade control top (just the wood w/ dimensions and pre-drilled/routered for trackball)
4. This cab has a pull out panel, any suggestions for what I should do on the extended part that sits inside the cab? Ipac? Wireless keyboard/mouse?
Missing: Control panel, bezel, monitor, hardware.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/chemicalviper/photobucket-19982-1314509545129.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/TT01p.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/fgIU6.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ShS2v.jpg)
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Do you already have the LCD panel? Most panels today have mounting holes on back that you could just use standard mounting hardware onto a piece of plywood, attach that to the supports on the cabinet, then put a bezel on.
As far as the control panel goes, contact one of the sites listed in the banner ads at the top of mameworld.com, you're going to be working with fairly standard dimensions there. But to be honest, you might want to spend some time thinking about doing it yourself. You probably will catch the bug the rest of us have, and end up doing swapable panels or modular.
It's *really* not hard. I hadn't touched a saw since I was 6, I'm days away from finishing a custom designed cabinet with a modular panel. It's really easy, all the information is here, or if you'd rather get the information from a centralized location...
http://www.amazon.com/Project-Arcade-Build-Your-Machine/dp/047089153X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314513591&sr=1-1 (http://www.amazon.com/Project-Arcade-Build-Your-Machine/dp/047089153X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314513591&sr=1-1)
Trust me, in the long run it's cheaper. I spent $150 to buy a hotrod prebuilt panel. Then I decided I wanted a trackball, spinner, and flightstick, so I spent $700 on a Slikstick panel. It was too big and unwieldy, so I spent hundreds on swapable panels, but they took up too much space. So then I built a modular table implementation to go in front of my computer desk, but I felt too far away. So now I'm spending more money to do what I should've done the second time when I realized how much fun this was, and just built what I wanted in the first place.
Don't be me, get project arcade and do what you really want the first time :)
As far as the pullout panel goes, keyboard is usually the best option. A trackball is a mouse so no need for that. You'll need somewhere to mount the Ipac and Optical encoder, but that depends on the implementation of your panel.
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When you say "attach that to the supports on the cabinet, then put a bezel on" - That was my original question. How would I do that :laugh2:
Is straight interior sides, do I just glue mount some blocks and place the board in front of the blocks to screw into?
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Is it useless buying anything larger than a 19" LCD monitor if I am going the computer monitor route? I have to double check when I get home on my 24" but I believe it all just scales inward 4:3.
I was asking because I have 24" interior width cab, and there was a 24" LCD from TigerDirect for $139. But if I am probably going to have issues finding a bezel to fit.
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How to make a $2 bezel
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=17175 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=17175)
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How to make a $2 bezel
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=17175 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=17175)
Yeah I saw that, my main question was is a 24" just gonna shrink the screen down anyways? (width wise)
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When you say "attach that to the supports on the cabinet, then put a bezel on" - That was my original question. How would I do that :laugh2:
Is straight interior sides, do I just glue mount some blocks and place the board in front of the blocks to screw into?
Sorry for the delay, been a little tied up.
Easiest was is this...
Buy a board, like a 2x4 though you'll probably want thinner. Mount the monitor onto it. Get a few brackets, mount them on the end of the board, then the other side of the bracket to the interior of the cabinet. Use wide brackets. Since LCD's are only about 12lbs give or take, it should hold just fine. Though if you want to be safe, drill through the sides of the cabinet and sink the bolts, use washers and nuts on the interior, cover the bolt heads with wood putty and repaint or cover with side art.
You can glue for safety too if you don't use bolts from the outside, trust me, Gorilla glue isn't going anywhere.