Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: steveloaf on April 12, 2004, 04:09:13 pm

Title: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: steveloaf on April 12, 2004, 04:09:13 pm
I have done a couple MAME cabinets but wanted to build one with a race theme. I decided to make a Dale Earnhardt/ Earnhardt Jr machine. I wasn't sure the best way to do it so I sketched it out on graph paper and discovered that I could use both of the numbers 8 & 3 on opposite sides and it would be symmetrical.

I added the graphics to match each of their race cars. The game uses an IPAC and runs on a PII 350. Not a lot of juice but I built it pretty inexpensively. The cab is narrow and used very little materials. It is made from 2 sheets of MDF and a scrap piece of 1/4" plywood for the back. The control panel is removable and though the pictures are bad and you can't see it, I put a sliding keyboard shelf in the front which is concealed by a hinged panel and a door below for the PC.

Hope this gives people some ideas on making a box that has a theme to it.

I absolutely love these MAME cabinets and enjoyed building this one a ton. I also like looking over the stuff other people have done and figured I'd post my cab.


Steve
Title: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: steveloaf on April 12, 2004, 04:10:25 pm
Jr:
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Sasquatch! on April 12, 2004, 04:20:28 pm
I'm not a NASCAR/Earnhardt fan in the least, but that's a pretty cool theme.  Can we get some closeups of the artwork on there?
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: steveloaf on April 12, 2004, 04:30:39 pm
This is a closer picture of the bezel. I just took a bunch of photos and arranged them in Photoshop and printed it out. Behind plexiglass it looks really nice.

(My picture taking stinks-- I don't have decent lighting in my basement for pictures and I get a yellowish glare sometimes.)
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: J_K_M_A_N on April 12, 2004, 04:34:23 pm
I'm am not a big fan of racing either but I have to say that it looks very cool. I really like the way you cut out the sides around the 3 and 8. Very cool. Did you just paint the sides or is it printed? Great job.

J_K_M_A_N
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Santoro on April 12, 2004, 04:53:00 pm
I know knothing about Nascar but the cab looks pretty sweet..  all that's missing is a steering wheel and pedals!

The color scheme does evoke racing.  



Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: steveloaf on April 12, 2004, 05:41:19 pm
The sides and marquee are actually cut vinyl like what you find on a trucks vans and well, race cars.

I own a lettering and graphics business so I have all of the stuff to make my own vinyl designs. The same for the marquee. It is done with the same material we use to make back lit signs. I want to build another cabinet and I think I am going to do one of the printed marquees like other people have done. For 15 bucks at Kinko's you can't beat the price and it will have a more ellaborate design than what I can cut in vinyl.

I kind of designed this machine around the sideart. I was playing around with the numbers and realized they would have the same exact edge on the front of the cabinet. I originally intended to build a machine like my previous one and just stick the numbers on the sides but I am very glad I cut around them. It changed the whole look of it. I might post the pictures of that one too sometime. I am new to this forum and don't really want to come in and spam it full of photos.

I am amazed at how fast Mame cabinet making is growing. I built my first cabinet last year in July and I have found tons of more info on it since even that time. Seems the more I read and find new ideas the more I want to build yet another one. (Ehhh what the heck, it keeps me off the streets....)

Glad you like the cabinet BTW- Thank you.

Steve
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hulkster on April 12, 2004, 11:55:18 pm
you need to get a wig, and nail it to the back of your cab to make it truly a nascar cab.....MULLETCADE!!!  and then paint a mouth with 3 teeth on the side saying "dee dubbya is a pansy!"  oh yeah, and then dump beer on the whole thing so you get the whole smelly atmosphere.   8)
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: BobbyG66 on April 13, 2004, 08:16:15 am
you need to get a wig, and nail it to the back of your cab to make it truly a nascar cab.....MULLETCADE!!!  and then paint a mouth with 3 teeth on the side saying "dee dubbya is a pansy!"  oh yeah, and then dump beer on the whole thing so you get the whole smelly atmosphere.   8)
Hey Hulkster...stop it. ;D
All Nascar fans are not rednecks with mullets :D
It's good to see a Nascar cabinet. I was working on designing one, but also came up with the idea of a Sports theme.  Not sure which way to go yet.

This cabinet rocks and I also really like the way the numbers are cut out of the sides.  Great job Steveloaf!
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hulkster on April 13, 2004, 10:42:57 am
yeah i know, i was just giving him a hard time.  i live in tennessee and like to watch wrestling, so yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!  i just happen to not like nascar, but i thought i would make fun of it while i could ;D
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hyiu on April 13, 2004, 11:46:13 am
very nice cab.... I'm not a big fans of car racing either... but the side number cutting adds a very nice touch !!!...

makes your cab stands out !!!...

too bad you don't have a steering wheel on the CP....
(it would make it even better !!!....)

btw... do you need to wear a racing hemlet and racing gloves when playing ??....  ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Stingray on April 13, 2004, 03:03:11 pm
I'm not a NASCAR fan either, but the cab looks very nice.

-S
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: steveloaf on April 13, 2004, 11:09:19 pm
 "dee dubbya is a pansy!"

Huh, well if you know enough to reference ol' D.W. then you must have some knowlede of NASCAR. Must be a closet fan...

Personally I really don't like what NASCAR is becoming and watch it less and less but my wife has a huge collection of Earnhardt stuff in our basement game room so it seemed only fitting to make the MAME box match.

Oh--- and spill beer on 70 bucks worth of controls and a 50 dollar (with shipping) IPAC? Are you out of your $%#% mind?

That's what the carpet is for dood...

Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hulkster on April 13, 2004, 11:50:47 pm
"dee dubbya is a pansy!"

Huh, well if you know enough to reference ol' D.W. then you must have some knowlede of NASCAR. Must be a closet fan...

Personally I really don't like what NASCAR is becoming and watch it less and less but my wife has a huge collection of Earnhardt stuff in our basement game room so it seemed only fitting to make the MAME box match.

Oh--- and spill beer on 70 bucks worth of controls and a 50 dollar (with shipping) IPAC? Are you out of your $%#% mind?

That's what the carpet is for dood...



whoa, chill out there biggin'.  i live in nashville, and darrell waltrip has a car lot here or something, and i hear stupid commercials on the radio all the time about "if your car doesnt have my star on the back, you better come see ol' dee dubbya" so thats all i know.  redneck....yes.....cars going around in circles for way too long....yes.  and the only reason i know anything about this....well at least enough to make fun of people....is because my future father in law watches nascar like its going out of style, so i have to endure it just long enough for me to fall asleep.  i mean, cool cab dude, not taking away from that at all, just thought id make fun of you.  its all good...great times, chill out, youll be fine.
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: steveloaf on April 16, 2004, 07:01:23 pm
I wasn't the slightest bit upset. I thought what you said was funny. I think you might have misunderstood the way I was saying that. I was trying to be funny.
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hulkster on April 17, 2004, 02:06:19 am
I wasn't the slightest bit upset. I thought what you said was funny. I think you might have misunderstood the way I was saying that. I was trying to be funny.

oh!  well anyway, its cool all around 8)
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Stingray on April 27, 2004, 03:25:03 pm
Personally I was wondering how a guy with a professional wrestler in his avatar could feel justified calling someone a redneck.  ;)

Just so no one gets excited, yes that was a joke.

-S
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Minwah on April 27, 2004, 07:26:34 pm
Personally I was wondering how a guy with a professional wrestler in his avatar could feel justified calling someone a redneck.  ;)

Just so no one gets excited, yes that was a joke.

-S

Heh, not that I've seen it but I expect at least in Nascar the driving is real... :D
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hulkster on April 28, 2004, 12:10:46 am
Personally I was wondering how a guy with a professional wrestler in his avatar could feel justified calling someone a redneck.  ;)

Just so no one gets excited, yes that was a joke.

-S

well i did say this if you scroll up a little

"yeah i know, i was just giving him a hard time.  i live in tennessee and like to watch wrestling, so yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!  i just happen to not like nascar, but i thought i would make fun of it while i could  "   wrestling is just as yeehaw as nascar, but i wanted to make fun....so...i did!  so there you go. ;D
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Stingray on April 28, 2004, 12:17:49 pm
Just bustin' ya chops Hulk!  ;)  ;D

-S
Title: Re:Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: hulkster on April 28, 2004, 04:47:54 pm
Just bustin' ya chops Hulk!  ;)  ;D

-S

bustin my chops?!!?  well let me tell ya somethin brother!!!  these 24 inch pythons dont take kindly to little punks like yourself!!  
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: danny_galaga on December 01, 2004, 08:17:21 am
just noticed this cab while looking for something else. the thread got a bit derailed a little. i really like what this guys done. especially the shape of the 3 incorporated into the cab design. very slick  :)
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: RayB on December 01, 2004, 01:47:17 pm
Great looking cab! Almost perfect. The control panel is a bit too "long", which makes the whole cab look "fat" from the side, but otherwise, those curves going around the numbers... Awesome!
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: geomartin on December 02, 2004, 12:44:33 am
Looks great, but I was expecting to see steering wheels and pedals when I saw the title.
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: IntruderAlert on April 16, 2005, 02:31:42 pm
Looks great, but I was expecting to see steering wheels and pedals when I saw the title.
Yeah.. it looks great but a NASCAR cab without a wheel and pedals is like a Star Wars cab without a yoke or a Centipede without a trackball
It would be much cooler if you could do it :)
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: Nocturnaloner on April 17, 2005, 01:55:16 am
Mr. loaf, that is one damn fine cabinet.  An original theme, well executed, consistently and thoroughly.  I salute you!
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: IntruderAlert on April 17, 2005, 02:08:35 pm
I really like the way he cut the numbers into the side panels 8)
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: tommy on April 19, 2005, 05:05:09 am
Great job steve , not only with the numbers but i havent seen this theme on a cab yet.

I think its fine with no wheel, but i was expecting more colorfull side art.
Title: Re: Earnhardt Cabinet
Post by: GGKoul on April 19, 2005, 11:09:44 am
You should call it... Redneckcade or Good'OlCade