Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Woodworking => Topic started by: blueoakleyz on October 30, 2004, 12:58:07 am
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Was the standard 3/4" MDF?
also how were/are coin doors/mechs held in place? You cut a whole in the wood and then how do you stick it there? like so it doesn't fall out or someone can just pull it out
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my orig coin door was bolted in..
theres a lip on it with holes, you cut inside that and leave a gap..
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Modern coin doors are held in from the back by slide over clips.
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Particle board is what i've seen most of the original cabs were made out of, usually with a mix of plywood for stuff like the back door..
MDF was like unheard of back in the early 80's, It's become popular recently due to home improvement shows like Trading Spaces..lol...it's basically cardboard, while particle board is tiny pieces of wood and sawdust glued together..not to be confused with OSB which is large chips of wood glued together (which would be horrible for a cab).
Partical board holds a screw quite well, but the edges dont usually sand very smooth which is why t-mold is used...mdf gives nice paintable edges but for strength and screw holding it's terrible
Both suck if they get wet...plywood is better for a damp environment.
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Partical board holds a screw quite well, but the edges dont usually sand very smooth which is why t-mold is used...mdf gives nice paintable edges but for strength and screw holding it's terrible
Fine Homebuilding magazine has run a number of tests on MDF over the years. Long sheetrock screws work fairly well in MDF (but need pilot holes). It is paintable, but the edges will absorb paint, making them swell up, if you're not careful about sealing them first.
If I were going to scratch build a cabinet and wanted it to look arcade authentic, I suppose 3/4" MDF with t-mold. From a durability standpoint, no one is going to be beating on my cabinet. 1/4" MDF (aka hardboard) would work just as well for the majority of the cabinet if the edges were properly reinforced. Think of traditional door construction with a 5/4 frame and 1/4 panels.
I went the easy route and bought a cabinet. It's the traditional 80's 3/4" particle board. It weighs a ton.
Bob
Bob
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My defender cab was plywood, the data-east cab is particle board. I built mine using 5/8" particle board. If you are going to cover your cab with vinyl like I did then go with particle board, but if you are going to paint it, then use MDF.
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I'm going to use 3/4" MDO plywood - I have to get it from the local lumber yard though. Home Depot does not carry it. This is what cabinetmakers use in most of their projects. It is medium density overlay - an engineered plywood with a resin treated fiber applied to one or both faces. This gives an extremely smooth finish that is easy to paint. In addition it's rated for exterior use, which means it is safe from the elements, insects, or other outdoor hazards. It is a bit pricy though ($60 per sheet - both sides covered) but worth it, IMO because it comes in at 1/2 the weight or less of regular MDF...
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Yeah MDO is great, it's what they use for the signs on the highway also.. it can take a beating, is super smooth, and resist water quite well...
And Norm uses it alot ;D
sac