Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: killr0y on February 23, 2003, 02:10:33 am
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What is your opinion on the best cabinet design? LuSid's? Scott's?
Is there a web page that has a list of cab designs with links to them? Its a pain in the ass going thru 30 different pages to find a design!
I'm primarily looking for a design like this one:
(http://www.eternaldusk.com/images/arcanomicon1-500.jpg)
But the thing is, the design plans are based on Scott's Unicade and his plans aren't very easy to work with for a novice such as myself. I'm not really concerned with having such a heavy duty frame, I just like the shape of the cab. Any ideas on what other cab designs I should look at?
Thx
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I used Lusids, and modified the control panel to fit my needs. His plans were extremely easy to follow, even for a non-handy all thumbs guy like myself. :)
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You're right, lusid's design is pretty easy to understand. I'll just modify the profile a little since I like a more angled monitor area. I also like the more squared-up marquee vs. just using the speaker panel angle. At least w/ lusid's design I can read it and more easily modify it. I'm using 3/4" MDF all around (except the control panel which will be 1/2" with 1/4" plexiglas (so I can still use my 3/4" T-molding around it). I figure with 3/4", I shouldn't have to worry about sturdiness...
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What is your opinion on the best cabinet design? LuSid's? Scott's?
Is there a web page that has a list of cab designs with links to them? Its a pain in the ass going thru 30 different pages to find a design!
Heh, that's part of the fun of BYOAC'ing... that's where you pick up the most ideas/do's and don'ts, tips etc.. by surfing through all the examples to get a feel for what you like/don't like, and what works and what doesnt.... and if you did do that, YOU could make a page that has a list of different cab designs in order to save work for the next newbie =P
(that sounds like a rip, but i'm kinda serious)
have you also looked at ultimte arcades stuff and mameroom had some plans too (unless i'm getting confused).
*shrug*
Good luck with your project - take lots of pics and post 'em somewhere.
Rampy
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Just a note of caution on modified plans. I usid Lucids plans as a starting point then I kind of played with the mounting height of the control panel going by my memory on how high the control panels were on my favorite arcade games from my youth. I then modified the plans to fit that height.
Well let's just say that I forgot about the fact that I was 13 and quite a bit shorter back then. My cabinet is a monster and I can only put it in rooms that have double doors. The last time I moved it I had to pull my sliding glass doors. I am curently thinking of doing a new cab and creating a gauntlet cab from scratch. This time I will not go from memory.
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If you choose large control pannels such as 4-player, try making it removable just like the real arcade cabinets are. This should make getting it in and out of a standard door much easier.
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Yeah my cp is removable and the damn thing still won't fit thru a standard door.
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I loved Scott's Unicade andthat is what I used. When I first looked at his site, I was afraid I would not be able to do it since he knotched out the 2x4 (dattos..?) to join them together. This was way out of my league since I did not have the tooling to make such cuts. This was the most scary part of duplicating Scott's design.
I went to Home Depot (hardware store) and found that they sell metal pieces (many different types and styles) which allow you to join 2x4s together easily. I think they are called "angle brackets". They should be in the roofing area since they are primarily used for joining roof trusses and 2x4s together. Anyway, this is what I did and it was a piece of cake. Once I got the skeleton together, I added the side panels and continued just like Scott's detailed pictures show. It turned out great and was not hard at all....just a lot of planning and replanning before cutting .... and overall time of course... Basically, I think Scott's design is most informative and quite well worth it, but I would admit seeing the knotched 2x4s almost scared me away from it before I realized these angle brackets could make that step idiot-proof.
PS: I do not have a website so I can not show you pictures of the final cabinet, but if anyone wants me to send them pictures of the cabinet I will. Just email me at emailAddrRemoved requesting them.