Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: iscariot on June 28, 2009, 11:24:52 pm
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Well, I finally finished my cabinet. This originally was a cabinet that I got from fellow member quadmasta, which is itself a variation of LuSid's superb design. The unit is solid, made of 5/8 MDF, and has a very nice component CRT in there. It's also running a dandy ipac. Here's what it looked like before:
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_cX0yrv0sFPo/SH9nLUzBxcI/AAAAAAAABGs/CL1OXVZfWTY/s640/DSCF0240.JPG)
It had coin mechs, switches, doors, and that cool MAME marquee. However, this isn't how I was going to use it so I made a few "updates"
I posted awhile back about a dedicated mame version of linux and was able to mutate slax to do the job. Also built and posted slax modules of SDLMame and Wahcade. The unit boots into the menu system in about 15 seconds. I needed to build the guts first, so I went to do it on the cheap. The whole internals cost me $220, because I splurged on a video card that could output svideo, component, composite, and VGA. I'm also running 2gb of ram and a gigantic 320gb drive. The OS itself though boots off a CF drive for fast on/off. Here's the hardware driving things:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z138/mbafernandez/random/DSCF2124.jpg)
quadmasta has a huge board running in the middle of the case for extra strength. It also makes a great place to put the board.
The design is solid, but there were a few things I wanted to change. First off, I wanted to fix the light and speaker layout. Once I raised the monitor up 4 inches the original speaker layout wouldn't work, so I had to obscure the speakers up there with the light, which you can see here:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z138/mbafernandez/random/DSCF2122.jpg)
The CPL originally had 8 buttons for each player. I'm only going to use 6. I also modified the panel so it would hold the glass in place a little better, so I added a wood tongue on the top of the panel and trimmed the sides:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z138/mbafernandez/random/DSCF2118.jpg)
Now that it's all done Things look good. Now to just add the finishing graphics. Here's what the finished product looks like, with the plugs that cover the screws removed:
(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z138/mbafernandez/random/DSCF2128.jpg)(http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z138/mbafernandez/random/DSCF2129-1.jpg)
Thoughts folks?
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Looks like you got some burn-in on the monitor, some guy with a camera stuck in there. :lol Id also wood putty/sand/ those screw holes on the side.
I like your CP, clean and uncluttered. Very Minimalist.
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I think it looks good man. Are you planning on adding t-molding later on? Maybe blue? Just curious.
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There's actually T molding on there already. I wouldn't mind changing it up to blue though. Does anyone know where to get 5/8 t-molding?
As far as filling in the holes, I'm not going to fill them in, I've got black covers that cover them nicely. I'd like to be able to pop the monitor out in case I have to. Quadmasta's monitor mounting was extremely solid
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Does anyone know where to get 5/8 t-molding?
You can get 5/8" t-molding here: http://www.t-molding.com/store/home.php?cat=2
Not as much selection as 3/4" but most of the basic colors are there.
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Yeah the corners and sides looked a little scuffed, so just get some filler and some snadpaper to tidy up those last few chips and holes then give it a fresh exterior lick of paint or maybe even laminate.