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Show me your budget build cabs/ help cutting down price on my new project

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milkit:
if your on a budget, find a used empty cab for $50 that probably has most of that stuff (tmolding, coin door, etc) already

BadMouth:
Budget already looks pretty tight.  $10 for primer & paint might not cut it.

Only thing I see that others haven't pointed out is -
 ditch the VESA Mount & just mount a board with holes spaced the same as a VESA mount.

I agree with milkit.  Even if you have to replace everything on an old cab, you'd still come out ahead on wood alone.
If you tell us where you're at, maybe someone can give you a lead on a cheap cab.

Also, if it is a replica, why does it have to use an lcd screen?  Slim replica?

rlemmon:
Thanks guys!  
--- Quote from: syph007 on May 25, 2010, 01:34:17 pm ---Buying misc tools were what really shot the price up for me.  Do you already have all tools needed?

--- End quote ---
  Ya im set with tools.


The reason I wen with an lcd is that it's a cabaret cab and I would hate to build it around a crt that will probably not have much life left in it, and it would have to be really small or it would stick out of the back. Anoth thisng is that crt's seem to be pretty hard to find around here. We used to have a few good places but there all gone now.


--- Quote from: meany on May 25, 2010, 04:16:59 pm ---loose the coin door.  It's just for show.

--- End quote ---

I skipped it on the last one. I really want to add one to this one. It just feels more authentic to me than pushing a credit button. I also think alot of cabs look naked without them.


--- Quote from: javeryh on May 25, 2010, 04:21:13 pm ---Don't forget to add 20% to your estimate for all the miscellaneous stuff!

--- End quote ---
 ya true that.



--- Quote from: milkit on May 25, 2010, 04:25:11 pm ---if your on a budget, find a used empty cab for $50 that probably has most of that stuff (tmolding, coin door, etc) already

--- End quote ---
 I would kill to find a nice empty cab! The thing is I live in a small town about 100 miles from a city and there is nowere around here to get one. I dont have a truck to haul one from the city even if i could find one there.  :hissy:


--- Quote from: BadMouth on May 25, 2010, 10:24:06 pm ---Budget already looks pretty tight.  $10 for primer & paint might not cut it.

Only thing I see that others haven't pointed out is -
 ditch the VESA Mount & just mount a board with holes spaced the same as a VESA mount.

I agree with milkit.  Even if you have to replace everything on an old cab, you'd still come out ahead on wood alone.
If you tell us where you're at, maybe someone can give you a lead on a cheap cab.

Also, if it is a replica, why does it have to use an lcd screen?  Slim replica?

--- End quote ---

Ditching the vesa is a good idea. I hant thought about using a piece of wood with the same hole pattern.   Im In west PA.  Ut's a ms pacman cabaret replica wich is about 17" deep so a crt wont work unless its really small. Plus I would like to have a 17" screen if I can fit it in the budget. I dont know why i put $10.00 for paint and primer. It should be at lest $20.00

Thanks for your help guys, I really appreciate it.  


DEMENTED:
Are you sure you will need 3 sheets of plywood
ms pac cabaret is 60 inch high 19.5 wide( 18 inch + 2  sides at .75 each)  and 24 inches deep These dimensions are from http://www.ggdb.com/GameByName.aspx?c=Coin-Op&s=Arcade&l=M&vid=1842/ggdb.com Assuming 4x8 sheets  2 should be plenty.  Cut each sheet at a height of 60 inches . Cut the larger of the 2 resulting pieces into a 60 inch  by 24 inch piece( 1 side of cabinet) and a  60 inch x 18 inch piece for everything else.  leaving a little less than 6 inch strip for miscellaneous stuff.  Cut the  smaller of the two original pieces into a 48 x 18 inch  piece  and another miscellaneous piece.  Unfortunately because of saw kerf you would not be able to get two 18 inch strips.  looking at a few pics of the cabaret http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ms-pacman-pacman-cabaret-arcade-video-game and  http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ms-pac-man-arcade-game-classic-game-cabaret and http://www.pac-man.com/mspacman/mini/  It seems that the base, top and speaker panel would be near the full 24 inch depth of the cabinet. The two 48 x 18 pieces more than cover that.  The back is going to be 3 pieces totaling less than 60 inches because the top angles down.  one 60 x 18 inch piece covers that.  The front is probably  24-32 inches high depending on the construction of the control panel.  The remaining 60 x 18 piece would  definitely cover that.    A quick googling didn't find any pics of a cabaret control panel   I cant tell for sure  but it looks like its a large L shaped metal panel  with a piano hinge at the bottom.  It could be copied in wood but make sure that your chosen joystick has a long enough shaft.  Add the price of the hinge to your costs.   Original  cabinets have metal piece holding the bottom of the bezel glass.  You could use wood with a piece of L shaped aluminum extrusion from the hardware store. Another  Couple of Bucks Added   If You have a metal bending brake it would be trivial to make metal pieces.     To save money on the coin door I would cut the proper opening for the coindoor I wanted to use and then make a cover with 1/8th inch hardboard , wood scraps,  the rest of the piano hinge, a cheap cam lock, and  a button for credits.     Buy the coin door you really want a few months later.  You mentioned staining the sides but original cabs are covered in laminate.  Since your maximum width is 24 inch then Iron on roll laminate like thishttp://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=260-033 would work well.  It would be a tremendous time saver.  You would need 2 rolls.  You could even use much cheaper contact paper to start with and  then apply laminate in a couple of months.  Don't forget the Kick molding  http://www.arcadeshop.com/parts.htm#T-molding   You list a plastic bezel for $15 I have never noticed a bezel for 17 inch lcds.  Plus the shipping on these plastic bezels is very high.   Do a search of these forums about the shipping.   Make your own posterboard bezel.  The flat nature of an LCD makes it much easier than a curved CRT.  You haven't listed any light fixture for the marquee.  more $$$  Also she pac-man.com website describes the marquee as -- DISPLAY PANEL - HEADER MARQUEE plexiglas header with graphic - bent to three sided shape to fit cabinet. Mounting holes are pre-drilled. 18" wide, 5" high with 2" wings on the top and bottom.   If You are not going to do the bent Plexi thing Then you will need somthing to hold your marquee on.  The Aluminum L extrusion shoud work great except that the speaker panel and marquee do not seem to form a 90 degree angle. 

councilface:
Donts skimp on price - You will regret it.

Wait until you can afford to spend what is needed.

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