UK First Mame Cabinet Attempt - Planning.

[Blyths]

Hi all,

I have been into arcade games all my life and can still remember when space invaders and asteroids were the best games around   My first console was an ATARI with walnut dash, then commodore 64, then Amiga, then PC.

I found MAME by accident years ago, then found out about these strange people   building there own arcade machines and have always wanted 1 of my own. The closest I have got so far was buying a X-Arcade duel controller, then later the Tankstick, which to be honest I have had no issues with.

After years of looking I have decided that next year I will start my build and even if it takes 12 months I will have my own arcade machine  

I liked the basic design used at arcadecab.com which i had planned to use with my X arcade and have had the plans sat in a draw for a couple of years but since the measurements are all in inches I have decided to use my own and use MM (millimetres).

I recently bought a VGA 29" monitor from Franco   so had a guide what my measurements need to be and have drawn a template on graph paper. I then wasnt sure how it would look so using a scale of 100:1 I copied my plans onto cardboard and made i model to see how it should look!                                                                                                                       

















So hopefully after christmas a can buy some MDF and have a start!

[Rando]

Hi Blyths!
I'm in the planning stages, much like you, so I can't offer much in the way of insight other than to say:

Make the first ever cardboard cab!  That is so awesome, insert some hidden steel supports and have a paper based cabinet!

Ugly?  Sure.  But awesome?  Oh yeah! 

[Termin8tor]

Good Luck, you say you "had planned" to use the X-Arcade. I hope you've now decided to build your own CP. It will look so much better.

[jipp]

hey, welcome to the forum.  I too am in the process of building a cab. started 5 months ago..  anyhow im in the home stretch.. getting closer every time i think about it..  i too like you research plans...  and i first came across some plans that were printed on graft paper like you, 1" per square..  anyhow..  before i cut a piece of wood i built a card board model of that cab.  i think they refer to them as lucas plans?  i forget now, at any rate.  i ended up going with plans from mameroom.com cause my door ways are narrow and needed to get it in and out.  so the ultimate 2 plans are in two pieces so i can get it in and out of door ways.  if it was not for me building the cardboard model first i probably would of built something i could not get in and out of my room.. you are on the right track with the model.. and look forward to your build.  rock on man.

chris.

[Blyths]

Yeh I plan to build my own controls,   thinking instead of a spinner I will use a trackball for tempest etc, and put a rotary joystick in the place for the spinner as i like ikari warriors etc

[notroubleclubber]

Im in the uk in the south west so if you need a hand pm me.

Im on my 3rd mame cab build.
1st one was a generic jamma cab that i ripped apart and used a ipac with a pc monitor. I got bored and sold it.
Then a few years down the line i got hold of a neo geo 6 slot cabinet. I kept the arcade monitor and controls and just stuck the pc in using an avga and jpac. I could never get the resolutions right and ended up selling that.
I now built and owned my 3rd cab. I got the cab from ebay non working so got rid of the monitor and built my own control panel. I got the biggest pc monitor i could (as wanted to play pc games too on it) which was a 21" and built up a new cab. This cab is a monster pc with just about every emulator and rom on it and runs fine. I wish i could have a bigger monitor in it but its not too bad.

Good luck with the build...I never bothered planning as i always had my cabinets already built as just reconditioned old ones. I could do with a smaller cab now!