Changing directions

[batjac]

I want to build my wife a Ms.PacMan bartop for her birthday.  I want to build one, but I want to use any pre-made bezels or artwork that I can find.  I've done a search for Ms.PacMan bartops, but haven't found anything.  Does anyone know of any pre-made artwork and bezels, and bartop plans to fit?

Mark

[jdbailey1206]

You might find this interesting.

[batjac]

Thanks for the reply, but I did see that one.  If I built that one, my wife wouldn't play it.  She'd just see it a s a toy, rather than a real arcade machine.  I'm looking to do a bartop as a compromise.  A full size would get used more, but I have no place to put a full sized cabinet.  If a bartop doesn't work out, I'll have to build a Vigolix slim cabinet.

My plan is to use a 412-in-1 JAMMA board and a surplus 19" 4-3 VGA monitor.  These should work okay for a nice bartop that's not too heavy.  I'm just trying to use stuff that's already made, so it looks cleaner.  But, looking more today at commercial pre-made or NOS Ms.PacMan artwork and bezels/control panels, I don't see how I can afford that stuff.  I'm not a restorer, just a guy making a birthday present for the wife.  This thing will get played with a lot the first month, a few times the second month, and then only three or four times a month after that.  I can't afford a thousand or more for a cabinet.  I guess I'll just have to wing it...

Mark

[batjac]

Well, I haven't found any plans or resources I like for my original idea, so I'm going to try something different.  I'll go ahead and build a Vigolix cabinet.  But, instead of waiting until May for my wife's birthday, I'll try to get it done by Christmas.  I'm going to be out of town until the 5th of December, so I'm going to have to work fast, and stealthily.  So, I'm going to have to ask a few questions.

My plan is to build a Vigolix cabinet with a 40-in-1 board and a vertical 19" monitor.  It'll be wet and rainy here, so painting is out.  I'll do a black laminate of some sort, and silver T-molding, since the rest of the entertainment items in the room it's going into are either black, silver, or black and silver.  Using the search function has given me most of the info I need, but a couple of things elude me.

1) On the Vigolix cabinet, is the base really only 12"deep?  Seems deeper in the pics.
2) Three weeks should be fine for a no-frills cabinet with plain black laminates sides, don't you think?
3) Any hints to speed up the build?
4) Any pitfalls I should avoid?

Thanks,
Mark

[wol-nz]

Every cab design has pitfalls - i can't explain what they might be but i'm sure you will have fun scratching ya head when one arises. I'd say the biggest concern is size - fitting the guts in these tiny parcels.

If your going for a 40n1 board you should seriously think about the ms pac design above. These baords have a rotate screen function for 2 players and is quite fun.
Plus you can put it in your car and take it to weddings funerals and baby showers 

[Vigo]

1) On the Vigolix cabinet, is the base really only 12"deep?  Seems deeper in the pics.

Yep, if you are using the standard design, it is gonna be shallow. Makes it great to fit in all kinds of places. 

2) Three weeks should be fine for a no-frills cabinet with plain black laminates sides, don't you think?

I didn't spend more than a couple weeks span on both of mine, and a lot of that was on painting. As long as you have some chunks of time, you should be good.

3) Any hints to speed up the build?

The biggest time drain on my first one was perfecting a back lit marquee in a narrow space. I just went with a solid marquee on my second one and didn't miss the backlighting at all. If you are not too attached to a lit marquee, just use a solid board and put art over it.

4) Any pitfalls I should avoid?

Make sure it is bottom heavy. I personally used a heavy board across the bottom of mine. I also used adjustable leveling feet. When a cabinet is small like that, even a slight imbalance in either the cabinet or floor is noticeable. Not as big of a deal if you will be putting it on carpet.