First arcade project. Stainless steel cab.

[Cjax]

So not only am I new to the forum, but I'm new to arcade work in general. Started to read up a bit on restoration and different projects and I found it pretty damn interesting. Well I recently got my hands on a stainless steel cabinet with a touch screen and flush mount keyboard. It was used in a shop for employees to clock in, check retirement, etc. I currently have a few projects planned and in the early stages for my future upstairs theatre/game room, and when this was given to me for free I knew it would make an awesome arcade system for the room. I've already gut it, but still need to give it a proper cleaning. My idea is that I'll put the biggest monitor in that I can depending on what I can/should use, along with two joysticks and buttons. I've also considered side buttons for arcade games. My uncle is the software guy of the family, so he's planning on rigging me up a computer with MAME and basically as many old games as I can. Basically I just wanted to post this here and see if any of the more experienced guys have any ideas or suggestions for how I should move forward. Like I said this is my first project so any advice is much appreciated.

[Nephasth]

Just... don't...

[yotsuya]

That would make a badass touchscreen jukebox....

[DeLuSioNal29]

That would make a badass touchscreen jukebox....

+1

[Nephasth]

That would make a badass touchscreen jukebox....

+1

Then shouldn't you have moved this to the juke forum...?

[vwalbridge]

Basically I just wanted to post this here and see if any of the more experienced guys have any ideas or suggestions for how I should move forward.

I'm not one of the experienced guys here but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that your not going to get many people suggesting this machine get used as an arcade.

If it were me, I'd stay the heck away from it. Why? ...stainless is a whole different animal than wood. You're probably going to find it problematic to mount anything in there without drilling holes everywhere. Not to mention all the proper drill bits you are going to need.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck with it whatever you decide to do. 

[Cjax]

That would make a badass touchscreen jukebox....

+1

Then shouldn't you have moved this to the juke forum...?

I have no intention to use this as a jukebox..... So with all do respect, why was it moved to the jukebox forum? I mean I respect your opinion, but it's an opinion only. 

[Nephasth]

 

With all do respect, this would make a ---smurfy--- arcade machine.

[yotsuya]

That would make a badass touchscreen jukebox....

+1

Then shouldn't you have moved this to the juke forum...?

I have no intention to use this as a jukebox..... So with all do respect, why was it moved to the jukebox forum? I mean I respect your opinion, but it's an opinion only.

It wasn't. It was moved to Project Announcements. Neph made a suggestion, but that's not where/why DeL moved it.

[yotsuya]

Basically I just wanted to post this here and see if any of the more experienced guys have any ideas or suggestions for how I should move forward. Like I said this is my first project so any advice is much appreciated.

My suggestion to you is that it would make a badass jukebox. My advice is that you might be better off working with different materials for a cab.

Since you asked.

[dmckean]

That would make a badass touchscreen jukebox....

+1

Then shouldn't you have moved this to the juke forum...?

I have no intention to use this as a jukebox..... So with all do respect, why was it moved to the jukebox forum? I mean I respect your opinion, but it's an opinion only.

It doesn't look wide enough to be a two player cab. I like the side profile though and think it could be turned into something, but definitely not a general purpose mame cab.

[Nephasth]

Don't worry guys. He's going to build one anyway...

[vwalbridge]

any advice is much appreciated.

OP, please don't lose sight of this ^ as your thread progresses.

[yotsuya]

any advice is much appreciated.

OP, please don't lose sight of this ^ as your thread progresses.

Exactly. No one here is trying to be mean or is a hater, but you asked for opinions and advice. 

[Automark]

If you like to have a subway ticket machine in your house, why not ? 


In the inside, glue or screw some wooden panels, so you can easily install/mount pcb's etc

[dmckean]

To clean up the stainless steel and make it look new again you're going to need a few different grades of polishing compound, every sandpaper from 220 grit all the way up to 1500 grit and a polishing disc for a high rpm electric drill (this would be impossible to do by hand.)

[Malenko]

I just want to constantly put my finger prints all over it.   

[jdbailey1206]

I just want to constantly put my finger prints all over it.

No wonder X2 hates you.   

Automark!  Whats up man?

[stigzler]

Welcome to the forums Cjax! You'll quickly see that everyone's got opinions here!

Predictably enough - it's normally those around aesthetics that are the most polarizing. My advice is that it's your cab and it's going to be in your space - so you need to choose something that your'e going to be happy with. If in the slightest doubt, put it down, do other stuff and come back to it days/weeks later- can't tell you how long I've put off my side art.

Certainly don't do it to please anyone else. Apart from the wife, of course (where compromise is allowed)

For me - it's certainly a bit different and I haven't seen a brushed steel cab on here yet - there may be some old timers who can reference a link from 2002 or something....

Kinda like the DeLorean DMC-12 of the custom cab world.

However, there was a good point about working with metal being different (harder?) than working with wood.

Good luck, man.

P.S.

It was used in a shop for employees to clock in, check retirement, etc.

So you'd clock in then check how many days you got left until you could retire!? 
Can I buy the innards off ya?

[yotsuya]

Welcome to the forums Cjax! You'll quickly see that everyone's got opinions here!

To be fair, he ASKED for opinions. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said anything myself.

[stigzler]

Yeah - that's a fact, Yotsuya - and your initial opinion matched mine - it would make a great touch-juke.

However, when a fella walks into a new local bar and orders a pint, not sure it's just the pint he's after. Call me old-fashioned, but I still think warm welcomes to new people with the same interests is good form. Mind you, that in itself, of course, is just an opinion, but I would be grateful for no advice on this opinion/perspective, please.

[Xiaou2]

I agree with much of what stigzler said.

 Its your cab.  Do what you wish with it.

 You probably wont get a lot of help here about certain aspects with it though.. because most of the guys here are versed in woodworking,
not metal work.

 I have to agree, that metal work can be quite more difficult.   Drill bits wear quickly.  Large holes can be a bear to cut out.

 But its doable... and you can learn a lot of great stuff from the experience.

 Also, just because its stainless, doesnt mean it cant be painted.

 You will probably need an Angle Grinder,  a heavy duty hole cutter,  some sharp & tough bits + some cutting fluid.
Or as very least for the Control panel... getting someone to laser-cut the holes.

 Also, look online for vids on how to sharpen drills.  That, or buy a Drill Dr.


 Best of luck on your project.
 

[Nephasth]

Metal working is not harder than woodworking. If it's hard, you're using the wrong tools and techniques. Educate yourself and you'll find metal can be a more forgiving medium than wood.

[stigzler]

Yeah - just like most things -if you find the right tools, most things are OK.

Looks like Neph's yer man for metal working:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,121731.msg1311443.html#msg1311443

(btw - that was a really interesting project, Neph and nice finish).

Maybe he can help you out - sometimes all it takes is a steer to the right tools.

[Nephasth]

Nope. I am not. I quit helping noobs after puetz...

[reptileink]

I honestly think it looks pretty bad ass, and who knows how much metal experience this guy has? He also hasn't mentioned if he's going to put art on the sides/Cp/etc.  Maybe he's going to paint it with auto paint, you never know.

Just speaking as an arcade rookie here, but I wouldn't be so quick to jump down a guy's throat and assume he can't make this into something useable. I, for one, love when you guys think outside the box and come up with un-conventional  ways to cram an arcade into a "non-arcade" machine.

Let's let the guy try (and possibly fail) first.

Yes, he asked for opinions, but I am sure he really meant suggestions versus (that's never going to work, scrap it, make it a juke)  I think the juke is a great idea myself, but the guy wants an arcade. He may just surprise us all. 

[yotsuya]

Nope. I am not. I quit helping noobs after puetz...

Neph is a great guy who is always down to help. Having said that, and knowing what he went through with Puetz, I know exactly why he feels this way, and I don't blame him one bit.

[Nephasth]

Why build your own ladder, when you can stand on the shoulders of giants? There's a very good reason why the common opinion of the experienced is this wouldn't make a good arcade machine. Sure, it can be done, but that doesn't mean it should.

[yotsuya]

I honestly think it looks pretty bad ass, and who knows how much metal experience this guy has? He also hasn't mentioned if he's going to put art on the sides/Cp/etc.  Maybe he's going to paint it with auto paint, you never know.

Just speaking as an arcade rookie here, but I wouldn't be so quick to jump down a guy's throat and assume he can't make this into something useable. I, for one, love when you guys think outside the box and come up with un-conventional  ways to cram an arcade into a "non-arcade" machine.

Let's let the guy try (and possibly fail) first.

Yes, he asked for opinions, but I am sure he really meant suggestions versus (that's never going to work, scrap it, make it a juke)  I think the juke is a great idea myself, but the guy wants an arcade. He may just surprise us all. 

No one jumped down his throat. He asked for opinions and got honest ones. I'd rather hear honest opinions from people whose opinions I value than get sunshine up the ass.

[stigzler]

Looking forward to seeing what you do with this Cjax and confident you'll reach your own conclusions about whose opinions you value - you can check peoples' profiles and topics to check their own builds/contributions and see if their style/creativity/contributions matches yours. Also, have a browse through this Projects announcements section - it gives you a really good overview of all the different approaches to builds + good for getting ideas. Finally, don't be put off asking - lots of people here who are happy to help - lots to learn in this hobby + lots of different 'specialisms' - there's lots of helpful folk here too.

[Nephasth]

Hugs and koombiya all around!

[harveybirdman]

Look at it this way, when we argue and fuss at you you get 300 plus views a day with plenty of feedback.

I get twenty views a day, and very few comments, and I'm pretty sure some think my coin door looks like a spray painted afterthought....

Meh I don't feel bad for this dude at all..

[Xiaou2]

Metal working is not harder than woodworking. If it's hard, you're using the wrong tools and techniques. Educate yourself and you'll find metal can be a more forgiving medium than wood.

 Ugg.   This is partially what I meant.    Certain metal cutting and bending tools are expensive... and take a good learning curve.
Its far easier for example... and cheaper... to cut a button hole in a wood CP.   A simple spade bit can do the trick.

 For a metal CP,  the best tool might be a punch.   Metal punches are not exactly cheap..  and finding the correct size may require an internet purchase... rather than a trip to the local shops.

 Cutting sheets of hard steel, usually means a angle grinder... or a press-brake.  Not everyone has one of those around.. especially at over $300... and something like 200lbs of mass.   Even bending steel, can be a bit tricky... as its easy to be off a bit.. when the bend forms.

 Fastening Braces with load strength, means either welding ... or bolts.  Bolts may not be optimal, due to the raised nature.  Rivits might be a possibility... but rivits are not always the best load bearing solutions.   Welding means another expensive tool set... and ... not sure about the needs of Stainless welding  -vs-  other metals.

 Ive worked with metal and wood... and found wood more flexible and easier to deal with.

/opinion

[rablack97]

Well, in a nutshell for the hobbyist wood is more feasible. You start getting into metal and plastics w/o a homeboy with metal shop hookups, your wasting your time.

The right tools IMHO for metal fab outweigh the cost in tools of the average woodshop.

I just did a quick overlook of the thread and i agree, this needs to be a juke or even a custom slot machine, or make is a touchscreen kiosk for your theater room.  Pick your movie from there and have it play on the bigscreen.

Unless your versed in metal shop, i think the fellas foresee a disaster or something hideous when your done.  Plus the fact its gonna show fingerprints like crazy, will make it a garage sale item really quick.

I actually like the profile, but the material not so much, i would trace that profile and go to wood or mdf, and you could actually make something really cool.

Take that shell, put a keg in it, and make it a dispenser, with a cupholders up top and a dynamic lit marquee showcasing what beer it houses where the monitor is.

 

[Nephasth]

Metal working is not harder than woodworking. If it's hard, you're using the wrong tools and techniques. Educate yourself and you'll find metal can be a more forgiving medium than wood.

 Ugg.   This is partially what I meant.    Certain metal cutting and bending tools are expensive... and take a good learning curve.
Its far easier for example... and cheaper... to cut a button hole in a wood CP.   A simple spade bit can do the trick.

 For a metal CP,  the best tool might be a punch.   Metal punches are not exactly cheap..  and finding the correct size may require an internet purchase... rather than a trip to the local shops.

 Cutting sheets of hard steel, usually means a angle grinder... or a press-brake.  Not everyone has one of those around.. especially at over $300... and something like 200lbs of mass.   Even bending steel, can be a bit tricky... as its easy to be off a bit.. when the bend forms.

 Fastening Braces with load strength, means either welding ... or bolts.  Bolts may not be optimal, due to the raised nature.  Rivits might be a possibility... but rivits are not always the best load bearing solutions.   Welding means another expensive tool set... and ... not sure about the needs of Stainless welding  -vs-  other metals.

 Ive worked with metal and wood... and found wood more flexible and easier to deal with.

/opinion

You obviously don't know what the ---fudgesicle--- you're doing with metal, so stop talking like you do.

[Ond]

I like the side profile of this thing, nice curves.  Stainless steel for an arcade cabinet though? yeah I dunno...  Build challenges aside, the aesthetics of stainless steel, I'd be covering a fair bit of the surface with paint or artwork or something, leaving just a hint of the metal here and there.  I'd also keep the controls very minimalistic.  I know you're looking at this as a multipurpose machine as most new folk do BUT I'd keep it very simple in terms of controls.  Just single player for select set of games.  I'd cut a larger window for the monitor.  To carry this off, the metalwork has to be clean and straight, not an easy thing if you are new to metal fabrication.

To sum up, if you have a strong vision for your build then go for it, but do take advantage of the body of knowledge of good design, Control Panel best practise etc to be found on BYOAC, research and learn. 

[Malenko]

You obviously don't know what the ---fudgesicle--- you're doing with metal, so stop talking like you do.

<3


Actual opinion on the cab, fingerprints aside....

It could be done but I don't think the juice would be worth the squeeze. This is in no way telling you not to do it, this is just my way of telling you Im going to say I told you so if you tap out.  

[vwalbridge]

What is the record for number of consecutive posts without the OP posting again?

[dmckean]

What is the record for number of consecutive post without the OP posting again?

He most likely wrote us off useless when he was told to build a jukebox. There's actually quite a bit or good ideas and advice in this thread now.

[mgb]

cjax,
if you do come back I'd like to say welcome to the forum.
Take what these guys say with a grain of salt. Many of them don't get out to socialize much and only a few of them have ever known the company of  woman.

But you did ask for advice so that's what they gave.
I'm a bit more of a purist who likes regular arcade cabs but I actually think this is a cool cab for a project.
Upon first sight I also thought it would make a cool jukebox but if you don't want a jukebox, why build a jukebox, especially not just because these goof balls told you to.

In my opinion, these can be a cool arcade machine though you may wanna limit it to a one player.
This is not a cab that you would use for an all inclusive, play every game under the sun kinda machine.

Being stainless may present some obstacles but it doesn't out right make it impossible.

Frankly I'm a little surprised when I see the members here giving someone a hard time because they have an out of the box idea.
Isn't it that kind of out of the box thinking that has driven this hobby to the great level it is at today?

[yotsuya]

Good luck with your build.

[drventure]

My first thought was, yeah, Jukebox.

But, with a little creativity, some stain grade walnut veneer, or maybe cherry, I could see framing or trimming that out with some stained wood,then integrating a stained wood control panel and it looking quite good.

And I echo someone else's comment about just glueing plywood panels to the inside and screwing things down to that. Dealing with that stainless would be way too much trouble.

[BlueGhost]

I say throw on a Flux Capacitor and a Mr. Fusion and go for a Back to the Future/Delorean theme.

[Nephasth]

Isn't it that kind of out of the box thinking that has driven this hobby to the great level it is at today?

Out of the box thinking has driven this hobby to a great level. But other forms of out of the box thinking has also flooded this forum with some garbage builds. Is it possible to turn this cab into something cool? Absolutely. But I have little faith that a new comer has the ability to do so. Start with a simple project, get the basics down, then I'd feel confident in someone's abilities to take this thing to a point above the potential it has. Otherwise, it's just another crap-mame.

Seriously, a very similar cab was just discussed in Everything Else...

Speaking of junk on Craigslist. I just ran across this little gem this morning. Can this guy be serious?

[rablack97]

Isn't it that kind of out of the box thinking that has driven this hobby to the great level it is at today?

Out of the box thinking has driven this hobby to a great level. But other forms of out of the box thinking has also flooded this forum with some garbage builds. Is it possible to turn this cab into something cool? Absolutely. But I have little faith that a new comer has the ability to do so. Start with a simple project, get the basics down, then I'd feel confident in someone's abilities to take this thing to a point above the potential it has. Otherwise, it's just another crap-mame.

Seriously, a very similar cab was just discussed in Everything Else...

Speaking of junk on Craigslist. I just ran across this little gem this morning. Can this guy be serious?

Now that's a damn shame.........

[Cjax]

Haha wow. Now that's a lot of good ideas and opinions to catch up on. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply, but between work and repairing my fence last night I honesty forgot to check back in.

Firstly I want to say that I didn't mean to come across as offended or disappointed in the early jukebox opinions. I was mistaken and thought the thread was moved where it wasn't. I'm open to all opinions and suggestions without being offended by criticism. I guess I should have given a little more information about myself and what my vision for the project is. I'm a machinist by trade so im not a complete stranger to working with metal lol. Honestly this fact is one of the major things that drew me to the metal can idea in the first place. That accompanied with the gas pipe accents I have planned for upstairs kind of fits my lifestyle a bit.

Secondly I know it's not the ideal build for a first time project, but the cab was given to me by my uncle who originally had the same idea planned. We're both going to play our part in making it come together. Will it be perfect? Probably not lol. But it was completely free and so will make a good learning experience.

Ideas I've loved so far: stained wood accents, the bear keg on the inside even though that's not gonna happen (always a fan of any beer idea), and the focus on only single player. It actually probably is a bit too small for 2 players. When I get a chance tonight I'll take some measurements and post all the dimensions.

Keep it going guys! I appreciate this already getting so much attention lol.

[drventure]

If you've got some metal work background, and the tools for the job, all the better.

One thing that just occurred to me.

I could completely see taking some sideart, transfering it somehow to the cab and etching the stainless with the side art. I personally have no idea how to do that, but, it could look cool as hell if done right.

Like you said, it's a free cabinet. So experiment on it, worst case, you toss it, and learned a few bits in the process 

[reptileink]

I really hope the OP wasn't scared off. I really wanted to see what could become of this cab.

If I had it, I would maybe steam punk it out (visible rivets, bolts, rusty paint job, the whole nine)

I honestly think this cab has potential. Hope the guy just doesn't toss it. Although, with all that stainless, he could probably scrap it and make enough to buy some MDF sheets. 

[vwalbridge]

The OP is still here. Check a couple posts back.

[Automark]

Bring it to a metal workshop, let them weld the cp to close the hole. Drill some new holes for the joystick and buttons, and a rectangle hole fore a marquee,  Some side art and tada,




 

[Typefighter01]

Colour and curves aside...

I would have that thing MAME'd, built and running in two days and wouldn't even think twice about it.

[reptileink]

The OP is still here. Check a couple posts back.

 

Missed that one....lol

[Cjax]

Any opinions on the type of monitor I should use? I'm not going for a purist set up and obviously I probably couldn't fit a classic tube monitor anyways. I was thinking the biggest Vizio I could fit in it or something flush mount? It's more square than it is rectangle so I'm not sure yet how that will work out or what I could get in there. As for the body design.... I'm not sure yet what kind of art I will do just yet, but I've considered some kind of vinyl art wrap or maybe some king of grinding or etched art. Way to early to decide that.

[dmckean]

What are the dimensions of the current monitor cutout?

[Cjax]

I'll have to check when I get home. I'm at work right now. I'll post dimensions right before I give it a good power wash. The inside is covered with sticking gunk and lord knows what else.

[Vigo]

I'll have to check when I get home. I'm at work right now. I'll post dimensions right before I give it a good power wash. The inside is covered with sticking gunk and lord knows what else.

If it is a time clock machine, you probably don't want to know. We get those kind of things shipped in our office routinely, and they smell of rancid food and piss.

I am kinda digging the wood accent idea as well, but instead of adding wood trim, I probably consider making a stripe design or something with that faux wood method used to make metal garage doors look wooden.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Throw the biggest 4:3 LCD that you can find in there.  A widescreen LCD would look weird.  You can find cheap deals with free shipping on ArrowDirect's website.

This one is $68.40 but with the coupon code ARROW you get it for $61.56 and FREE SHIPPING.
https://arrowdirect.com/ibm-6736-hc9-22.html

D

[mgb]

If you're gonna one player, I think it'd be nice as a vertical.
Slip in a 21" 4:3 and you're good to go (after reworking the monitor cut out)
Then you can either go with a dedicated 4 way or something like the ServoStik so you can still have 8 way for shmups.

Have you thought about what games are important to you

[DaOld Man]

Nice project. We have several stainless steel control and operator panels at my work.
I have had to cut a hole to add a new button, and trust me, it is not fun cutting into the stainless steel.

[Cjax]

If you're gonna one player, I think it'd be nice as a vertical.
Slip in a 21" 4:3 and you're good to go (after reworking the monitor cut out)
Then you can either go with a dedicated 4 way or something like the ServoStik so you can still have 8 way for shmups.

Have you thought about what games are important to you

Well as far as the games go I was hoping to cram as much in as I can. Pac-man, donkey kong, galaga, space invaders, mortal kombat, street fighter, etc etc. I'm not quite educated really on how all that works or what software to use when it comes to doing that. My uncle is the tech guy of the family and said he planned to set me up with MAME and as many games as I wanted. Was hoping to use this experience to start learning about how all of that works as well for any future set ups I might build. I'm assuming MAME will cover all that?

I'm excited to get home today so I can see what's possible as far as a monitor goes.

[dmckean]

If you're gonna one player, I think it'd be nice as a vertical.
Slip in a 21" 4:3 and you're good to go (after reworking the monitor cut out)
Then you can either go with a dedicated 4 way or something like the ServoStik so you can still have 8 way for shmups.

Have you thought about what games are important to you

Well as far as the games go I was hoping to cram as much in as I can. Pac-man, donkey kong, galaga, space invaders, mortal kombat, street fighter, etc etc. I'm not quite educated really on how all that works or what software to use when it comes to doing that. My uncle is the tech guy of the family and said he planned to set me up with MAME and as many games as I wanted. Was hoping to use this experience to start learning about how all of that works as well for any future set ups I might build. I'm assuming MAME will cover all that?

I'm excited to get home today so I can see what's possible as far as a monitor goes.

Some games like Pac-man, Donkey Kong, Galaga and Space Invaders have a vertical aspect ratio. The monitors in these cabinets were mounted vertically so the screen was taller than it is wide.

Other games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and lots more have a horizontal aspect ratio. The monitors in these cabinets were mounted horizontally like a TV so the screen is wider than it is tall.

mgb was suggesting you mount a monitor vertically and focus this cabinet on playing vertically oriented games. You could install a single joystick and three buttons and still play and hundreds of games.

[Cjax]

Oh ok I got it. That makes a lot of sense then. The older games are what I would really like in it so vertical will probably be the way to go. Could the horizontally ratiod games still be played? It would just affect the image would it not? 

[vwalbridge]

I'm not quite educated really on how all that works or what software to use when it comes to doing that. My uncle is the tech guy of the family and said he planned to set me up with MAME and as many games as I wanted. Was hoping to use this experience to start learning about how all of that works as well for any future set ups I might build. I'm assuming MAME will cover all that?

I'm really trying to give some good advice here so please do not take this harshly:

Stop what you are doing right now and learn MAME and maybe even whatever FE you want to use. THEN start committing to building. I've seen others spend months getting prepared before ever "hammering a nail". You owe it to yourself to get a good understanding of both the hardware (construction) and the software.

Why?

In my opinion, your are going to be better off in the long run because you are going to understand the full marriage between software and hardware that makes a great arcade. If you design the cab and your uncle designs the software, you might have "pieces not fit well later"

This hobby really demands that you understand both hardware and software to really nail it. Unless others disagree, you are really going to thank yourself later having learned both, to understand full cabinet design.

If you run into any issues, how are you going to troubleshoot it? How are you going to know it's a software or hardware issue?

With the exception of art. (I'm all for outsourcing original art.)  I'd rather know every single inner working of my cab. Just makes life easier.

[dmckean]

Horizontal games could still be played, they will just be smaller with black bars at the top and bottom.

[Cjax]

I'm not quite educated really on how all that works or what software to use when it comes to doing that. My uncle is the tech guy of the family and said he planned to set me up with MAME and as many games as I wanted. Was hoping to use this experience to start learning about how all of that works as well for any future set ups I might build. I'm assuming MAME will cover all that?

I'm really trying to give some good advice here so please do not take this harshly:

Stop what you are doing right now and learn MAME and maybe even whatever FE you want to use. THEN start committing to building. I've seen others spend months getting prepared before ever "hammering a nail". You owe it to yourself to get a good understanding of both the hardware (construction) and the software.

Why?

In my opinion, your are going to be better off in the long run because you are going to understand the full marriage between software and hardware that makes a great arcade. If you design the cab and your uncle designs the software, you might have "pieces not fit well later"

This hobby really demands that you understand both hardware and software to really nail it. Unless others disagree, you are really going to thank yourself later having learned both to understand full cabinet design.

If you run into any issues, how are you going to troubleshoot it? How are you going to know it's a software or hardware issue?

With the exception of art. (I'm all for outsourcing original art.)  I'd rather know every single inner working of my cab. Just makes life easier.

I appreciate the advice. I should have been more clear, but I'm nowhere near ready to start cutting and actually working on this. I'm actually trying to do exactly what you just said. Learn about everything I possible can while taking in all of this great advice and suggestions. I'll definitely be getting with him before I start cutting and drilling and before anything is ordered.

[vwalbridge]

I appreciate the advice. I should have been more clear, but I'm nowhere near ready to start cutting and actually working on this. I'm actually trying to do exactly what you just said. Learn about everything I possible can while taking in all of this great advice and suggestions. I'll definitely be getting with him before I start cutting and drilling and before anything is ordered.

 

[stigzler]

+1 what vwal said. Seriously...