über noobs 1st cabinet!

[drewmullen]

**edit** Decided to throw caution to the wind and build a bartop!


Getting my toes wet in the Mame world. Been wanting to do this for like 10 years but never pulled the trigger out of fear because I don't anything about electricity or woodworking. Started out probably as easy as you can go by buying: http://www.amazon.com/Easyget-Joystick-Cabinet-Fighting-Support/dp/B00XHM5JPE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1454907056&sr=8-2&keywords=mame+arcade+kit which im sure is poor quality. Inspiration came from a youtube video:

Hoping this can give me enough confidence to build a full mame cab in the future!

Anyways, if you see that the kit above is missing anything please LMK. I'll be getting MDF from Lowes for the box. Can't decide if i should cut myself or have them...

[Peabo]

That's the Sanwa style button made for metal panels.  You can put them into a wood panel and they'll work fine, but nothing holding them in but friction.  So you'll want a 30mm holesaw/forsner bit to cut the holes for those buttons, the 1 1/8" bit used for Happ style buttons will leave too much play.  The controller will work fine, just note that it's a joypad encoder and not a keyboard encoder.

[drewmullen]

Thank you for the help with bits - im looking to pick some up this week for my drill! I had no idea which to buy

For the controller that basically just means it requires a driver vs keyboard encoders do not, right? Are there other issues i should know about? lag?

I'll post pictures so you can all make fun of it when it looks terrible

[Peabo]

No drivers should be needed, you'll just need to re-map controls for Mame and other emulators. 

[drewmullen]

Pulled an audible last week and decided to build a bar-top cabinet instead of just a controller. Started it this weekend using 3/4" plywood (pine?).

Question: Any advice on mounting my joysticks? I'm nervous about the 3/4"... should I plane the wood down? Should I get another board? Should I use acrylic?

[vwalbridge]

Joystick Mounting Options

Personally I like Polycarbonate CPO. Easy to apply to a smooth surface. Tough as nails. And takes one less step out of cutting lexan and mounting it.

[vwalbridge]

Ignore, weird double post.

[rablack97]

Pulled an audible last week and decided to build a bar-top cabinet instead of just a controller. Started it this weekend using 3/4" plywood (pine?).

Question: Any advice on mounting my joysticks? I'm nervous about the 3/4"... should I plane the wood down? Should I get another board? Should I use acrylic?

Your preference of jstick height is gonna determine which way you go as well as the look.  Do you want a clean look or exposed bolts?

If you want full jstick length your gonna have to top mount, which then will force you to use non adhesive graphic covered with plexi.

If you undermount the stick will be shorter, unless you modify with a longer shaft or rebate the bottom(be careful not to go to far), if you undermount then you can use the polycarbonate vinyl.

The problem you will have with the 3/4 is you really have to undermount and use the polycarbonate vinyl, if you plan on using tmolding, across the front.

If your gonna use tmolding and plexi with top mount, you need to plane the panel down to 5/8 so your plexi with sit flush with your tmolding.

So you need to look at those variables and the materials, the look, and feel that you want, which will dictate how you should proceed.

[drewmullen]

The problem you will have with the 3/4 is you really have to undermount and use the polycarbonate vinyl, if you plan on using tmolding, across the front.

If your gonna use tmolding and plexi with top mount, you need to plane the panel down to 5/8 so your plexi with sit flush with your tmolding.

So you need to look at those variables and the materials, the look, and feel that you want, which will dictate how you should proceed.

That is a great point... I didnt consider that at all. Maybe ill route the bottom a bit, bottom-side mount the joystick, and use PCV...  Thank you, rablack! That was the exact kind of advice I was hoping for

I have no idea what im going to do for graphics yet. I'm not artistic at all lol I figured I would prime this guy and give myself sometime to figure out what to do with the exterior.

[drewmullen]

Made some progress over the past few weeks! Ran into a big annoyance... curious if anyone has experience with joypad interfaces and connecting them to steam.

Since my PC sees my joysticks as a gamepad i tried to map them in steam as such but am unable to submit the controls. Steam wont allow for just a d-pad mapping, it demands the velocity sticks (think right and left analog stick). Anyone have any work arounds for this?