Main > Project Announcements

My 29inch CRT standup cabinet

<< < (2/7) > >>

GIRFT1:
Ive spent some time looking for cabinet designs that are similar to what i wanted to achieve. Eventually I found a silhouette that was close and imported it to Sketchup. The payed trail version was better than the free version as it lacks a fair amount of  functionality but it still gave me an idea for sizes and angles.

GIRFT1:
The final design for the sides changed a fair amount between sketchup and marking the outline up on wood. I kept changing the angles until I was happy. I used various mugs/bowls/kitchen utensils to draw the curves. I went to a local arcade and measured the control panel heights and distance from monitor to controls. I aimed for a 100cm mid CP height. Ive now realised that using a 29inch monitor may have the disadvantage of being slightly too big as the player must be at a minimum distance away from the screen this then begins to dictate other distances/angles and shape of the cabinet.

This image is  fairly close to the actual cutline that was marked up on the wood. I still haven't decided how the CP will sit on the cabinet.

GIRFT1:
Some delay in progress over Christmas. Also had an incident with my new router - the motor housing cracked when trying to remove a stuck router bit, it was reputable make and the company have now repaired the router with minimal fuss. I had bought a 1/4 inch palm router and in retrospect a 1/2 inch plunge router would have been a better buy for this project.

Ive decided on MDF with a black wood effect laminate. After looking at the quality of 18mm mdf in large uk DIY stores I wasn't impressed - edges seem very soft. I therefore went to a kitchen manufacturer and bought some pieces of "deep router MDF" the sheets are heavy and i had originally planned to route in channels for the back/ front and top panels  to slot into the side panels - however im now not convinced this is necessary and ive yet to see a build on this forum using this method. Despite the weight the mdf sheets look very sturdy and imreally pleased with the quality.

Cutting the first side went well i used a circular saw and a jigsaw with a new blade for the curves. I was surprised at how well the jigsaw cut the MDF with care it would be perfectly possible to use only the jigsaw but the circular saw definitely mad the straight cuts easier (and more fun)  :D.

The second side was made by drawing round the first side onto a fresh sheet of MDF and rough cutting (within 5mm) the second side. Then the two pieces were firmly clamped together and a flush cutting router used to create an identical copy. Well almost - I didnt take care which direction i was moving the router (there is clearly a right way and a wrong way) the wrong way can cause the bit to grab the wood and create a divot. Fortunately the T moulding will cover it up.

I havent quite decided how the CP will sit on the cabinet yet so the CP support section will be changed in time.

Standing both sides vertical was a great moment as i could see the shape of the cabinet for the first time.

GIRFT1:
Started to build the base.I think having two recessed wheels at the back would allow me to manoeuvre the cab around the garage more easily and adjust its position in its final resting place. I was planning on two static adjustable feet at the front. The wheels should only add about 1cm to the overall height and allow for some downlighting to be fitted if i decide to.
Ive chosen wheels that many other projects  seem to have used on this forum. - for example Flynns arcade - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,135116.msg1443363.html#msg1443363

During the routing I managed to break the router - probably my fault by using a bit with not enough shank to get the the depth i was after. The collet therefore some how became stuck and the motor housing cracked after attempting to remove the bit.

GIRFT1:
Here is an up date. This project is clearly going to take a long time. Ive completed the base - feels very solid. Wood working is definitely something that you improve with over time. I used a combination of screws / dowels and glue. ive also added some feet at the front , i used some old sofa adjustable feet i found lying around.

In between the woodworking ive bought various bits of coin doors and mechanisms and also an old PC speaker system - Cambridge audio 5.1. Although ive just realised that my pc has an integrated sound card with only one "line out" not sure if this changes anything but i was keen on using the sub-woofer in the base of the cabinet. i will have to connect it all up and check it all functions.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page