Author Topic: My 2nd is on it's way! - Updated Feb 20 06 (Read 13224 times)

allroy1975 · « **on:** March 16, 2004, 12:10:06 am »

Hey, remember my first cab? I'm sure everyone does...

Well, I started another one. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm doing the Ultimate Arcade II plans and just wanted to kind of document my progress. Last time I just threw the whole thing together (okay..that's what I'm doing this time too) but I will hopefully avoid the mistakes I made the first time. I've also decided to split it in half. I know others have done this, but I can't find the threads or remember who did it. So, I figured out my own way of doing it. I appologize if it's the same way others have, but...this is how my Control panel is attached on the first machine. I'm not claiming it's origianal, but I didn't steal it.

This one is going to go in our living room, so it's gotta look nicer. I got some Birch Plywood, and I think it's gonna looks SWEET!

Here are some pics.

This is just the Base, obviously...I haven't totally figured out how I'm going to make this beast accessable on the inside. I'll probably put a door on the bottom back like I did on the first cab. Not sure yet because of the way the top half comes down.

Okay, here's what I did, I bolted the monitor Shelf to a couple 2x6s using carriage bolts and huge Wing Nuts (half inch stuff...probably overkill, but it's easy to grab on to). On the top of the Monitor Shelf I cut 2x2 and mounted it to the shelf so I could mount the sides on. Once I get the rest of the top built it should come off and be just fine on its own. I do everything with 2x2s on the inside so there's nothing showing on the outside. I just like that clean look.

Yep, thats pretty much all I have done so far. it's really starting to take shape though. I'm excited about having a Keyboard tray on this one. Seems to me that it's going to give me a lot of options. Also it'll have a TV instead of a Computer monitor and I'll have some hacked SNES controllers in the drawer to play other Emulators for NES and SNES and Genesis and stuff like that.

Well, what do you guys think?

<Duck and Cover>

Allroy

Ghoward · « **Reply #1 on:** March 16, 2004, 01:32:25 pm »

Cool looking cab, are you going to stain or paint it?

One thing I have found when buying birch plywood is to go though the whole pile of wood they have at the store and try to pick out the best sheets. All Birch plywood sheets are not made equal!

I always try to find sheets with the same color and also sheets that have not been patched together from more than one piece of wood.

I noticed on the last photo you have the bottom left hand side of your cab that sheet of plywood is that way and for $42 a sheet it

allroy1975 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 16, 2004, 02:13:23 pm »

yeah, I should have said that. I'm going to stain it. and the wood I'm using is some cheap pine/birch mix. So, it was only $30 a sheet. I think it's going to be very cool..but there's still plenty left for me to mess up.
I'm hoping once it's stained and all it won't look too bad, but I noticed that too.

Because the first cab was 4 player this one will just be 2 with no trackball etc. It will be a much cleaner cab. I can't decide if I should put a coin door in it or not. Like I said it's going in the living room..it's supposed to have a furniture look to it...We'll see how it turns out.

I'm excited about this design cuz the first one was just the plain LuSid Plans. They're great plans but this one just looks cooler.

Thanks for commenting though, I was starting to wonder if everyone just thought it was crap and so they weren't saying anything.

Allroy

Ghoward · « **Reply #3 on:** March 16, 2004, 03:32:51 pm »

Quote from: allroy1975 on March 16, 2004, 02:13:23 pm

I can't decide if I should put a coin door in it or not. Like I said it's going in the living room..it's supposed to have a furniture look to it...We'll see how it turns out.

Both cabs that I have built are Birch and the one I still have lives in my living room.

I did put a coin door on it, I think it looks better with one myself.

Gary

allroy1975 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 16, 2004, 03:43:15 pm »

wow, that looks really nice. What's with the Handle there? On mine that piece is already screwed on. I was going to put the drawer right above that.

What kind of video card are you using if you don't mind my asking? The Search feature on the message board isn't cooperating with me lately. I just want to know what's a good video card for going in with S-Vid. I have 2 cards and all S-Video out of video cards are definatly not the same.
I can't find the other people who made the cab so it'll split in half either... any idea?

Allroy

Ghoward · « **Reply #5 on:** March 16, 2004, 04:05:11 pm »

The handle is for the keyboard draw.

As for a video card mine is acrade VGA with a WG9200 as the monitor so I'm not much help there when it comes to s-video.

As for 2 part cabs I know of one, take a look at snaaakes "Mamecast" cab is very very cool.

http://www.freewebs.com/snaaake/M2.htm

Gary

MiKman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 16, 2004, 08:57:56 pm »

I also built the UAII cabinet, and modified it so I could split the top from the bottom in case I ever have to move it, looks like you had much the same idea that I had with respect to puting it together.

I added an extra brace in the back to tie the lower and uppe half together, and as you can see the monitor shelf is attached to the upper half and bolted to the lower half through 2 2X4's

MiKman · « **Reply #7 on:** March 16, 2004, 09:01:40 pm »

Here is the lower half showing the 2 2X4's. Looks pretty much like what you did. The brace at the back (shown above) really stiffened if up, I have a large shelf under that brace above where the motherboard, power supply etc. sit. Anyhow I can just undo about 8 bolts and it comes apart into 3 pieces (upper, lower, control panel) pretty sweet if I ever need to move :-) have fun with yours.

CitznFish · « **Reply #8 on:** March 16, 2004, 09:10:04 pm »

if you can find "Landshark's Cab" you'll see a top notch example of a split cab.

allroy1975 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 19, 2004, 12:23:29 am »

well, it took longer than it should have and i'm not terribly thrilled with the results, but I got the speaker panel up. I routed some .5 inch lines this time. On the first cab I drilled holes and then jigsawed lines between them creating an oval, this time I just used a router and did it. unfortunatly I must not be good enough with a router yet and I still ended up with a few that look like 2 holes with a line cut in the middle. Oh well...I'll get better and I don't think it'll be too noticable.

Here's a couple pics of what the cab looks like now:

Allroy

allroy1975 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2004, 03:59:49 pm »

Okay, got some more done.

I have the whole top half together. Evertyhing is pretty good there, but I need to get to work on a Marquee. I got a door on the bottom half.

Here's pics:

It Seems like a good thing to me that I can hold the top half on my own. I don't know why..but it does.

Yep, the last time I cut the board skinnier so that there was room for the hinges. This time i Routed out space for the Hinges. FUN! Actually it wasn't but I think it looks a lot better.

Here's a pic of the sloppy routing I did. Hey, it works and it won't be visible...except to you guys in these pictures. hehehe...

Allroy

hulkster · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2004, 09:05:51 pm »

nice work man. can you take a pic of the back of your cab with the door closed? im going to get some hinges for a door on mine as well but am worried about the gaps showing. but i see that you used your router to route out the back part where the hinges are. so can you take a pic of the back of it??

allroy1975 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2004, 09:27:05 pm »

Just for you Hulkster!

and in case you're wondering, I used something like this to latch it on the inside.

It's just a little thing that wedges between 2 ball bearings that pinch it. I got it at rockler today while I was getting some Leg Levelers and some hardware for my keyboard drawer.

Allroy

hulkster · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2004, 10:53:57 pm »

cool thanks for the pics! im building a showcase cab, and the door will be on the back part of my control panel pedestal, so it will be a little more visible. im debating on whether or not i should use the hinges like you have, or go with a more concealed option. i mean, i wont be getting into that part of the showcase cab very much, since it will only house the coin door.

Minwah · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2004, 02:26:21 pm »

Quote from: allroy1975 on March 21, 2004, 03:59:49 pm

Here's a pic of the sloppy routing I did. Hey, it works and it won't be visible...except to you guys in these pictures. hehehe...

Hey don't worry, here's one of my early routing jobs! (not actually visible, it has a power connector screwed on and this is the inside)

Edit Forgot to say good job so far

hyiu · « **Reply #15 on:** March 23, 2004, 03:33:03 pm »

for the hinges... if you have some budget...
you can consider the followings...

This hinge is not see-able from the outside, and no need to mortise a hole on the inside... and its flush...
I'm using a pair of this for the front door....

http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?offerings_id=5270&objectgroup_id=463&catid=82

also.. they have quite a lot of different kind of hinges....

http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?offerings_id=251&objectgroup_id=345&catid=21

I use this kind so that I don't need to attach another piece of wood to the wood.... (hmmm.... I hope you understand what I mean....)

ok... I'm not done with my cab yet.... (still not done with CP...)
but I can take a few more pics and let you see what I mean if you want....

allroy1975 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 23, 2004, 04:02:24 pm »

I know what you mean...i put those 2x2s on the back of my door. Right? I love doing everyting from the inside with 2x2s. It's pretty. Now, if I could just learn to cut straight.

Allroy

Mimsy · « **Reply #17 on:** March 24, 2004, 11:31:29 pm »

I like this one a lot.

That TV looks awfully familar to me, as I use an Exact clone of that 23" Zenith as my main TV!

-Mimsy

Ghoward · « **Reply #18 on:** April 14, 2004, 11:22:44 am »

Any updates on this project yet?

Gary

allroy1975 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 14, 2004, 02:05:20 pm »

Actually, I'm working (slowly) on the drawer. I would like there to be like 8 USB ports and a Printer port (for hacked SNES controllers) available at the back of the drawer. I'm still figuring out a way to make it look nice back there.

The idea is that the keyboard drawer will be more of a DRAWER than just a keyboard tray. I'd like to keep a bunch of Nintendo controllers and maybe some USB Nintendo 64 style Joysticks in there, so they're easily accessable to play N64 games, or PC games, etc.

I also need to pick a stain and just go with it.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned but I sold the idea to the girlfriend by saying that it'd be the Family arcade and we'd get a new marquee every year with like..a family picture taken at a differnt histoic place in St. Louis. So, maybe the soon to be destroyed Bush Stadium or the Arch...stuff like that. So, I've got it all planned out, I just need to get off my --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules-- and start doing it.

thanks for asking..knowing that someone wants to know if I'm working on it might just be the kick in the pants I need!

Allroy

Ghoward · « **Reply #20 on:** April 14, 2004, 05:44:20 pm »

Hey no problem I

allroy1975 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 22, 2004, 01:03:18 am »

GEEEEEZ! What happened to all that free time I had? or thought I had.
I did get some time to stain SOME of the cabinet recently..it's not much, but it's progress. Check it out.

I wish that cheap birch plywood I bought had a better grain. But there's always next time!!!!

It's looking REALLY good though and it will look great in the room I'm putting it in. the bright light of the flash really brings out some of the uglyness in the wood, but Hopefully it won't look TOO Bad. Anyway, I think it's looking good, and like everyone always says..as long as I like it, it's cool.

Allroy

hunky_artist · « **Reply #22 on:** June 22, 2004, 08:04:08 am »

how smooth is the finish you get on plywood when you stain it?

I'm debating whether to go for that, or to get sheets of laminate (not as easy to find in the UK)

this was the ideal looking finish i was wanting, but ill have to see how close i can get

allroy1975 · « **Reply #23 on:** June 22, 2004, 10:08:03 pm »

Quote from: hunky_artist on June 22, 2004, 08:04:08 am

how smooth is the finish you get on plywood when you stain it?

I'm debating whether to go for that, or to get sheets of laminate (not as easy to find in the UK)

this was the ideal looking finish i was wanting, but ill have to see how close i can get

The wood was VERY smooth to begin with. I sanded it a little bit before I stained it. A Very little bit. So it's obviously still pretty smooth. Once I'm done with the stain on the whole cabinet I'm going to throw a couple coats of polyurethane at it so it should give it a nice protected smooth finish.

That's all I have to say about that.

Allroy

hunky_artist · « **Reply #24 on:** June 23, 2004, 06:15:00 am »

what colour stain did you use? sorry for the questions but I'm about to build mine and I was initially after laminate, but that's almost impossible to find here in the UK so if I can get the darkwood finish I'm after with ply and stain then I'll be happy

Ghoward · « **Reply #25 on:** June 23, 2004, 11:19:10 am »

Nice to see an update I was getting close to posting here again myself to find out how things were going.

Gary

subcriminal · « **Reply #26 on:** June 24, 2004, 01:29:36 pm »

Quote from: hunky_artist on June 22, 2004, 08:04:08 am

how smooth is the finish you get on plywood when you stain it?

I'm debating whether to go for that, or to get sheets of laminate (not as easy to find in the UK)

this was the ideal looking finish i was wanting, but ill have to see how close i can get

I'm in the UK. I got a couple of sheets of 18mm spruce ply from wickes for about

allroy1975 · « **Reply #27 on:** June 25, 2004, 12:40:04 am »

Quote from: hunky_artist on June 23, 2004, 06:15:00 am

what colour stain did you use? sorry for the questions but I'm about to build mine and I was initially after laminate, but that's almost impossible to find here in the UK so if I can get the darkwood finish I'm after with ply and stain then I'll be happy

It's a Minwax stain called Golden Oak 210B.

I tested with some different colors on extra wood and then put them all in the room where the cabinet will go and decided I liked this one the best.

Allroy

SNAAAKE · « **Reply #28 on:** June 25, 2004, 01:52:24 am »

Does stain form some sort of textures or patterns ?
Or it depends on how the wood looks ?

Nice cabs btw

hunky_artist · « **Reply #29 on:** June 25, 2004, 08:47:33 am »

thanks for the information guys!

Ghoward · « **Reply #30 on:** June 25, 2004, 08:56:25 am »

Quote from: SNAAAKE on June 25, 2004, 01:52:24 am

Does stain form some sort of textures or patterns ?
Or it depends on how the wood looks ?

Nice cabs btw

It's really down to the wood you buy, it's best to go though the whole pile of wood at the store and find the best boards you can that match each other the best.

Gary

allroy1975 · « **Reply #31 on:** June 25, 2004, 10:07:16 am »

Quote

It's really down to the wood you buy, it's best to go though the whole pile of wood at the store and find the best boards you can that match each other the best.

yeah, that's where I went wrong, it was all nice smooth wood so I just grabbed a few sheets. $:-\$

Allroy

jdjuggler · « **Reply #32 on:** July 23, 2004, 09:52:48 am »

Those of you who have built the UAII cabinet.... I was wondering about the size of the keyboard drawer. The height appears to be oversized. What I'm wondering is if I can somehow decrease the profile (the front vertical piece).
Why you ask? I'm fairly tall and I'd like to sit on a stool. I'm thinking my knees will hit the front of the keyboard drawer while sitting.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
JD

Tilzs · « **Reply #33 on:** July 23, 2004, 10:42:47 am »

I don't know if you want to hear this at this point or not but you know that the birch plywood that you got is most likely birch/maple. One face is birch and one face is maple. If you look at each side you'll notice that they are infact different woods.

Did you get the polyshades minwax stain? If not you might want go over one last time with a coat of poly, at the very least the CP should have poly on it if you are leaving it wood and not covering it.

allroy1975 · « **Reply #34 on:** July 23, 2004, 01:33:21 pm »

jdjuggler: I'll take a picture of a drawer that's how I'm going to make mine. It will be low, but hopefully not too bad. Get a short stool

Tilzs: I figured out that each side is different and one side looks like crap. It's too late to do anything about it now though. I've got it all stained and I'm probably going to Polyurithane it this weekend. I think/hope that'll make it look better. It looks okay when it's wet with stain, and hopefully it'll give it some of that look permanantly.

The CP will be smothered in that Epoxy stuff that you mix up to make a thick cover on it. I'd like to do something fancy with quarters on it...put them in the clear stuff make them look like they're floating there or something...I dunno.

Allroy

Ghoward · « **Reply #35 on:** July 23, 2004, 04:33:38 pm »

Quote from: allroy1975 on July 23, 2004, 01:33:21 pm

Tilzs: I figured out that each side is different and one side looks like crap. It's too late to do anything about it now though. I've got it all stained and I'm probably going to Polyurithane it this weekend. I think/hope that'll make it look better. It looks okay when it's wet with stain, and hopefully it'll give it some of that look permanantly.

Allroy

I don't think it's too late why not replace the one side panel with a new one. The rest of it looks great and the back panels don't matter. I know it would be a pain but it would be worth the effort.

Gary

walls83 · « **Reply #36 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:12:10 pm »

Im doing the epoxy on my bar top. with all kinds of stuff under there.

bwillis614 · « **Reply #37 on:** August 06, 2004, 04:01:57 pm »

I followed the same plans and built mine of cheap oak plywood

http://www.slam-tilt.com/pinball/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album13&page=3

Ghoward · « **Reply #38 on:** August 08, 2004, 10:05:33 pm »

Allroy, any more updates on your cab for us yet? I'm looking forward to seeing the finished results.

Gary

allroy1975 · « **Reply #39 on:** August 09, 2004, 12:35:00 am »

bah, I've been so disappointed with how the stained grain looks that I haven't done much but move it into my garage and look at it like I hate it every time I see it.

I need to poly it and then just start working on the CP.

It could be finished in a week if I wasn't so pissed at it.

I'll try to finish her up just for you thouhg.

Allroy


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