Classic Arcade Cocktail Cabinet (render)

[ericball]

No MDF sawdust yet, just some designing.  I rendered this using POV-Ray


The top will be 1" plywood since I'm suspending a 20" TV tube from it.  I have 2x4s in the corners to take the weight off the MDF sides and the base is also made of 2x4 on edge.  I have gone with a Doc- style modular control panel for maximum flexibility.

So, what do people think?

Also, does anyone have suggestions on places to host MAME-cab project diaries?

(updated picture June 3rd - smaller CPs & added 3" trackball & Vortex spinner)
(updated picture July 8th, see below)

[Blakey]

Looking good so far, my only criticism would be that your control panels look a little boxy. A bit of slope and curve would make it look really slick. The modular controls are nice, how do you plan to connect them quickly and easily?

[DaveMMR]

That's an interesting little transformer you have there.    I like it, though... I dunno... the controls seems a little to deep for a cocktail.   But I like the modular set-up and it's definately a good plan - go with it.

[ericball]

Looking good so far, my only criticism would be that your control panels look a little boxy. A bit of slope and curve would make it look really slick. The modular controls are nice, how do you plan to connect them quickly and easily?

Yes the CPs are boxy.  Although I have a router, I don't have any experience using it.  But I probably could round the front edge and make the sides match.  Putting the CP at an angle would make drilling the dowel holes much more difficult.

The modular concept follows http://www.beersmith.com/mame/controls.htm and I'm hoping to be able to use RJ45 connectors as well.

[Doc-]

Glad to see someone else building a modular panel - and on a cocktail as well!

You could still angle the panels if you like - mine is angled about 13 degrees.   I managed to set the back rail at the same angle to make the holes vertical.  Note that if your rail is set at the same angle at the panels, you can still drill the holes vertically.

For the front rail, you can either install an angled rail right behind the front edge (keeps the holes vertical - which I recommend) or drill the holes at a slight angle to compensate for the control panel angle (which is what I did).  Either will work.  The only reason I did not put and angled front rail in behind the front control edge was that I already had two pinball flipper buttons installed in the side that would have interfered.  You should not have this problem.

To round the front edge of the panels - I just bought some 1/4 round 1/2" molding from home depot and nailed it on with some small finishing nails.  That avoids the need for a router.

Looks like a great design - you will have to let us know how it turns out!

Doc-

[ericball]

I dunno... the controls seems a little too deep for a cocktail.

Agreed, the CPs were sized to provide 8" front to back interior space, but it looks like I can fit a 3" trackball into less than that.  I've rescaled to 6" and it looks a bit better.  (I'll update the image after I get some other reshaping done.)

[ericball]

Glad to see someone else building a modular panel - and on a cocktail as well!

You could still angle the panels if you like - mine is angled about 13 degrees.   I managed to set the back rail at the same angle to make the holes vertical.  Note that if your rail is set at the same angle at the panels, you can still drill the holes vertically.

For the front rail, you can either install an angled rail right behind the front edge (keeps the holes vertical - which I recommend) or drill the holes at a slight angle to compensate for the control panel angle (which is what I did).  Either will work.  The only reason I did not put and angled front rail in behind the front control edge was that I already had two pinball flipper buttons installed in the side that would have interfered.  You should not have this problem.

To round the front edge of the panels - I just bought some 1/4 round 1/2" molding from home depot and nailed it on with some small finishing nails.  That avoids the need for a router.

Looks like a great design - you will have to let us know how it turns out!

The cocktail format just made sense to me.  It meant that I could play both vertical and horizontal games fullscreen.  Plus it has a higher wife acceptance factor.  The modular control panels meant I wouldn't be tied down to a single set of controls.  Your modular control design is easy to use, within my build skills, and looked good to boot!

I think I'll stick with the flat CPs; though, hmmm, maybe angle the whole thing...  Have to think about it.

It's looking like I will need to make friends with my router; I'm thinking of rounding off many of the CP corners.

Big garage sale this weekend, then the basement will have some empty space to work in.  I'm thinking of just working on the basic cabinet (no CPs) first and see how that goes.

[Bumblebounces]

The cocktail format just made sense to me.  It meant that I could play both vertical and horizontal games fullscreen.  Plus it has a higher wife acceptance factor.

LOL!  Isn't it amazing how we have to rationalize and explain how these things make our lives better to our better halves?  Keep fighting the good fight!  It's worth it!

Bumble

[ericball]

I updated the render with smaller (front to back) CPs.  I need to come up with a better texture for the MDF.  I may also try to round off some of the edges and corners on the CP in the actual cabinet.

One benefit of doing the render - I got a scare when I rendered the cabinet with the top closed, but the joystick up.  From that angle it looked like the joystick would bump into the top when it was lifted out.  A quick readjustment of the camera angle showed that it is close, but not touching.  (Hmm, just checked again, it's closer than I thought.  I might want to move it back a touch.)

[Doc-]

Looking good - I see you added the extra front rail to make the drilling easier.  

One minor concern if you are going down to a 6" depth -

Make sure you have enough space for your trackball to rotate into place.  I have a Betson-Imperial trackball in a big case (nearly 6x6") that hangs more than 2" below the top surface.  If you mount it too close to the front rail, the bottom-front edge of the case actually won't clear the rail when you lift the front lip up.  I ended up doing the math and setting the trackball back a bit from the front rail.

Another item to consider with the 6" depth is the space taken up by the latches.  For joysticks you really do need some kind of latch to secure the vertical movement.  I went with roller style cabinet latches because they provide enough resistance but still allow you to pop the panels with no tools.  These take at least 1/2" behind the front rail (you can get exact measurements - just buy a few from the hardware store).

I'm guessing you will need something like 7" between the rails to account for the 3" trackball and roller latches.

Doc-

[Tilzs]

Haveing a cocktail myself, you might want to ask yourself what is more important.

1. A full size trackball for the arcade experience
2. The smallest trackball I can find so I can minimize the size of my cp.

I thought as a kid and still think that cocktails are more about functionaly of the suroundings than about giving the player the best and easiest interface to the game. You can do whatever, it's your machine but I think if you are going with a cocktail you'll never be able to fit a trackball in that doesn't feel cramped. Even if you do, the control panel is going to look out of place.

Prove me wrong though.

[ericball]

Looking good - I see you added the extra front rail to make the drilling easier.  

Actually, I just moved the front panel back 1/4".  I realized I didn't have any way to push the panels up.  Ooops.

Make sure you have enough space for your trackball to rotate into place.  I have a Betson-Imperial trackball in a big case (nearly 6x6") that hangs more than 2" below the top surface.  If you mount it too close to the front rail, the bottom-front edge of the case actually won't clear the rail when you lift the front lip up.  I ended up doing the math and setting the trackball back a bit from the front rail.

Another item to consider with the 6" depth is the space taken up by the latches.  For joysticks you really do need some kind of latch to secure the vertical movement.  I went with roller style cabinet latches because they provide enough resistance but still allow you to pop the panels with no tools.  These take at least 1/2" behind the front rail (you can get exact measurements - just buy a few from the hardware store).

Doh!  Thanks for pointing that out.  I'm sure you're correct.  Arghh.  Back to the drawing board....

[ericball]

design updates:

• model now has the select(green), pause(yellow), exit(red), P1/2 (white), coin (purple) buttons
• now using a 2 1/4" trackball so I can stay with 6" CP interior depth, total depth now 8 1/2"
• also moved to fixed 6" panels (though 3" is an option)
• using rare earth magnets to both position and hold down the panels (instead of dowels)
  
• main cabinet, top (2 layers), and CP panels are made from maple clad plywood
• mitred corners on the main cabinet (angled cut with circular saw)
• CP sides and fronts are maple hardwood (inside rail is pine)
• black t-molding on front of CP panels & around cabinet top

I'm fairly happy with the design, though I need to de-case the TV so I can double check spacing.  I've also totaled up my wish-list and it comes to C$500+, which the CFO is balking at.  So I might have to postpone the trackball & spinner until later and go with microswitch buttons instead of leafs for the CP panels.

[whammoed]

Magnets around a CRT monitor (tv).  Are you worried about color purity with these at all?

[ericball]

Magnets around a CRT monitor (tv).  Are you worried about color purity with these at all?

Good question.  But I'm using very small 3/8" x 1/10" magnets.  The poles face up & down, so the CRT is edge on to the strongest fields.  And the CRT is over 8" away from the magnet, or over 20 times the size of the magnet.  Thus the magnetic field at the CRT is about 1/10,000th the strength it is next to the magnet; so it shouldn't be any more than the Earth's magnetic field.

But the two magnets should hold the panels down with about 10lbs of force!

See http://dansdata.com/magnets.htm for more about rare earth magnets and magnetism.

[Ghoward]

Looks good so far can't wait to see the finished results.

Gary