Very pissed, I need to vent

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

Sorry to bother you guys with my troubles, but I gotta get this off my chest.  So I figure, what better place?

A couple weeks ago, I became the proud owner of a 4 player GI Joe cab.  Worked well, barely noticeable screen burn, needs a couple coin door lights, some bondo here, some pain there.... no big issues.

When I went to pick it up, and load it in my truck it took a beating.  Skid marks were left on the driveway from the bottom of the cab, the sides of the cabinet got really chewed up from sliding in and out of the truck.  Plus there was this metal riing for bungee cords right in the middle of the bed that I should have taped up, but I didn't think about that until later.  That did  a real number on my side art.  Plus we had to rotate the cab, so 3 sides of it  were damaged by this thing.

Its been sitting in my parents garage for a week or 2 (I'm a college student, and theres no way I'm going through the pain in the ass to move it to and from school every year).  Today my uncle comes over to help me move the thing up in my room.  As luck would have it, it wont fit up the staircase on a handcart.  The only way in hell to fit it around the turns is to have this thing vertical, not angled, and we didn't have the manpower to do deadlift the sucker.  Even if I had 5 guys, I dont think we'd be able to fit the guys around the machine on the stairway.

So machine has taken a second beating, only to return to the garage.  Putting in the basement is even harder than getting it up the stairs, so now my cab is destined to become a domain for spiders and mice.  PLUS, it was snowing outside, and the CP was off the cabinet, so it got some snow it in, which melted quickly, and I coulddn't reach inside to dry it.  I'm guessing I'll only see a few drops of water marks here and there on the indside of my cab... I'm hoping there isn't any other damage.  (From the water or the moving)  On top of that, my brother is just gonna hit the damn thing every time he goes in and out with his ATV, and he'll get mud all over it.

I've wanted a MAME cab for 3 years, and now I'm stuck with one thats dested to get abused just from sitting in a corner

-Bill

[mr.Curmudgeon]

 

This sort of story reminds me exactly why I'm building a cabinet that comes apart into three pieces.

[TOK]

Wow, that stinks. I had to take trim off my door to get my Bally cab into it's current room. It was a real pain, and I couldn't imagine trying to get it up steps.

Sounds like maybe you need to build a cabaret or bartop! Maybe scale back to two player.

[Sephroth57]

sounds like 4 player is not an option for you. I have my huge gauntlet machine in the garage which half of it is kind of like my "game room". but i have no idea how i would ever fit that into my house

[Jabba]

"and we didn't have the manpower to do deadlift the sucker"

I hear you...I bought two at the same time. I had to lug them both up from a basement, into a van, and then had to lug them into a basement on the other end. They were both extremely heavy! I never knew wood + monitor + power supply could be soooooo heavy. I was sore for a week after that...

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

Sounds like maybe you need to build a cabaret or bartop! Maybe scale back to two player.

That's what I'm figuring.  I'll keep the 4 player in the garage (so that the mice and spiders can have a field day with it  ), and bring a cocktail (which i believe is the same thing as a bartop) up into my bedroom.

I wish I had the tools/expertise to do the woodwork.   Unfortunately, I know that if I try to start from scrach, It will never be perfect, and that will drive me nuts for the life of the cab. 

How much lighter/more manuverable/ smaller (in terms of space in a room) is a cocktail/bartop/cabaret in relation to my current beast of an arcade machine?  (which is now begging to be repainted after the events of today)?

Is there enough room to cram a PC in that sucker?  or will i need to mount the mobo to a piece of wood.  I dont mind keeping the case external from the cabinet.

I'm honestly suprized I didn't total my machine today.  I was almost positive I jostled something in the CRT that would have ruined it.

[Beeeph]

I wish I had the tools/expertise to do the woodwork.

[RayB]

The average cocktail table, with monitor in it is still damn heavy, but 2 people can carry it up/down stairs.

[TOK]

moonpatrol, a bartop is a little different than a cocktail. Think of a slightly scaled down standup machine sawed off a few inches below the control panel. The top half can sit on a table or bar. I prefer this style to cocktails just because they have a more "arcadey" feel to them.

[Chris]

And cocktails generally flip the screen between player 1 and player 2, who sit at opposite ends.

I have a standard 23" wide Konami cabinet, and even empty that thing weighs a ton... bring it into my house, my wife and I struggled to get it up the front steps... she got tired and her end slipped, making me fall on the steps and the cabinet fall on my leg... OUCH!  It took every ounce of strength I had to keep the damn cabinet from fallnig over the sides of the steps... even now, if I ever have to move the cab more than a few feet, I take the monitor out first.

--Chris

[Stingray]

This thread makes me happy I live in a single story dwelling.

-S

[fredster]

I hate big games.  That reminds me of my adventures with a 6 player Xmen machine, and even the 4 player.

That's why they are so cheap, it's hard to move them around.

I suggest you do what I did, dis-assemble it and try and move it that way.

Hey, you gotta learn to do it sometime.

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

6 player xmen?  I thought I had it bad with my cab! Those suckers are tanks.

I definately wanna keep my GI Joe machine.  I could probably get it up the stairs if I had 4 or 5 guys, the problem is, I can't fit all those ppl around the cab up the stairs.  A cocktail would be a little more manuverable, i could probably get 2 guys on the back, and 2 up the front.

As for a bartop...  Those look really cool, but I dont have any free desk space for one. 

So... how about all you guys drive to upstate NJ and we haul my GI Joe up the stairs? ... and while you're at it, bring all your tools, and we'll whip up a cocktail cab!  I have my dad's old TV that I'm dying to gut and convert into an arcade monitor.  (just kidding of course)

My biggest concern is that IF i was to find a way to get it upstairs, when it came time to repaint the thing, I could never get it outside.  It does need to be repainted and re sidearted (mostly because of all the things I hit while moving it)  And I definately wanna put the painting off until after I get it fully functional as a MAME cab.  Making it look pretty is not priority right now.

[darkmavis]

if you want it up there, do what i did, get a piano movers (local music store will know one) to do it for you. i used to work in a music store and those suckers can deadlift a cab like that no prob (prolly only take 2)  theyll have no problem..  these guys move iron framed pianos around for fun!

[Shape D.]

Floyd??? 

[darkmavis]

Floyd??? 

eh?? am i missing something, fill me in

[missioncontrol]

Best solution ever:

If you cannot move your cab to the bedroom....move your bedroom to the cab.

 

[Scott84]

Good Luck with that.

How much does it weigh?

[Will]

I have a clone of his cab and it is freaking heavy.I luckily own a one story house so no stairs but putting casters on really helped.Dont give up and dings and bumps can be fixed.I replaced most of the bottom of cabinet due to it being dragged by last owner.Just by a 12 pack and invite all your friends over for a cabinet moving party.Why not clean out the spiders and bugs and make your garage the game room seems alot easier than going up stairs with a 4 player konami cabinet.
p.s. how can someone so young have such love for moon patrol??Seems a little before your time?

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

p.s. how can someone so young have such love for moon patrol?? Seems a little before your time?

That's an excellent question =).  I'm 19 years old (born in 1985).  My father was huge fan of arcade games such as Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Jungle Hunt, Tank 8, etc.  So, he bought a Commodore 64 to play the games at home.  (Except Tank 8, which MAME doesn't even emulate.  I'm dying to give that game a shot.)  The C64 sat in a box for a few years.  But, when I was old enough to really start playing video games (the early 90s), we got a new house, and he set up the C64 in the living room.  I've been hooked ever since.

Yes, I later owned a Super Nintendo.  But, I was the kid who was pissed when N64 came out.  (I was in 6th grade I believe.)  I just hated those crappy, unrealisitc polygons.  Don't even get my started on the controllers.  I eventually owned a Playstation and now a PS II, but I love my Commodore.  There's acutally a project to use your PC as a huge hard drive for it.  You can download all the old games, and play them right off your C64.

My roomates are all networked, and spend hours playing Doom 3, Homeworld, etc. againste each other.  Meanwhile I'm on my PC busting out MoonPatrol and Dig Dug on MAME.  They just can't understand why I "waste my time" on 8 and 16 bit games.  It's all ancient to them.  Yes I'm a youngin, but I know my roots.  =)

-Bill

[Gunstar Hero]

Recognize!! 

[Will]

You had me at c64 in the living room  Thats cool,and just tell your roomates that the reason you play these old games is real simple
"gameplay".I play them all,consoles,pc games,and nostalgia gaming.

[_Iz-]

why don't you take the monitor and power supply out of it, then move it?

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

Is the monitor what's really making it weigh a ton?  I dont have the keys, so I can't get to the back of the cabinet.  I do have access to the insides via the disconnected control panel.  I'm probably gonna hafta drill out the locks and buy new ones.

How easy is it to pull out the monitor and not get electrocuted?  How about reinstalling the monitor?

-Bill

P.S.  I smell a C64 to arcade project coming about, don't you?  =)  Has anyone else attempted this, or will I be breaking new ground?

[Rocky]

I usually take the stuff out of my games before I haul them inside.

19" monitors weigh like 50-80 pounds. If it's a 25", you'll need help just getting the monitor out. Usually they unbolt and come out the front or back.

Control Panels weigh usually 10-20 pounds, more for a 4 player.

You'll need to get it open some way.

For all my machines, I've only needed one friend to help me move them... once their empty

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

Is it on rails so I can slide it out?  I wont move take out the CRT if its gonna be a pain in the ass to hold in the air while bolting 

What about zapping myself?

Will it get easily damaged?

Bill

[darkmavis]

What about zapping myself?
easy to do, keep you hands out of the back of it!!! be carefull!!  You could discharge it before moving it

Will it get easily damaged?
if you drop it.. snap any of the boards or bend any of the capacitors..  its east to move it, i will need 2 and as long as ur carefull ull be cool. .

[Will]

First off drill the lock out so you can get in back.To get that monitor out of your cabinet you will need to unbolt it.You will need a 12 inch socket extension to reach the 4 bolts.If you look at monitor it is actually sitting on a shelf with a lip and the monitor has its own board that sits on the shelf.The bolts are on the outside of the frame.What I did was I made handles that bolt to front side mounts and after removing bolts you can just pull it through the front.You will need to unplug the video wiring if its still attached to pcb board and remove the power plug.

[moonpatrol 4 lyfe]

it sounds almost too easy.... theres gotta be something hard 

either in the discharge, the uninstall, or the reinstall

monitor easy to drop?  easy to damage while its lying around out of the case?

Bill

[Will]

It is to easy if you have the socket extension and handles made on the front.You don't need to discharge the monitor if you do it my way.It is easy to damage if you try bring it out the backside.Here is a link to a pic of handles.
http://www.dave-gallagher.net/arcade/porn/page14.htm
I saw this decided this was worth it,went to home depot bought two of the same shaped handle(just the handle.Than I mounted the handles to some scrap wood and than drilled out two holes for bolts at the correct spots and bang I had handles.Don't be so fearful of getting zapped by your monitor.Just don't grab the red wire attached to back of tube,although not recommended I tweak my monitor settings when it is on I just go about it carefully and I have yet to get zapped.Your pretty lucky to have me around,I know your cabinet like the palm of my hand.