Cocktail: Knights of the Arcade Table [IT WORKS!! (8.17.06)]

[javeryh]

Hello everyone.  I finally started construction on my first cabinet.  It's a cocktail style cabinet with a third control panel, a blue stain and black t-molding.  The artwork is going to be a Star Wars theme - Jedi Knights to be specific and yes I'm a huge geek.  I used an Arcade Depot kit and stained it myself.  The cabinet is almost complete but there are still a few major construction related things that I need to do like install the control panels, attach the top/access door and drill some large holes in the sides for the speakers and the fans.

I have an architecture background but this is the first thing I've ever actually built.  I think it is coming out pretty good so far.  I already have a few ideas on how to make the next one even better. 

Pictures and information about construction can be found here: 

http://knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com/ 

The pictures make it look like I just painted it blue but I assure you the stain does look rather nice and you can definitely see the grain of the wood. 

Any comments/feedback would be great!!!

[currygoat11]

Looking very nice!   It appears you're an accomplished carpenter with real tools.  I did a cocktail - ordered the unassembled kit from arcadedepot. See http://home.comcast.net/~currygoat55.  I will keep an eye on your website for sure.

[D5A1AC]

It's looking really nice so far! Congrats on getting the glassy finish - that is not an easy task for me What size monitor are you putting in there? By the looks of the cocktail lid you'll have a decent sized TV in there!

[javeryh]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

[ChadTower]

I'm not a fan of using existing themes like this, but I see the potential for it to be cool.  Construction looks good.

Keep us posted when you get to the artwork.

[javeryh]

Thanks.  I know there have been plenty of Star Wars cabs built before but I'm hoping the artwork will give mine a little uniqueness of its own...

[javeryh]

Minor (totally unexciting) update:

OK.  I've decided to go with a piece of 1/8" smoked glass for the monitor (it will sit on top of the bezel in the groove already cut to accept the bezel and hopefully be flush with the tabletop) and a piece if 1/4" clear tempered glass (or 3/8" if the glass shop can do it) for the table top.

I really want smoked glass over the monitor but I'm afraid if I use it for the entire top I will not be able to see the artwork.  I've been told that old atari cocktail tables used to be set up this way.  I really hope it works!

I'm headed back to the local glass shop tomorrow to price everything out - I was there last week and asked for one piece of tempered smoked glass and was quoted $141 which I thought was pretty high.  I am scared to think what these two pieces will cost!  I'll update tomorrow after I've gone to the glass shop....

[javeryh]

I just got back from the local glass shop and priced everything out - $150 for everything. It's expensive as hell but, get this, the tempering process for the top is $100 of the cost! I went with 1/8" because that is all the glass clips could accept (1/4" was too thick). The guy at the shop recommended tempering it because of the thinness of the piece and I kind of agree because tempering makes it 5 times stronger. Basically I just don't want someone to accidentally drop a bottle of beer or something on it and then end up in the emergency room.

I'm not sure when the glass will be ready to pick up but it doesn't really matter because I still need the artwork to completely finish the table top.

Tomorrow I'm going to be wiring the entire thing up! I'm excited because it should be somewhat playable by the end of the day!!! Then I will never get anything more done ever because I will be playing Ms. Pac-man nonstop. Oh well...

[javeryh]

*Minor update*

www.knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com

[javeryh]

Oh yeah, I've also decided to have someone draw me a custom Star Wars theme for my cab in the same style as the picture below with "Knights of the Arcade Table" in a large font to go along the sides of the monitor.  It should take a few weeks at least before the artwork is finished but if it comes out 1/2 as good as the pictures below it will look unbelievable.

[currygoat11]

Hi, your site says that the Vision Pro monitor (49-1337-VP2) will go into power save mode.

[javeryh]

Hey.  I should probably edit my site... now that you mention it, I think mine does the same thing.  I can't tell though because I'm having a bit of monitor trouble right now.  I can no longer get anything to appear except that "No Signal" rectangle.  It is hooked up to my laptop and when I turn it on - nothing.  The weird thing is that when I first tried setting it up the monitor worked perfectly but after powering the computer off and restarting it the next day I got nothing.  Any ideas?

I'm going to get a Smart Strip too eventually to get around the power save problem...

[currygoat11]

remember that this monitor's specifications are 30 - 38KHz horizontal / 50 - 160 Hz vertical.  So if your computer is attempting anything outside of this range that would be the problem.

when I'm working in linux, the console display format can display to the arcade monitor just fine.  But I'm pretty sure I remember if I tried going into x-windows the monitor could not display this output.

[javeryh]

OK, now you're over my head 

Is there a setting or something within Windows XP (under control panel, perhaps?) that can output the signal to the monitor properly?  Also, I still don't understand why it work work upon first booting it up but not since that time.

[currygoat11]

well, in Windows, in Display Properties, in Settings tab, under Advanced, under Adapter, where theres a button called List all Modes, which is currently selected?

[javeryh]

Thanks!  It looks like that fixed it.  I have another question - I'm testing out certain games and sometimes I get a message when I try to load that it is out of the range (Mortal Kombat II and Popeye were 2 games I tried).  Is there a monitor setting I have to tweak or a setting in the MAME cfg file or something?

[currygoat11]

Mame somehow decides which monitor frequency scan rates to use for different games.  Depending upon the era of the game, these scan rates will vary. It's the horizontal scan rate which is fairly limited on the Vision Pro.  PC monitors are capable of higher horizontal scan rates.  You'll have to research if there's a way to instruct mame to utilize different frequency scan rates than the default.

Does anyone else have any other suggestions ?

[javeryh]

aaahh... OK... um, I've never really heard anyone say that the Vision Pro can't play MKII (shouldn't it at least be able to play Popeye?).  Can you play these games on your monitor?  I'll be really bummed out if I spent all this money on a really nice monitor but can't play all the games I want to play...

[currygoat11]

well further research is obviously required.  I'm sorry, but my cabinet doesn't have MKII or Popeye on it so I cannot test this. I weeded out most all horizontal games (as it's a cocktail).

I'm also using linux and the svgalib graphics library, so I'm pretty sure if anything my system will be less capable of running certain games than a Windows machine. In fact, certain games simply do not display properly for me with my setup. For example, Star Castle and Space Invaders II are two games I can think of immediately that when they run, the game starts but the display is mega-zoomed and you can only see a tiny portion of the screen. I had to remove them from my rom list.  Couldn't get these games to work after several hours of fiddling with mame settings, and also the svgalib configuration file.

Please let me know what you find out though, I'm curious.

[javeryh]

I sure will.  Thanks for all of your help!

[javeryh]

Well, it's a go.  The artist has agreed to do the artwork for me.  $360 but I think it will be well worth it.  It will be something that no one else has because he is drawing it custom.  I can't wait to see it.

[javeryh]

Update to blog - check out my detailed design sketch!

[javeryh]

Holy crap this is going to kick ass when it is done.

[javeryh]

Update!

I was able to size the bezel using the small piece of smoked glass as a template and then cutting it to size using a straight edge and razor. I was also able to round the corners of the bezel to fit into the rabbet in the tabletop with a pair of scissors. I think it came out pretty good.

I also cut the t-molding to fit around the edges of the tabletop and placed the bigger tempered piece of glass on top. Eventually, the glass will be held to the top with some glass clips that screw into the underside of the table and extend out over the top to hold the glass in place.

Here are the latest pictures:





CP3 is going to look like this:

[GadgetGeek]

Did anyone else think about Monty Python when they saw the title of this thread?

[javeryh]

Updated to show trackball plate installation.  http://knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com/ 

[walls83]

bad links

[versapak]

bad links

What do you mean? The pictures are showing up for me and the link to my site works in my last post too...

Not showin up for me. Unless you are trying to show off your red x's.

[javeryh]

My red Xs are pretty sweet...

[versapak]

MUCH better.

It's looking pretty nice.

[whatzcrackn]

Flippin sweat!!! I have a cab w/ a jedi/sith theme coming out!!!

[javeryh]

Thanks!  Do you have any pictures of yours?  I'd be curious to see your artwork...

[whatzcrackn]

Thanks!  Do you have any pictures of yours?  I'd be curious to see your artwork...

I have been messing around w/ the following:

last two being side art

[javeryh]

That looks pretty good to me!  I am curious to see how it will look on the final cabinet.

This is one of the 5 Star Wars characters I'm having drawn for my tabletop art:



Also, small update at www.knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com

[Harpal]

cool artwork it will look great once all  of it isput onto the table.....

[javeryh]

Another update: www.knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com

I finished the Player 1 CP and detailed my spinner installation in a metal CP with nothing but the knob showing through on the top (mounting is entirely underneath the CP).

[Santoro]

Super clean work, looks awesome.

[haldir]

(BYOAC) First time poster, long time reader. Can't say how amazing this site is and how much it helps everyone.


javeryh,

I have been checking out your blog for the past couple months and love your work! As someone who is about to start their own cocktail, I could not be more happy with your advice and the help of Project Arcade (created by BYOAC).

My one question is that I am totally in love with your cabinet design and after checking out almost every sample site, I have not found the plans that include your 3rd side. I came across one website but the controls were set to close to each other on the plans.

I know dream arcades has that body for sale, but I assumed you built yours from scratch? I was wondering if you are gong to post the design specs for that third control set?

The body closely resembles a Ms.Pacman cocktail with a third control set above the coin door.

Thanks for your advice and information on your project, keep up the great work.


Haldir

[javeryh]

(BYOAC) First time poster, long time reader. Can't say how amazing this site is and how much it helps everyone.


javeryh,

I have been checking out your blog for the past couple months and love your work! As someone who is about to start their own cocktail, I could not be more happy with your advice and the help of Project Arcade (created by BYOAC).

My one question is that I am totally in love with your cabinet design and after checking out almost every sample site, I have not found the plans that include your 3rd side. I came across one website but the controls were set to close to each other on the plans.

I know dream arcades has that body for sale, but I assumed you built yours from scratch? I was wondering if you are gong to post the design specs for that third control set?

The body closely resembles a Ms.Pacman cocktail with a third control set above the coin door.

Thanks for your advice and information on your project, keep up the great work.


Haldir

Thanks for the kind comments!  As for the third CP design, I did not build it myself but I did design it.  I ordered all three of my CPs and the unassembled, unfinished cabinet from arcadedepot.com.  I designed the button/joystick layout myself though.

Here's the layout of my third CP.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the measurements attached - I told Scott (the guy who runs arcadedepot) to eyeball it just making sure everything was lined up nicely.  I think he did a fantastic job.



Here's the Player 1 CP and the Player 2 CP.  The only difference between the two is the hold for the spinner on the Player 1 CP (I asked for a 1/4" hole which I had to enlarge myself with a file because it ended up being too close of a fit with the SlikStik spinner.  A 3/8" hole would have been perfect).



Another thing I should mention is that there are pieces of wood that support the sides of the Player 1 and Player 2 CPs that are in the way of the buttons and joystick (because they are placed so close to the edge) but it is easy to work around.

Also, the third CP sides that came with the kit were shaped differently than the ones I am using.  They did not have the thin piece that extends upward to the table top and I wanted to match the other CPs so I made my own.

[haldir]

Thanks so much for the images and advice!

I am placing an order next week for the body and happ controls.

[whatzcrackn]

That looks pretty good to me!  I am curious to see how it will look on the final cabinet.

This is one of the 5 Star Wars characters I'm having drawn for my tabletop art:



Also, small update at www.knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com

how is the artwork coming along?  I am having no luck with mine

[javeryh]

It works!!!  After months of inactivity I was able to find some time this weekend to work on my cab again.  I wired up the P1 and P2 CPs and I was actually playing Ms. Pac-man!  (I couldn't figure out how to flip the screen for player 2 even though I set it to "cocktail mode").  I still have to wire up the 3rd CP, install the monitor, speakers, fans and buy a computer to run everything (I was using my laptop for testing).  I can see the finish line!

[javeryh]

OK, I figured out how to run Ms. Pac-man... the controls aren't as responsive as I'm used to (I'm using T-Stiks instead of the authentic Ms. Pac-man joystick) but I guess I will get used to the throw and clickiness after a while...

I need to figure out how to wire up the spinner, trackball and the coin door as well as how to wire up the 3 fans I have installed (hopefully it's enough to cool everything).  I also need to buy a computer to run everything (and put it together - something I've never done) and also figure out how to get the software running and the one-button power-up, etc.  I still have a long way to go even though 99% of the physical construction is complete... will it ever end???

[javeryh]

Updated!  06.14.2006.  I finished the control panels and wired 2 of them to the ipac, installed speaker/fan grills and a bunch of other miscellaneous things.  Here are some no-so-informative pictures.  You can read about it here: www.knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com and see close ups of the pictures for more detail.

Cab interior with some wiring and tabletop clips:


Partially wired ipac:


Speaker Grills (covered screw heads on left):


Player 1 CP with admin buttons installed:


Player 2 CP with admin buttons installed:


Player 3/4 CP with admin buttons installed:


Top and side upside down with black piano hinge:

[javeryh]

Updated blog again... www.knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com

[Hiub1]

Looking sharp! How big is the monitor going to be, and is it an arcade or tv?

[javeryh]

Looking sharp! How big is the monitor going to be, and is it an arcade or tv?

Thanks!!  I am going to be using a 19" arcade monitor - the Vision Pro 19" Horizontal Mount Monitor to be exact.  I've tested it and the games look fantastic - much more authentic than a computer monitor, IMO.

[javeryh]

OK, starting tonight and all weekend long I will be putting the finishing touches on my cabinet.  All of the computer parts have arrived so all I have to do is put everything in there, install the monitor and wire up the long CP... and that's it!  Well, minus the artwork for the tabletop and other miscellaneous stuff like lighting the coin slots and the plexi above the player 1 and player 2 control panels (which I will get to if there is time)... 

Oh, I also have to actually put the computer together which is something I've never done before (all of my home computers are Dells).  I'm really really nervous about this part because my fear is that I just won't be able to install the operating system (I'm going to use the XP discs that came with my laptop) and get everything running.  I also am going to try running MaLa as a frontend so I can have the game menu rotate appropriately depending on the controls that are touched and I haven't tinkered with that yet either...

I have tonight after work and then 2 full days though (wife and kid are at the in-laws) so I hope to be able to finish...  God I wish I could just leave work now... 

[vader]

Oh, I also have to actually put the computer together which is something I've never done before (all of my home computers are Dells).  I'm really really nervous about this part because my fear is that I just won't be able to install the operating system (I'm going to use the XP discs that came with my laptop) and get everything running.  I also am going to try running MaLa as a frontend so I can have the game menu rotate appropriately depending on the controls that are touched and I haven't tinkered with that yet either...

Looking great so far.  Not to be the bearer of bad news, but the discs that came with your laptop will most likely not allow to install the OS on another computer.  Especially if its a
Dell the discs came with.  This is done by MS to not allow someone to purchase a comp and install OS's on every Tom, Dick, and Harry's comp.

[javeryh]

Oh, I also have to actually put the computer together which is something I've never done before (all of my home computers are Dells).  I'm really really nervous about this part because my fear is that I just won't be able to install the operating system (I'm going to use the XP discs that came with my laptop) and get everything running.  I also am going to try running MaLa as a frontend so I can have the game menu rotate appropriately depending on the controls that are touched and I haven't tinkered with that yet either...

Looking great so far.  Not to be the bearer of bad news, but the discs that came with your laptop will most likely not allow to install the OS on another computer.  Especially if its a
Dell the discs came with.  This is done by MS to not allow someone to purchase a comp and install OS's on every Tom, Dick, and Harry's comp.

I thought so...  I don't know what else to do though...  I need an operating system and I can't pay $400 or whatever they charge these days for a new copy of XP.  I'm hoping there is some sort of limit on the amount of computers that you can install XP on (like at least 2!).  It seems a little crazy to me that if something went wrong with my computer it would also mean I had to rebuy XP.  Any ideas?

[vader]

If you own the retail version, you can install it on another computer provided you don't have it active on your existing.  MS does the online key validation which is a pain.

[gamecreature]

Sadly, Microsoft is kind of touchy about people doing that. Do you happen to have an older OS lying around? I'm running Windows ME and Mala on my puny little 300 Mhz computer and it plays the older games just fine (the cab boots directly to Mala - I can walk you through it). If you do happen to have an older OS and simply must have XP, the upgrade cost is $99. Buying it without the upgrade is $179 and there it gets interesting - because $50 more will get you a refurbished Dell with XP installed and a really nice processor and ram and all of the other bells and whistles.

One thing I would reccomend is make sure your computer is up and running the way you want it before you put it into your system. Just spread all of the components (mouse, keyboard, etc) on the floor and turn it on and make sure all of your files are where they need to be and you can play your games. You DO NOT want to trouble shoot your computer after it is put into the cabinet. If you have a home network, make sure the network cable is handy - instead of plugging and unplugging the cable from the CPU each time you want to change things in your computer, set things up so you're just plugging and unplugging it from your router. You've already got a power cord coming out of that thing, a network cable probably won't make too much of a difference.

[javeryh]

Sadly, Microsoft is kind of touchy about people doing that. Do you happen to have an older OS lying around? I'm running Windows ME and Mala on my puny little 300 Mhz computer and it plays the older games just fine (the cab boots directly to Mala - I can walk you through it). If you do happen to have an older OS and simply must have XP, the upgrade cost is $99. Buying it without the upgrade is $179 and there it gets interesting - because $50 more will get you a refurbished Dell with XP installed and a really nice processor and ram and all of the other bells and whistles.

I do not have an older OS lying around.  The only computers in my house are a desktop with Windows 98 and a laptop with XP.  They are both store bought machines.  My MAME computer will be the first one I've ever put together myself.  I'm not wed to XP (I'll run 98 if it will still work but I do want to be able to play KI, MKII and SFA3 - I'm not sure if the OS matters or not for that).  I do plan on running MALA with the Gamelauncher skin unless you create a vertical version of your skin  (since it's a three-sided cocktail I want vertical and horizontal support for the game lists).  I might take you up on your offer to walk me through booting to the front end directly - that's the effect I'm going for when I turn the cab on with the press of a button.

One thing I would reccomend is make sure your computer is up and running the way you want it before you put it into your system. Just spread all of the components (mouse, keyboard, etc) on the floor and turn it on and make sure all of your files are where they need to be and you can play your games. You DO NOT want to trouble shoot your computer after it is put into the cabinet. If you have a home network, make sure the network cable is handy - instead of plugging and unplugging the cable from the CPU each time you want to change things in your computer, set things up so you're just plugging and unplugging it from your router. You've already got a power cord coming out of that thing, a network cable probably won't make too much of a difference.

I do plan on setting up the computer outside of the box but I wasn't planning on linking it to a home network or anything - I wouldn't even know where to begin.  I have a DVD drive that I guess I could pop in if I ever wanted to add or remove files/games although setting up a wireless home network would be great - I just don't know how (I do have a wireless router for my laptop working though).  The more I think about this the more my head hurts - it is going to be tough!

[gamecreature]

I do plan on running MALA with the Gamelauncher skin unless you create a vertical version of your skin  (since it's a three-sided cocktail I want vertical and horizontal support for the game lists).

I'll add it to my exponentially growing list of things to do.

I might take you up on your offer to walk me through booting to the front end directly - that's the effect I'm going for when I turn the cab on with the press of a button.

You should be able to do it with Windows 98. For XP, you'll need to check out the topics on that subject in the software forum and on Wiki. The main thing to keep in mind is that you'll either need a boot disk or a network to access the guts - once you've done this thing, you'll lose access through the usual channels. Mine's on a network, so when I need to make changes, I can open up the computer through one of the other network computers and mess around without having to invoke the windows desktop on the game computer.

I do plan on setting up the computer outside of the box but I wasn't planning on linking it to a home network or anything - I wouldn't even know where to begin.  I have a DVD drive that I guess I could pop in if I ever wanted to add or remove files/games although setting up a wireless home network would be great - I just don't know how (I do have a wireless router for my laptop working though).  The more I think about this the more my head hurts - it is going to be tough!

Yep, it can be quite daunting, particularly if you've never done something like that before. Do you have a router or just a network card on your laptop? Windows has some built in wizards for home networking, but even that can be a headache, especially if something goes wrong. Just take it slow and don't do anything "permanent" until you're sure the hardware and software is functioning the way you like it. If that means you spend a few extra days booting to windows instead of your FE, so be it. It's preferable to the headaches of locking yourself out of your desktop and not having any way of getting back in!

[javeryh]

OK, I think I have everything properly plugged into my motherboard - 2 RAM sticks, SATA hard drive (ribbon) with power, DVD drive (ribbon) with power, the processor and heat sink and the PSU... Now how do I turn the damn thing on? I don't have a case so there's no button...

Also, what will hapen once I turn it on since there is no OS? Every computer I've ever used boots to windows...

I just dug out the discs that came with my Dell and the XP disc says "reinstallation CD MS Windows XP Home Edition Including Service Pack 2" on it. It also says to "only use this CD to reinstall the OS on a Dell computer." Looking in the manual that came with my computer under "reinstalling XP" it doesn't mention that you can't put it on another computer but I'm a little hesitant. I don't want to screw up my new computer by installing something that wasn't meant for it. I am so uneducated when it comes to this stuff I want to scream.

What are the chances of burning down the house today?

THANKS!

[vader]

OK, I think I have everything properly plugged into my motherboard - 2 RAM sticks, SATA hard drive (ribbon) with power, DVD drive (ribbon) with power, the processor and heat sink and the PSU... Now how do I turn the damn thing on? I don't have a case so there's no button...

Also, what will hapen once I turn it on since there is no OS? Every computer I've ever used boots to windows...

To turn it on.

On the edge of the motherboard you will see 2 rows of about 10 pins each paraell to each other.  Two of those pins ( side by side ) will power up the computer.  Just short them out with something metal ( screwdriver, you can remove the screwdriver after power on.

One problem you may have as far as your SATA drive is concerned.  Most earlier MB did
not support SATA natively any you would have to have a floppy drive hooked up to load the driver for it.   If your's doesn't and you do indeed have this disk, I believe you press F8 when it ask you if you need to load a 3rd party device driver.

Hopefully your MB is SATA native and you won't have to worry about it, other than that your on the right track

[javeryh]

Thanks - I actually just stole the power button from another computer so I'm going to give that a shot.  The wires are blue and white - does it matter which wire goes where?  The instructions that came with my motherboard say 2 pins are for reset and 2 pins are for power (the other pins are for LEDs) - I'm assuming I want to use the pins for power...  My plan is to use a mini-arcade button mounted on the outside of the cabinet to turn it on and off so I'll have to splice the current button with the new one when I'm ready.

Also, my motherboard is SATA compliant.  There are two SATA ports and I hooked the HDD into one of them.

I have everything ready to turn on (I'm afraid to for some reason...) but I think I'm just going to go and spend the $150 for XP to avoid these hassles - it will come in handy down the road when I build another cabinet anyways... it's lilke an investment or something...

[vader]

The blue and white wires are for reset, normally.......but vary from machine to machine.

You can use it or the screwdriver, doesn't matter.

Any motherboard with SATA connectors is compliant, but that doesn't mean it's native.

Big difference there.  Good chance though if your MB was made in the last year, you should
be ok

[javeryh]

WOO HOO!!! I powered it up and it freaking worked!!! The computer seemed to detect everything - the screen listed everything I connected (I think) and then said press F8 to SETUP. I turned it off from there.

I'm going to install XP and then configure everything to run MAME later this afternoon. Time to start measuring and prepping the cab for all of the internal pieces... holy crap I'm psyched - I can almost see the finish line way off in the distance...

[vader]

WOO HOO!!! I powered it up and it freaking worked!!! The computer seemed to detect everything - the screen listed everything I connected (I think) and then said press F8 to SETUP. I turned it off from there.

I'm going to install XP and then configure everything to run MAME later this afternoon. Time to start measuring and prepping the cab for all of the internal pieces... holy crap I'm psyched - I can almost see the finish line way off in the distance...

At this point, your still booting from the CD, but you are having good signs indeed

[javeryh]

There's no CD in my DVD drive... or are you talking about something else?  There was a CD that came with my motherboard - should I install whatever is on there first or do I wait and put XP on there first?

[vader]

There's no CD in my DVD drive... or are you talking about something else?  There was a CD that came with my motherboard - should I install whatever is on there first or do I wait and put XP on there first?

looks like we both misunderstood on that one.

Are you just seeing the post screen when your booting up
IE : showing cd drives, hard drives and such ?

You will need to install XP first then load whatever MB drivers you have.
IF you have internet connection, go to the MB site first and d/l the drivers
directly, their surely more updated than what came on your cd.

What model MB do you have ?

[javeryh]

I have this:  ECS 761GX-M754 (3.0C) w/XPM 3100+ AMD Athlon XP Mobile 3100+ Socket 754 SiS 761 GX Micro ATX Motherboard/CPU Set.  There are a few pictures of it on my site: knightsofthearcadetable.blogspot.com. 

I will not have an internet connection so I have to go with what's on the CD, I guess.  The screen that showed up when I powered it on was just in black and white text and it seemed to list the parts that I had connected to the motherboard...

I am going to attempt to install XP in a couple of minutes...

[javeryh]

OK, I got XP up and running... I called MS and they just gave me an activation key... sweet!  It's the cleanest desktop I've ever seen - just one icon for the recycle bin!  Now I have to install MAME and a frontend - are there any other programs I should have on there?  Like Flash or something?  Will MAME just run in and of itself?  THANKS!

[theCoder]

After I got my last machine set up with mamewah, I took a screenshot and made it the background image on XP.  That way when the machine is booting, you get the illusion that it is ready earlier.  It also helps cover up (a little) the fact that you're running windows in your cab. 

Also, I'm not exactly sure how I did this, but my XP machine boots up without requiring a login.  I believe it is because I didn't set up any accounts and left the administrators password blank. 

Good luck with your configuration.

[javeryh]

After I got my last machine set up with mamewah, I took a screenshot and made it the background image on XP.  That way when the machine is booting, you get the illusion that it is ready earlier.  It also helps cover up (a little) the fact that you're running windows in your cab. 

Also, I'm not exactly sure how I did this, but my XP machine boots up without requiring a login.  I believe it is because I didn't set up any accounts and left the administrators password blank. 

Good luck with your configuration.

That's a great idea - I think I'm going to also try to have the computer boot straight to the front-end but I don't know how to do that yet.  I am installing MAME right now and I guess I just want to put all the ROMs in there instead of picking and choosing (how else will I uncover those hidden gems?)... couple of questions:

1.  Do I just copy each and every rom file, every sample and every chd to their respective folders?

2.  What about all variations on the different games? I don't want 10 variations of a game to appear in the game menu (I'm using gamelauncher right now) - I think it has something to do with parent roms but I'm not sure how that works.  For example, I think pacman.zip doesn't work on it's own because you need puckman.zip or something but I don't want both Pac-Man and Puck-man to appear as choosable games...  I hope I'm being clear enough...

THANKS!!!

[javeryh]

Well, I don't have any new pictures because my wife has our camera but I managed to install the computer inside of the cabinet this weekend.  I haven't mounted the monitor yet - that will probably be the last thing I do but I have connected a computer monitor so I can tinker/tweak the software and front end.

Holy crap what a mess - I even used ties to bunch wires together but somehow it still looks messy.  I haven't even really started wiring the controls yet but I think I can keep that pretty organized since I am the one determining wire length (I can run wires along the sides of the cab instead of stretching across the middle to power a fan or connect the HDD to the motherboard, etc.).  Damn, pics would really help...

It's my first computer build and I'm pretty proud that I got it to work (with the help of some BYOAC members, of course).  Tomorrow I am going to drill the final holes in the cab (after painfully taking everything out):

1.  4.5" hole in the botton for third fan
2.  1/8" hole for power switch
3.  1/4" hole for volume control (I have to cut and then splice the controls after threading the wire through the hole)

Once I get this done and everything back in there I can wire the controls starting on Wednesday.  I imagine the trackball and spinner will give me the most problems...

[theCoder]

1.  Do I just copy each and every rom file, every sample and every chd to their respective folders?

2.  What about all variations on the different games? I don't want 10 variations of a game to appear in the game menu (I'm using gamelauncher right now) - I think it has something to do with parent roms but I'm not sure how that works.  For example, I think pacman.zip doesn't work on it's own because you need puckman.zip or something but I don't want both Pac-Man and Puck-man to appear as choosable games...  I hope I'm being clear enough...

THANKS!!!

1)  When you install mame (I use mame32) it will automatically create a number of subdirectoriies.  The main ones I'm concerned with are /roms and /snap.  The roms go in the roms directory (duh) and the screen shot images go in the snap directory.  Another directory of interest is /samples which contains supporting sound files. 

2)  Don't even try to deal with all 5000+ roms.  I did a bunch of searches on the words "mame" and "top 10" or "top 25" or "top 100".  After compiling the list, I came up with about 100 or so games that make sense.  Of those, only about 15 actually got played over the 2 years I had that cab.  Also, a few of my favorite games did not make the list (star castle and ripoff for example).  To answer your question more directly, I would delete the .zip files from the rom directory for all but one version of any given game.  You might want to find which one works best on your machine because sometimes a clone may work better than the original.

[javeryh]

That's a good idea - the 5,000+ game list is just too out of control.  It takes a solid 2 minutes to just scroll from Arkanoid to Street Fighter - unacceptable.  I'm just worried about missing out on some hidden gem that I'll never get a chance to play...

[gamecreature]

I have an "All Games List" and a "Favorites" list on MaLa. One of the things I like about MaLa is that I whenever I find (or remember) a game that I want on my favorites list, I can easily copy it from the all games list without having to exit MaLa. Just hit the Player Two button to open up the menu, select "Game List" and then "Add Selected Game" then pick the list you want the game to be added to. Much more fun to browse and play the games and then put them on your list of favorites. 100 games is much easier to navigate than 2000!

[javeryh]

Wow that sounds cool.  This weekend (starting tonight) I'm going to sit down and figure out how to:

1.  Install MaLa to run MAME
2.  Change the default layout
3.  Manage ROMS (hiding clones and creating various "playlists")

I am computer retarded though so this could take forever.

[NightGod]

Another thing I did was go in and make 27 lists, one for each letter of the alphabet and one for the number titles. Speed things up alot when you know what game you want to go to and don't have it in your favorites list.

[javeryh]

Wow that sounds cool.  This weekend (starting tonight) I'm going to sit down and figure out how to:

1.  Install MaLa to run MAME
2.  Change the default layout
3.  Manage ROMS (hiding clones and creating various "playlists")

I am computer retarded though so this could take forever.

1.  Done
2.  Done
3.  Not so much... haven't tried yet though...

I'm just going to load ALL roms and chd files to the apropriate folders in MAME and then use MaLa to sort everything.

Also, is there a place I can download all of the SNAPs?  There is a post by NIVO in the Software forum but it doesn't work anymore...

[javeryh]

Crap!!!  So close...  All I have left to do is attach the top of the monitor to the tabletop (it is attached to the side panel alrerady) and then attach the hinged door to the base with the piano hinge and fire it up.

ONE FREAKING THING!!!!   

I just don't know how to do it exactly so I decided to sleep on it instead of rushing through it and messing it up.  I need to somehow make a shim exactly 2-1/16" thick and roughly 13" long and 1-1/4" wide.  Then I need to drill a hole all the way through the 2-1/16" side to accept a lag bolt.  I don't have a tablesaw and I don't have a drill press.  Hmm... I'm so stuck...

[javeryh]

OK, I lied... here's the definitive list of things I have to do to finish (or at least all I can think of):

Construction:
1.  Monitor mount with shims to table top
2.  Drill holes in base and install leg levelers
3.  Drill hole for speaker volume controls
4.  Splice speaker controls and thread through hole
5.  Mount volume control underneath long CP with velcro
6.  Wire coin door switches to ipac
7.  Set coin door to accept tokens
8.  Wire coin door LEDs to power supply
9.  Wire plexiglass LEDs to powersupply
10.  [Figure out how to remove CPs]
11.  Seal any gaps in CPs
12.  Connect monitor and top to base unit with piano hinge
13.  Seal any gaps between bezel and monitor
14.  Plug monitor into motherboard
15.  Install glass clips to hold glass in place
16.  Install t-molding around CP3
17.  Glue grommit for power supply plug in place
18.  Apply admin button stickers

Other:
1.  Print artwork to scale on vinyl at www.mamemarquees.com
2.  Apply artwork to tabletop

To Buy:
1.  Two (2) 2-1/16" x 13" x 1-1/4" shims for monitor mount
2.  Plexiglass for CP1 and CP2 lighting
3.  LEDs for CP1 and CP2 lighting and coin door lights
4.  Admin button labels

Computer Set-Up:
1.  Install and configure MaLa (hide all non-parent ROMs / pick skin)
2.  Install and configure NES and SNES emulators
3.  Hide Windows operation as much as possible upon boot up and power down

I think this will all be doable in a weekend (minus printing the art) as a lot of these tasks are very small but necessary.  My biggest headache will be figuring out a way to remove all of my CPs for maintenance.  I had planned on using molex connectors for each wire but when they arrived I really didn't have the knowledge on how to put everything together (sockets, pins, plugs and receptacles) and I was under a tight schedule to finish the wiring (I'll give them a try on my next project).  Anyway, I have a bunch of wires going from each button directly to the ipac.  They are neatly tied so I'm guessing somewhere I'll cut them all at the same spot and install a plug of some sort - I just don't know what type of plug or how to go about making the connections...

I'm so close I can taste it!!

[javeryh]

Finally - I found the camera!  Here are some shots of the interior...






You can see that there are a ton of wires inside - I don't know how some of you maintain such clean cabinets.  The speakers/subwoofer was the main culprit - there is a power cord, two cords to the individual speakers and a cord for the volume control unit (which you can see just sitting in the coin box - I haven't decided where to mount it yet).  I just ended up bunching the wires with ties - I guess I could have cut the wires to the proper length and reattach them with some electrical tape but that seemed like a lot of unnecessary work.

The power supply wires to the fans were also hard to keep neat and I also have an extra wire running from the underside of the third CP to the motherboard (the twisted black and green wire) for the power button to the computer.  One press turns everything on and another press powers everything off.  I really like this feature (I still have to do a ton of software tweaking like getting the computer to boot to the FE, manage the games, install NES/SNES emulators, etc.).

I'll post some more pics in a little while... thanks for looking!!!

[javeryh]

I asked this over in the Main Forum but I haven't got a response yet so I thought I'd ask here.  I'll try to explain this as best as I can because the only picture I have now (below) is crappy and doesn't really show what I need but here goes...

I am mounting the monitor inside my cocktail.  I have already mounted it to the side panel (sucessfully, I think) and the only thing left to do is mount it to the top.  The picture below shows the way I mounted it to the side panel (but of course being the dumbass I am I didn't snap a pic of the part giving me trouble).  In the very upper left you can see the bracket on the monitor frame that will attach to the top.  I need to make a shim EXACTLY 2-3/32" thick (and roughly 13" long and 1-1/4" wide) so the frame can be attached to the table top the same way it is attached to the side.

Once I have the shim made, how should I attach it so it is secure?  I am going to be using some lag bolts to fasten the monitor frame to the shim but I think for maximum support the lag bolt should run through the shim and into the tabletop itself.  I do not have a drill press though so this is going to be tough.  I want this thing to be very very secure (obviously).  I should also add that drilling through the top is not an option.  Any ideas on how to accomplish this?

THANKS!!

[loadman]

Looking Good 

[currygoat11]

Once I have the shim made, how should I attach it so it is secure?  I am going to be using some lag bolts to fasten the monitor frame to the shim but I think for maximum support the lag bolt should run through the shim and into the tabletop itself.  I do not have a drill press though so this is going to be tough.  I want this thing to be very very secure (obviously).  I should also add that drilling through the top is not an option.  Any ideas on how to accomplish this?

I can tell you how I did it. Here is what mine looked like:
http://home.comcast.net/~currygoat55/images/IMG_4818.sm.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~currygoat55/images/IMG_4820.sm.jpg

First obviously I cut out the shims themselves. See picts. I attached the shims to the tabletop BY THEMSELVES. I drilled out pilot holes for fairly heavy duty wood screws, then drilled out a larger hole (width of the screw head) in the same hole about 1/3 of the way down. This way the wood screws lie below the surface about 3/4" or so. I used I believe 3 wood screws for each shim. I didn't have a drill press or anything. I eyeballed it and was successful. IMPORTANT: when the wood screws penetrated 1/2 way through the tabletop I heard splintering sounds!  What happened is that the tabletop is made of 2 pieces of wood glued together and the wood screw was separating the 2 pieces. So this is problematic. I ended up screwing only 1/2 way through the tabletop so as to not separate/damage the tablestop. You could avoid this by pre-drilling a pilothole maybe 3/4 through the tabletop to ensure the wood screw doesn't try to separate the tabletop pieces. Of course I'm assuming your tablestop is made of 2 pieces of wood glued together. Dunno.

After that was done, I drilled out pilot holes for heavy duty lag bolts and attached the monitor.

Note that securing to the tabletop gives you extra strength but it's not the end-all-be-all. Most of the weight is really held by the hinged door side.

hope this helps a bit.

[javeryh]

Once I have the shim made, how should I attach it so it is secure?  I am going to be using some lag bolts to fasten the monitor frame to the shim but I think for maximum support the lag bolt should run through the shim and into the tabletop itself.  I do not have a drill press though so this is going to be tough.  I want this thing to be very very secure (obviously).  I should also add that drilling through the top is not an option.  Any ideas on how to accomplish this?

I can tell you how I did it. Here is what mine looked like:
http://home.comcast.net/~currygoat55/images/IMG_4818.sm.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~currygoat55/images/IMG_4820.sm.jpg

First obviously I cut out the shims themselves. See picts. I attached the shims to the tabletop BY THEMSELVES. I drilled out pilot holes for fairly heavy duty wood screws, then drilled out a larger hole (width of the screw head) in the same hole about 1/3 of the way down. This way the wood screws lie below the surface about 3/4" or so. I used I believe 3 wood screws for each shim. I didn't have a drill press or anything. I eyeballed it and was successful. IMPORTANT: when the wood screws penetrated 1/2 way through the tabletop I heard splintering sounds!  What happened is that the tabletop is made of 2 pieces of wood glued together and the wood screw was separating the 2 pieces. So this is problematic. I ended up screwing only 1/2 way through the tabletop so as to not separate/damage the tablestop. You could avoid this by pre-drilling a pilothole maybe 3/4 through the tabletop to ensure the wood screw doesn't try to separate the tabletop pieces. Of course I'm assuming your tablestop is made of 2 pieces of wood glued together. Dunno.

After that was done, I drilled out pilot holes for heavy duty lag bolts and attached the monitor.

Note that securing to the tabletop gives you extra strength but it's not the end-all-be-all. Most of the weight is really held by the hinged door side.

hope this helps a bit.

Awesome!  Thanks for the detailed explanation.  I've been referencing your site A LOT during my build.  Those pictures are great. 

I still have a slight problem and I should have thought of this earlier but I already fastened the monitor to the side panel using the lag screws.  I do not want to unscrew them to fit the other shim because I'm afraid of weakening the joint and not being able to line up the monitor perfectly again...  I think I'm going to try and glue the shim to the top and clamp it in place somehow and then for added support I'm going to use either L-brackets or possibly pocket screws if I can drill them properly.  I don't know... I guess I'll find out when I actually go to attach everything.

I read what you said about how attaching the monitor to just the side panel is enough support and I was so tempted to close up the box and test it but I chickened out. 

[currygoat11]

After I secured to the hinged door side, I was pretty confident and raised the side into place. I mean yeah it's a heavy CRT, but I used 6 or 7 large wood screws for each shim on the side door. So it was pretty darn secure.

in regards to your predictament, I can see your approach working - like you mentioned gluing shims to tabletop then somehow clamping the monitor frame to the shims creatively. That will work. It's not ideal but it will work.

L-brackets for more support? wow, okay. I mean it will not hurt to do this. Added piece of mind I guess esp. if your tabletop shim solution isn't durable enough.

[javeryh]

Looking Good 

Thanks!!  This has been really fun so far - I can't wait to start another one!

After I secured to the hinged door side, I was pretty confident and raised the side into place. I mean yeah it's a heavy CRT, but I used 6 or 7 large wood screws for each shim on the side door. So it was pretty darn secure.

in regards to your predictament, I can see your approach working - like you mentioned gluing shims to tabletop then somehow clamping the monitor frame to the shims creatively. That will work. It's not ideal but it will work.

L-brackets for more support? wow, okay. I mean it will not hurt to do this. Added piece of mind I guess esp. if your tabletop shim solution isn't durable enough.

Heh, you've got more guts than I do.  I also used 6 wood screws to secure the shims to the side panel and I glued each piece in place too after using sandpaper to rough up the inside of the door (I finished it for some reason).  It is definitely not going anywhere.  I'm afraid that the piano hinge will fail when I move the monitor into place without securing it to the top due to outward pressure.

L-brackets might be overkill but I already have some extra ones and it would probably give me peace of mind.  The trick will be to get the shim secured in the proper position.  I really wish I could get this finished but I haven't been able to find the time to work on it.

[gamecreature]

After this is over I should have you come over and secure the monitor inside my cabinet. I can't even figure out how to get it out of its case!

[javeryh]

After this is over I should have you come over and secure the monitor inside my cabinet. I can't even figure out how to get it out of its case!

The secret is to buy the monitor without the case and then you don't have to worry about it!   

[javeryh]

Here are a few more miscellaneous pictures:

These shots are from the underside of the long CP.  The red button is the power on and power off switch.  One press turns everything on and one more press turns everything off (thank god for the smart strip!). 

It was pretty easy to install - I used a 1-1/4" forstner bit to drill a hole about 1/2 way into the bottom panel (from the inside/top) and then using the center mark left by the bit, I just drilled a hole all the way through for the shaft of the button (note the tear out    - I'll touch it up later).  The reason for the "two-step" drilling of the hole is so I could get my fingers around the shaft of the button to turn the nut that secures the button in place.  It also made wiring it up a little easier.

You can't see it at all where it is located and no one will even know it is there unless I tell them.  Also, the button is quite tough to press so I'm not worried about an accidental press by someone's knee during play...

[javeryh]

Here are a couple of shots of the table top with the bezel in place.  I want as snug of a fit as possible around the edges and I think once the weight of the glass is on there everything will fit together nicely.  Mounting the monitor and getting the bezel just right has definitely been the hardest part of this project for me so far.

The bezel is not glued into place or anything and right now it is just held in place by painter's tape as you can see.  The edges around the monitor do look nice though and I think the screen is centered.  The monitor does allow me to move the picture around so if it's not perfectly centered when I turn it on I can tweak it. 



Thanks for looking! 

[currygoat11]

Curious:  How does your computer shutdown when you press the button?  Is it a hard shutdown (like pulling the plug?). Thanks.

[javeryh]

Curious:  How does your computer shutdown when you press the button?  Is it a hard shutdown (like pulling the plug?). Thanks.

Nope.  You can set XP to shut down the computer normally when you press the power button.  It goes through the logging off process and closes all programs and everything before shutting off.  It really works well.  I had to ask the question here actually: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55597.msg545125#msg545125.  This is all I needed to read and I was able to set everything up:

Most modern motherboards are ACPI compliant, assuming yours is, you can go into the Power icon under the control panel and go to the advanced tab and set the options for what your PC does when you hit the power button while the machine is running.

[camsauce]

Looking sharp, I can tell you took some time and effort planning out the inside.  Keep up the good work!  I'm thinking I'll have to build a cocktail cabinet next..

[kickngas]

Great looking cocktail!  Where did you get plans, or did you make them up yourself? 

[97thruhiker]

I really like what you have done so far.  You have inspired me to build a cocktail cabinet.

By the way who is that a picture of in your avatar?

[Potts]

Very clean, beautiful job - 

lots of respect coming from me  - great job javeryh

Potts

[javeryh]

Looking sharp, I can tell you took some time and effort planning out the inside.  Keep up the good work!  I'm thinking I'll have to build a cocktail cabinet next..

Thanks!  Planning the inside was a little tough.  I had to make sure everything fit and the CD tray opened and closed.  Plus, the wires took up way more space than I thought they would.  I relied heavily on currygoat and pharaoh's cocktail cabs - they set the standard!

You should definitely build one of these if you are interested.  I'm building an upright next and something tells me I should have done that first...

Great looking cocktail!  Where did you get plans, or did you make them up yourself? 

Thanks!  I definitely did not make the plans myself.  I originally wanted a 27" monitor so I built a cabinet to accomodate and it was just too big for my living room.  I was frustrated and didn't want to start over so I ended up using an arcadedepot kit for the body (http://www.arcadedepot.com/).  I highly recommend them - everything was well packaged and they respond to questions pretty quick.  I assembled it pretty much following the plans that came with it except I modified the control panels to accept a smooth vinyl overlay instead of the plexi that shipped with it.   I also designed the CP layouts myself and some other miscellaneous things like speaker and fan placement, etc. 

I really like what you have done so far.  You have inspired me to build a cocktail cabinet.

By the way who is that a picture of in your avatar?

Thanks!  I will be following your build very closely.  If you have any questions I'll gladly help (if I know the answer!  ).

The avatar picture is Alyson Hannigan - she is super hot.

Very clean, beautiful job - 

lots of respect coming from me  - great job javeryh

Potts

Thanks!  I'm almost done - I can't wait to start playing this thing!

[97thruhiker]

I really like what you have done so far.  You have inspired me to build a cocktail cabinet.

By the way who is that a picture of in your avatar?

Thanks!  I will be following your build very closely.  If you have any questions I'll gladly help (if I know the answer!  ).

The avatar picture is Alyson Hannigan - she is super hot.

I'd have to agree with you on that one  .  I did a quick google image search with her name and expected to find some canned publicity shots.  Well needless to say I was pleasently surprized  .

[javeryh]

The PLUG

OK, not much to report as far as progress goes, unfortunately. I'm having a bit of trouble with the monitor mount. Attaching the monitor to the tabletop is proving to be far more difficult than I thought it would be... (Here's a tip:  definitely predrill the holes in the tabletop)

As I've said plenty of times throughout this process, I want to make this thing look as "clean" as possible and not homemade in any way other than its uniqueness (to the outside world - not here  .

Once I figured out where to place the Smart Strip within the cabinet, I had to figure out where to drill the hole on the outside for the power cord. I decided on the lower left side of the cabinet underneath the hinge for the access door. This simple decision turned out to be a bigger problem than I had ever envisioned.

I carefully measured the plug every which way I could and determined that it was 1" in diameter. So, in order to make this thing look "finished" I needed to drill a 1" hole in the proper location, feed the cord through the hole and then put a grommet of some kind around the hole to thread the cord through so it will look nice. Simple, right? Wrong.

The first problem I encountered was finding a 1" grommet. I looked all around at Office Max, Staples and Home Depot for something but the best they could do was a 2" grommet and it was going to be huge. I decided online would be my best bet and I eventually found one at Modern Office Interiors for approximately $10 ($3.75 + shipping). Kind of a rip off but at this point I just want to finish.

As I was waiting for the part to arrive I drilled the 1" hole using a hole saw attachment for my drill. When I tried to thread the power cord through the opening, it didn't fit. The hole was about 1/16" too small and there was no way to redrill it (and the grommet was already on the way). I ended up taking a razor and shaving off the rubber around the plug prongs until I could squeeze it through. I was able to get it through after about 10 minutes of tweaking. Whew!

A few days later the grommet arrived and I was anxious to get it installed, however I quickly realized that a 1" grommet only has a 1-7/8" interior diameter - there was no way to get the power cord through the grommet opening! I wanted to scream! Fortunately, a solution quickly presented itself. I thought about it and decided to take a razor and cut the grommet down the side. There was just enough play in the plastic to open up the grommet wide enough to slip the power cord in there. With the grommet cover in place you can't even see where the cut was made. Hopefully the pictures provide enough detail.




I think it came out nice in the end and just how I initially pictured it in my head. I just have to touch up a little tearout from drilling the hole with some leftover blue stain (that's what I get for using an old hole saw!). It was worth the trouble!

[currygoat11]

Interesting. Know what I did? I actually disassembed the Smart strip power strip, then cut the AC cord in half (near where it attaches inside the casing), then I could insert the cord thru a tiny hole in the side of the cabinet. I then had to rewire it into the power strip with those little plastic twist-it caps. I'm trying to remember if I included that detail on my website...  anyhoo your solution turned out just fine. Looks good.

[leapinlew]

The PLUG
The first problem

Yes! I love this statement. Thats how much of my stuff goes. The first problem... I need to insert A into B, but before I can insert A, B needs to be refitted. To refit B I need tool C which need part D that needs to be ordered online.

Keep up the good work.

[javeryh]

Interesting. Know what I did? I actually disassembed the Smart strip power strip, then cut the AC cord in half (near where it attaches inside the casing), then I could insert the cord thru a tiny hole in the side of the cabinet. I then had to rewire it into the power strip with those little plastic twist-it caps. I'm trying to remember if I included that detail on my website...  anyhoo your solution turned out just fine. Looks good.

Wow that's way too complicated for me.  It would have been my preferred solution but when I opened up the Smart Strip I saw a whole mess of wires that didn't look so easy to splice or cut apart.  Plus, power plugs scare the hell out of me.  I really did want to go that route but in the end I wussed out. 

The PLUG
The first problem

Yes! I love this statement. Thats how much of my stuff goes. The first problem... I need to insert A into B, but before I can insert A, B needs to be refitted. To refit B I need tool C which need part D that needs to be ordered online.

Keep up the good work.

   Exactly!  That has pretty much been the way the entire build has gone so far but I sure have learned a lot.

Last night I couldn't wait any longer and although I had to get up for work, I stayed up until 1 a.m. fitting the monitor into place and firing up the cabinet.  It worked!!!  I have a TON of software tweaking to do with the front end, boot up sequence, rom management, etc. but I was able to play a few games of Ms. Pac-man, Galaga and Mr. Do! with my wife (unfortunately I had to run everything with a keyboard sticking out of the coin door).

Tonight I'm going to see if I can clean the glass and install the clips.  I took a few pictures but the cabinet glass is covered in sawdust and really looks ugly.  Plus, the monitor looks washed out and there is a ton of reflection.  I need to figure out how to use my camera!

This is so exciting!!!

[TehJefe]

Wow. Its eerie how our similar our designs are... Imsocreepedout. We made all the same parts and ordered all the same parts... and mostly from the same places..
WEIRD.
Im so envious of how much faster you are than me, though.. I wanna see the light at the end of the tunnellll...

I was even gonna go with a trackball in the middle of my arcadedepot third-side at first, but I didnt think one would fit
So
1. What size track ball did you use?
2. It IS a standard sized 3rd panel, right?
3. Is the trackball accessable there? Like.. not too close to the joysticks or the coin door wall?

[javeryh]

Wow. Its eerie how our similar our designs are... Imsocreepedout. We made all the same parts and ordered all the same parts... and mostly from the same places..
WEIRD.
Im so envious of how much faster you are than me, though.. I wanna see the light at the end of the tunnellll...

Heh, I think I started this thread in August of 2005 and I know I did the initial glue up of the cabinet in April 2005 so I don't think I'm exactly fast...   My next one is going to be a breeze though because I think I finally have the wife stamp of approval after she got to play a little bit for the first time last night.  I don't think she "got it" before then.  I built this thing mainly on weekends where my wife went to her parents which was probably only 4 or 5 times over the past 15 months so work on it was very spread out.

I was even gonna go with a trackball in the middle of my arcadedepot third-side at first, but I didnt think one would fit
So
1. What size track ball did you use?
2. It IS a standard sized 3rd panel, right?
3. Is the trackball accessable there? Like.. not too close to the joysticks or the coin door wall?

To answer your questions:

1.  I used a 2-1/4" trackball that I got from Ultimarc
2.  It is a standard sized CP but I designed the layout of everything
3.  I'm not sure what you mean by accessible... it is comfortable to use if that's what you are asking (not too close to the joysticks).  The coin door is completely out of the way underneath the CP.

To be honest, if I could start over I would scrap the third CP all together.  It works but I think in the long run I'd rather have a horizontal stand-up (which I'm building next) in addition to a vertical cocktail table.  There's just too much going on design-wise.

[TehJefe]

I didnt mean the actual coin door, but the cp is mounted on the same wall, right? I dunno.. I always kinda wondered if either the top of the cabinet or whatever wall is exposed would get in the way of good trackball use.

[theCoder]

I think I would have just cut the cord, passed it through, then soldered it back together.

My second cab went much faster than the first, even though it was much trickier.  I'm hoping my next one goes even faster.

You've got a huge advantage, having a wife that enjoys gaming.  Good catch.

Good luck on your next build.

[javeryh]

I didnt mean the actual coin door, but the cp is mounted on the same wall, right? I dunno.. I always kinda wondered if either the top of the cabinet or whatever wall is exposed would get in the way of good trackball use.

Well, you can't really get into a crazy game of Golden Tee but other than that it works pretty well and nothing gets in the way at all (yet).

I think I would have just cut the cord, passed it through, then soldered it back together.

My second cab went much faster than the first, even though it was much trickier.  I'm hoping my next one goes even faster.

You've got a huge advantage, having a wife that enjoys gaming.  Good catch.

Good luck on your next build.

Heh, I was just too scared to cut the power cord - although I'm pretty sure I'll accidentally set the house on fire at some point I don't the arcade cabinet to be the cause.   

[javeryh]

IT WORKS!!!

I'm so excited!! Like I said, earlier this week I finished mounting the monitor and I was able to attach the hinge and fire up the cabinet for the first time!! I don't have any good pictures but here's one of the thing all closed up with a game running. The flash on my camera combined with the dust on the glass tabletop really ruined the picture. When I get a few better pictures I will definitely post them.

[gamecreature]

Congratulations! Now go play some games.