Planning Phase - Questions

[loremtr]

Alright been lurking a bit and now Im in the planning phase of building.  Im a college / high school coach and teach at the HS so I dont have alot of free time.  My father in law and I are planning to knock the construction / painting out of the way over my christmas break. 

A Few queestions.

I serisouly doubt the durability of MDF when screwed from the side (even pre-drilling).  Is it better to frame up the inside?  Ive seen plans for both...

Ive ordered the miniIPAC due to the harness.  However I figure Ill end up daisy chaining a few buttons (ie Pause)  Is this difucult within the harness..I havent seen the thing yet.

Sorry for the questions but as I said, Im new here.  Ive vuilt a few tables and thats the limit of my wood experience...and I have NO experience with the other stuff....but Im taking baby steps here. Just be patient guys.

TL

[HaRuMaN]

I haven't built a cabinet, but I have built a stand alone control panel out of MDF.  I screwed from the sides, and it is VERY solid and durable.  Believe me, it takes a beating when my brother and I are going head to head in Street Fighter 2.

As far as adding daisy chains, you may have to cut off a connecter that's already on your harness, strip the wires, twist your wire into the harness, and add a new connector (quick disconnect).

Good luck!!

[bishmasterb]

I serisouly doubt the durability of MDF when screwed from the side (even pre-drilling).  Is it better to frame up the inside?  Ive seen plans for both...

Doubt no more!

Seriously, MDF when glued and screwed, with good contact between the pieces is EXTREMELY strong. You need the appropriate number of contact points given the size of an arcade cabinet (these are usually provided by a monitor shelf and other internal cross members). But there is no need to build a frame if your cab is properly constructed.

Nonetheless, plenty of people have framed their cabs, and there certainly is nothing wrong with that. Just don't let the fact that you have an internal frame keep you from still using good practices (good cuts, glue, screw) when constructing the MDF pieces. An internal frame doesn't guarantee a strong cabinet by any means, it still has to be built well.

You might also consider simply putting small braces (1x1s) along the inside joints of the MDF as well. This isn't as complex as building a frame, but can add some strength if you have any doubts.

Good luck.

[markrvp]

I have built two cabinets using MDF.  My method of jointery is glue and pocket screws.  It's as solid as a rock.

[RetroJames]

I serisouly doubt the durability of MDF when screwed from the side (even pre-drilling).  Is it better to frame up the inside?  Ive seen plans for both...

The majority of commercial cabinets I have seen that are made out of MDF use a small strip of wood on the inside corner of every joint.  See the pic below. (The yellow stuff is glue).  These things are very solid when joined like this.

Ive ordered the miniIPAC due to the harness.  However I figure Ill end up daisy chaining a few buttons (ie Pause)  Is this difucult within the harness..I havent seen the thing yet.

The neutral leads are daisy chained, what other wires would you want to connect in this way?

Sorry for the questions but as I said, Im new here.  Ive vuilt a few tables and thats the limit of my wood experience...and I have NO experience with the other stuff....but Im taking baby steps here. Just be patient guys.

Keep 'em comming!

[RetroJames]

BTW, the "block" is actually visible if you download the pic, it just got transmorgafied by the BYOAC image upload do-hickey.

[loremtr]

OK, I need the slot cutter for tmolding.....  dont want to order from online with the Christmas shipping nightmare right now.  Anyone know off hand what to buy at HomeDepot? More specifically item numbers? 

I have a router and a dremmel (and also have the routing kit for the dremmel)... 

I need easy and cost efficient      Is there such a thing?

Back to my original questions, I believe were going to use 1x1 pieces with screws and wood glue..  maybe a cross bracing 2x4 as used on the ArcadeParadise 3 plans..

My wife is riding ---my bottom--- pretty hard about being a dork while the guys are work are singing my praises and building alters in my name... 

Now...I just need 2 more things. 
1.  A theme for my machine (my wife says Im a dork for this also....)
2.  A couple 400 runners that can break 49seconds in indoor track.

[RetroJames]

Anyone know off hand what to buy at HomeDepot? More specifically item numbers? 

I have a router and a dremmel (and also have the routing kit for the dremmel)... 

I need easy and cost efficient      Is there such a thing?

No specifics, but search around here and check out t-molding.com.  Using the thickness of the slot needed, the thickness of the sidepanels, and a few qwuestions at the Depot you will have your answer.

The Dremel should do it, but I would spring for a B&D router with some more HP.

Back to my original questions, I believe were going to use 1x1 pieces with screws and wood glue..  maybe a cross bracing 2x4 as used on the ArcadeParadise 3 plans..

That's the ticket.

Code: [Select]

My wife is riding ---my bottom--- pretty hard about being a dork while the guys are work are singing my praises and building alters in my name... 
You have just joined an elite group of builders...and dorky husbands 

Now...I just need 2 more things. 
1.  A theme for my machine (my wife says Im a dork for this also....)

Why not start with "Track and Field" and go from there?

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=10180

2.  A couple 400 runners that can break 49seconds in indoor track.

That sounds suspiciously like excercise...I am out of my element there...can't help.    You might get the team some nachos and cokes and make them train for Twin Galaxies instead?

[ssc arcade]

I just ordered the slot cutter and a plunge cutter from

www.mlcswoodworking.com

Good prices free shipping, fast, I got mine in 1 to 2 days.

Quantity Name SKU Each Total
1 Slot Cutter Complete Assmbly #5341, 1/16" - 1/4" shank  #5341 $16.00 $16.00
1 Plunge Cutting Straight 3/8" - 1/4" shank  #5451 $9.00 $9.00

I did all my cuts and routing yesterday.  I plan on using the glue and wood strips and some bracing.  For the price I would really recommend the slot cutter and router, I have heard you use up 2 to 3 disks with a dremmel.

I have some plans if you need them, they are still under review as I have only cut and not assembled yet.

Let me know
 

[loremtr]

OK, new question.  Best I can figure the miniIPAC is good for 2 joysticks and 20 buttons...  ok great..I have 2 8-way joysticks 1 4-way joystick and 20 buttons..

OK..Im assuming since the 4 way will not be used in conjunction with the 2 8 way that I can series the 4way QD's with the p1 8way QD?  Is this true or am I way off here? 

[RayB]

OK..Im assuming since the 4 way will not be used in conjunction with the 2 8 way that I can series the 4way QD's with the p1 8way QD?

[loremtr]

Thanks. 

Ive decided to do laminate on the CP.  Only prob is Home Depot only carries some nasty looking granite patterns ..not much choice there.  Ace and Lowes werent any better.  Any products they might carry that I am missing?  Ive pretty much only checked out the sheet laminate. 

[RayB]

Oh hey, regarding the "problem" I mentioned: You could run the ground like to a switch, so you can select which joystick works.

[loremtr]

Hmmm...might try that.

OK, well after 4 hours and quie a bit of rain, the wood is cut.  Christmas day the wives will be in the kitchen and Ill be swimming in sawdust.

[loremtr]

Cabinet is constucted minus monitor brackets and lower shelf. 

[miles2912]

Get some pics up,  We want to see.  I just framed my cab and am still working out the details.  I am using a barrier strip from Radio Shack to wire my CP.  It will let let you run more than one button/joystick per connection.  But like RayB said the other buttons and or joysticks will be live.

Don

[RTSDaddy2]

I may be too late to be of much help, just saw the post...but Home Depot sells 1/16" slot cutter router bits.  That's what we used on ours and the t-molding fit fine.  From what I've heard / read on and around this project forum,  1/16" is what you need.

[Taborious]

I got 99% of the tools that I used for mine at Home Depot so you should be good to go there. I used 3/4 inch t-molding and a 1/16 slot cutting and it worked great. However, learn from my mistake and make sure you mount the slot cutting correctly on the pin or it rotates backwards and just burns through the wood  You can see my construction pixs on my website below. I used MDF for everything and didn't use any framing OR glue just screws and I have had ZERO problems and I've moved it 3 times...

[loremtr]

Well, I pretty much bought everything at Home Depot myself....including the slot cutter.  The only issue Im having now is finding smoked plexiglass.....and how to mount it when I get it.  Ill try to get some pictures up soon.  I didnt think enough ahead to take any before now. 

Pretty much everything is finished except mounting the marquee, speakers, plexiglass, and putting the top and slanted top piece on. ... not going to have a back. 

 

[dmsuchy]

Certain Menards sell smoked plexi, that's where I got mine. One way of mounting the plexi, that I like, was to use black stick-on velcro. Dosent show through the plexi and the plexi is easily removed.

[Extreme8]

If you can't find smoked plexi ( I couldn't) you can get regular clear plexi and a roll of tinted window film.
I found that 30%vlp was just about right for my cab. Make sure to get the grey and not the bronze.

After using plexiglass for while I went and purchased real tinted glass, and even that wasn't dark enough so I added the window tint again. Looks perfect now.
For some reason I prefer the optical qualities of the glass over the plastic, others might feel differently.

[Taborious]

What are you using the smoked plexi for the CP? I must have missed this earlier. I didn't use anything to attach my plexi, the pushbuttons screw down and they have heald my in place with no problems.

[loremtr]

The smoked plexi is for the monitor not the CP.

velcro at the top and bottom (back of the speaker panel and the bottom below the control panel??? or running a 1x1 piece along the inner edges of the cab and a vecro strip on the sides? 

1/8 is 26 for a 25x26 cut here an 1/4 is 39.    I dont hae any kids and NONE will be playing this thing....Im thinking if I frame up the outer edges with 1x1 and attatch the velcro I should be ok.  From reading past postings here on plexi Ive found that the light transmission of 1/4 and 1/8 is the same.  Roughly 17%.  So the thickness doesnt mess with the variation of light passing through.

[loremtr]

Well, picked up the plexi glass today..  Guy gave me a 1/4 piece for 20$.  Apparently he thought it was a for a cool project so he knocked a few dollars off..  15 or so. 

Routed the speaker panel a few ago.  Took apart the speakers and used a spacer to mount through the wood via an faq that I found on here... using the SBS330's that have a wired remote for anyone that cares. 

Tommorrow I prime the cab after practice and will paint later in the afternoon.  My friends are dragging me out of the house to play golf.  Apparently this thing has consumed every waking hour for the past few days.

Picked up some mirror clips at Home Depot.  I figure between them on the top and some industrial stength velcro on the sides this plexi isnt going ANYWHERE.

BTW, I posted this in the artwork section, but my wife is requesting a quote "hot brunette with big (dont want to get edited but you get the idea) for sideart.  Im terrible with artwork...can anyone help me out here?