Author Topic: "Mame Mania" - First Mame Cab - Finally Getting there! Lots of pics (Read 19877 times)

acevedor2 · « **on:** February 04, 2007, 07:33:19 pm »

Well I have been gaming with Mame for darn near 3 years now and I finally decided I needed to have me one of them there Mame cabinets. I almost bought one of the Arcade Legends Cabinets when I saw it at my local Costco, but it just didn't seem worth almost $4k! So I decided to build one of my own. That was about 4 months ago. It has taken me several months to acquire all of the pieces - well most of the pieces anyway. Needless to say 4 months and about $1500 later I am finally getting started building the darned thing.

Some basics about the cab and it's design. Firstly I am using Scott's Unicade as the baseline for my work (http://home.austin.rr.com/shumate/unicade/). That said, I have modified several aspects. The primary difference is in the monitor.

I thought long and hard and finally decided to go with a 27" TV instead of an arcade monitor. The fact is that I dislike small monitors and the other options were just too pricey. LCD's are getting more affordable, but they are widescreen in presentation. I play a lot of classics so I didn't want the widescreen look. Arcade monitors are nice, but pricey. Ideally I would have liked the Billabs 27 in multimode. But at $600 I just couldn't do it. So I settled on a Sharp 27" standard (not flat) screen. It looks great. The resolution in Windows is not that great (and is to be expected), but this is a dedicated Mame cab and with the exception of some admin, I won't be using it in windows. As you can see, the picture looks great.

The second decision was control panel layout. For those who have seen my other posts, this was a major decision headache for me. I really did want an all in one. I know some don't agree with that, but frankly I won't have the time or money to build another one any time soon so I wanted this one to be able to play all the games I love. So I incoporated the following:

- Happ 3" trackball
- Slikstik Spinner
- MsPacMan Reuinion 4 way
- Happ dual button Trigger Stick
- 2 Ultimarc MagStik Plus 4/8 way joysticks which are switchable from up top.

Some will say that is a lot to put on the control panel and that is true, but since the CP is a good size (34.5 x 17) they all fit fine. I used Visio to design the CP and then had it printed at FEDEX Kinko's. It was only $4.50 for 2 copies and they work great.

Another question I wrestled with was what kind of wood to use - MDF or Plywood. In the end I decided to stick with MDF. It was far cheaper and since I had already decided I was laminating the sides, it would have been a waste of money for me to choose MDF. That said, MDF is heavy! I am glad this thing will eventually be on wheels. It is important for me to say here that I am a complete noob at woodworking - or at least I was before I started this project!

One of the best tools I could have bought so far was my Bosch lainate trimmer (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=226729-353-PR20EVSK&lpage=none). I really do consider it a mini router. It was $119 at Lowes, is variable speed, and is very versatile. I have used it for all of my routing needs so far. As far as bits are concerned, I have found MLCS' prices and shipping to be great. That said, I am not impressed with the quality of their bits. I have had 2 dull on me very quickly (even when I was using them properly

) and I have had one other fall apart. The bearing separated fromt he shaft and almost took my hand off. Needless to say, since then I have stuck with Bosch bits from Lowes. No issues so far with those. I am not saying not to go with MLCS, I would just say make sure you get their Katana bits vice the standard bits. This is, of course, just my opinion. I am sure plenty of others have had no problems.

And finally, the last major decision was what PC specs to build to. This is a point of much debate, but what i have learned over the last couple of years is that each build of Mame that comes out requires a better PC to run it. This is a good thing. It means the developers are capitalizing on the specs available and building a better emulation. That said, I play all kinds of games, some classic and some more recent. Bottom line is I wanted to build a fairly powerful machine. Though it is not built yet, my cab's PC will have a minimum of a P4 3.2G CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB Hard Drive. I have most of the PC parts, but decided to save that for last since building it willbe the easy part.

Ok - so now that all that is out of the way, on to some progress. I built the CP box and panel and cut the holes, including those for the joystick with a 1 1/8" Forstner bit. The forstner bit takes longer to drill, but lets you avoid the problem of clearing the bit after each use like the hole saw requires. I haven't yet cut the hole for the trackball or the rectangular hole required for the Trigger stick. That is on the agenda for next weekend.

You might notice that the front sides of the CP Box are slotted because I was going to paint the CP box and then put T-Molding in those slots. I changed my mind last week and decided to cover the entire CP box with Laminate. This stuff is pretty easy to work with and looks great. The hand held router (laminate cutter) mentioned above worked awesome. It was a little slow going because you really can only do one side at a time and the glue has to dry for 20-30 minutes before you can stick the piece to the side. And then you haveto cut it out. Well worth the effort though. The pictures do not do it justice. It really does look like it was bought from a store.

And lastly, the artwork. I had these done by MameMarquees and I can say that Scott's customer service is fantastic. The product looks great and the responsiveness of his company is top-notch! I went with the Ultimate stuff he sells and had him do the Marquee, SideArt and CPO.

Well, that's it for now. I hope to make more progress next weekend and will post regular updates. While I am not nearly as proficient as building a cab as many of our forum experts, I welcome your feedback and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. I have certainly made several mistakes in the last month or two -like putting the slot cuutter in upside down - I didn't think it mattered....it does!

Cheers.

leapinlew · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2007, 07:41:55 pm »

Nice work dude! I'll be following this project.

I'll be curious to hear what you think of the magstiks after you've used them for a while.

leapinlew · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2007, 08:19:45 pm »

Now that I think about it I have some questions:

1. Where did you get the laminate?
2. How much was it? (if you don't mind)
3. What bit did you use to trim the laminate?
4. What kind of glue did you use with the laminate?
5. Was it hard to do the corners (where the edges meet)?

I ask because I'm contemplating building a small cabinet and I want to do laminate instead of paint also.

Thanks!

acevedor2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2007, 09:08:13 pm »

Lew -
No sweat. Here are some answers for you.

1. Laminate was from Home Depot. You can get it either 2'x4' or 4'x8'. I chose the 4'x8' ft because I will use the rest in the project.
2. Not sure how much the 2'x4' was but the 4'x8' was $46. Kind of pricey, but man what a difference in appearance. It really does make a difference.
3. I used a Skill Laminate trimming bit that I got from Lowes. 1/4" collet, 1/2" dia, 1/2" length. I ordered a couple from MLCS, but they hadn't gotten here when I decided to cut the laminate so I went to Lowes and picked that one up. The MLCS ones will probably work just fine - once or twice....
4. I used the Wilson Art International H2O Glue. It comes in quarts and gallons. I got the quart and in my opinion it will be enough for the entire cab. It is in a white bucket in the laminate section of Home Depot.
5. The corners were surprisingly easy. The bearing of the bit just glided right around and the corners were perfect.

This was my first time using any of this stuff and I found it surprisingly easy to use. One word of advice is make sure you watch the glue dry. You have to coat both pieces and then wait until the glue dissappears and turns clear. If you wait too long, you have to recoat it. Doesn't ruin it, just wastes time. Also use dowels to position the laminate over the work piece. Then you can pull the dowels out one at a time time as you press the pieces together.

jlfreund · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2007, 11:01:36 pm »

Quote from: acevedor2 on February 04, 2007, 09:08:13 pm

Lew -
No sweat. Here are some answers for you.

1. Laminate was from Home Depot. You can get it either 2'x4' or 4'x8'. I chose the 4'x8' ft because I will use the rest in the project.
2. Not sure how much the 2'x4' was but the 4'x8' was $46. Kind of pricey, but man what a difference in appearance. It really does make a difference.
3. I used a Skill Laminate trimming bit that I got from Lowes. 1/4" collet, 1/2" dia, 1/2" length. I ordered a couple from MLCS, but they hadn't gotten here when I decided to cut the laminate so I went to Lowes and picked that one up. The MLCS ones will probably work just fine - once or twice....
4. I used the Wilson Art International H2O Glue. It comes in quarts and gallons. I got the quart and in my opinion it will be enough for the entire cab. It is in a white bucket in the laminate section of Home Depot.
5. The corners were surprisingly easy. The bearing of the bit just glided right around and the corners were perfect.

This was my first time using any of this stuff and I found it surprisingly easy to use. One word of advice is make sure you watch the glue dry. You have to coat both pieces and then wait until the glue dissappears and turns clear. If you wait too long, you have to recoat it. Doesn't ruin it, just wastes time. Also use dowels to position the laminate over the work piece. Then you can pull the dowels out one at a time time as you press the pieces together.

I'm curious why you didn't go with the Mameroom UAII kit? The raw materials and tools you bought maybe cost $300+, and the kit could be had for $650 shipped, and could probably cut the build time of the project in half.

I'm also looking forward to see how you like the Magstick Plus -- I didn't like mine because it's hard to hit horizontal/vertical movements.

Keep up the good work!

-Jason

acevedor2 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2007, 11:04:35 pm »

Thanks Jason. I considered the UAII Kit. In fact I really like the way it looks. That said, I really wanted to see if I could make this myself. Again, I was brand new at woodworking before this started and I have already learned a tremendous amount.
Cheers.

clockwork · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:46:42 am »

Quote from: jlfreund on February 04, 2007, 11:01:36 pm

I'm curious why you didn't go with the Mameroom UAII kit? The raw materials and tools you bought maybe cost $300+, and the kit could be had for $650 shipped, and could probably cut the build time of the project in half.

To me this explains exactly why I'd rather build my own. All my materials and tools cost almost half the price, and now I have tools that I can use on future projects. Not to mention, it's fun to have the experience of building it. It's also much more gratifying. It'll be great to tell friends and relatives that I built it from scratch.

Project's looking good so far, Ace. I really like that CP design. How did you create that?

Loki · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2007, 08:52:23 am »

Looks good so far!

And I agree, a cab you build yourself is a lot better then a IKEA cab ^^

acevedor2 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2007, 12:42:35 pm »

Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

Bremil,

The CP layout was made using Visio and I can upload the file if you would like it.

A far as the CPO, I can't take any credit for the artwork since that was all Scott at MameMarquees. I saw something I kind of liked on his website but not exactly. So I sent him an email and told him what I wanted it to look like and he made it. I would highly recommend them!

spooler · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2007, 01:58:34 pm »

Could you please upload the visio file. I really like your layout.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2007, 06:07:38 pm »

Thanks Spooler. Here you go. Let me know if you need anything else.
Cheers!

http://www.filefactory.com/file/6e7b01

Knievel · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2007, 07:44:05 pm »

Looking good so far. My kids would LOVE that artwork

acevedor2 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2007, 07:10:32 pm »

Well, I have made a little more progress.

The computer is built. Final specs are
- Pentium D 3.4 GHZ
- 2GB DDR2 667 MHZ RAM
- 250GB SATA Hard Drive
- Belkin Wireless PCI Card
- NVIDIA 7600 GT 256MB DDR3

Some of the components were a trade off. I would have liked to put a CORE 2 Duo in there, but it was a little pricey. The difference in price between the P4 3.4GHZ and the Pentium D 3.4GHZ was fairly negligible. One thing I felt pretty strong about was the video card. I know lots of people like the ATI cards. That said, I have been using the NVIDIA cards for years and they have served me great. It would take a lot to get me to switch. Aditionally, this card has S-Video to COMPONENT cables and the picture is phenomenal using that input.

I got the CP recesses routed and the Lexan cut. The only thing still left to cut is the hole for the trackball. I hope to get to that sometime this weekend. I also chamfered the Lexan. It came out great! Thanks for the advice Lew! I can't stress enough - practice first.

One thing I have to do now is to put the trackball munting plate in place and then bondo over it. I plan on doing the same thing to the trigger joy mount. I cut the recess for the trackball mount just a tad deeper than I would have liked so it does not sit flush but rather just below flush. I want to make sure my artwork sticks properly so I am going to bond and sand the mount. I also cut a hole in the side of the PC and installed a rubber grommet. I wired up and tested the switch - now a regular Happ button will power my PC. I will also use the same hole to run the wires through to the power supply for the other accessories (lights for the coin door, trackball, etc.)

That's all for now. Cheers.

clockwork · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2007, 08:07:06 pm »

Nice work. How'd you cut the lexan? And why lexan vs. plexiglass? Just curious about the difference.

On the ATI, I have always preferred ATI cards. The only reason I started using nVidia is because most of the games (MMOs mostly) specifically support the nVidia chips. For MAME that doesn't seem to be an issue. If I buy a MAME-dedicated card, it will probably be an ATI.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2007, 08:34:46 pm »

Quote from: Bremil on February 09, 2007, 08:07:06 pm

Nice work. How'd you cut the lexan? And why lexan vs. plexiglass? Just curious about the difference.

On the ATI, I have always preferred ATI cards. The only reason I started using nVidia is because most of the games (MMOs mostly) specifically support the nVidia chips. For MAME that doesn't seem to be an issue. If I buy a MAME-dedicated card, it will probably be an ATI.

Thanks. I cut the Lexan using the Bosch Laminate Trimmer/Mini-Router. There is a link to it at the top of the thread. I love it! Very versatile. I decided on Lexan rather than Plexi just based on strength. Lexan is much stronger than Plexi. Since this will have hands and arms and ...beers.. on it all the time, I wanted the top to be fairly sturdy. I am sure Plexi would have worked just as good. I cut the holes in the plexi the same way.

Basically I lined up the plexi on the CP that I had already cut the holes in from my template and I clamped the two together. Then I used a 3/4" spade bit to cut the initial holes in the plexi (through the existing holes in the CP). Then I inserted the router with the pattern bit into each hole and routed it out. Sounds complicated but it was very simple and I am a true Newbie!

Chamfering the edge was just as easy using the same router. Trick is to practice on scrap until you get the height you want. It only took a couple of tries for me on scrap before i had it where I wanted it.

Cheers!

miles2912 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2007, 02:51:24 am »

Nice to see another mame cab based on scotts design. The only thing I did different was raise the CP up an inch. I used 4" casters instead of 3" and just made the necessary adjustments. I really like the added height and it plays out great.

One of the challenges with scotts cab is the casters are hidden. Putting on brakes is tough because you can't get to them. I will be curious to see what you come up with.

The frame plus the weight of the MDF make a very solid cab. When your buddies are pounding out in a street fighter game you will be glad that it is heavy and built solid. Let me know if I can help.

Don

acevedor2 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2007, 07:57:02 am »

Thanks Don! I hope to start constructing the acual cab in the next couple of weeks. Work...and weather...permitting. Unfortunately I only have a 1 car garage now and it has my 66 Olds Toronado in it, so not much room to work in there. I am sure I will end up picking your brain.
Cheers,
Ray

waldo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2007, 06:53:47 pm »

Love the side art, looks like jsut what i was looking for.

Knievel · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2007, 10:56:18 pm »

If you overcut a trackball recess you can shim the plate from underneath(between the plate and the top of the MDF) with some cardboard. You can really tweak the height of the plate to be perfect with the CP surface.

Regarding Plexi/Lexan I always use Plexi as it doesn't scratch as easily as Lexan. Lexan is softer which makes it easier to cut..but you can scratch it with your fingernails.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2007, 09:46:09 pm »

Thanks guys - and thanks for the tip K. I will try the cardboard and see what I can do to bring it up. I will still probably bondo the edges, but if I don't have to bondo the entire thing that will be great. Will the cardboard settle over time (compress)?

leapinlew · « **Reply #20 on:** February 12, 2007, 10:10:11 pm »

Quote from: acevedor2 on February 12, 2007, 09:46:09 pm

Thanks guys - and thanks for the tip K. I will try the cardboard and see what I can do to bring it up. I will still probably bondo the edges, but if I don't have to bondo the entire thing that will be great. Will the cardboard settle over time (compress)?

Once it's bolted to the trackball - you'll be A OK!

mlyday · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2007, 10:04:30 am »

Can you post a close up pic of the corners of the box. Also what type of bit did you use on those, are the flush trimmed or is there a bevel.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2007, 12:54:41 am »

Sure will. I'll post some more pics on Thursday of the corners. I won't be able to get to it until then. I used a flush laminate trimming bit that I got from Lowes. Cheers.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:53:40 am »

Well I have been out of town on business so I haven't been able to get much more done. The only real progress was getting the hinges (they had to be ordered) and then installing them in the CP. You can see from the pics that I haven't installed the top yet. I will do that today and post more pics so everyone can see how it opens. I know I had a lot of questions about these hinges originally. It looks as if they will work great though. I have also attached pics of the corners as requested. Some look like they are white but it is just a reflection, they look great in person. Cheers,

acevedor2 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 19, 2007, 05:46:04 pm »

Ok, a little more progress. Top hinges are set and top is on good. I installed the joys to test fit and they look good. I will leave the bases in so I can bondo the screw/bolt holes. Only down side is that if I ever have to replace the bases I will be hosed. I also got the Happ trigger joy base plate in and the Happ track ball mounting plate in. I have to bondo both of those so the seams are nice and smooth. This will make sure that the artwork goes on nicely.

leapinlew · « **Reply #25 on:** February 19, 2007, 06:45:59 pm »

Ace,

If your putting artwork on and lexan - I wouldn't bother putting bondo over the joysticks or plates. I don't think people do that normally either. I wouldn't even stick the artwork down. I'd just trim it and slide it in. You can ask around, but I think you'll find that not many people bondo over their joystick holes. You may need to get them out some day - either for different/better sticks or for maintenance.

One thing to consider for future reference is to secure your joysticks from the bottom. That way you can replace them without having to take off your CPO and lexan.

It's looking good bro. Keep up the good work.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #26 on:** February 19, 2007, 06:51:51 pm »

Thanks Lew. The only reason I was thinking of bondoing the holes and plates is because they are slightly recessed from the top. Not a super large amount, but enough that I am worried about the artwork adhering and laying flat. I hadn't though of just putting the artwork on and then the lexan, maybe I should give that a try. Do you think the artwork will lay flat and stay down - even over the uneven plates? Also, maybe I should just plastic wood filler. That way it will level it out and if I ever need to get them out I just have to scrape away a little filler. Thanks again.

leapinlew · « **Reply #27 on:** February 19, 2007, 06:56:13 pm »

All mine stays even and down. The big issue was my plexi. It wanted to curl up on the corners and I had no choice but to stick some carriage bolts on near the corners. My bartop is fine, but my showcase needed the bolts - heres a pic of what I was talking about:

You can see the 4 bolts I needed to use to hold down the plexi.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #28 on:** February 19, 2007, 07:18:16 pm »

Did you use anything to stick your artwork down, or did you just put it under the plexi?

leapinlew · « **Reply #29 on:** February 19, 2007, 07:19:58 pm »

I just put it under the plexi.

If I took off all the buttons and those 4 carriage bolts, I could lift off the plexi and the artwork.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #30 on:** February 19, 2007, 07:41:17 pm »

Thanks! I might just have to try that. Next on my to do list is to prime and paint the CP top, install the artwork and lexan and then start wiring her up. I still have to cut out the hole for the trackball in the Lexan. I have cut all other holes in the plexi, but I just haven't gotten around to the track ball hole. I have to get a hole saw big enough and I just didn't have one on hand.... Cheers.

leapinlew · « **Reply #31 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:08:17 pm »

cutting the trackball hole after the panel is made might be the most difficult way of going about it.

Do you have a router with a flush trim bit? Thats what I used to cut my hole.

leapinlew · « **Reply #32 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:12:43 pm »

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I found my showcase cabinet in the project announcement. At the bottom of page 1 and finishing on page 2 is how I cut my trackball hole in the plexi.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55021.0
(toot! toot!)

The difference is, I cut my trackball hole first. By doing this, I didn't have to perfectly cut a centered hole later.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #33 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:15:42 pm »

Very good point! Live and learn. What Ihave decided I will do is mark the hole on center which shouldn't be too hard. Then I am going to make a jig from a scrap piece of MDF. And then route the hole out. I know it sounds a little complicated for such a minor task, but I really would hate to screw it up now.

leapinlew · « **Reply #34 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:19:03 pm »

Quote from: acevedor2 on February 19, 2007, 08:15:42 pm

Very good point! Live and learn. What Ihave decided I will do is mark the hole on center which shouldn't be too hard. Then I am going to make a jig from a scrap piece of MDF. And then route the hole out. I know it sounds a little complicated for such a minor task, but I really would hate to screw it up now.

Thats what I did - the cool thing is - you can use that jig later if you need to cut out another hole for some reason.

leapinlew · « **Reply #35 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:27:11 pm »

I just had a great idea.

It's either be great or it'll blow up in your face.

Take all the buttons off your CP
Put your Lexan on the CP box - leaving the trackball plate on
Secure it down with a few buttons
Drill a hole where the trackball is

Be very careful with the last step - you could really screw up the trackball plate. The flush trim bit will eat through the trackball plate if your guide isn't spot on

Set the depth with your flush mount bit to ride along the trackball plate
Cut out the hole

Of course, the biggest method is prep. Make sure your CP is securely fastened. double/triple check router bit is riding on the edge of the trackball plate and not cutting into it.

Good luck - take some pictures.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #36 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:58:54 pm »

Unfortunately, the lip of the trackball plate is not thick enough. The router bit has a slight space between the bearing and the start of the blade. That space is just enough so that the bearing won't ride on the plate and still cut the plexi where it needs.

Oh well, guess it will have to be the jig...

I am going to try and cut it tomorrow or Wednesday. I'll post pics.

leapinlew · « **Reply #37 on:** February 19, 2007, 09:01:12 pm »

I understand. It's risky business, but thats how I did it.

Good luck! Your cab seems like it's being built pretty steady and quick.

acevedor2 · « **Reply #38 on:** February 20, 2007, 04:08:01 pm »

Ok, I got the hole for the trackball cut and chamfered. I actually used the method Lew mentioned with one exeception. The trackball comes with a small rectangular plate when used with the large rectangular mounting plate. I used carpet tape and fixed that to the underneath of the hole and then routed and chamfered it. Worked like a champ. Gotta love that double sided carpet tape. I decided to fill in the gaps and bolt gholes on the top with plastic wood filler. It is actually looking pretty good. Should be dried shortly and then I can sand it. I'll post pics later. Cheers

acevedor2 · « **Reply #39 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:24:04 pm »

Ok, here she is. Ready for prime and paint of the CP top.


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