Introducing the Crocade

[thorus]

yes I do finally have a name.  It was my wife's suggestion and I do like where I sleep so it got its name.

Design goals:
I want a CHEAP mame cabinet that will also emulate console games.  This cabinet will be limited to two players to help keep costs down.

Current progress:  initial design phase and procurement

Costs:

-----------------Item-----------------	--------Cost--------
Joysticks and buttons	$30 + $3.50 s/h
GP-Wiz MAX 32 Controller	$32 + $5 s/h
More Buttons	$5.40

Have Laying around:
19" KDS monitor
Computer (don't know which one I will use, all are Athlon XP era though)
Scrap wood that will be useful for structural support where needed

Left to purchase:
Wood (5/8" plywood, looks like maybe MDF)
casters (maybe)
speakers
speaker covers
Plexiglass (or Lexan)
paint
marquee / CP art
t-molding
Case fans
....

I'll keep this post updated for current status and allow later posts to show my progress.

[btp2k2]

May I recommend using MDF rather than ply wood?

MDF looks MUCH better than ply after getting the paint treatment.

[IG-88]

I love the "cheap" builds. People can get so inventive when it comes to saving money. What are you planning on using for software? How about artwork? Spystyle has a good tutorial on making your own artwork right off your own printer. Keep us posted with lots of pics.

[thorus]

Here is a the first layouts for the control panel.  Also I was planning plywood to keep weight down.  If you notice the trackball I'm not planning on putting it in later hopefully before I do the artwork, since that might really difficult.



And this is close up view of on of the player's layouts.



What do you guy's think?  Any words of wisdom?

[thorus]

As far as software goes I'm planning on making my own front-end in Python (intended to run on linux).  Me and some friends are gonna write it.  But that is not a project for this month so keep in eye on the software forum for info about that.  Also I have a 13" wide epson Photo printer so I could print 13" x 100' if I wanted.  Which would allow for Marquee and Control Panel artwork printing.

[thorus]

Well I guess I should also show my plans for the cabinet itself.  Below is the initial plans for the arcade.  Since I'm using a spare 19" computer monitor and have no plans to upgrade it beyond a 20" LCD computer monitor I have opted for a smaller cab design.  I don't want to overpower the small screen size with a huge bezel or anything.  Also this will make it easier since the I plan on housing this cabinet in an upstairs family room.  The design is a two parter to make more efficient use of the plywood boards.  And I'm anticipating the control panel internals to be accessed by the panel flipping toward the user.  Although I may make the panel removable.



Back to the MDF and plywood question from earlier.  It was a hard debate between MDF and plywood and I was very tempted go with MDF but since I could just sand the plywood to give it a better painting surface and I want to keep the weight down as much as possible.  Finally I hope to be doing this in the next month or so and ventilation in my garage would be very cold.
 
What I haven't yet designed is the bottom compartment where the computer will be housed, I'm not sure if I'm going to do casters or not since it will be kept on a carpeted floor.  Also I'm still debating on how I want to do the computer access.  Through the front or through the back.  More drawings of that will come.

Please do give me any comments or suggestions you may have about the cabinet or the control panel.

[leapinlew]

As far as the plywood goes. I've had decent luck sanding it, and using drywall compound or wood putty to help remove the grain. I still had to use several coats of primer (with sanding between coats) before the wood grain disappeared. In the end, I wish I used MDF.

[thorus]

Do you think 5/8" MDF would be sturdy enough for the exterior wood?  I have some 3/4" wood I could use for some of the interior support for the computer or monitor.

[metahacker]

what consoles do you plan on emulating?

[thorus]

Pretty much all the popular ones.  I won't be able to play the analog games like mario cart 64 but that will at least give me some abilities with the dreamcast to play games like gauntlet legends.

[IG-88]

IMHO I haven't and will never use MDF. For strength it can't hold a candle too Plywood. It's a fricken mess to work with watch out if it gets wet   As for painting it, you can get the ply with one side thats "finished". Hell, with that size cab you probably can go with "1/2 ply if you braced the corners correctly inside and save all kinds of weight and maybe a little money too. Ya, you may have to do a little more painting prep and some extra sanding but that little work won't seem like much compared to when you have to carry/move this thing. And you will alot more than you think. 


(edited for spelling issues:)

[thorus]

I want to agree with you soooooo much.  But the way that I see it is the only solution is a match to the death MDF vs Plywood who will win?

Truthfully I know I will be moving it around the room that it will be in a few times this next year.  Also I hope to move to another house in the next few of years.  So moving weight is a big thing to me its why I'm not even considering 3/4" even though its just as cheap.

As far as moisture I don't see it as a major issue since I plan on having it inside rooms where I don't want there to be water everywhere. 

[btp2k2]

I have built cabinets with both ply and MDF and I can tell you right now.....if done correctly, MDF can make you a very strong cabinet.

My two current cabinets are made out of 1/2 MDF....very light and very sturdy. When I moved, I had a moving company come in. Those things didn't suffer any damage at all, and those guys were not gentle with them either.

Moisture is a problem for any wood...not just MDF. If sealed properly, you can spill all the beer and soda you want on my MDF cabs and NOTHING is going to get in.

[Bender]

Have you thought about using MDO (plywood made for exterior signs so it has a resign impregnate paper coating covering it)
I'm using 5/8ths on my cab and it's plenty strong
It's a little more expensive but the paper covering is perfect (in fact that is what it was designed for) for painting so you'll save time and money on the paint finishing
MDF is great for CP's cause you can route it like butter but I just don't like the way it holds a screw for structural applications
Although it been done for years with great success

[btp2k2]

That's why you don't use screws. Use polyurethane glue and finishing nails from a nail gun. Take your support, run a good bead of glue down the length and the once in place take your nail gun and slam some nails through it. I have taken a pry bar to it and was not able to pull two pieces apart once that glue sets. The best part of it is you don't have any big screw holes to close up....just putty with your finger tip.

[thorus]

Did you try using regular yellow wood glue? Did it not work?  I've read online that it should work fine for MDF to MDF.

[btp2k2]

yellow wood glue is crap compared to polyurethane glue.

I am sure it works just fine for making a bird house or something for your grandma....but given the beatings we can put on these things, I wouldn't use anything less than this stuff. I glued a little piece of scrap to my neighbors shed as a joke, it's still there

[javeryh]

yellow wood glue is crap compared to polyurethane glue.

Really?  Yellow glue is plenty strong for an arcade cabinet.  I glued a corner using 2 scraps of MDF, waited an hour and when I tried breaking them apart (eventually had to step on it) the MDF failed before the glue did.

[btp2k2]

try polyurethane......You will never touch Elmer's yellow again

[Bender]

That's why you don't use screws. Use polyurethane glue and finishing nails from a nail gun. Take your support, run a good bead of glue down the length and the once in place take your nail gun and slam some nails through it. I have taken a pry bar to it and was not able to pull two pieces apart once that glue sets. The best part of it is you don't have any big screw holes to close up....just putty with your finger tip.

It just depends on your preference,  I like to be able to take everything apart again so I can replace or repair anyting easily, so I screw everthing  from the inside, no glue, no mess, no holes to fill completely reversible

try polyurethane......You will never touch Elmer's yellow again

I think either glue would work great (I prefer the yellow glue because it cleans up with water and does not do strange things like foam out all over my finish and as was mentioned before the MDF will fail before the glue)

[MaximRecoil]

yellow wood glue is crap compared to polyurethane glue.

I am sure it works just fine for making a bird house or something for your grandma....but given the beatings we can put on these things, I wouldn't use anything less than this stuff. I glued a little piece of scrap to my neighbors shed as a joke, it's still there

Elmer's wood glue is plenty strong for this application. You will break the MDF before you will break the glue bond, which is all that matters. Any bond that exceeds the strength of the material that is being bonded is overkill; whether it exceeds it by a factor of 2 or 100, what difference does it make? No structure is stronger than its weakest link (in this case, the weakest link is the MDF).

People generally build MDF subwoofer boxes with drywall screws—to provide the clamping force for the glue to set properly, as well as provide a deeper grip into the wood which helps counteract leverage that could break a bond by shearing off a thin layer of the MDF that the bond is attached to—and glue (usually Elmer's wood glue). I have built several of these myself. These often have a couple of 50 lb. subwoofers mounted to the baffle, deal with the internal pressures created by large speakers being driven by a few kilowatts of power, bounce around in vehicles constantly, and are exposed to all the variations of temperature and humidity associated with being outside constantly.

[theCoder]

I'm not sure if I'm going to do casters or not since it will be kept on a carpeted floor. 

One option is to put two wheels on the back, about 1/8" above the ground.  Just tip the cab back, and it's on wheels.  $3.50 each at Home Depot.  My first project was a conversion of an old Atari cab that had these. 

Back to the MDF and plywood question from earlier.  It was a hard debate between MDF and plywood

This is a religious question around here.  For what it's worth, on my Xcelerator project, I used 3/4" plywood, NO corner braces, and Elmers wood glue (light brown stuff).  It is held together with 2 wood screws every foot put in with a pocket jig.  This thing takes a lot of bizarre forces everytime someone crawls in and out.  It sees more forces in a week and my other cab has seen in its lifetime.  No cracks, creaks, or split paint.  Also, with an extra coat of primer, and some car polish work, the plywood looks smooth as glass.

Good luck with your project.