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Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: flampoo on February 13, 2004, 11:58:08 am

Title: Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 13, 2004, 11:58:08 am: I had a leftover sheet of of MDF along with some other scraps so I decided to build a Mini MAME for my daughter to use when she old enough to appreciate games. (she's only 3 months at the moment, but I'll get her started early).
It's still quite virgin in its identity, but over the course of time I'm sure it will blossom in to quite the miniature cab. It currently stands 4' tall with an uncharacteristically wide 28" CP. Oinks. I know it's nothing sexy, but I plan on giving this one the chromed out look. It'll be a Bling Bling Mini MAME.

(http://www.flampoo.com/images/mcmame/minimame.jpg)
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Stingray on February 13, 2004, 12:01:29 pm: With a toy like that waiting for her, your daughter should be able to stand up in no time!

-S
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: BobbyG66 on February 13, 2004, 12:25:11 pm: Quote from: Stingray on February 13, 2004, 12:01:29 pm
With a toy like that waiting for her, your daughter should be able to stand up in no time!

-S
And she will be working on her hand/eye coordination!
The wife will be proud!

Nice design you got there!

It looks great, can't wait to see more progress. I had thought about doing a laptop mame, for the car or camping. You could use a Playstation controller plugged into the serial port and load up mame on the laptop. Would be cool if it works...
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 13, 2004, 03:11:39 pm: I thought about using pegboard for the backside... Constant ventillation! Add a couple hinges and a hasp... Could work.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Harakiri on February 13, 2004, 04:02:03 pm: Looks great! Let's see, hard decision for your daughter between Barbies and a arcade cab... ??? ;D
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Witchboard on February 13, 2004, 04:39:15 pm: Nah, it's got 2 controllers. She can have arcade parties instead of tea parties. Nice thing is she will always win. ;D

Looks promising.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 17, 2004, 01:34:04 am: Got sick of the bland box look, so I did some work on it this weekend. Now it looks more like an arcade... Although I lost some depth and I think my monitor might protrude from the backside slightly, but that doesn't bother me so much.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: HagHore on February 17, 2004, 03:53:59 pm: Looks good. Have you thought about mounting the control panel flush with the top of the sides? Might be something to think about when dealing with a narrow cab like a mini for that little bit of extra hand room.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 17, 2004, 05:02:29 pm: I considered it, but the CP is about 28" wide... So it's not really hurting for space. Maybe when this one is done and I build another mini, I'll build a mounted, sizeable CP. I'll invite a bunch of midgets over and watch in glee as they play my mini's.
Oh, the joy!
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Stingray on February 18, 2004, 08:53:14 am: 28 inches is plenty wide for the controls your panel sports. What a cool dad you are!

-S
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 22, 2004, 12:45:29 am: Primed.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 22, 2004, 12:46:56 am: Painted. I've actually since painted it all black as I came up with a better idea for sideart.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: pcdoctor on February 22, 2004, 06:45:54 am: Wow!
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Grasshopper on February 22, 2004, 07:45:02 am: Clever idea for the sideart. Cheap but effective.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: HagHore on February 22, 2004, 09:10:31 am: Wow, didn't realize you basically had a full width cab, in that case forget my statement. The minis Nannuu & I (mostly Nannuu) are building have 17" wide control panels.

As to the sideart, wow, I really liked that black/white you had painted, definitely eye catching. Can't wait to see what else you had in mind since you say you've painted over that neat looking scheme.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: SirPeale on February 22, 2004, 09:22:14 am: You should have kept it with the alternating black/white motif. That looks hella cool!
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 22, 2004, 12:23:46 pm: It's going to have a similar design... Just different colors.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: crashwg on February 22, 2004, 01:08:32 pm: Might I suggest not centering the center. I think it would look pretty cool. 8)
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 22, 2004, 02:00:59 pm: I plan on covering the center portion with a Mario graphic.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Zakk on February 23, 2004, 10:59:56 am: I just saw this cab, and I really liked the black/white paintjob! You painted that over??? Oh well, I look forward to the next pics, but I may just have to steal your idea one day. That could start a whole new trend here, replacing the lighting tack paper! :)
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: crashwg on February 23, 2004, 11:27:32 am: Might I ask how you plan to mount the speakers in there? I am also making a mini, and it looks as though we will both have trouble fitting them in.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 23, 2004, 02:24:06 pm: Yeah, I kinda' screwed myself for space behind the marquee... Inside the two sheets of MDF I have about 4 inches of space. Luckily for me I have some slim speakers that barely fit. Despite that, I plan on mounting the speakers on each side of the monitor. I'll drill some holes through the plexiglass to give it the look.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: Ed ONeill on February 23, 2004, 06:38:23 pm: A car speaker might work crachwg.

Signed
ED
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: paigeoliver on February 24, 2004, 05:08:18 am: One suggestion for those building for children.

Young (6 and under) kids LOVE cocktails. They can play them while standing up. And once they get older they can play them sitting.

A good compromise machine usuable by both dad and the kids (without taking up a buttload of space) would be a single sided cocktail (which could go up against the wall or in a row of uprights). The kids can play it standing, and dad/mom can play it using a chair.

I built one like that once. It is a pretty quick and easy build. To imagine it, think of a standard classic upright, then chop it off at the control panel (with the monitor facing straight up), and then lower it down until the panel is at cocktail level. Note, I am not saying to modify an upright that way, I am just saying that is what it looks like.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: crashwg on February 24, 2004, 06:30:01 am: That's some good advice paige. Makes a heck of alot of sense too. Peronaly I don't like cocktails that much, they just don't give me the arcade feel, plus I think it is just cooler/ more of a novelty to build a mini. Sure is gonna be hard to keep the woman from putting her crap on top of it though... :-\
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: paigeoliver on February 24, 2004, 07:25:04 am: Quote from: crashwg on February 24, 2004, 06:30:01 am
That's some good advice paige. Makes a heck of alot of sense too. Peronaly I don't like cocktails that much, they just don't give me the arcade feel, plus I think it is just cooler/ more of a novelty to build a mini. Sure is gonna be hard to keep the woman from putting her crap on top of it though... :-\

Oh I forgot one other thing. That one sided cocktail design is also easily modified into a pseudo upright simply by adding a base to it.

I also like to pimp that design around because it is the only cabinet I ever built from scratch.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 25, 2004, 12:57:13 am: I finally got in the balltops and pushbuttons I ordered. I also printed out my sideart at work. We've got a few Epson 1280's so I can do 11x17". I also laminated the front and put adhesive on the back.
I temporarily taped the Mario sideart on the side just to get a feel for the color scheme. I'm actually going back to the original paint job 'cept I'll be chaning the white to red with small white outlines.
Now all I need for this bad boy is another keywiz and a PC. Hmmm.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: crashwg on February 25, 2004, 01:20:36 am: I love it. Killer idea on the paint I think that will look awesome.

BTW, I too am building a mini for my 5
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: zorg on February 25, 2004, 04:51:53 am: Quote from: flampoo on February 25, 2004, 12:57:13 am
I also printed out my sideart at work.

Geeeeee ;)
what a nice Mario Artwork ;)
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 25, 2004, 09:11:42 am: You'll never guess where I found it.
Title: Re:Mini MAME
Post by: flampoo on February 25, 2004, 10:12:32 am: UPDATE