Johnny T Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 (edited) Hi all, I'm currently in the process of building my own cabinet. I built one a few years ago but there's a lot I would change about it so I decided to take the plunge and have another go. I'm hoping it's going to have a modular control panel to enable me to swap out controls to play different games (steering wheel / joysticks etc). I'll say up front that I'm not a woodworker! I do have quite a few tools as I'm a keen DIY'er but I've never been taught anything to do with woodwork (or DIY in general) so this isn't going to look anything like as good as some of the home-built cabinets you see knocking about. I thought I would put up a few photos of the progress in here in the off-chance people find it interesting and it might help someone else who's planning on having a go at it to start their own project... It's built out of 18mm MDF for the sides and visible parts and 18mm Plywood for the base / top and non-visible parts. Edited April 27, 2020 by Johnny T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 I'm going to be using an "extended LCD" as a dynamic marquee at the top. So I cut a bezel for it out of some 3mm board I found in the shed. I needed something to hold it in place so just shaped a couple of bits of gash wood I had and mounted them to the top strut so they would rotate and hold the LCD in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 Next was making a shelf for the stereo speakers to sit on. I'm going to have a small sub woofer in the base of the machine as well. I've wrapped the shelf with some audio felt stuff that they use in cars. It should stop the speakers from rattling. I've put brass hooks either side of them and an elastic band to hold them in place (I told you this wasn't a Rolls Royce!!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 Next was a shelf and a bezel for the monitor. The monitor had a fixed stand with it and I actually had to jigsaw the front part of the plastic stand away to get the monitor to sit close enough to the bezel. The bezel is made out of 6mm MDF board that I got from B&Q this weekend. It's cheap but sturdy enough for the job and should look good when its painted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted May 5, 2020 Author Share Posted May 5, 2020 Well... as promised... another update on the build. I worked on it all weekend and also had Monday as a holiday from work but didn't get very far as it was really slow and frustrating progress. I couldn't get the control panel to lift up without hitting the monitor bezel. I tried various hinges and mounting brackets so I wasted a LOT of time building and rebuilding things. I've made the control panel four bloody times so far!!! Anyhoo... getting somewhere now.... I decided to put a radius on the front of it as I think it looks nicer and it also gives you something to lift it with (the sticky-out bit). I've put a pull-out drawer in for the keyboard and mouse and made a cover for it from 6mm MDF so that it looks tidy and the wires from the buttons etc won't snag on it or inadvertently press keys etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 A lot more progress over the last few weeks. Here are some more progress photos.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 And at the weekend I finally managed to play my first game of Frogger on it!!!! Still a LOAD of work needs doing on the control panel / wiring / LEDs / software set up etc... but good to finally have a game on it after all the hard work so far ? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjalo Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 It looks great! I still haven't gotten around to building my cab, of course the wife and I are waiting until we buy a house so it will have a permanent home, mainly because I'm going to use a 32" Sony Trinitron for the monitor, so it's going to be a beast and not easily moved lol. I do have a temporary cab though, I modded an Arcade1Up SFII cab with IL sticks and Happ buttons, it runs off of a Pi3b. It's fun as hell, but definitely want to build a full size cab eventually. Keep up the good work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny T Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 8 hours ago, ninjalo said: It looks great! I still haven't gotten around to building my cab, of course the wife and I are waiting until we buy a house so it will have a permanent home, mainly because I'm going to use a 32" Sony Trinitron for the monitor, so it's going to be a beast and not easily moved lol. I do have a temporary cab though, I modded an Arcade1Up SFII cab with IL sticks and Happ buttons, it runs off of a Pi3b. It's fun as hell, but definitely want to build a full size cab eventually. Keep up the good work! Thanks ninja! Yep, 32" CRT is going to be massive and very heavy!! Make sure your dimensions will fit through doors etc. Quite a few people make removable control panels just so that the cab is moveable around the house. I think mine would *just* fit through the back door into the house if I took off the T-molding but I'm hoping to not have to move it for many years as it lives inside a summerhouse I put in the garden. Good luck with your project. Would be nice to post some photos when you get started. I've enjoyed building this cabinet so far. It's a lot of stress trying to get everything right but it's a nice feeling when you finally get to a stage where you can play something. ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoltonLogan Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) Even if you're not a woodworking pro, your enthusiasm and DIY spirit will make it special. Using 18mm MDF and plywood is a great start; those materials are sturdy choices. Your idea of a modular control panel is genius—it adds versatility! Don't worry about perfection; it's all about the fun and functionality. Sharing your progress here is fantastic; it could inspire others diving into their projects. If you ever need tips or advice, consider checking out resources like starkbuilders.com.au for helpful insights and guidance. Edited January 14 by KoltonLogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damageinc86 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Ohhh, yeah, that modular stuff is neat! I really want a recroommasters cab, but their 4-way stick and spinner is way up at the top of the control panel above the other sticks and trackball. I will probably settle for it, but I don't like the idea of having to reach up there to play 4-way games. This modular idea would be nice to have on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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