MadDog's MAME Cab (lotsa pics...)

[8MadDog8]

Hey guys,

Well i have been rather lazy and havent gotten around to putting up the build of my cab, even though its been finished for the last couple of months.

Anyway, here it is:

Warning, lots of pictures!

So to start with i drew up the Cab on Solidworks to make sure it looked how i wanted it. I based the design off Elvis's, but i made a couple of my own changes.



And here are my drawings with all the dimensions that i used:
http://rapidshare.com/files/44123814...ly_Drawing.pdf
http://rapidshare.com/files/44123814...ly_Drawing.pdf
Feel free to use them if you like

This was the laptop that i was originally using. I opened it up and soldered a couple of wires onto the power switch so that it could be turned on and off from a external switch. It worked great while i used the laptop.


Here are the two sides cut out after i marked them up. Note that if you are cutting ply with a circular saw, make sure the good sides are the two in the middle so you dont chip the edges.




This is the bottom half of the control panel box. Very strong so it will be able to handle some punishment


The two sides ready for the middle sections.




Its starting to come together now


Base attached. Pretty sure its strong considering the amount of screws i used :rolleyes


Wheels attached with some re-enforcing on the inside


Starting to look like a real arcade cabinet now


So this is how i positioned the buttons and joystick on the control panel.

I drew up the dimensions in cad first then printed them on A4 and stuck them down where i wanted them.
http://rapidshare.com/files/44123286...ton_Layout.pdf





And now with the front door fitted


Next was the two coin mechs. Going back now i should have only put one in and not two.

[8MadDog8]

And the door lock was next


Next the speaker panel with the two grills


Then i put the drawer together and fitted it to the cab. This actually turned out better than i expected.


Fitting the monitor was fairly easy seen it was a lcd. I just removed the stand and used a bit of flat bar and bolts. Turned out rather good and the monitor can easily be removed.




And with the monitor in the cab. Looks ok to me




Then i fitted up the joysticks and buttons, just to make sure everything was in the correct place before it got painted


And it lives!


The simple on/off button out of the way a little. Just turns the computer on/off


Drawer was just the right size for the keyboard that i had


All the joysticks and buttons wired up. A bit messy seen it was just temporary. In the end, the control panel flips forward nicely


Some wiring for the on/off switch and coin mechs


Laptop in place, with the computer speaker sub and awesome coin buckets


Next it was all pulled apart after it was tested so it could all be painted. The overlay went on nicely and turned out really good.


Cabinet after a couple of coats of semi mat black


Then the joysticks and buttons had to go back in


Speakers in place and the ebay special leds to light up the marquee

[8MadDog8]

The marquee turned up from the US and was recessed into the panel. Would have mounted it differently if i did it again.


Marquee lights up when the computer is turned on (running of comps psu)


Cabinet was lugged upstairs (damn heavy to carry upstairs) and placed in the spare room






The SNES and N64 controllers to be used with the emus


Due to the laptop overheating, it was ditched for a PC. I put this together from 2nd parts, but its still pretty powerful. E8400, 2Gb and HD4870.


And its finally ready for a game!!!




So in the end the cabinet is running mame 0.139, SNES and N64 emus using Maximus Arcade. Maximus does the job great with screenshots, vids, favourite, etc...
The cab is also running SF4 which gets a good workout

I was originally using JLWs for the joysticks, but i didnt like the restrictors. So i ended up getting some JLFs and making up some custom mounts, so that i could use the mounting holes that had already been drilled. I got the JLFs for the octo gates, which i prefer for fighting games.

There were a couple of things i wasnt quite happy with. I could have spent some more time cleaning up the cabinet before i painted, because it brought out a couple of marks. I also would have used different paint as i wasnt too happy with its finish. And i would have mounted the marquee differently so that the screws wouldnt be seen.

But in the end, i am really happy with the cabinet! And its getting a workout to prove it

[RyoSaeba]

That's awesome stuff One day I'd like to have a 4 player MAME cab. Still remember all the time I spent playing X-men with my friends at the arcade.

[Krumm]

Awesome work, the matte paint and the backlit marquee makes it look quite authentic

[zeggie]

That looks fantastic! I want to tackle this myself this year I think.
What was the total build cost if you don't mind me asking?

[eratiq]

awesome stuff - well done

[iMomOx3]

Hahah awesome work mate.

I just received my buttons/joysticks from AustinAmusement and awaiting for my ipac controller from OZStick

Mines going to be very similar to yours as my idea is to follow elvis's build as well.

However, I was shocked to see your PC gear in there haha. WAYYYYYYYYY too overkill.

Would also like to question what the total spent was. Fantastic work!

[dreamcaster]

It's always interesting to see the build process and see how it all comes together. Great work there, the end result is fantastic.

I'd love to build one of these one day when we get some space in the house.... or I could build a granny flat down the back for all my video game goodies.

PS I also love the marquee!!

[elvis]

Looking good mate. Gave me a warm sense of de ja vu from my first build.

If others are interested, I cover some of my build challenges here:
http://benchmark.mameworld.info/cab1/

Building your own cab is heaps of fun, and you end up with a great toy at the end. A highly recommended project for anyone from beginner to pro.

[8MadDog8]

Cheers guys.

As for the cost, it ended up being around the $700 mark. As the bigger priced items took up a bit of coin (monitor 150, wood 150, graphics 150) as well as little bit extra we pay for things up here....

[bucsta]

Nice work!

Every time I see one of these builds, I spend the next few weeks fantasizing about doing my own.
I've got plenty of old gear around that would be prefect to use...

[Quan-Time]

ive ALWAYS wanted to make one of these, but never got around to it. I have a spare 2407 which would be a great screen.. I should really do it.
Maybe this year.. Wait and see.

Great build.. Can you link where you got your Decals from please ? Id be interested in checking some out.

[CREDO]

I have my Mame cab running but its just a box with buttons at the moment.
One day I would love to build a proper Cab like yours.
I pinched your pdf's they will come in handy.

nice work, and thanks for the inspiration. maybe this year the wife will let me do it.

[anrke]

That looks fantastic!