Planning, Procurement, and Personalization

The title here is a little misleading as at this stage I did more pondering than planning. Pondering the direction I wanted to go with this thing. I didn't want a carbon copy of Jeff's cabinet . It was a great starting point to build on, I wanted to improve on the original concept and add my own personal touch.

I painted my side panels a metallic blue sanding between coats for a smooth finish. I plan on adding some custom graphics later, and probably seal the whole thing with a clear lacquer.

I used a slot cutting bit in my router, to cut the grooves in the edges of the side panels. Now they are ready to accept the T-molding which I purchased from the appropriately named T-Molding.com

This place is great, they seem to have the best prices, and they will even send you free samples so you can try before you buy.

I decided to go with the blue t-molding
delivered right to my doorstep!





As I started assembling the parts I had previously cut, I realized this thing was going to be quite massive, and being made primarily from MDF it was also going to weigh a ton. I wanted to be able to disassemble it for easier transporting, and not have to worry about squeezing it through doorways. I assembled the floor, front, and rear panels so that they could detach from the side panels. Now you can break the cabinet down if need be. this will be a key design feature as I move forward with the rest of the project, and I'm starting to envision what I need to do to accomplish this.

Cabinet with removable floor and top panels

Light baffle, monitor shelf, and front door panel assembly, all removable

Taking Shape

Today I began by marking the sheets of 3/4"  MDF  and then proceeded to cut out the shapes that will make the cabinet.

Being a carpenter by trade I can cut a pretty straight line freehand, but when it comes to cabinet making it pays to be a little more precise and use a straight edge or saw guide

Using a straight edge or saw guide makes it easy to get a nice clean cut
 

Now thats starting to look like something!

All the pieces cut ready for assembly

In the Beginning

Eureka! 

I've taken the first step!

It may never be completed... but today, Saturday, the 26th of February in the year 2011,  I have officially begun my Mame project by purchasing 2 sheets of 3/4" MDF.

These will be cut according to the pattern shown below to make the cabinet.

 Check out Jeffs Ultimate Mame Cabinet Project   page for more details

For those not familiar with M.A.M.E. it stands for 

Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator

Having spent many a "gwater" in my youth at the local pool hall playing arcade games, this is an exciting day for me.

Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pacman, Missle Command, Defender, Battlezone, Tempest, the list goes on...

When complete all these titles and many more will be housed in one arcade style cabinet for authentic game play , and will make a great addition to the game room/man cave which at present contains only two pinball machines, a broken down foosball table, and not much else.

I had once considered purchasing an arcade legends or someone else's mame creation off of craigslist, but what fun would that be. Where was the challenge? The sense of pride and accomplishment?  

Well folks, I'm hoping to find that here, and welcome you to share in my experience. Wish me luck!