Toucans MAME Arcade Cabinet Build

[tOucan]

We'll ive been intrested in this for about a year or 2 now, the idea of having a full blown arcade at home running every arcade game and early console games possible blew my mind. Iv'e always checked out the sites on and off about builds etc but only the other day I came across the chance to buy an empty arcade cabinet to get my plans underway.

 

Ive tossed up the idea about building a cabinet a few times because there is no shortage of plans on the internet but with my 0% carpentry skills, lack of tools and the actual cost of all the wood, glass etc combined it would still work out cheaper buying a gutted old cabinet and fixing her up.

 

This is the cabinet as it stood before I loaded it onto the back of my mates ute,

 

 

 

 

Cabinet pictured unloaded into my garage to start work on, removed glass for transport as I didnt wont that flying out along the highway :ohmy:

 

 

 

 

The cabinet seems in excellent condition from what I can tell its just dirty as hell at the moment inside and out with left over wiring, coin boxes etc inside along with a few red backs and dady long leg spiders creeping around :lol:

 

I already have a spare computer 2.4ghz with 512ram and 80gig hard drive sitting idle by for the project along with a spare TV or PC monitor which ever I decide apon. Tomorrow i'll clean it all up and remove all the crud. I have plans on re-laminating it or painting it black what ever is easier and looks best. Along with replacing the T-molding with bright yellow or bright red. The controls will be ripped out and replaced with brand new ones along with a new marquee up the top.

[Pic0o]

That is damn cool. Have fun hacking that thing up into awesome. Your home gaming collection will be of the gods, once that champ is up and running. :wub:

[SafeFire]

Schweet, be sure to hook us up with pictures as the work progresses.

I vote to put lolcat pictures on it instead of a new paintcoat, that would max out the awesomeness to over 9000.

 

You definitely need to drop some cash on one of these, should work out nicely with mame too.

 

Good luck on the build.

Edited April 13, 2008 by SafeFire

[tOucan]

You definitely need to drop some cash on one of these, should work out nicely with mame too.

 

Good luck on the build.

 

No need, the original controls will connect to a interface device that connects straight to the PC, I will have a front end loader so you dont even see windows on boot just a pretty menu with a selection of emulators and roms ;)

[Pic0o]

Cool beans on the link, and more so, one less device needed for your Mod. Push to shove, if you do get forced to see an OS Logo, you can just re-write the Kernel Boot Logo to mildly offset the OS load. :)

[tOucan]

Today I spent striping out all the wiring harness, controls, and misc metal boxes inside the cabinet along with a few other things and giving the whole thing a good clean. I need to find a drill peice so I can drill 2 more holes for each player im tossing up how im going to exit and out of roms and emulators so ive decided thats what the two player decide buttons will be rigged for instead of popping in more buttons taking away the arcade feel.

 

Taking out the marquee today I was surprised to find its in mint condition I thought it would be faded cracked etc. But I still will be replacing it with a generic arcade one as it wont just be playing one game.

 

I'll be off to the hardware shop in 2 days time to hopefully pick up some laminate paint and new t-molding so I can get that under way, after ive began that i'll order the new controls and interface card.

 

Im still yet to try putting the monitor or TV in the cab ill have to get a mate to come around and hold it in place while I draw up some lines of where the support beams will have to be screwed into.

 

[tOucan]

Time to post some updates and photos :)

 

 

Still wasn't happy with the clean up I gave her so I went over it again being extra throughro this time around and taking the control panel off aswell so it was 100% stripped now and looking alot better in my eyes anyway..

 

 

Priming started now its clean as could be.

 

[tOucan]

So I went and got some laminate paint and primer, dam that shits expensive $37 a litre! Finished up putting on 2 layers of primer sanding in between, was looking good but I forgot to grab some photos in primer stage. Finished applying the 3rd coat of black sanding with 600 grade inbetween, Not glossy but not flat what I was after.

 

 

After that finishing drying I primed the inside on the cab.

 

I still need to do some touch ups here and there mostly around the screen area but the paint will be 100% with in the next day, biggest hurdle of the whole project I reakon.

 

 

Hopefully my buttons will arive tomorrow so I can put the keyboard togeather and attach that again. Joysticks will be black, 6 buttons per player will be yellow and 2 player select buttons will be white. T-Molding will also be bright yellow. Going for the "Yellow and Black" theme. Around the bottom will have checkerplate..

 

:bunny:

[Pic0o]

Nice work. That thing is inching into boot season pretty soon. :)

[Kat]

Coming along nicely!

[h0m3r]

Cool project toucan. Keep the updates coming. I like this do it yourself shit.

[Pic0o]

Bzzt!

 

Where are those final pics? :P

 

Get one of your Ladies to snap those pics.

[tOucan]

Sorry guys :P Forgot about this, ill snap some photos later tonight. Nearing completion. You know how these things are but :)

[JeT]

I started reading the thread and was like, oh nice this is back in April '08, by the time I finish reading the thread I'll see the sweet completed cabinet. But... but.. no.

 

How far did you get with it before taking like a year break. :P

[tOucan]

I started reading the thread and was like, oh nice this is back in April '08, by the time I finish reading the thread I'll see the sweet completed cabinet. But... but.. no.

 

How far did you get with it before taking like a year break. :P

 

Was going well, more is done back togeather a bit more, controls are in, 51cm TV mounted.. All I really need is the T-Moulding for around the edges and a better marque made up (printed one up on the computer) and to test and set up some front end software.

 

Work is what stoped me sadly moving interstate. Its behind a bunch of car parts at the moment because im respraying my car a custom silver to purple which is my major project at the present but hopefully I can find some room to set it up and finish the last touches which always seem to take the longest.