Posted by Bill Connolly on 22, 2000 at 3:09 PM:
After two and a half years of planning I am finally constructing my cabinet! Actually I built a control panel about 10 months ago when I was planning on building a cabinet dedicated to the Atari 2600. I have since changed my cabinet to play 12 different console game systems from the 70s and 80s. I will post my progress each day and then compile it all and the pictures on a website.
I bought 2 sheets of 5/8" fiberboard. One I split into 2 - 2'x8' sheets for use as back, front, top and bottom pieces. The other I cut into three pieces, first I cut 2' off the end so I was left with a 4'x6' sheet that I split into 2 - 2'x6' pieces for the sides. I clamped a guide board on the 4'x6' sheet so I could run my circular saw next to it and get a straight line. When done I put the two pieces together and one was a little bigger than the other. So I clamped the boards together and cut them at the same time to get equal sides. I didn't use a guide board this time and it wasn't exactly straight. Lesson learned.
Next I decided to cut the top/back off to give the cabinet a slanted look that many classic arcade cabinets had. From the top/back I measured 18" down and 18" across marked the diagonal, used a guide and cut the pieces out of both boards at the same time so they would be equal size. I will use these scrap pieces to add on to the top/front of the sides to extend out a marquee. So I measured 10" from top/back and cut straight down giving me about a 7" face for my marquee.
The control panel will also extend out beyond the 2' deep cabinet. The control panel sides were cut from some scrap 5/8". I clamped 2 scrap boards together and then cut them 10" deep, 6" high on the front and 10" high on the back with a slant on the top and bottom.
I spent the rest of the night thinking about how I was going to attach everything. I tested a 2"x2" with a scrap piece of 5/8" using 2" sheet rock screws. Screwing from the inside of the cabinet into the fiberboard, the screws looked like they barely penetrated but actually held really well. I may buy some 2 and 1/4" screws though and try them out. The 2"x2" will be too big in the control panel so I will probably use some angle brackets like many other folks have. Thinking about the bottom of the cabinet I am planning on attaching 2"x4" sticking down about an inch past the bottom of the cabinet. This way when I move the cabinet, the dolly will be under a solid board and if water/soda/beer gets on the floor it won't soak up into the 2"x4" as easily as particle board. Also thinking I will attach the marquee and control panel sides to the sides of the cabinet with a large flat piece of metal with a lot of holes in it for small screws.
More details to follow.