My Bartop Project

[xbs]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to share my (almost completed) bartop project
(based on the Weecade/Verticade plans from www.koenigs.dk)

Total cost:
135€ (MB, RAM, HDD and PSU not included)

- The MDF cabinet



- Controls and 17'' LCD testing



- The Paint job 



- LED (marquee)



- Audio, USB ports and Power button



- Almost completed...



- Controls close-up



- Monitor bezel



Things to do:
- Add a 12mm silent fan to back panel
- Add an IEC plug w/ switch and fuse to back panel

[verion]

Nice! I really like the yellow color that you've chosen for the cab.

[retrogam3]

very cool, I assume you used 3/4 MDF? What type of paint/primer did you use? Did you sand between paint coats?

[xbs]

Thanks.

I wanted saffron yellow and that color was the best one I could find.

The side panels are 16mm (0.63 inch) and the rest is 10mm (0.39 inch).

I'm sorry but I don't know the name of type of the paint/primer in english (google translates to "aqueous acrylic enamel").
The black is spray can paint, smells pretty bad and it's a PIA to apply. I used it for the marquee aluminium supports, control panel and the monitor bezel.

Yes, I did sand it between coats with a 400 grit sand paper.
Sanding is very important, especially on the cut edges, because it helps seal the MDF.

I think I applied 2/3 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint.   

[Finno]

Great job. Looks fantastic!

[omegaman]

Excellent job...

[verion]

sorry for off-topic

I was wondering - maybe we should have a separate "Cabinets" or "Users' Creations" or "Hardware" subforum in "Related Stuff" (like we have for  emulation) for a stuff like this?. Because it is kinda off-topic in Support > General.
But it's nice to see what others are buiding.

Or maybe general "other stuff" sub forum - like a big bag of suprises.

For example - I've dug up an old sound card with 3D enhancement and sound enhancement, those enhancements are useless for playing music, but with emulators - the enhanced sound is simply amazing. I would like write a post about it - but I don't know where to put it.

[xbs]

@verion

Totally agree.

[omegaman]

FYI-

I brought up the subject of having a DIY cabinet section to Raygun in the past. And, my impression was he feels there are other sites tailored for that kind of thing. Though, maybe he will soften his stance on the issue now, since more people are interested. Personally, I like the idea of having everything in house - a one stop shop if you will. I like the idea of having a hardware sub-forum as well. Time to start putting in some request, what do you guys think?

[verion]

> there are other sites tailored for that kind of thing

For sure. But it's all about the community - to see what other users are building. Plus it's better to have that kind of posts in separate subforum - than floating in "General".