Where's the monitor? plus T-moulding groove cut

The t-molding came yesterday, and cutting the groove proved easier than expected - after a couple of trial cuts on a piece of scrap, the grooves for the t-molding were knocked out in about 60 seconds, for both sides... it really helps to have the right tools :) I have also measured and drilled most of the holes for the 2x2s that I will attach the panels to, but I cannot start assembly until the monitor arrives, so that I can take actual measurements for the mounting brackets. It is really going to be a close fit! I have also finalized the control panel layout - it will basically be a Stargate layout, with an extra joystick (for Robotron and the odd 2-player game), trackball and spinner. I will have to learn how to use the spinner left-handed though - hope an old dog has room for a new trick :) The Emery Worldwide tracking page shows that the monitor is somewhere in DFW Airport, and has been for over a day now... I have no clue when to expect it - I have never dealt with Emery Worldwide before.

Wood is cut, Coin Door arrived, Monitor has shipped

All of the major cuts have been done, and now I only need to cut the groove for the t-molding and I will be able to start assembling the cabinet. Also, the coin door arrived today! I got a great deal on a Happ Single coin door + 25¢ US coin mech on Ebay. I was really surprised to see the door in the mail - it was shipped on Friday from California! (Why is it that a package can be shipped from CA to TX in 3 days but across the state takes a week?) The t-molding is scheduled to arrive tomorrow from T-Molding.com, and the monitor should arrive on Wednesday according to the Wells-Gardener rep. Looks like everything is starting to come together... I just need to practice cutting the slot for the t-molding some more :)

Be sure to check out the Project Pics!

Lumber acquired, tools purchased, monitor selected

The lumber and cabinet hardware are in! I went by Home Depot on the way home from work and picked up 3 sheets of 3/4" ash that was on sale for the same price as pine - nice! Also picked up a circular saw, router and the assorted bits and blades I needed to build the cabinet. Tomorrow I will go looking for Lexan or Plexiglass, T-molding and a light fixture for the marquee. The control order may have to be delayed, but that's ok... it looks like I will be getting the Wells-Gardener D9200 27" monitor! Expensive, but I believe it will be worth every penny... and it is cheaper from the W-G site than anywhere else I have looked.

Tax return is in! plus OS/Software verisons

Well, looks like our tax return came in, so I will be gathering parts soon - the 25" TV that my brother was going to donate to the project turned out to be a bust - it doesn't have any inputs except the coax for the tuner! Wow! I didn't know any like that existed still - not even a composite video / mono audio input! So, it looks like I'll be going the arcade monitor route - which will be more expensive but easier to work with and better visuals to boot! Also, gonna start placing orders for the controls, and a trip to the lumberyard is on the horizon as well - looks like this bird might fly after all! On the OS side, I am back to DOS7 + AdvanceMAME/AdvanceMenu; I just have to knuckle down and tweak the settings now. Plus, I have to resolve all my version conflicts between my romsets. Fun, fun, fun....

OS testing and speakers

Ok, so no pix yet - I have been battling with the PC that is the guts of the machine - trying to find the best combination of OS and emulation software for the games I want to run. I originally wanted to use AdvanceMAME with AdvanceMenu on DOS7 (Win98 minus the GUI), but I ran into issues with my video card, so I decided to load Win98SE... then found that I seem to have misplaced the CD Key.... oh well. I picked up the speakers today, Altec Lansing desktop speakers plus subwoofer... should be a good sound for the cab.

The adventure begins!

My spring project this year is to build an arcade cabinet, using an existing PC running MAME to emulate the classic video games of the era. I will be uploading pictures as the project proceeds, as well as construction notes and other comments.