The trouble with building an arcade and documenting it is that you are so busy you really dont have time to take a lot of pictures. I did manage to get in a few though.
Here is one of the sides, already cut out from the sheet of MDF.
We laid two pieces of MDF board one on top of the other. We clamped them with C-Clamps and a couple of ratchet clamps to hold each securely together.
Then, using the plans I posted earlier, we drew out the side panel on the top MDF board.
Using a T-Square, a carpenter's square, and a 3 foot level for a straight edge, we laid out a cutting pattern.
We then cut out the pattern with a skill saw. But on the area around the monitor, we used a jig saw. I dont like using a jig saw. You have to be very careful with it because the blade can bend, giving you a beveled cut. Luckily, a good sander can straighten up a small mess.
On the sections we cut with the skill saw, we clamped another piece of MDF board, to use to guide the skill saw. This works great, but you have to measure away from the line to cut, to allow the saw blade to cut on the line. This can be a pain to get right on every cut.
I found a site on the web, that shows how to build a cutting guide (sawboard). This was well worth the extra time. It made the future cuts a lot easier.
Check out this site:
http://members.aol.com/woodmiser1/sawbd.htm
On my first two projects, I used a pine 2X4 as a cutting guide. This is not good, because if you have ever built anything with 2X4's you know how hard it is to get a perfectly straight one, especially an 8 foot one. If your cutting guide is bowed, your cut will be bowed, or the saw will try to hang up on you, because a skill saw cannot cut much of a curve.
This next picture is showing how we laid out the frame.
The frame supports the other panels, such as coin door, monitor, and control panel.
We cut the frame pieces from MDF board, using the sawboard. We cut several pieces, about 1-1/2 inches wide.
We then glued the pieces with carpenters glue, then put screws in as well. You have to be careful with the screws, you dont want them to go all the way through the side panel. I think I bought 1-1/4" screws, that should have penetrated about 1/2" into the side panel. Just have to be careful not to let the screws counter sink much. I drilled a pilot hole first, to keep the braces from splitting. I set the drill bit in the chuck so that the chuck would touch the wood before the drill bit could go all the way through the wood. This gave me a drill depth guide. While I was driving the screw with the drill driver, I kept my other hand on the oposite side, so I could feel if the screw was going to deep. Take the screw in slowly. (The wood bulges up before the screw pops through. If I felt a bulge I knew the screw was about to go too far, but dont do this when drilling.)
Tip: use two drills, one to drill and one to set the screw. This will make life a lot easier.
Notice the slot cut around the edge of the side panel. This is for the T-Molding.
We cut these slots with a router and a special cutter blade. (Click to see slot cutter).
On my last two projects, I cut these slots after the cabinet was put together. Had to lay the cabinet on it's side. I found that it is better to cut the slot right after you finish cutting out the sides. So that will be my standard procedure from now on out.
Just be careful, and go slow, if you tilt the router, it will get your slot off center, causing you a headache later on down the road. Observe all safety precautions with the router. It can get out of control very quickly. Also, if you think cutting the MDF board was dusty, the router tops the saw with amount of dust that is created. I found it is best to make a few practice cuts on a scrap piece of MDF. This will give you a feel of how it works, plus it will let you make sure you are centered of the board.
Also on my first two projects, I used ripped 2X4's as the frame. Not good because this goes back to the 2X4's not being straight. The MDF makes better frame pieces, I think
As I said before, I didnt take a lot of time to make pictures, I wish I had for the benefit of documentation, maybe next time I will.
Here is a picture of the cabinet assembled, ready for priming.
Notice the coin door panel has the hole cut for the coin door.The monitor panel does not have the hole cut out for the monitor yet, and the control panel top has no holes drilled in it yet, so these two pieces will not be primed just yet.
Not too shabby, I think.
The panels you see through the coin door cut-out are the top and back panels. The cabinet makes a neat storage area at this stage.
--Later--
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