We are currently working on a couple of Big Super Secret Projects. One of them requires a computer kiosk-like setup. I quickly realized that the best design for this is an arcade game type cabinet. I didn’t need some full-size unit, since this is going to be table-top, but fortunately a group of people have already make smaller units.

Here is the template I started with (sorry for the blurry photo, I didn’t realize the camera was on manual focus):

This design is from the MiniMAME site. If you are interesting in making your own MAME cabinet, on the small (cute) scale, take a look. MiniMAME Site You can also find a lot of plans for full scale cabinets, if you you want to have your own home arcade.

MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. When used in conjunction with images of the original arcade game’s ROM and disk data, MAME attempts to reproduce that game as faithfully as possible on a more modern general-purpose computer. MAME can currently emulate several thousand different classic arcade video games from the late 1970s through the modern era.

My cabinet is going to be dual use. First, I wanted something for my Super Secret Project. Second, I wanted it to be able to act as a MAME cabinet, in case Super Secret ending up being a Super Disaster. Always good to have a Plan B.

My cabinet will be using an LCD screen, so I didn’t need as much depth. It also didn’t need to be so tall, since I wanted the screen at eye level when sitting on a typical table.

I had a couple of sheets of pre-cut MDF sitting around. They were 25″ high and about 48″ long. There was my target height–make the cabinet the size of the materials on-hand. As luck would have it, that size is good for a 20″ or smaller LCD display (measuring about 18″ wide and 14″ tall).

Here is what I ended up with, drawn on the MDF:

Take advantage of factory cuts. In my design the bottom, back, and most of the top run along factory (or panel saw) cut edges. This means that those lines are perfectly straight. Save yourself time and use factory edges when you can. Or have the folks at Home Depot or Lowe’s cut the pieces on their panel saw. It will be far more accurate than you can get with most home tools.

The hardest cut, a plunge, is where the monitor opening will be. This is a very dangerous cut, since you have to plunge a circular saw blade right into the middle of the wood. As an added challenge, you need to do BOTH sheets at once. Otherwise you’ll never get them lined up. In the photo above you can see the three screws I used to lock the two sheets of 3/4″ MDF together so they won’t shift.

You need to use a circular saw for this process. A jigsaw is not going to give you an accurate enough line, since the tip of the blade wobbles slightly. I used my little 5 1/2″ battery powered trim saw. It’s underpowered for this job, but is a LOT easier to work with for this tricky, and short, cut.

To do this cut you first have to clamp a guide to the workpiece. This is what the saw will rest against as you plunge it into the wood. The clamp is 1″ from the line, because the base of my saw if 1″ from the blade (the trim saw has the blade on the LEFT–most full-sized saws have the blade on the RIGHT–measure your saw–it will be different from mine).

I used a spare piece of 1×2 36″ red oak as my guide, since it was the right size. You can use a piece of moulding, or anything else that has a little height and is straight. I have the guide clamped in two places, and the whole assembly clamped to my portable workbench.

Here you can see the cuts in progress. I did the tricky plunge first, then some of the corner work. I left the back corner for last, since it was an easy cut, and I wanted to take advantage of its screw (holding the two pieces of MDF together).

If you look carefully at the plunge cut (nearest the ruler), I screwed up a little bit. One part, where I plunged, is a bit thicker because my saw bound up in the cut. A little sanding will take care of it.

Since the blade is circular, you can not get into the corners. For this project you can’t overcut, so you need to get as close as you can, then finish up with a jigsaw or a handsaw. Since there was so little to cut, I used a handsaw. It gave me the control I wanted, and made quick work of the corner. Here’s what it looks like all cut out:

There were some saw marks where my little portable saw bound up, and some of the edges weren’t exactly right (because the original wood was not straight on one edge). I don’t have a power sander handy, so I went at it to old fashioned way: sandpaper and muscle. As you can see, it cleaned up pretty well:

After I did the hard part, I clamped everything together and did the final cut–the rear top corner piece. You need it clamped down, since you are cutting through the remaining screws holding the two pieces together.

Next up: Putting the sides together.