In Part 1 I did the cutouts for the two sides of the MiniMAME cabinet. This photo gives you a better idea of how the unit is going to look:

It stands about 24″ high, 19″ wide, and 16″ deep. It will handle a 20″ Dell 2001FP LCD monitor.

There is not enough depth for a CRT. I did this on purpose, since I knew I would be using an LCD and not a CRT. The original plans are designed for a CRT installation, so they are deeper. The original plans also have vertical space for a coin slot (they are quite a bit taller). I modified the plans to suit my specific purpose. However, I did leave enough space in the control area to handle a joystick.

Here is the front-view. You can see that three 18″ 2x4s are used as supports. They tie the two halves together.

It’s critical that those 2x4s are cut PERFECTLY straight, otherwise the unit won’t be square and level. This is a big reason why I got the miter saw. I suck at cutting straight lines. I first cut the pieces with my small circular saw (the 5 1/2″ trim saw) and nothing was straight. I would have been better using my 7 1/4″ saw, but I needed blades. Either way, my new miter saw is so much better at cutting the angles. It’s going to be put to good use on this, and other, projects.

Next up: Building out the front, top, and back “body” parts. Lots of MDF cutting. Get the vac and dust mask ready.

In the second photo you can see that the cabinet is sitting on a Black and Decker Workmate portable workbench. Evelyn picked this up at a local thrift store. I LOVE this folding portable workbench. It stores away when you don’t need it, and is perfect for cutting wood, setting up projects, and so on. It was a great find. And, luckily, it’s an older model, which means it’s all steel and wood–very little crappy plastic.