Cabinet structure

silvereagle

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Hey guys,

Need a bit of feedback on this. I recently purchased a dedicated Galaga cabinet and the overall cabinet structure is a bit wobbly towards the bottom. The front panel as it's made from MDF, has become soaked with moisture and the fibres are starting to separate. The rear lower particle board section that sits near the bottom of the cabinet, where the wheels are, has also started to separate from each side. Someone along the lines tried to screw the sides to this board but it's served no purpose in my opinion.

I have access to a work shop and a customer who is willing to remove the front and rear portions and replace them with plywood in order to build up the strenght. I like the idea but at the same time, I feel that I am taking something away from the original cabinet.

What do you guys suggest here? Replace the two bad sections or find a way to make i structually sound using the original sections?

Thanks in advance.
 
it takes nothing away from the original cabinet. there were 30,000 of these made. We aren't talking a low production game. Once that stuff swells, it's over for it, just how it is.
 
There's absolutely nothing wrong with cutting an entirely new cabinet if the old one has a fair amount of water damage. While most everyone would prefer to have a very nice original cabinet over a perfect reproduction, the reality is your saving the game and giving it another chance for 30 more years of service.

Good luck and be sure to post pics of your project :)
 
I would recommend cutting the new panel from the same material, MDF. Since it won't be subjected to moisture, it will hold up fine and take a finish better than plywood or pb. You'll need to primer, sand, primer, sand, then either finish in satin black or use black vinyl. I'd spray it with rustoleum satin black, out of an HVLP gun, thinned with acetone, then use a repro front decal.

Someone's gonna say, but MDF sucks, use plywood, etc..but MDF is what it originally was, will take a finish better (painted plywood would look rough here), machines cleaner, and will hold up great in a HUO situation.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. My plan is to use a plywood with black melamine on it so it saves me from the finishing / painting process :)

My supplier currently sells truck loads of this product to one of his customers, Chicago Amusements who fabricate all the Golden Tee's.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. My plan is to use a plywood with black melamine on it so it saves me from the finishing / painting process :)

My supplier currently sells truck loads of this product to one of his customers, Chicago Amusements who fabricate all the Golden Tee's.

Oh..well with a laminate already on it, that makes perfect sense. Good luck with the project. Remember that the Midway cabinets have dados, so careful cutting it apart.
 
Dados??? I'm not sure what that is.

For today's lesson,

dado-joint.jpg


A dado is a groove cut across the grain of a piece of wood. A dado joint is formed by cutting a dado in one piece of wood the exact size as the square-cut edge of another piece. The square-cut edge of the second piece is then inserted into the groove of the first piece to form a tight, secure joint. This type of joint is also usually glued. Dado joints are commonly used to join wood at right angles, as in bookcase shelves. Sometimes the dado is hidden because the groove is not cut all the way across the board to the front of the bookcase. This kind of dado joint is called a blind dado.

from: http://www.efi-costarica.com/antique-furniture-joints.html
 
Ah!!! That is what a dado is! I seen them on the cabinet and was wondering why it was present. I have to say the older 80's game must have been built like tanks. So many little pieces of wood to support the sides etc but what gets me is how complicated the wiring schematic was for such a simple game like GALAGA. I suppose back in the day it was state of the art but by today's standards, seems so overcomplicated for such simple game.

Thanks for the lesson, greatly appreciate it :)
 
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