TTB’s Very Own “VideoStar MKII” MAME Cabinet

Author: Rees | Date: May 2, 2009

So, a while back I got my hands on an old arcade machine and decided to build it up into a MAME cabinet. Time ticked by, and back in March I posted an update (did you read it yet? Well you should!) on the progress of the whole thing. Well, it’s now the beginning of May, and it’s done!

Here are some pictures of the final stages of assembly. First up, a monitor shelf had to be fitted. The plan was to sit the monitor (19″ CRT) on a sturdy shelf and fit some metal brackets to stop it sliding about. After a couple of attempts it was in exactly the right place and the monitor matched up with the front panel nicely.

I also took the opportunity to cut the coin mech hole out to the right size and filled it in with a block of wood – this was then skimmed over with filler and sanded back to a flat finish, so it’s not even noticeable that anything has been tampered with. I also took the opportunity to fill in some of the bigger dings and scratches in the rest of the cabinet and sprayed it.

After a good sanding and a very thick covering of primer (about 4 coats – I wasn’t sure the paint would stick to the shiny plastic surface) I gave the cabinet a thorough coating of satin black (about 6-7 coats) and lacquered it. Then the t-molding was fitted, the wiring connected up, and the Mac Mini installed inside.

I also got my hands on some cheap Kenwood car speakers, which are mounted behind the marquee, pointing downwards as per the originals. On the subject of the marquee, I decided to stick with the mysterious “VideoStar MKII” one that came with the machine as I’d become rather attached to it.

The cab runs the MameWah frontend under Windows XP. I created my own theme (I can make it available if anyone wants it) which is very basic and matches the red and black colour scheme of the cab. It’s also set up for Xbox 360 wired controllers if more than 2 people want to join in on the fun – not 100% authentic I know, but better than being antisocial!