Building a Pinball Cabinet

Step 2: Assembling the Cabinet

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Assembling the Box
 

First thing I did was lay the playfield TV face down on the work surface.  Then I removed the legs from the TV.
 

Next, I placed a couple of pieces of wood under the end of the playfield that will be at the back end of the machine.  This will give me the desired 6-8° of the monitor. I calculated that since the TV was 3 feet long, the elevation should be 2.25 inches.
 

Next, I placed one of the side pieces (A/B) next to the monitor in the position it would be when the cabinet was completed. I took a short piece of wood and laid in on the TV and marked where it touched the side piece.
 

Next, I laid the side panel down and put the small piece of wood back where I'd marked it.  I pre-drilled some screw holes using a counter sink bit and screwed the guide rails into the cabinet side.
 

I repeated this process for the other side of the monitor.  The sides are not equal, (that is to say that the TV is fatter on one side than it is on the other) so this is the only way I was sure of the correct placement of the TV support side rails.
 

Finally, I started screwing all the pieces together.  I used Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue between all the seams--this thing won't fall apart! I counter sunk all the screws and I will be filling those screw holes in with wood putty before painting the cabinet.
 

Now the basic cabinet build is done.  I completed putting together what I'd drawn on the plans.  I still haven't designed/built the backglass box, or drilled holes for the buttons and access door. But, I wanted to see what it would look like with the monitors in place.
 

It is really starting to take shape.
 

 
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