I've always liked the aesthetic of tabletop arcade machines and I wanted to see if I could build one for myself. I started by taking apart a large 32" CRT TV and building a frame to hold it in a vertical orientation so I can use it as a tabletop.
Building the frame was interesting and I still have a few ideas for how I'm going to enclose the whole thing and how I want it to look once finished. Projects like this, I truly enjoy not planning ahead, but being able to use current skills and learning new ones to overcome challenges that arise.
After building the frame, I flipped the whole thing over, and wow, this thing is ridiculously heavy!
I wanted to get the TV turned on and get a universal remote programmed since the TV had no physical input buttons. Once I got that squared away, I began working on the laptop I was going to use to run the front end and emulators for the games. It was an old laptop with a cracked screen that would have cost more than the laptop was worth to replace (Go figure).
After removing the screen (space saving) I installed Batocera Linux and began testing the video settings and was amazed at how cool this thing looked (and sounded, nothing like the high pitch whine of a CRT TV.)
Unfortunately, the cold weather has halted this project, but I can't wait to pick this back up after the weather warms up. I plan on enclosing the whole thing and building arcade controllers that come off the sides. Maybe something detachable and modular or maybe just keep it classic with players on either side. This can also connect to Bluetooth controllers so that is also an option.
I've enjoyed mixing electronics with wood working and I look forward to incorporating 3D modeling and printing when it comes to building the controllers.