3 years later and still helping ppl. Great vid!

I used structural grade plywood when making my capcom big blue i needed a good grade wood as the amount of weight bearing down from above from a 28" crt and a marquee box etc i needed the strength to keep it up, i did use mdf for the control panel and back door, mdf is really easy to work with and shape and plywood not so unless you have good tools my mini belt sander was a gem when making that, I'm glad i went with plywood though because the machine is rock solid yes i had an issue with wood grain and wood blemishes where the wood was split between grain but what i did was to completely skim the whole cab in wood filler like i was plastering a wall, sanded it all down and the finish was smooth and the grain completely gone, the cabs in my gaming room for about a year now and we have had some really hot weather and cold weather here but the cab is holding nicely. I'm just about to make another cab and will be using plywood again.

I used MDO for my side panels. Plywood sandwiched by MDF. No grain, less weight. The rest was MDF. Turned out great and is as sturdy as a tank!

Thank you so much for this video. Extremely informative. I am in the process of gathering info for my Arcade build and I was leaning towards MDF so your video has confirmed me that this is the right material.

MDF swells and stays swollen. MDF chips and no options for repair. Plywood doesn’t have either of these problems. I say either pay extra for quality plywood or don’t let anyone with drinks or combat boots near your arcade machine. I also wanted to add that the raised grain talked about in the video does occur in wood. However, it occurs in wood that is not sealed and remains exposed to outside weather or drastic fluctuations in temperature, humidity, etc... Imagine either a car port or a non-climate controlled storage. I personally have several wooden furnishings that have been in my family for decades. No raised wood grain problems to speak of.

Helped me with a school project - Thank you very much!

Solid Oak, as used in medieval castles and some of it's still there. You know it makes sense.

Mdf and particle board can chip or break if bump or even during construction can crack.

This was a really fantastic and informative video! Thank you. It answered a lot of questions I had.

I used plywood for my cabinet, because MDF and particleboard turn to oatmeal if they are exposed to moisture. Furniture-grade plywood will not delaminate over time as described in this video, except under extreme conditions that would totally destroy paritcleboard or MDF. Plywood is also nowhere near as heavy as the other two. It's still heavy enough to stay put, but not so heavy that you can't move it if you need to. I moved house a couple of years ago, and was able to get my arcade machine down the stairs from the second floor all by myself. No way I could have done that if it had been made of MDF or particleboard.

This was actually a really good subject. We've pondered which wood to use, and had some concern over the effects of moisture on MDF, as well as warping on plywood (good both sides). I think that if plywood is used, and its braced well inside (and glued/screwed), it will be less likely to warp, and it is lighter. Also, working with MDF is so dusty. That said, getting an MDF prefab'd is still a good way to go. I also had never heard of MDF made from hardwood particles.... which is cool.

mdf works for me. I live in central California and it's dry as fuck here so I don't have to worry about swelling or anything.

Other than a cnc machine what's the best tool to cut an arcade template? A jigsaw?

Great video I'm halfway thru building mine 2 sides 1 inch mdf the back is aluminium chequer plate and I'm installing 2 shelves underneath its starting to look ok

u knows that particle board and mdf are susceptible to moisture absorbing and swells up its go for plywood on long side as mdf will not hold up well, but if you must use particle board or mdf you needs to seal both sides with latex primer sealer to keep moisture from wicking in even on edges and those button holes

Thank you, this is just what the explanation I was looking for.

Pipe dream: Apply Chinese joinery methods to create a super-solid no-screws, no-glue hardwood cabinet with a unique and beautiful look.

I use half inch MDF to make pedestals, and the way I designed it, works pretty well. Only reason I use half inch NOW is cost, and the weight, half inch is easier for me to move around 4x4 foot panels

I choose hard wood, oak & cedar ECT.. not particle board wood. a nice compact router makes it the best wood to use. I usually find it on the street.

i always use 18mm mdf, built a few arcades and a virtual pinball table all for myself, pinball table is really heavy, took awhile to find some decent paint for finish must of resanded it at least 10 times till i found a decent finish with paint...

amazing information subbed and liked

Thank you. I’m trying to build one myself and you brought up some great tips.

Great vid, thankyou!

Wonderful information thank you. I’d like to build my own cocktail cabinet and I’m liking the look of stained wood. I assume I would need to go plywood to get that then. What wood would you recommend for this project given your concerns about plywood? Plywood birch? Solid oak? Cherry?

Looks like MDF is the way I'm going to go with my scratch-built cabinet...

Wooden boats don't use MDF or particle board...

I only see particle board used in cheap furniture. Definitely will not hold in a screw if u unscrew it.

I have to admit that I am late to building an arcade, but I have to disagree. In what part of Canada is it considered "really humid"? For perspective, I live in Florida. It gets humid here. Every day, it gets to 80 to 100% humidity. Not only when it rains, which it does rain nearly every day in Florida during the summer months, but the overnight humidity even when it doesn't rain can reach 80 to 100%. The lowest it ever gets, is around 40%, and that is only because it's 95 to 97 degrees. Every morning it looks like it rained, even when it hasn't. I consider particle board and fiberboard to be entirely unsuitable for absolutely anything. You could use it for bonfires, but the smoke is toxic. With the exception of marine-grade particle board which is put together with a waterproof adhesive, particle board and fiberboard are unsuitable for this climate, period. Marine grade particle board is not at all the same creature as what you are talking about. It is difficult to come by and EXTREMELY expensive. I only tuned into this video out of curiosity, my mind was already made up. I'm going to use real wood. Solid pine, not particle, and not fiber. Even at that, I intend to paint and seal the wood to (somewhat) protect it from humidity.

So since since you're using manufactured sheeting how would you get a woodgrain look if that's what's requested? Decals? Arborite?

I agree with using mdf, all the cabinets I build are sitting on casters, just to give them a little extra protection just in case of water ect... also I like to put LED strips on the bottom to give it a little glow underneath. I appreciate all your videos, I live in Bellingham WA just across the boarder, I believe you guys are based in Vancouver correct? If I was ever to make a trip up there what are the odds of having a tour of your shop?

So wich one should i get?

Use marine grade plywood?

Where would you go to buy high end particle boards?

HI! i live in canada so the worry i have is the climate, im planing on building a bartop arcade system housing a 19" screen with a raspberry pi (lightweight electronics theoretically), so they system isint going to be huge, but was wondering with our climate would the lightweight MDF be fine for a project like this? the bartop will be moved from house to house every now and then, im trying to keep it lighter for easier transport. thanks!!!

So plywood is stronger to hold a crt tv?

Thank you for the video - very timely in my case. Do you think laminate (formica) over either plywood or particle board is a good solution too? I'm sure in you case its not cost effective for production work - but as a one-off? Thx.

Particle board is the worse material for any kind of work laminated or not. Plywood is far the best material if its laminated for arcade cabinets.

Would you build a full arcade machine with 1/2 inch MDF vs 3/4 MDF? Please explain. Thanks!

whats the best way to cut this wood properly if you do not have a table saw?

I'm making my arcade cabinet out of oriented strand board. I already bought the pcs and cut them. I was going for cheap..but was that a bad choice ?

Partical board can't be sanded and is not smooth. If you apply side art will it be uneven or will it appear smooth?

What do u think about using pine wood

Was think of use oak wood as got lots of it would it be ok or not plz ?

Particle board/ IKEA is absolutely garbage. Especially for industrial use

lol deckle

This video should be renamed to: How to say "Stuff like that" or "and stuff" as many times as humanly possible in 13 minutes and 23 seconds. 😂

MEL-a-mine

lcd arcades, yuck