Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle
General Chat => Arcade Lifestyle => Topic started by: slowcade on November 25, 2010, 10:46:14 PM
-
I haven't been here for some months, as I injured my spine this summer. It's nice to be back, although I'm recovering slowly. :)
I have been wanting my own gameroom for some years now. I was looking for a house with a basement for my games when we moved this spring, but finding the perfect house proved difficult. They were either too expensive, too old or the location was wrong.
We ended up with a semi-detached house located at the outskirts of a quiet neighborhood. Although it doesn't have a basement, the previous owner had built a shed in the garden, which is fully insulated and therefore suitable for our cold winters. I measured the shed, ensuring that I could fit at least 4 pinballs and 4-5 arcade games inside. I even double checked the ceiling height, and made sure that a normal pinball game (without topper) would be ok.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7RnUJKNBI/AAAAAAAAAnM/BqhguYghhFU/s400/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore01.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7RnUJKNBI/AAAAAAAAAnM/BqhguYghhFU/s1600/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore01.jpg)
What I didn't do, was to make sure that the door was actually wide enough to fit a game. It turned out it was just 70 cm wide!
I called my father, who promised to help me get a new door and fit it. As I injured my spine this summer, I depend on more help than usual for a while.
Although we moved in at the end of May, it was September before I was able to do anything at all. My father didn't have the time to help me yet, so I started tidying up all the empty cartons and boxes we had stuffed into the shed while moving, and also disassembling some shelves the previous owner had made.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7TE63lZ6I/AAAAAAAAAnU/UXlrysDMEis/s400/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore06.jpg) (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7TE63lZ6I/AAAAAAAAAnU/UXlrysDMEis/s1600/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore06.jpg)
The floor is quite rough, but I'm sure it will clean up nicely. I'm planning to paint it, so all the dark spots will be hidden.
Most of them are from the previous owner fixing his motorcycle, and there is also a lot of dirt just inside the door, from walking in with shoes.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7TpbGiwxI/AAAAAAAAAnc/nwpl4-ai2Cc/s400/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore03.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7TpbGiwxI/AAAAAAAAAnc/nwpl4-ai2Cc/s1600/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore03.jpg)
The walls and ceiling look nice already, all covered with plasterboard.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7UHLItU0I/AAAAAAAAAnk/qctzP8BsaWI/s400/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore05.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TO7UHLItU0I/AAAAAAAAAnk/qctzP8BsaWI/s1600/20101007%2B-%2Bbefore05.jpg)
..to be continued. :)
-
It's good to see you here again, welcome back, and I wish you a good recovery.
Nice place you have there for your games. I will follow this topic with interest. What ideas do you have for internal decoration, walls, lights, etc?
-
ckong: Thanks! As I said, it's wonderful to be back. :)
My plans are quite simple. I will remove the small door on the front, and also the window (to prevent the sun fading the games). Where the door is currently is actually the worst position, as that wall is the most exposed to the weather. Inside I will clean up the floor, and paint it and the walls.
I have some framed game posters which I will use for decoration, and I have also been considering getting some Asteroid decals for the emptiest wall. The new door will be on the left side (when seeing the shed from the front). The arcade games will be along the wall where the current door is, and the pinballs along the opposite wall.
I have actually come quite a bit further, so I just have to gather the pictures and type some words. :) I hope I can update again tomorrow.
-
Glad to hear you're recovering!
Mmmh your gameroom is really inspiring me because I have the same kind of shed in the back of my garden.
Not insulated at all though... I will inquire on the costs of insulating it, that might end up cheaper (and way more convenient) than renting a storage space.
-
Welcome back slowcade, good to hear you are recovering !
Wich you all the best
Nice shed !
-
Welcome back and have fun organizing your game room!! :wink:
-
Welcome back slowcade :)
-
Indeed welcome back! - hope the "cadelunatic" will help you further! ;)
And nice Shed! (Remember... "The Shed®" is a registrated trademark... ®) and by the way, that´s Nunos fault! :D :spaceace:
-
Welcome back ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Thank you for all the kind words! :) Here is an update.
It took some time before my father had time to help me fit the new door. And in the meantime, disaster struck.. The first snow fell! Winter is approaching fast, and I would want to finish the shed before the weather makes it impossible.
We couldn't let the snow stop us, though. We finally got the new 90x190 door fitted, but not without difficulties. It wasn't level in the beginning, so we drilled more holes in the door frame than necessary. I'll have to find a way to cover them up.
The door was level in the end, but we realized that it didn't close easily. At that time it was already late afternoon, and my father had to leave. We agreed to work on it another day, but it's looking nice already. I actually have a door which is wide enough to bring games inside the shed!
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPAQaPM1fVI/AAAAAAAAAns/TH6u6v1Aim8/s400/20101021%2B-%2Bnew_door01.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPAQaPM1fVI/AAAAAAAAAns/TH6u6v1Aim8/s1600/20101021%2B-%2Bnew_door01.jpg)
It was stupid of me not to paint the door when I had it stored in the garage while waiting for my father. I'm covering it with plastic and hoping for warmer weather.
-
...and when I see the snow, I think you'll have the same problem than me. We owns external game rooms, with no connexion to your houses.
When you'll want to play your games, you'll be sometime too lazy or you'll afraid of being cold...and so ... you won't go outside, and stay quiet, warm inside your house :P :oops:
-
...and when I see the snow, I think you'll have the same problem than me. We owns external game rooms, with no connexion to your houses.
When you'll want to play your games, you'll be sometime too lazy or you'll afraid of being cold...and so ... you won't go outside, and stay quiet, warm inside your house :P :oops:
Exactly my problem.
My Judge Dredd is in my living room right now and I do a lot of work on it (and play too ;) ) because it's simply there and it's warm....and there's lots of room to move around it...It really makes me want to have any cab I'm working on at that spot....
Nice shed and hope you recover well Slowcade.
-
...and when I see the snow, I think you'll have the same problem than me. We owns external game rooms, with no connexion to your houses.
When you'll want to play your games, you'll be sometime too lazy or you'll afraid of being cold...and so ... you won't go outside, and stay quiet, warm inside your house :P :oops:
Yes, definitely. It makes me a bit sad that I had to give up my dream of having a convenient basement with space for all my games. But I guess I'll have to wait for another couple of years, until we move again. :-\
At least this is the second best option, and the room temperature is ok. And it will hopefully be even more tempting to go outside during all the months without snow. :)
PS: It's approximately -18°C here now, and getting colder. :shock:
-
My Judge Dredd is in my living room right now and I do a lot of work on it (and play too ;) ) because it's simply there and it's warm....and there's lots of room to move around it...It really makes me want to have any cab I'm working on at that spot....
Nice shed and hope you recover well Slowcade.
Thanks! :)
To have a garden shed is actually a big improvement for me, because until now I've rented a gameroom with 9 other guys. It's a 10 minute drive away from home. Not only is it inconvenient because of the distance, but it's a bit difficult keeping your tools, equipment and parts in their place, and difficult to do any restoration work at all.
I'm not saying that I'll suddenly be very effective and restore all my games (not even I believe that), but at least the new gameroom is much more accessible. :D
-
brrrrrr. That looks cold! Hope you get everything set before "hard core winter" sets in! Hope you'll be better asap!! :D
-
The snow disappeared again, and it was time to remove the old door. I didn't have the materials needed to cover up the window, and it would have to be ordered. Winter is coming fast, so I decided to keep the window until spring and just remove the old door for now.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKD6yvgwjI/AAAAAAAAAn0/CYm_fpNzUY4/s400/20101028%2B-%2Bhalf_wall.JPG) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKD6yvgwjI/AAAAAAAAAn0/CYm_fpNzUY4/s1600/20101028%2B-%2Bhalf_wall.JPG)
The job didn't take much time outside, but fitting the plaster boards inside was more tedious. The weather forecast said that it would rain all week, so I rushed the outside job a bit. A bit too much, I later discovered. I should have used a string or something to keep the bottom edge of the wall level, because it ended up crooked. It's not a big deal, I will fix it in spring, when I'm covering up the window anyway.
Here is a picture of the end result, after the forecasted rain and snow had already fallen:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKFGraJJSI/AAAAAAAAAn8/AKBNWrv5wHQ/s400/20101114%2B-new_door06.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKFGraJJSI/AAAAAAAAAn8/AKBNWrv5wHQ/s1600/20101114%2B-new_door06.jpg)
Time went by while waiting for my father to come help me adjust the door. I lost some motivation, and I didn't do much for almost two weeks. Until one day I discovered by accident that the door suddenly moved smoothly! :)
I plastered all the gaps and holes in the plasterboard inside. It was more time consuming than I had expected, because I had to go three rounds to make it flush with the boards. The end result was by no means perfect, but good enough for such a shed.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKHbk7zmGI/AAAAAAAAAoM/c-zeQGRuH9w/s400/20101114%2B-new_door02.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKHbk7zmGI/AAAAAAAAAoM/c-zeQGRuH9w/s1600/20101114%2B-new_door02.jpg)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKHbTpgelI/AAAAAAAAAoE/muBk70JHtUQ/s400/20101114%2B-new_door04.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKHbTpgelI/AAAAAAAAAoE/muBk70JHtUQ/s1600/20101114%2B-new_door04.jpg)
The floor was still a mess, and the individual floor boards made a very uneven surface. I got it sanded down a bit, which removed the biggest differences in height.
The floor also looked a lot better after some rounds with the vaccuum cleaner and a wash.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKKUhUiZfI/AAAAAAAAAoU/EudXX9TbVIA/s400/20101121%2B-%2Bwhite_walls03.jpg) (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKKUhUiZfI/AAAAAAAAAoU/EudXX9TbVIA/s1600/20101121%2B-%2Bwhite_walls03.jpg)
Painting the walls and ceiling went quite fast, as I used a long extension pole and rollers. That way I also avoided straining my back. I simply chose a white colour, which I regret a bit now. I thought it would make the room seem large, open and clean, but I'm not so sure after seeing the result. I think it looks more like a hospital wall, and I'm afraid it will get dirty and ugly fast. I am actually considering to repaint it dark blue, which I'm sure will look better with my framed posters and my plans for lighting. :? :ghost:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKKVcsAULI/AAAAAAAAAok/PzkGHTTd1Ac/s400/20101121%2B-%2Bwhite_walls02.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKKVcsAULI/AAAAAAAAAok/PzkGHTTd1Ac/s1600/20101121%2B-%2Bwhite_walls02.jpg)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKKUxIuddI/AAAAAAAAAoc/AI8SG_mY0R0/s400/20101121%2B-%2Bwhite_walls04.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKKUxIuddI/AAAAAAAAAoc/AI8SG_mY0R0/s1600/20101121%2B-%2Bwhite_walls04.jpg)
The weather forecast said that it would get very cold Tuesday night, with temperatures down to -15°C. :o Even worse, the cold period would last for two weeks and possibly longer, with temperatures decreasing down to -20 °C. :shock: I had two pinball games in the garage, and I definitely wanted to get them into the shed before the temperature dropped. So I gave the floor two fast coats of floor paint.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKMeT-Zc5I/AAAAAAAAAos/54BE542rCuQ/s400/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor03.jpg) (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKMeT-Zc5I/AAAAAAAAAos/54BE542rCuQ/s1600/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor03.jpg)
I think the result was very nice! However, I had a concern before painting it. I would have to use masking tape on the painted wall plastered board, and I was afraid it would rip the paint right off. I asked at the shop (who said that it would not be a problem) and bought their least sticky masking tape. However, the paint really did come off in places. :evil:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKNfniVLBI/AAAAAAAAApE/_rzYt3g6LEQ/s400/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor04.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKNfniVLBI/AAAAAAAAApE/_rzYt3g6LEQ/s1600/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor04.jpg)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKNfKapPcI/AAAAAAAAAo8/5Y8XHQQ1BIk/s400/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor05.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKNfKapPcI/AAAAAAAAAo8/5Y8XHQQ1BIk/s1600/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor05.jpg)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKNe12dMNI/AAAAAAAAAo0/cnDbfsHFiYI/s400/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor06.jpg) (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKNe12dMNI/AAAAAAAAAo0/cnDbfsHFiYI/s1600/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor06.jpg)
It's not a big deal, but a bit of extra work. In a strange way, this made me want even more to repaint the walls and ceiling dark blue. Maybe because I hardly have any white paint left, so I will have to buy more paint anyway.
Two of my friends came to help me carry the pinballs from the garage to the shed, just before the worst temperatures kicked in. ;D
I covered the window with some heavy black carton to avoid the sun bleaching the cabinets.
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKPPtsjjKI/AAAAAAAAApU/80WMsB17-Sc/s400/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor01.jpg) (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKPPtsjjKI/AAAAAAAAApU/80WMsB17-Sc/s1600/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor01.jpg)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKPPRlmC-I/AAAAAAAAApM/-7jMCC7zOtU/s400/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor07.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKPPRlmC-I/AAAAAAAAApM/-7jMCC7zOtU/s1600/20101123%2B-%2Bgrey_floor07.jpg)
It's a wonderful feeling to have the games in a warm 20°C room, while it's -15°C outside! ;D They are still just in the middle of the room, and not connected, as I'm seriously considering to cover them up and spend a couple of hours repainting the walls and ceiling.
It's so cold outside that the snow has crystallized. :shock: It's beautiful to look at, but it's more comfortable to stay indoors at the moment. :)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKR2ppBo4I/AAAAAAAAApk/xnR8eQDaaMc/s400/20101128%2B-%2Bsnow1.jpg) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKR2ppBo4I/AAAAAAAAApk/xnR8eQDaaMc/s1600/20101128%2B-%2Bsnow1.jpg)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKR1Banr7I/AAAAAAAAApc/v-TS6N1iOIQ/s400/20101128%2B-%2Bsnow2.jpg]) (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0UjZxffCPCg/TPKR1Banr7I/AAAAAAAAApc/v-TS6N1iOIQ/s1600/20101128%2B-%2Bsnow2.jpg)
-
Fast and efficient that's how I like it!
I can't wait to see a picture of it once the games will be installed.
What kind of insulation are you using for the walls and floor by the way?
-
What kind of insulation are you using for the walls and floor by the way?
The shed was actually already insulated when I got it. The previous owner used glass wool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_wool). Almost everyone use that here, and the only other alternative seems to be rock wool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_wool).
I've had more back pain the last few days, so progress has been slow lately. I'm hoping that I can repaint the walls and ceiling and put the games into place next week. :) I also need to cover the gap around the door, and maybe if the temperature rises above zero I can also paint the door outside.