General Category > General Discussion
New Project for Handheld Storage Cabinet
DarrienEmerald:
Working on a case for my current and future handheld game systems. Figured I'd post the idea up here, just to get some feedback on it. Sadly, actual physical progress on it won't happen until I find a job that'll actually leave me some spending money, but I got bored and designed it anyways...
It... looks odd, off hand, but I think it'll look great with the systems in it. The first row is for the GB pocket, GB Color, and Advance SP (both the pocket and the Color are going to be resting on their side, rather than the bottom, so I don't have it ridiculously taller for no reason); the second is for the DS Lite, 3DS, and 3DS LL (since thanks to Nintendo I have to import one...); the third row is NG Pocket Color, Game Gear, and SwanCrystal; and the fourth row is for the PSP and Vita, with a third compartment for whatever. Not pictured is the actual front; I'm planning on installing a glass door on it, with hinges on the right side. A slide on key lock will be on the top left corner of the glass, and it'll slide into the extended wall on the left. I also didn't put the planned grooves in the top of the shelves, in order to let the systems rest without falling over constantly. On the glass itself, in the upper right corner of each area, will be the logo of the system; while I'd love to silkscreen it onto the glass directly, I don't have equipment to do so (I think, I'd have to research it further), so I'll probably end up going with a clear sticker format or something.
The walls between the system, when larger than 10mm, is basically just three walls with a hollow hole in the middle; I'm leaving it that way to reduce weight, since ideally I'd like to wall mount the unit. Right now, the unit is 540 mm tall x 470 mm wide (~21.3" x ~18.5"), and 45 mm deep (55 mm on the locking side, ~1.8").
Something I'd love to do, but lack the technical know how to, is to build in custom docking stations for each system, where putting them into the "slot," so to speak, would recharge potential battery packs. Most of them have a rechargable battery pack available, but I don't have a clue about disassembling and rearranging the internals and whatnot. Also, this would require remeasuring and resizing the entire cabinet, so...
madrocsz:
you know, I honestly dont know why there isnt a company that makes affordable and durable shelving solutions strictly for video games. Priced right and the right features this could easily make someone a living
Dravenae:
To be honest, I don't particularly like it, but I don't have to live with it, so whatever suits you man. Personally I would go with something where each space is identical in dimensions, but again as I said, I don't have to live with it. It's for your game room, so its entirely up to you
DarrienEmerald:
Well, I showed my design to some others (namely, my mother), who promptly asked why the walls between systems were all different sizes, then called my explanation stupid. So, after being thoroughly annoyed, I redesigned the cabinet.
The top shelf, now with 4 systems, holds an original Game Boy, Game Boy pocket, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance SP, all of which are now standing upright. Every other shelf has been downgraded to two systems to keep the walls the same size. Row 2 holds a DS lite and a 3DS, with an unused middle section. Row 3 just barely manages to fit a 3DS LL and a Game Gear; obviously the Game Gear (and several other systems) will have a large amount of vertical headway, which I may alter and fill in some, or not. As an afterthought, I should mention all DS systems and the SP are displayed opened. Row 4 holds the NGPC and SwanCrystal, again with an unused middle section. And finally, row 5 will hold the Sony handhelds, PSP and Vita, again just barely. Overall, the cabinet now runs 420 mm × 750 mm, or ~1'5"×~2'6". The depth is still the same, 45 mm/~1.8" on the right side, and 55 mm/~2.16" on the left. I also added the glass door this time, and some rather square hinges as I'm not familiar with curved objects yet.
As far as a company making shelving solutions, it's a little harder I think that just doing so. So many collectors, their primary market, have widely varying tastes and aesthetic choices, it'd be very difficult to come up with something universal that a majority would enjoy. Some don't collect for certain systems, or may collect for much lesser known systems; for example, if I was planning on selling these, it'd be disadvantageous to people that have a Game Boy micro, Atari Lynx, and Game & Watch, Game Boy Light, etc. And it'd be very difficult, I'd think, to try to come up with some kind of modular system to ease this, although not really impossible. It just seems a large amount of work for what feels like a small division of customers; sure, there are plenty of people that can and will buy old games, but I'd imagine the collectors and displayers are a much smaller number overall.
As far as making each space identical in dimensions, I certainly see where you're coming from. And this newer design is currently a lot more in line with that, but I'm unsure if I'm keeping it that way. My main concern with that is that the entire purpose of building this for my handhelds is to make something that is explicitly for them, and therefore sized for them. Otherwise, I may as well go down to Lowes or something and buy a simple bookshelf or something. It just seems... proper, for them, in my own opinion.
sheep2001:
I would at the very least make the upright dividers movable. I would need some form of symmetry in it if I were making it for myself.