First Try Laminating

Since the old Zaxxon, like many Sega games from back in the day, had a woodgrain finish, I decided to try my hand at using laminate to duplicate the look.  The laminiate would be more durable than the original contact paper, and it should look pretty slick.

My first attempt at applying the laminate was pretty much a piece of cake.  Basiclly you brush the contact cement onto the wood.  Brush contact cement onto the back of the laminate piece, then with the help of a roller, press down firmly on the laminate until it's firmly attached to the wood.  Go once over the edges with a flush cut router, and you're done.  Its far easier than painting.  As of cost, I'd guess the laminate is a little more expensive, but likely not by much.  Here's a pic of the first few pieces for the base of the cabinet.

I managed to find the time to cut out the majority of pieces for the base of the cab.  I also laminated both sides and the coin door pieces.  Late in the day I started to assemble the base of the cabinet, and after making two or three stupid mistakes decided it was time to call it a day.  Here's a pic of the new coin bucket divider for the base.  With any luck I'll get the base put together on Sunday.