Need advice on making a custom Street Fighter IV cabinet

[Boosie]

Hey
I'm a documentary filmmaker currently shooting a film about New York City's last arcade, Chinatown Fair, which closed down this Feb.  I set up a kickstarter to raise funds for the film and we made our goal a couple weeks ago.  One of the incentives was a custom arcade cabinet.  Now I am in charge of building and designing a cabinet capable of playing Street Fighter IV.  How should I do this?  Build a cab from scratch?  Refurbish an old cab?  Does anyone know if there are plans for a SF4 cabinet online?  I would also consider hiring someone in the NYC area that builds custom cabinets from wood. 
Thanks,
Irene

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Hey Irene,

I'm in NYC, and have been following your plight on sites like Gothamist.  I wasn't a regular or anything, but I loved Chinatown Fair, and it hurt me to see it suddenly go.  (Before I say any more, I should be clear that I don't have time or skill enough to build my own projects, let alone build a commissioned work... as much as I'd like to, believe me!!) I don't know how much $ you generated to be used for the cabinet, but no matter what it's going to boil down to your budget and when it needs to be delivered...

If you want the cabinet to actually house the arcade board... as you probably know, SF4 arcade kits are not cheap at all...  a quick google search found this: http://www.coinopexpress.com/products/pcbs/taito_type_x2/Street_Fighter_4_kit_%28Street_Fighter_IV%29_7558.html ... and that's before taking the actual "cabinetry" into the equation. I don't think that's a viable option.

I also don't think you want to refurb an old cab, unless the guy that owns the new place out in Williamsburgh (Sam, is it?) is willing to give you an old shell to work with. Usually the only reason to refurb an old cab is to save a classic, pre-90's cab from destruction.  Some will argue (myself included) that refurbing an old cab is often MORE difficult than building new.  Besides, the generic Dynamo cabs that are synonymous with 90's era Capcom fighters are just that; generic. Easily replicated.

I think your best bet is to build (or have someone build) a new cab, put a 360 or a PS3 in it, and get the appropriate control adapter for arcade controls.  Why a console?  Well, do you want to also deal with building (and paying for) a PC that can run SF4? That's another thing to consider. With a console at least you know you've got a stable experience at a set price.

There's a bunch of other things to consider, but I'm short on time (I'm about to leave work) so I'll try to post more later. Best of luck to you!!

[Jack Burton]

You'll want to get in contact with Kray.  He makes custom Vewlix cabinets for consoles.

He has sites here:

http://customvewlix.blogspot.com/

and here:

http://www.kraylixarcade.com/

Example pic:

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

You'll want to get in contact with Kray.  He makes custom Vewlix cabinets for consoles.

Yeah, now that I see that site, I've seen Kray's work before and it's pretty amazing.  As you'll see on the site though, he's not cheap either... and you'd be dealing with shipping from TX to NYC... woof.

I'll hold off on any further walls of text until I hear more info...

[Rice Cube]

if you know someone who knows what they are doing, maybe build a custom cab or just buy one that is pre-made. does it have to be a cabinet? maybe you can just get a bartop, you'll probably save money.

i wanted to tell you though you can get an akishop 360 from focusattack.com, i bought two and i use them with my xbox 360. they can also be used with a ps3. that would probably be cheapest way to go rather than buying a computer. xbox 360s are kinda cheap now, if you can get an older model used or something.

[Boosie]

Thanks for all the info.  Yeah CF was a really special place.  My dad used to go there when he was a kid back in the 50's and play skee ball. 
So... I definitely want to use an xbox or ps3.  Kray's work looks amazing, but yeah it looks out of my price range.  Also wood is ideal for my project.  Coctail wont work for this guy- he wants a cabinet to put in his office. 
What now?

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Well, the first question again is; what is your budget?  That's going to affect everything right off.

Do you have access to wood?  Tools?  A place to work?  A vehicle to move things around?

Wood in NYC:
In Manhattan you've got 2 choices: Prince Lumber (on west 15th,) or Dykes Lumber (on west 44th, I think. A 4'x8' sheet of A/C fir plywood was ~$45 last I was there.  No matter the project, you're going to need at least 2 sheets.)  In the boroughs and NJ you have assorted Home Depots, Lowes, etc. 

Tools: Well, you can get these at any hardware store, even the Home Depots (there's one on 23rd, and one on 57th I believe) in Manhattan have decent selection.  Jigsaw, circular saw, router, drill, etc...

A place to work: In Manhattan...?? good effing luck!   I have found one place in Brooklyn, while I haven't been there myself, that looks really interesting: http://www.makeville.com/   You have to pay to join, and then pay to rent the space (I think you do get some free storage) but it's a fully equipped shop as far I can tell -- no need to buy tools!  ---  Do you know someone, anyone, who has a garage you can work in? Otherwise, you're looking at building outside (questionable, especially depending on neighborhood) or building inside an apartment... which is, uh... MESSY.  Learned that the hard way. 

As far as design goes, I think you might want to shoot for a slimline like Knievel's Woody.  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55789.0  Aside from looking sexy as hell, it's a fairly easy build and it doesn't use a lot of materials. 

For controller interfaces and controller parts you've got either Ultimarc.com, GroovyGameGear.com, or Lizardlick.com... all have options that are compatible with consoles. 

monitor? (size? 24"? 32"?)
sound?
paint vs. laminate?
artwork? (marquee, sideart?)
t-molding?
plexiglass (what kind?)
etc. etc. etc.

And the guy who's getting the cabinet, what does HE want? Or more importantly, what is he expecting? And, hoo boy, WHEN is he expecting it?

Lots of stuff to consider!  Welcome to our obsessions. 

[Boosie]

So the cab will be going into this guy's really awesome office so it needs to look real sexy. He wants it so he can beat his co-workers at SF4.  A modern take on the old school cabs is what we are looking for.  We are going to go with a black paint finish with logos and a little custom artwork in red and yellow (paint).  There is no timeline on getting it finished.  The most important thing is that it looks great and is somewhat affordable.  I'd say I am hoping to spend no more than $2,000. Which I imagine will cover everything and then some. Right? 
Are there plans for a cab like Knievel's? His looks really cool and would fit in the office that it will be at.  I am going to check out the links for controllers, etc. 
Is there a great tutorial for wiring and the speaker set up for cabs?  I am definitely going to build one of these for my apartment in the future! Also, the monitor. Is a HD tv the way to go? and for Sound, what is the standard route?? so many questions it is crazy.

[Donkbaca]

My cab is in my office. Check my signature 

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

$2000 is good.  It can definitely be done on that.  Some have spent more, some have spent less.  Just don't forget to keep the console and the monitor/tv in the overall budget plan (that's going to be $500 to $800+ total right there alone depending on how you shop.)

Thank goodness there's no deadline: the learning curve on building one of these beasts varies significantly based on experience!

Knievel's basic profile sketch for the Woody are on page 4 of that thread, I believe... also check out Knievel's Evolution cab.  Once you've got some parts together (the monitor in particular! EVERYTHING else revolves around the MONITOR, in my opinion) you can decide on the basic dimensions of the thing.

HD TVs and monitors are about the only way to go: finding an old CRT monitor of any kind is getting more and more difficult.  Besides SF4 is really intended for widescreen, HD resolutions so a widescreen monitor or TV is definitely the way to go.  Look at something in the 24" to 32" range, 720p minimum resolution. Get something with an HDMI input since you've decided on a console.  Vizio maybe, since you're on a budget?

Sound is relatively easy, there's a bunch of ways to do it - and no standard route.  Easiest way would be to use the speakers (or audio-out) on whatever TV/monitor you might buy... not the "best" solution, but the easiest.

As more regulars become aware of this thread you'll have more answers and ideas than you can shake a stick at, believe me!  Keep looking around, and keep asking questions, these guys will definitely help you.

[Donkbaca]

For audio I would use a rca to 3.5mm adapter and then just plug that into some 5.1 computer speakers.  You don't need good ones.  50 bucks will have you rocking...