UMK3 Scratch build

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I've always wanted a Mortal Kombat arcade, but due to living in South Africa, it's impossible to find them.

So, last year I decided to start building a Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 machine from scratch.
I did a lot of research to get the correct sizes and found http://www.jakobud.com/plan.php?id=19
I have no idea how to present this build, so I'll be doing a diary style post.

November 9th : Day 1

I bought the wood and did the side panel measurements.



Cut out the side panels. I clamped them together and sanded them down to get a perfect match.



Here's the panels side by side.



I made two square frames to hold the side panels together.



Attached caster wheels to the one frame.
The back wheels are fixed and front wheels swivel, shopping cart style.


I attached the frames to the side panels.



This is as far as I got the first day.
I'll post every day I worked on it in separate posts to keep this thread nice and tidy.

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November 16th : Day 2

I know that the MK1 machine is the only one with die triangular front panel, but I like the shape of it better than the MK 2,3,4 so I decided to go with that design.

Top part of cabinet attached.



This is probably not the best way of building the front part, but I had no reference and just went with my gut.

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November 17th : Day 3

I'm not going to use a Jamma board. I'll be using a pc for the machine.
There will be some deviations from the original plans.


Clamped together the CP sides to get them exactly the same size.



The drawer where I'll be putting the mouse and keyboard



This is where it got a bit tricky.
I had to do some dodgy hacks to get the control panel together.
So, with a drawer at the front of the CP it's impossible to attach the control panel the correct way and I resorted to some less than desirable tactics.






I attached the top part of the CP and front part of the drawer.

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December 14th : Day 4

I started a bit late in the day so only got to paint the inside of the cabinet.
I used a roller to get a more even coverage.
I would prefer spraying it, but I don't have the right equipment and I don't like using cans. It takes too long and costs way too much.



December 15th : Day 5

The next day I continued to paint the sides and all the smaller parts.

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January 4th : Day 6

Finally got the artwork from the printers.



I opted for a 7 button layout. This machine is going to replace my old MAME cab.
I had to change the CPO so that the artwork matched the holes.



The artwork's on! Plus I added the bright-red t-molding.



Attached the CP to the machine>



Temporarily added the buttons to the CP, I really wanted to see what it's going to look like.
I still need to get the lexan sheet.



After this I was way too busy. Work, freelance work, friends, family and girlfriend.
I didn't have any time to continue the build until this weekend.

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In the mean time I tracked down a Killer Instinct machine and got it for a great price.
Here's a video of the unwrapping.

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23rd February : Day 7

I finally had some time today to apply the side art and the rest of the t-molding.

I placed the cabinet on it's side on a blanket.



I used a micro-fiber cloth to apply the side art. Started from the top and worked my way down as there's more bleed at the bottom of the art.



I did the same on both sides and added the t-molding.
I also added the art on the front of the drawer.

Here's a overlook of the machine in it's current state.








And here's the machine next to my other ones.
I temporarily taped the marquee to the top just to get a better idea of what it's going to look like when it's done.



I don't know when I'll be working on it again. I have a busy schedule the next few weeks, but I'll update this thread once I continue the build.

My to do list for this build is:

• CPO lexan cut and install.
• Joystick, button and iPac wiring.
• Buy speakers.
• Speaker panel and black metal mesh speaker cover.
• Buy 25'' TV.
• Install TV.
• Create bezel for TV and get glass panel for TV overlay.
• Install light for marquee.
• Add plexiglass for marquee.
• Install PC in the machine.
• Do all wiring of speakers, power switches, volume controls and usb ports.

Sorry for the spamming in this thread.
I had to post it in more manageable segments to keep my sanity 

[jackiabu]

great job men  

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Nice job!

[Le Chuck]

Very nicely done thus far!  Keep it up

[rablack97]

ultimate faves.........

[Malenko]

Just wondering why you went with the MK1 style cab, I like it, but I am curious.

[MK3FAN]

Fantastic job so far! Too bad you bought that terrible GOG CP front. Here's the correct one...

[Locke141]

Looks great,

I think this is the first thread I've read for another build in Africa. I'm in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania. 

The later MK cabinets are my personal favorites, but your's look's killer. When we move back to the states, I want to pick up a beat up MK 3 to make a dedicated MAME fighter cab.   

What printer did you use?
Is shipping in to SA a nightmare?

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Just wondering why you went with the MK1 style cab, I like it, but I am curious.

I had the plans for a MK1 cab and not the MK 2,3,4 cabs, so I built it like that.
I like the triangular look of the MK1's front panel but for the sake of doing it the right way I might as well do it with the flat panel.
I built it in such a way that I could easily replace it with the proper front part.
From the inside I just have to unscrew 8 bolts and it comes loose.



Luckily in the meantime I acquired a Killer Instinct machine. I'm thinking of redoing the front part the proper way by using the KI as reference.

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What printer did you use?

I had it printed at my local signage shop. I opted for that because of the ridiculous cost of GoG.

Is shipping in to SA a nightmare?

If you're referring to shipping the artwork to SA, yes it's truly expensive.. It costs about the same price as the actual artwork. It's ridiculous.
If you're referring to shipping an Arcade machine to SA, it's going to be probably double the price of the actual machine. Basically not possible, unless you're desperate or just have too much money lying around.

All the joysticks, buttons etc I use I had to import and it's damn expensive. Roughly half the price of the items = shipping. For all the purchases I made from various online shops.

[Locke141]

I was referring to parts and or art.

Using TZ mail isn't to expensive and is fairly reliable out bound, say to the US, but having things shipped into TZ is ridiculous. I'm having my cab painted by a student at my school because the mail is so bad.

Not that it helped much, he ordered the paint 3 months ago from SA. The post office essentially went into the package, found the invoice, and tried to extort "fees' for holding the package. It was a big order of art stuff, not just the paint for my build. They wanted $300 USD in fees on a $600 invoice.       

If you know any one that is coming or going to the USA, you could ask them to bring back some parts. Thats what I did.

Any way, it looks good.