javeryh's Small-ish Bartop ["Jack Attack!"]

[javeryh]

Current Status:







To Do:

• Get ServoStik working using RGB Commander
• Paint dustwasher (white?)
• Finalize game lists

________________________________________________________________

For my first arcade project in 9(!) years I've decided to make a small custom bartop cabinet for my son.  I am pretty much out of space at home for full-sized cabs but the itch to build something just won't go away.  Since I last finished my DK+ I have put an addition on my house and put a movie theater in my basement - those projects took a ton of time (and money) but were well worth it.  The movie theater means I don't have as much space for upright cabinets as I'd like so my solution is to build a bartop that my son can play in his room and easily move around the house if he wants.

Goals:
- Small footprint.  I do not really like the hulking 2P bartops that I see all over the place.  They look huge and at that point you might as well build a full sized cab, IMO.
- Intuitive functionality.  I want it to be obvious to users how to operate the cabinet.  Power on, boot straight to game list, select and exit games at touch of a button, power off.
- Focused gamelist.  I do not need to be able to play 5000 games - just the classics and maybe a few lesser-known gems.  Arcade only (no console games).
- Focused theme.  I want this to look like it's own thing so no marquee that says "Mamecade" or "Arcade Classics" or whatever other generic thing people do.

Expanding on the focused theme, I'm leaning towards calling it "Jack Attack!" because my son's name is Jack.  The font for the marquee will be similar to the "Mars Attack!" movie poster. 



The side art and CP art will hopefully match the font - retro style I guess - with some 50s looking UFOs and maybe an alien with a ray gun or something.  Not sure yet.  I don't have any photoshop or inkscape skills so I'll need to commission someone to do this for me.

The guts of this thing will probably be a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ but I really need to do some research and learn how it works.  I am somewhat familiar with Retropie (the basics) but I will need to customize the theme and everything to get it to where I like.  I already have a 10" 4:3 monitor that I plan to mount horizontally and the control panel will likely be 6-button set up (because my son like Street Fighter) with a ServoStik joystick.  I just don't think I can fit a computer inside or I'd go that route.

After reading a TON of build threads I settled on three projects that inspired mine:

- grippie's Sega Genesis Bartop
- edekoning's NES Bartop
- Vidiot's Centipede Bartop

I started off using grippie's plans but shrunk them down to 60% (because my monitor is about 60% the size of the one he used) and then added a 1/2" to the bottom, back and top edges to make room for the controls and to make the marquee area bigger so that it could be seen. 

Work began on it last week and have the side panels cut and I'm hoping to assemble it this weekend.  The final pattern I cut out of cardboard is attached to this post - more pics to follow.

[Mike A]

I must say that I strongly disapprove of this build.

-You need it to play a minimum of 10,000 games.
-The name should be "MAMEcade Classic Arcadecade"
-You didn't even mention a steering wheel and light guns.

I hope you at least plan on adding 732 RGB LED buttons.

[javeryh]

I must say that I strongly disapprove of this build.

-You need it to play a minimum of 10,000 games.
-The name should be "MAMEcade Classic Arcadecade"
-You didn't even mention a steering wheel and light guns.

I hope you at least plan on adding 732 RGB LED buttons.

I knew I went wrong somewhere... if I widen the bartop by 48" I think I'll be able to get the light guns and steering wheels in there and I'll be able to play TMNT with 3 buddies once every 3 years.  Actually, if I go that far I might as well set it up for 6P X-Men!  Back to the drawing board...

[javeryh]

After settling on the profile, I decided to mock up the cab with cardboard to get a feel for the size.  The Monster is for scale:



I thought about it for a while and although I was very happy with the shape, I was not happy with the overall size - still too big - so I shrunk it down and the result was the "Minicade".  The "Arcade" design is 65% of grippie's Sega cab (for the most part) and the "Minicade" design is 60%, which I was happy with.  I also printed out the CP layout and decided on the interior width of the cab 9-5/8".  The monitor I have is 9-1/2" wide (with the case) so it just fits.





In case anyone looks back on this and wonders what exactly I did to grippie's design here you go.  I wanted more surface area for the marquee and some additional room inside to fit everything so I added a little to the back and top of the design.

[krangbrain]

"arcadecade" lol!!!

Just imagine, a bartop that's actually going to be small enough to fit properly on a... bar top lol. Looking forward to the progress! 

[Mike A]

Yeah. I like where this one is going.

[Malenko]

I look forward to following along. You always do great work, and grippy's cab is a hall of famer for sure, so it's a great cab to base yours off of.

[javeryh]

Thanks guys - I also look forward to following along because I'm not 100% sure how this is going to go  . 

After getting a profile that I liked with the cardboard, I traced them out onto a sheet of 1/4" MDF so I could make a pattern.  Instead of making one side and then copying it, I decided to make the pattern first and copy it twice.  If this goes smooth, I can make additional cabs down the road... maybe. 



At this point, I still wasn't sold on whether to use the "Arcade" size or the "Minicade" size so I made 2 patterns because why not.  Next, using a 2" forstner bit, I cut out some circles for the curved areas.



Next, I cut the rest of the pattern out with my jigsaw staying about 1/8" away from the lines.



Finally, using my router, a pattern bit and a straight edge, I cut everything back to the line and then used some sandpaper and a sanding block to smooth out the hard corners (I just eyeballed this).  Before doing this part I made the decision to use the smaller profile.



Now that I had a 1/4" pattern, I could make copies out of 3/4" MDF for the sides of the cabinet.   

[leapinlew]

Nice score on the 10" monitor.... that's a good form factor to be working with since you can get lots of tablets in 10" size.

Looks like a good start Javery! It's a little late, but the only consideration I would have for you is to consider where this cabinet is going to live. My 2 bartops never could find a proper home. I ended up building a table for them, and by then, I wished I just made them full size (like a lowboy or cabaret).  My defender just hangs out in storage.

Besides the Raspberry Pi, also consider a Pandoras box, or other jamma board. It's hard to beat the simplicity of configuration. I had a PB3, and I didn't love it, but I'd consider a 5 after watching some reviews. For a kid, I'd be worried about improper shut downs and corruption of the SD card (I assume that's still a thing).

[ivwshane]

I'm looking forward to this project if your past work is any indication! I can't believe it's almost been ten years since I remembered following your bellas arcade. Your daughter has to be close to graduating now right?

[javeryh]

Nice score on the 10" monitor.... that's a good form factor to be working with since you can get lots of tablets in 10" size.

Looks like a good start Javery! It's a little late, but the only consideration I would have for you is to consider where this cabinet is going to live. My 2 bartops never could find a proper home. I ended up building a table for them, and by then, I wished I just made them full size (like a lowboy or cabaret).  My defender just hangs out in storage.

Besides the Raspberry Pi, also consider a Pandoras box, or other jamma board. It's hard to beat the simplicity of configuration. I had a PB3, and I didn't love it, but I'd consider a 5 after watching some reviews. For a kid, I'd be worried about improper shut downs and corruption of the SD card (I assume that's still a thing).

Thanks lew.  I also like the 10" screen size.  I opened it up and the insides were... unexpected.  Just a wafer thin panel and a ribbon cable connecting it to the outputs.  It is mostly empty inside the plastic shell.  I was planning to decase it but now I'm not sure I want to mess with it.  I'd lose the easy Vesa mount if I decased it but would have more room inside for stuff.  I'm on the fence.  The great thing is that it is 4:3 and not 16:9 like most tablets.  I hooked up my desktop real quick and Windows looked just fine.

I have thought a little bit about where this thing will live and I think it will be just fine in my son's room on his dresser or something.  The footprint of this cabinet is small - probably 8" deep and 10" wide total.  It's also only about 15" high so not taking up a lot of space even on a table.  I'll get some accurate measurements tonight.

I'm looking forward to this project if your past work is any indication! I can't believe it's almost been ten years since I remembered following your bellas arcade. Your daughter has to be close to graduating now right?

Haha thanks.  I can't believe it has been that long either.  I built that arcade cab in 2007!  She is a teenager and going into 8th grade already.  Send help.    She still likes to play games and about a month ago she sat down and played through all of Bad Dudes on her cab.

[javeryh]

Alright... next step on this thing was to use my 1/4" pattern to cut out the actual sides out of 3/4" MDF.  I traced the pattern on the MDF and rough cut it leaving about 1/8" all the way around.  Then I used some double sided table to stick the pattern down so I could run all the way around with the router and my pattern bit:



This produced 2 exact copies:



After that was finished, I switched bits and routed the slots for the t-molding.  Easier to do this now but I could have waited until the cabinet was assembled.  Centering the slot cutter was such a pain.  I ruined a lot of scrap MDF getting it just right.



Next up - cutting the interior panels (8 total pieces that are each 9-5/8" wide).   

[javeryh]

First question for you guys.  I’m building the rear panel and trying to decide what to put back there.  I have a power socket that will go on the right side and a power button and volume knob that will go on the left. 

I’m ripping apart a pair of $10 AmazonBasics speakers and I plan to relocate the volume knob to the back panel.  I want the ability to control the volume even though I could shift that function.  The knob will be out of sight and this needs to be simple to operate.

I have 2 buttons I could use for power.  One crappy 1/2” red button that will be fine and one cool looking PC button that has an illuminated blue ring of light.  The problem is that no one will see this and I do not want it on the front of the cab where it could get accidentally hit. 

So my question- which power button would you use and how would you lay out this panel?  The socket could be installed vertically or horizontally and power and volume could be side by side or on top of each other.

Thoughts?

[Slippyblade]

I'd use the lit button just due to the fact that the other one sticks out and could get bumped accidently.  Or just pick up a vandal button separately.

[javeryh]

I'd use the lit button just due to the fact that the other one sticks out and could get bumped accidently.  Or just pick up a vandal button separately.

Hmmm... the vandal button looks pretty nice.  $7.49 shipped from Amazon so I ordered.  I'm probably overdoing it but whatever...  I'm a little over $200 into this thing already!

[JDFan]

Hmmm... the vandal button looks pretty nice.  $7.49 shipped from Amazon so I ordered. 

Ouch they're only $0.99 shipped from Honk Kong If you don't need it right away ! - https://www.ebay.com/itm/16mm-Anti-Vandal-Momentary-Steel-Metal-Push-Button-Switch-Flat-Top-New/282875701924?epid=28016226143&hash=item41dcb4aaa4:g:Kv0AAOSwpFtaoNvh

[javeryh]

Hmmm... the vandal button looks pretty nice.  $7.49 shipped from Amazon so I ordered. 

Ouch they're only $0.99 shipped from Honk Kong If you don't need it right away ! - https://www.ebay.com/itm/16mm-Anti-Vandal-Momentary-Steel-Metal-Push-Button-Switch-Flat-Top-New/282875701924?epid=28016226143&hash=item41dcb4aaa4:g:Kv0AAOSwpFtaoNvh

Gah! Oh well - I don't really care but the $7 savings would have been nice!  Mine is set to arrive Saturday, which is perfect because I plan to work on this thing over the weekend.   

[Drnick]

Good choice on the vandal switch As for the panel, I would mount it horizontally,  have power socket one end, volume in middle and vandal switch at the other. 

[javeryh]

Good choice on the vandal switch As for the panel, I would mount it horizontally,  have power socket one end, volume in middle and vandal switch at the other.

A horizontal mount for the socket seems good but that means the plug is sideways... not that it matters.  I'm leaning that way.  I'm going to keep the power button and volume knob to the side because I want them to be easily reachable.  If I put something in the middle it could be a pain to use.

I might go with on/off on the left and both the power socket and volume knob to the right.  This way there is no way to accidentally turn off the cab when you just want to change the volume.  I'm still playing with it. 

[Mike A]

Put the volume knob and power button on the top near the back.

[javeryh]

Put the volume knob and power button on the top near the back.

Good idea.  Power for sure since it is flush with the top panel.  The volume knob will stick out and annoy me but this will free up room on the rear panel for volume on the left and power socket on the right.  Problem solved... I think.

[lomoverde]

is it possible to wire these to the top for volume control?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Pcs-10x9mm-4-Pin-Momentary-Blue-Light-Volume-Control-Tactile-Switch/152570745870?epid=26012042575&hash=item2385ecd40e:g:N0UAAOSwcgNZMY5W

[javeryh]

is it possible to wire these to the top for volume control?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Pcs-10x9mm-4-Pin-Momentary-Blue-Light-Volume-Control-Tactile-Switch/152570745870?epid=26012042575&hash=item2385ecd40e:g:N0UAAOSwcgNZMY5W

I suppose I could do something like that but the volume knob is just the easiest thing for me to do (famous last words).  I'd also want the buttons to be black so they do not stand out.  I think I've got it sorted but I'm going to make a test panel tonight or tomorrow morning if time permits.   

[javeryh]

Next up was laying out the wood strips that will be used to connect all of the panels.  I'm screwing them in temporarily so that I can assemble and disassemble the cabinet easily while cutting out the panels and painting but when it comes time I'll be using wood glue (with the screws) to hold everything together permanently.  Paint will go on much much easier if I only have to worry about flat surfaces.

Anyway, the first thing I did was set my square to 3/4" and then ran it around the inside edge to give me the exact line where the wood strips will go.  The 3/4" accounts for a 1/4" reveal plus the thickness of the wood dowel (1/2" x 1/2").  I used spring clamps to hold each piece in place and then drilled a 1/8" hole freehand with my drill (using a piece of tape on the drill bit so I knew how far down to go).  I do not own a drill press so it's not perfect but it's passable.



The only angles I cut in the wood dowels were on the front of the CP.  I need this to be as precise as possible.  The rest of the pieces will be hidden so I didn't need to be as exact - just had to be sure they were all lined up.  I also made sure that the wood strips for the top panel and the speaker panel did not go to the edge.  That would screw up the lighting for the marquee down the road so I came 1-1/8" short of the front edge... for no reason other than this seemed like enough room.

Here is a shot of both sides completed with the screws in:



Close-up of CP area:



With this taken care of I could start cutting the cross pieces and instead of measuring I could actually place the piece of MDF and mark off the length for a more precise cut.  One thing I'm not 100% sure of is how I'm going to hold the monitor glass in place.  I've seen some creative solutions by others but I haven't settled on anything yet.  The only reason I mention this is because the wood dowel marked "speaker" may need to be shortened if I plan to tuck the glass behind that panel. 

[leapinlew]

Servo-joystick and all the gear going to fit in there?

[javeryh]

Servo-joystick and all the gear going to fit in there?

LOL not sure yet. 

I'll make it fit... I can always cut a hole in the base panel under the stick if I need an extra ~5/8"

Edit:  here’s a pic... I think it will work.  There’s about 1/4” clearance as is.



Buttons may need to be 1/2”-1” closer to the stick than optimal but not sure yet.

[Vidiot]

Looking great so far. Definitely watching this one. I don't like big bartops.

 

[javeryh]

Looking great so far. Definitely watching this one. I don't like big bartops.

Thanks a lot.  Your Centipede cabinet definitely pushed me over the edge to make this one.  Really great work - I've been studying your pics and YouTube video trying to pick up some pointers.  If you are around when I get to it I'd love to pick your brain on how to get a custom layout set up with the Raspberry Pi.  The way your cab boots up is exactly what I'm trying to achieve.   

[javeryh]

I managed to find about 90 minutes to make a little progress today.  Slow going with all the kids activities as the school year winds down.  Now that the sides were cut, I could start making the interior panels.  They are all 9-5/8" wide so I had the guy at Home Depot rip down a piece of 1/2" MDF to that width so all I had to do was measure the length of each piece and cut the panel with the chop saw.  Easier said than done.  Each panel is a little bit tricky because of cutouts or angled joints.

I started with the top panel above the marquee and the panel on the top rear of the cabinet.  Measuring the length was easy but these panels meet at an angle and that took me a few tries to get just right on the saw.  The top panel also gets the power button (thanks Mike A - more on this later) and the top rear panel is gets three 2" holes for ventilation.  I used forstner bits for all of the holes.



I must have measured and cut this angle 3 different times to get it just right - the angles on each piece are identical so once I figured it out it lined up perfectly.  To glue the panels together I just used my hands and a lot of patience.  I held the panels in place for about 30 minutes making small adjustments as needed and using my fingers to make sure all edges were flush.  I was a little nervous but it worked.  I tried clamping initially but the pieces wanted to shear away from each other when I tried to tighten things up (even with a jig I tried making).  I'll sand the excess glue away before painting.





Everything was going smooth until I went to drill out the hole for the button.  The package said a 3/4" hole would be sufficient so that's what I did.... except when I went to install the button I realized it was not long enough for the fastener to catch!  I needed to drill a larger hole on the inside but only go about half way through the MDF but without a center point this is difficult to do accurately. I ended up cutting a piece of wood to fill the hole the best I could, found the center point of that and then drilled the hole.





Success!



It has just enough clearance on the inside too.  I chose the left side of the cabinet to match where I'm going to put the power socket on the rear bottom panel but I guess it could have gone anywhere.  The location is perfect - easy to access but out of the way of everything else.



I really like the look of this button so it was worth the extra $7 to me.  This panel will eventually be painted black so the button will blend right in.

[javeryh]

I couldn’t resist putting everything together to see how it will look.









I’m pretty happy with the overall look and the size.  The proportions seem good too.  I just hope I can cram everything inside!

[Mike A]

Cab looks good. Stop drinking Monster. It is poison.

[Malenko]

I really like that form factor, looking really good!

[Vidiot]

Looking great so far. Definitely watching this one. I don't like big bartops.

Thanks a lot.  Your Centipede cabinet definitely pushed me over the edge to make this one.  Really great work - I've been studying your pics and YouTube video trying to pick up some pointers.  If you are around when I get to it I'd love to pick your brain on how to get a custom layout set up with the Raspberry Pi.  The way your cab boots up is exactly what I'm trying to achieve.   

Thanks man. I'll help any way I can. Might take me a bit to remember some things but I will help however I can. I love how this is coming together. Such a great little size and a great shape on this!

[javeryh]

Cab looks good. Stop drinking Monster. It is poison.

Thanks - I wish I could stop drinking Monster but I need my caffeine fix.  I don't drink coffee or soda or tea.  Basically water and Monster (1 a day when I get to my desk).

I really like that form factor, looking really good!

Thanks!  I do like the size - it has a very small footprint so it doesn't take up much room on a desk (approximately 11" wide x 10" deep x 15" tall).  I think it will also be very easy to move it around.

Looking great so far. Definitely watching this one. I don't like big bartops.

Thanks a lot.  Your Centipede cabinet definitely pushed me over the edge to make this one.  Really great work - I've been studying your pics and YouTube video trying to pick up some pointers.  If you are around when I get to it I'd love to pick your brain on how to get a custom layout set up with the Raspberry Pi.  The way your cab boots up is exactly what I'm trying to achieve.   

Thanks man. I'll help any way I can. Might take me a bit to remember some things but I will help however I can. I love how this is coming together. Such a great little size and a great shape on this!

Thanks a lot - I haven't thought about the electronics that much yet and I suspect that is where I'll have my biggest hangups.  I haven't messed around with RetroPie other than putting an image on an SD card and loading it up.  Seems easy enough but I'm going to need to dig down in the weeds a bit to remove the boot sequence, add a custom splash screen and then boot straight to the game list... and also have a custom layout.  I have a ton to learn.

I worked on the cab a bunch today but it doesn't look like I really did anything.  Each step takes 3 times as long as I think it should. 

I spent a long time ripping apart the Amazon Basics speakers I bought.  What a pain.  I had to crack open the cases and try to remove the speakers except they were basically impossible to take apart.  I ended up using a saw and a mitre box to cut the plastic in a square shape around the speakers and then I drilled 1/8" holes in the corners so I can mount them later.  They would not come apart from the plastic casing.





I also cut out the rear bottom panel for the power socket and volume knob.  The volume knob is going to take some creativity.  I need to somehow extend the pot to fit through the 1/2" MDF and mount the PCB on the other side.  Not sure how to solve that yet. 





I cut out the speaker panel for underneath the marquee and the corresponding holes.  It's going to be a tight fit up there with the marquee light.





I found some sweet desk grommets at Home Depot that exactly fit the 1-1/2" ventilation holes on the rear of the cab.  Finishes them off nice.  I saw grippie rounded over the edges of those openings but I have some plans on the finish that would make that the wrong move for me.  Still thinking...



I also drilled all the holes in the wood bracing so the cabinet is solid (no glue yet).  The only things left to do for construction is to make the control panel and get the back door working.  I've got a cam lock and I bought some magnetic catches but not really sure what to do yet.  Hinge?  Removable panel?  Still thinking...

[Vidiot]

I also cut out the rear bottom panel for the power socket and volume knob.  The volume knob is going to take some creativity.  I need to somehow extend the pot to fit through the 1/2" MDF and mount the PCB on the other side.  Not sure how to solve that yet. 

Here is how I solved that problem in the past. I make a plastic plate out of a 5 1/4" computer case bay blank or cut from a sheet of ABS plastic you can buy from eBay. I cut out a rectangle hole on the back of the cabinet then use a router to recess an area around the inside side of the hole for the plastic to mount into and hot glue it in place. It makes a nice clean look for the stuff on the back of the cabinet. Here is a diagram showing what I am trying to explain:



Here is what it looks like on my Centipede bartop:



This is my Arcade Classics bartop. It has a lot of stuff mounted to the plastic plate:

[Malenko]

Here is what it looks like on my Centipede bartop:

That looks lean and clean, nice work.

[javeryh]

Here is what it looks like on my Centipede bartop:

That looks lean and clean, nice work.

yeah - I'm definitely stealing this.  Should be easy to route out behind the knob and pop in some ABS plastic (I should have some laying around from other projects)  I may just use the 3/4" opening I already drilled.  The round knob that came with the AmazonBasics speakers fits through there with about 1/8" to spare all the way around.  Behind the panel will be a mess because I will have to route out a large section for the PCB but whatever.  No one will ever see... except you guys and everyone else who wants me to open it up.   

[javeryh]

Baby steps... got the marquee retainer finished today (minus the paint job).  I got the aluminum bracket at Home Depot for a few dollars.  1/2”x3/4” is a good size - 1/2” edge will be on face to maximize marquee size and 3/4” edge gives enough room to drill som holes.

Marked out hole locations after cutting to size:



Holes are drilled:



Yeah not a lot but I’m trying to accomplish something every day that I can to push this along.

More later...

[leapinlew]

Javery - did you use1/2” mdf for the upper and lower marquee? If not, will there be an issue with the difference in size of the marquee retainers and mdf?

[javeryh]

Javery - did you use1/2” mdf for the upper and lower marquee? If not, will there be an issue with the difference in size of the marquee retainers and mdf?

I did use 1/2" MDF for the top and speaker panels but even so the aluminum bracket doesn't cover it entirely so I'll need to remove some material towards the front otherwise it will create a shadow with the light coming for the marquee.  I'm either going to sand it down or try a severe angle o the chop saw.  Either should work as I only need to remove about 1/16".