Modular Golden-Age-Style...Dresser?

[louksd]

Last summer, my desire to have an arcade cabinet was driving me through the internet, when I stumbled upon a YouTube video of someone that made a hidden chest of drawers behind the side panel.
That was the epiphany my wife and I needed to negotiate building my own, but I definitely wasn't going to build the style presented as it didn't meet any of the criteria I wanted. It needed to:

• Be lightweight, but sturdy
• Have a timeless, elegant design based on actual Golden Age machines
• Let ANYONE walk up to the machine and learn how to play in 30 seconds, just like original arcade machines
• Have swappable bezels, marquees, and control panels built to match each game
• Play one game at a time - no choices that can lead to decision paralysis
• Have a working coin door - Quarters Only (Once a game is free, it starts to become worthless)

With those in mind, I did about two solid months of research and design. For external design, I settled on the 1982 Williams design that was common for Joust, Moon Patrol, and later versions of Robotron 2084. I used Classic Arcade Cabinets for the DXF of the Side Panel that would reference important external dimensions like the bezel, control panel, and front panel.
I followed the suggestion of my co-worker to do the design in dowel-and-biscuit for strength and durability. I agreed despite not having any proper woodworking experience knowing access to good tools is always a substitute for skill, and he had good tools.
I over-designed it slightly to support a lifetime of rough play knowing the side panels were not going to be structural. I underestimated the sturdiness of the 22" drawer rails, though, so it's definitely overbuilt, which is just fine even if it's not as light as I originally intended.
Because it was so custom, I had to design everything - the control panel is somewhat like an original Pac-Man, with a 16ga. steel outer shell and wood underlayment that actually holds the Sanwa JLF joystick and Suzo-Happ buttons. I went with a microswitch partially because I didn't get deep enough into my research before I ordered, but in hindsight it made the build much easier and more reliable so I could focus on other things.

Electrical Hardware:
-The CPU is a TerASIC DE-10 Nano in MiSTer configuration, running an auto-boot into the Pac-Man Core.
-The Monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster 971p: 19", rotating screen, stripped to screen, rotating mount segment bolted to wood bracket and wiring loom.
Amplifier is some inexpensive unit recommended by a friend that restores pinball machines, and the speakers were a gift from him as well!
-The Coin Door is a Suzo Happ Compact Over/Under.
-I cut off all the power bricks and powered everything through a Mean Well 5V/12V combo power supply that's attached to a switched IEC60320 socket so transport is easy.
-The control panel is connected by a DB-15 connector to an Ultimarc i-PAC2, so I get about 4ms latency, but the FPGA should be cycle-accurate to the original PCB, so that and the Sanwa joystick are the two biggest compromises to the original experience. I used a "NEO GEO" style connection so I could swap out control panels in the future. (I already bought most of the controls internals for Joust!)

Everything is "outside" the dresser section except for the coin door, so I sanded a groove with a Dremel inside the front panel to get wires for switches and lights around a drawer rail.

I put over 200 hours into it between July and December and learned a lot about BASIC woodworking. I still have a lot of fine woodworking to learn, but I can at least build a solid, square frame and drawers!

If you want a photo-essay of the bulid process from conception to completion, see:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2dJZ7hi2N9T8bGhx8

I hope this is an inspiration! I'm working on converting the CAD into publishable materials. I want to revise the design for lighter weight and easier assembly, using dado cuts to increase strength instead of biscuit joints. More specialized tools required, but pays back in time and materials.

[yotsuya]

To be honest, I’m not hatin’ this. You gather and collect so much stuff in this hobby, you could easily store your arcade bits and pieces in there and never know!

Arcade follows classic lines and looks great! Drawers are a plus! Good job!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[javeryh]

Love it!  Original idea and it has a classic look without a million buttons.  I'm glad someone finally figured out what to do with all the wasted space inside an arcade cabinet.   Glad you posted it for all to see.  Looking forward to cabinet #2 because you can't stop at 1... right?

[bobbyb13]

Very nice.

Even cooler that the whole side opens to keep the drawers hidden otherwise!

[Zebidee]

lol I LOVE it! I was reading your description and expected to find an arcade cab behind a wall panel... but what you've done is much cooler

[javeryh]

lol I LOVE it! I was reading your description and expected to find an arcade cab behind a wall panel... but what you've done is much cooler

Agreed.  You literally can’t tell there’s anything inside so it’s a perfect execution of this crazy idea.

[louksd]

Love it!  Original idea and it has a classic look without a million buttons.  I'm glad someone finally figured out what to do with all the wasted space inside an arcade cabinet.   Glad you posted it for all to see.  Looking forward to cabinet #2 because you can't stop at 1... right?

...almost right! I made the control panel removable on wooden dowels and over-center latches, so I can swap it out with other complete panels of the similar dimensions. I bought the control hardware for Joust, and this Fall will build a new wood control panel (This one is a steel outer shell like the original Pac-Man) with replica overlay. I can then swap the bezel graphics, pivot the screen, slide the attraction panel out the top, and it will be a "fully-fledged" Joust cabinet! I only want it to play one game at a time, so it provides focus.

I think I'll do one a year or so for the next few years, doing Joust next, followed by Stargate (Defender II), then whatever suits my fancy after that.

I do intend to "bootleg" games on the existing graphics from time to time - after I reach 100K on Pac-Man, I might run a Ms. Pac-Man core and have a go at that for a while, and I could even do Frogger if I feel saucy!

With Joust I could also do the original Mario Bros., which was one of our favorite two-player games on the Apple II growing up, and even an offset Donkey Kong/Galaga/etc. on the one control side.

While Stargate could only really do Defender as a good swap, I'm OK with that because they are such unique, complex games. I want to build a modest level of mastery of each game, and as a casual player, I know I'll find many years of enjoyment with just a few options.

The beauty of this cabinet is that, even when it's not being used, it doesn't "waste" any floor space in our house, and I need to keep it that way because we have such a small house. All arcade machines go through periods of under-utilization, so I want it to maintain a constant value in the home. It's a true piece of furniture.

[louksd]

To be honest, I’m not hatin’ this. You gather and collect so much stuff in this hobby, you could easily store your arcade bits and pieces in there and never know!

Arcade follows classic lines and looks great! Drawers are a plus! Good job!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My wife and I work in different departments of the same company, so we use the dresser to hold our work uniforms and gear. We've kept them separate from our casual clothes, but didn't have enough room for them all until now, so it is a true space saver! I originally wanted to keep future control panels and bezels in it, but it doesn't have space for them as I finished the design. I'll figure something out!

Thanks for the compliment!

[pbj]

And here I was thinking I was clever for hiding bottles of booze in my cabinets. 

[XSFDriver]

And here I was thinking I was clever for hiding bottles of booze in my cabinets.

...couldn't resist this...I can see a whole range of cabinet designs popping up now with minibar fridges concealed in the back of 'em.

Nice one pbj...and nice build too Louksd, always good too see good utilization of space.

Cheers 

[louksd]

lol I LOVE it! I was reading your description and expected to find an arcade cab behind a wall panel... but what you've done is much cooler

Agreed.  You literally can’t tell there’s anything inside so it’s a perfect execution of this crazy idea.

I wanted magnetic latches to hold the side panels shut with no visible mechanism, and I didn't know how much force would be required...
...so I bought six pairs of 23-pound-pull(!) neodymium magnets that would countersink flush with the wood - three pair on each side!

Once I got the magnets I was lucky I didn't lose a finger keeping them apart, and after I installed just the first pair just above the bottom drawer, I knew that was plenty!

The doors release with a nice, progressive pull at the control panel, and snap shut cleanly. Only one person has ever popped open one during play, but it only needs to happen once and they move their hand.

[louksd]

And here I was thinking I was clever for hiding bottles of booze in my cabinets.

...couldn't resist this...I can see a whole range of cabinet designs popping up now with minibar fridges concealed in the back of 'em.

Nice one pbj...and nice build too Louksd, always good too see good utilization of space.

Cheers 

I was already thinking the minifridge was the next design idea, then I saw javeryh's GORGEOUS Atari-style cabaret and knew it could work! I don't know that I'd keep it for myself, but I can see myself doing commissions for people...

I'm doing a cocktail right now that will double as a stereo system for my brother's basement game room. (The family nixed the brilliant Karaoke machine idea...mostly because they said it would just be used by my brother as a PA system to yell at people upstairs for snacks.)

[Zebidee]

Plenty of arcade cabs with drinks fridges built inside them. Just search for "beer fridge arcade" and you'll find heaps.

Some even have beer taps plumbed in to ensure you get your coldie at its best

[pbj]

I’m more of a Taaka in the coin box guy, myself.

[XSFDriver]

Plenty of arcade cabs with drinks fridges built inside them. Just search for "beer fridge arcade" and you'll find heaps.

Some even have beer taps plumbed in to ensure you get your coldie at its best

Thanks Zebidee, I did the search and checked out a few... man there's some great designs and idea's (as you usually find on here).

I’m more of a Taaka in the coin box guy, myself.

...yeah, I hear where you're comin' from pbj, there's definitely something about that, that gives you that "Arcade" feel to the experience.

...almost right! I made the control panel removable on wooden dowels and over-center latches, so I can swap it out with other complete panels of the similar dimensions. I bought the control hardware for Joust, and this Fall will build a new wood control panel (This one is a steel outer shell like the original Pac-Man) with replica overlay. I can then swap the bezel graphics, pivot the screen, slide the attraction panel out the top, and it will be a "fully-fledged" Joust cabinet! I only want it to play one game at a time, so it provides focus.

I think I'll do one a year or so for the next few years, doing Joust next, followed by Stargate (Defender II), then whatever suits my fancy after that.

Also love the idea of inter-changeable control panels... I've seen other threads on here with a range of 'em... Once again... Good use of space if you're limited as lots of us are... I'll be interested to see what you come up with in the future louksd... nice choice... keep us posted 

Cheers guys 

[louksd]

I was originally thinking I would make each control panel the complete "cartridge" for each game - all logic, controls, and hardware were in each unit, and once you socketed the control panel in to the dowels and power/video/audio connection, everything simply powered up and played.

I realized that would be too expensive with the FPGA board costs while also being unnecessary given the frequency of changing games (on the scale of months or years, not days or weeks), so I simply added a DB15/NEOGEO-style connection (though I am somewhat lamentably drifting from the NEOGEO standard to support two players on one connector).

I'm excited to dig into building a Williams pseudo-replica, replacing the metal spacing brackets and piano hinge support with vertical webs that support into the cabinet. Those Williams control panels are pretty complex construction which will be a good woodworking exercise. I might even build two sets of CP parts at once so I can just cut a steel top panel, bore for controls, glue the pieces together, and install an overlay.