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| Retro Box - Just a Regular 'Ole Bartop (COMPLETED AUG 2024 - UPDATED SEPT 2024) |
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| DaveMMR:
I've been away for a while. In the time since I violently dismantled my last cabinet, I've moved, fixed up the house and set up a nice little woodworking shop in the garage. I was scratching my arcade itch with a handful of Arcade 1Up machines and desktop arcade sticks. But after turning a modest PC I found in the trash into a Batocera box, I decided it would be much more fun to put it all in a handsome bartop. And since I had the PC, leftover parts from the last build and tons of scrap wood, I figured it would cost next to nothing. (Spoiler Alert: I was incredibly wrong about that.) I went back and forth with ideas in my head, jotting them in my notebook, slowly whittling it down to the bare basics: 2 joysticks, 6 buttons, coin/select and starts. But the one idea I kept was leaving it flexible. More on that later. I did a sketch-up mockup to get the basic dimensions. My initial idea was to print out the side panel on several pieces of paper, piece them together, and use that as a cutting template... ...which didn't work out quite well. So instead, I just plotted out the distances, using straight edges wherever possible. I even threw together a compass for that curve. It mostly worked out, although I was off 1/4". Nothing that affects the look. |
| DaveMMR:
I stupidly cut the other side panel from the OPPOSITE corner of a 2x4 sheet, instead of cutting it down and using the waste. So now I'm left with a ton of leftover scrap that's not good for anything in this project. Oh well... I cut the second panel oversized and just flush-trimmed it to match its partner. Easy-peasy. Some sand-paper fixes those wonky edges on top and by the curve. In case you haven't noticed, I went with 1/2" plywood for this build. I want it to be somewhat portable and not weigh a ton, despite the smaller size. And while I can appreciate how smooth MDF can be, it's dust is annoying to deal with. The downside is having to be extremely mindful of tear-out. Painter's tape on your cuts help, as does pre-scoring your lines. I did both to keep it down to a minimum. |
| DaveMMR:
I didn't pre-cut any pieces, owing to variations on what's in my Sketch-Up plan, and what I actually end up with after the blade stops spinning. I tackled everything is a somewhat strategic order. I started with the base, which includes the bottom front and back pieces. While those pieces are the same height, the front one is cut at a 12.5 degree angle on the top edge. I cut a half inch dado in both pieces and attached them permanently to the base piece with wood glue, making it all one unit. I did a quick test to see how it'll look. So far, so good... Next I got to work on the speaker/marquee piece. Instead of a retainer, I cut 1/8" slot in both the top and bottom of the unit (the top piece will be removable) to hold the marquee. I bought a car speaker kit off of Amazon. After cutting a 3-inch hole where the speakers will go, I attached the piece of the kit that goes over the hole and holds the grill to use as a template. Using the pre-drilled screw holes, I attached that piece, with spacers, to the wood and used the flush trim bit to carve out the rest of the holes. Left hole is "before", right hole is "after". Perfect! |
| DaveMMR:
With the main pieces done, I decided to do a test fit. I did notice some tweaks that will be needed, but it's really coming together. In the picture above, you'll notice some pieces of cheap wood with a 25 degree angle. I made those to help install the monitor support. For this I used a 3/4 inch piece, since the computer will be on the other side. I used probably a half-dozen reference lines I measured out. But it was worth it. It helped me add a pair of angled support bars to which I screwed the monitor board. |
| DaveMMR:
You can cut plexi with a table saw, but it likes to shoot plastic at you. So I added tape to prevent cracking, and cut-down on flying plastic. Definitely skipping a step here, but I wanted to ensure that the depth was correct on the monitor support. After testing out the fit, I did realize that once I add the monitor and bezel, it will sit proud of my offset reference line. Good thing I resisted the urge to glue the supports. (Also, it appears I cut holes and installed the coin buttons, start buttons - those are placeholders - and USB hub on the front. Blame me for forgetting to take pictures of these steps.) |
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