First DIY Arcade Machine Construction

[DIYROMArcade]

Hey all, I am new to the forums but have been reading the site for awhile now. Of all the resources out there I have found Arcade Controls is by far the best for the sheer volume of information available on the site. 

I have been doing a lot of research and planning for my first arcade machine and a lot of the cabinet examples that are linked to from the site have been a great inspiration. So much so that I already have about a thousand ideas for other systems I would like to build down the road.

For my first project I am shooting for a smaller profile Arcade Machine that feels authentic and is capable of running most console emulators in addition to the arcade emulators.

I will hopefully be starting on the build this weekend (time permitting). I have been planning the system for years, but only seriously planning and following through in the past few months. (I never had enough room before in the apartment, but now I have a house and game room!)

My friend is helping me construct the cabinet and he is a commercial carpenter so he has a lot of suggestions, but I still have some nagging questions in the back of my mind. Do most people use MDF when constructing their cabinets? I have seen people do this on several sites. What do you think are the advantages and drawbacks of MDF over a lighter wood? Also what do you think about using laminate over the MDF or is there a better, easier way to do this to get a smooth professional finish.

I tend to over think things, and I am more versed in the computer side of this type of project than the construction of the cabinet itself. Any suggestions people have for initial build tips are greatly appreciated. It seems like it’s one of those things were book knowledge vs. actual experience are two entirely different things. Thanks.

[Spinach]

I am in the process of building my first cab.  I'm using MDF myself.  Once primed and painted it should never warp, plus it will add a bit of stability for those overzealous moments of button smashing.

My advice: Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)  I have read many posts, as you, and the one reoccuring note seems to be "on my next cab I won't, , , , " or "Here is what I would have done differently".  I consider this a starter cab so I'd like to make it right, but I'm also a realist, there will be mistakes made.

How will you be doing the side art?

Spinach

[ghettodish]

MDF is easy to cut and shape, it's smooth compared to particle board or plywood, and it's heavy. An arcade game can get tossed around pretty good during play if it's too light...believe me, I know!

[wooowman93]

Those stickers look awesome but 75$ i would rather paint it myself

[Turnarcades]

Congratulations on starting your first cabinet. It's a learning process and whether this is your only or first of many you will find yourself doing things you may not have thought you could do in no time at all.

MDF is a popular choice due to the fact it is suitable as an 'all-round' wood that can be used to make strong panels, be moulded with routers and hand tools easiliy and is fairly cheap to pick up. Though there are probably better solutions for the individual sections of a cabinet, it's easier to part with £50 for a load of wood that can be used in any way, than it is to hand-pick suitable woods and spend twice the time and money just getting the materials and appropriate tools together. We are simplistic cabinet designers and I can tell you that:

For a basic cabinet you will only need:
- 2 or 3 sheets of 8'x4' 3/4" MDF
- A trade pack of decent 2" woodscrews
- hinges, barrel locks, wheels and assorted smaller screws
- A tin of suitable paint
- Some timber and acrylic sheeting
- A well set-up PC, monitor and a decent set of controls
- Drill/driver, circular/jig saw and router

Obviously that's a loose list with a few bits missed off, but when you look at it like this you see how simple cabinet building really is.

[severdhed]

might i also suggest to not try and over-do it the first time.  i'd recommend against doing control panel artwork and things like that, because unless you are absolutely awesome, (or easily satisfied) you will probably want to change a few things around after you use it for a little while.  i am in the process of building my 5th control panel revision...i'm getting pretty close this time..but i figure, there is no sense in spending the money for a control panel overlay, only to find out that your button placement sucks and then you have to buy a new one.

take your time, look at the examples, and dont be afraid to try something new.  I too was more comfortable with the PC side of this project than the woodworking...that is why i bought an empty cabinet and modified it instead of building from scratch. 

the key to a successful build is having the right tools.  my first control panel was built using nothing but a single speed drill, jigsaw, and a dremel.  needless to say it wasnt exactly pretty.

this time around i now own a circular saw, variable speed drill, orbital sander, and most importantly, a router.  you dont need top of the line tools...cheap ones from harbor freight work just fine...but believe me, they make all the difference in the world.

also, when drilling your buttons holes, do yourself a favor and buy a forstner bit...they are astronomically better than a spade bit or hole saw.

good luck, and please post lots of pics of your progress

[ViciousXUSMC]

might i also suggest to not try and over-do it the first time.  i'd recommend against doing control panel artwork and things like that, because unless you are absolutely awesome, (or easily satisfied) you will probably want to change a few things around after you use it for a little while.  i am in the process of building my 5th control panel revision...i'm getting pretty close this time..but i figure, there is no sense in spending the money for a control panel overlay, only to find out that your button placement sucks and then you have to buy a new one.

take your time, look at the examples, and dont be afraid to try something new.  I too was more comfortable with the PC side of this project than the woodworking...that is why i bought an empty cabinet and modified it instead of building from scratch. 

the key to a successful build is having the right tools.  my first control panel was built using nothing but a single speed drill, jigsaw, and a dremel.  needless to say it wasnt exactly pretty.

this time around i now own a circular saw, variable speed drill, orbital sander, and most importantly, a router.  you dont need top of the line tools...cheap ones from harbor freight work just fine...but believe me, they make all the difference in the world.

also, when drilling your buttons holes, do yourself a favor and buy a forstner bit...they are astronomically better than a spade bit or hole saw.

good luck, and please post lots of pics of your progress

Agreed,

Im also new to the woodwork side (and have none of those tools or work area) but can handle the computer side and wiring with no issues.  Though I did make that harder by deciding to hack some game conrollers and do a modular setup

I found slagcoin.com has the best source for standard button & joystick layouts.  So thought I would share that with you as it helped me greatly doing my cuts for the buttons today.

I was very surprised using that forester bit today how slow it went through the wood though, I drilled a pilot hole first to make sure I did not lose my place and also as a place marker incase my template ripped off (and it did so good thing I did this) but even with a high speed power drill untill it got about halfway into a hole it didnt take much wood away at all, it just scratched the surface.

Dont be like me and try to use a cordless drill with that bit   I had to barrow a drill from my neighbor

The router, I do not have yet but I saw a great deal at Lows today, marked down from $100 to only $69 is a middle of the line Skill Brand Router WITH a router table in a kit.  I wanted it so bad but I already got the $25 cheap laminate trimmer on the way from harbor freight and I have no need for much if any routing in my very simple project.

[DIYROMArcade]

Spinach –

Thanks for the advice. I have been trying to find that fine line between over thinking things, and still pushing myself to create something I will really be happy with. You’re right though, I should keep in mind this is my first machine and I am still learning a lot about it.

For the side art I am thinking about two things. I am fortunate enough to know two really great artists and I am going to approach them about the project in exchange for some free website work or something. One of my friends is a muralist (he started by doing graffiti) and I am going to approach him about the main paint job. Here is a piece he did (commissioned by the business) on the side of Good N’ Loud Music in Madison, Wisconsin. (It's about 13' ft high by about 30' ft long.)



My other friend does graphic design work and illustration. I really like his stuff. This is a picture he did in Adobe Illustrator. He does comics and childrens books, and all sorts of other cool stuff.



So I have a couple different routes I am thinking about.


wooowman93 –

Those stickers are actually on my game room wall. ^_^ Hehe. I think they would probably be too big for most DIY Arcade machines, but saved me a ton of time since I was originally considering painting them. I figure it would have taken me roughly 10 to 15 hours to paint my walls like that so it would have ended up costing me way more just in time alone.

Here’s a full picture of my actual walls:





Turnarcades –

Thanks for the tips man. Like I mentioned above I am a newbie when it comes to wood working, and building so I have my friend helping me. I have been running people’s suggestions by him so that we have a good idea of what to do when we start. He is a commercial carpenter but a lot of the stuff I ask him for help with is kind of strange projects that he needs to figure out as we go also.



Severdhed –

I like to think I am absolutely awesome but it’s probably more accurate to say I am easily satisfied. LOL. For the controller artwork I am torn at the moment. I have two friends I will be approaching for help with the cabinet artwork, but I was thinking about doing the control artwork myself.

I have been mulling over several ways to do it and it’s still currently up in the air. Thanks for the suggestions though, I never really thought about needing to redo the button placement, but I guess over time you would feel if a setup was good, or could use some tweaking.

I think for a future project I may buy a cabinet and do some restoration and retrofitting but for now I am building it from scratch to do something smaller than normal (profile wise) to get the fiancée used to the idea of an arcade machine in the house and then *BAM* go for the full sized cabinet. Hehe. You know how it goes…

* Fostner Bit added to supplies list.



ViciousXUSMC –

Thanks for the link! Every last one helps. I am still doing a lot of mulling over with the controller layout. I have really only worked out solid plans for the cabinet itself and once that has been built I will be working on controls that I can fit into the cabinet so I can change them out later if needed. (Update them or rebuild them, etc.)

Yeah my cordless drill sucks. Hehe. The friend who is helping me has a full fledged workshop in his garage which is awesome. His comment to me when I moved into my house was “Sweet you have peg board… Now you have a place to hang your tool”. So needless to say I probably need to get a few things to expand on my hammer and drill combo.

 
Thanks for all the great tips and feedback guys. This is by far one of the best forums I have seen because everyone here seems really active and eager to help each other. I will keep you guys posted on my system and hopefully will get some work done on the construction this weekend.