The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Arcade - the book! => Topic started by: Voodoo_Ray on September 04, 2005, 01:10:35 pm
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Hi Folks
Can anybody give me a rough idea of how much cash it takes to build the machine out of the book? Just the materials and electrics, not the tools as I have most of them.
I live in England and understand the prices are a bit more expensive here. I am going on holiday to the US and may pay a visit to Happ Controls when there. I'm looking for the price in $ but also wonder if anyone in the UK has done it by buying the parts through overseas mail? If so, a price in
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It depends.....
Mine cost me @$1500 all together.
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Game said it very well, because I thought we'd get ours done for about $400....but just the electronics cost me near that. I would suspect, new PC and all, we got to the point we're at (not counting our TV) by spending between $800 and $1000 dollars.
Was it worth it. Oh yeah man, you better believe it....it was worth every cent. Why? Because there isn't another cabinet, flaws and all, that looks like mine out there anywhere. That's the beauty of it to me...everything about it has our imprint.
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I'm in the middle of making mine and so far I've spent around $550 but that doesn't include the tools them selves, butit does include saw blades, saw horses, all the wood and parts to build it, all the controls, 20+ buttons, trackball, 3 joysticks, t-molding, an I-Pac, etc. Buying everything from ponyboy instead of from happcontrols.com saved me $50-$100, so I'd recommend doing that.
I already have an old computer I'm going to use, so all I really have left to buy is a monitor which will probably be around $100 more and probably another $100 on other random stuff (artwork, speakers,etc.)
So when all is said and done I'll have spent around $750 for it.
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Just thought I'd add that if you needed to do it with as little money as possible you could probably do it for less then $300, assuming you already have the tools, an old computer to use, and an old tv or monitor. You can get cheap buttons and joystick from a place like http://www.x-arcade.com/products.shtml or perhaps buying better ones used.
If you did a keyboard hack instead of buying something like an i-pac, and bought an old pc trackball and took it apart to use on your cp then you could save even more money. You'd also have to print out all the artwork yourself, which if done right could still turn out pretty good.
In short, you can do it for quite cheap, it just takes a lot more work.
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Nice one fellas
Yeah, I'm chomping at the bit to get started. Playing Track and Field, whilst bashing the keys on my PC just ain't right.
Probably will upgrade my oldish P4 which I imagine is more than adequate for most games. And thankfully have a friend in the woodwork business who may be able to lend me some experience and the odd plank of wood. I've seen Ponyboy's name a few places and will have to get in touch regarding shipping to the UK.
Thanks again
I can see it all coming together!
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I estimate that mine will end up costing around $1600. I've been keeping an Excel spreadsheet of almost all of my purchases.
About $300 was invested in tools and hardware that I didn't have... but that will last me long after I finish the cabinet: Router, Bits, Clamps, Sawhorses, etc.
My cost also includes a new $400 home-built computer (newegg.com!) and a $500 SlikStik Classic control panel. People swear that you can build a clone for cheaper, but I priced it out and it came out almost equal... so I bought the professional CP.
Oh, and I also had to buy a 27" JCV television for $229 as my monitor. I've been "funding" my project by putting much of my defunct other hobby stuff up on eBay. :)
Cheers!
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the best advice is to not keep trck of the price, just buy what you can when you can.
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the best advice is to not keep trck of the price, just buy what you can when you can.
Excellent advice for the builder/nutbag. Now, for your significant other, I'd just brain them and keep them out until you're done.
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Here's a break down of whats it's cost me so far.
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The problem I've seem to come across it that after my first one was done, I built three for family and friends. This promptly has caused me to upgrade to 49 ways, and an lcd in the control panel and it just goes on from there. Next thing you know, I have a control panel that costs more than my first cabinet.
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I'm just finishing up mine and I followed the LuSiD design in the book nearly to the letter, and I'm at ~$1600 total for parts/electronics. That is without the cost of any tools or a computer (using a hand-me-down PC). All other parts were bought new.
Features include: 2 player control panel with 3" trackball and spinner utilizing the Hagstrom USB 36 input encoder, HAPP multiplayer over/under coin door, Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speaker system, and 27" Vision Pro VGA-arcade monitor.
I bought all the parts over a period of several months though, so the pocketbook wasn't hit hard all at once.
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All good replies, price varies greatly depending on how many "whizbangs", you put on the cabinet/in the game.
I believe this vendor is located in London. If it helps, this place supplies a lot of encoders, and arcade parts. The support from them has been excellent, and I have excellent dealings with them in the past.
http://www.ultimarc.com
Good luck, and be sure to start a post in the "Project Announcements" thread, and post plenty of pictures so that we can give you ridicule advice.... ;D
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I've spent $660 so far on my cabinet. About $100 of that was for tools I needed to complete the project (like rubber mallet, T-molding bit, 32 inch Irwin clamp, etc). Another $150 went into the PC (new motherboard/processor, 512MB ram, 2.1 Altec Lansing speakers). Oh yeah, I wasted probably about $75 in plexy, screws I didn't use, etc.
I still want to build my own control panel with ipac, joystick, trackball and spinner. I need a coin door. I still need some artwork. Maybe a new glass bezel on the front since my plexy one got marked and scratched up badly.
I'll try and putt up a better cost breakdown on my cab site at http://www.steelvalleywebdesign.com/mamecab
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Since I have Zero wood working skills, tools etc. I just found a used cabinet for $20 dollars. I'm planning on putting in all the parts I need in. Apparently the only thing it needs is a new board because the old one had burned or something. I may try and find someone to make make a MK3 CP for me, but that's about it.
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Just thought I'd add that if you needed to do it with as little money as possible you could probably do it for less then $300, assuming you already have the tools, an old computer to use, and an old tv or monitor. You can get cheap buttons and joystick from a place like http://www.x-arcade.com/products.shtml or perhaps buying better ones used.
Heh, I think I was right on with my estimate considering my last project (which I started about 9 months from when I made that post) cost me only $300.
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my project including everything only costed about 400, and thats including the xarcade controller. for the computer i just got all of my old computers and put them together. it's good enough to run 2d games which if fine with me, but for maybe 100 more i could make it run 3d games too; i just dont feel like it. i basicly just got everything i could get for free and put them together.... just look around and see what deals you can get.....
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I myself found recycling to help offset costs. an old pc, an old television, an old trackball mouse, and an old waterbed + misc wood pieces left money in the bank to purchase buttons controllers and plexiglass