Project Arc4de

[mathdufort]

Hi everyone,

Finally I'm ready to talk about our project.  I say our project because we are four friends who decided to build an arcade machine... each.  One design, 4 machines.  I'm the R&D guy so I read pretty much all of the threads here and on other sites, looking for the one design that everyone would agree on.  I found the perfect one when I stumbled upon Martijn Custom Street Fighter Arcade Cabinet.  A really sweet and professional looking design based on the global arcade classics.

For the controls we are going for a 2 players control panel with a 8 buttons each (gold leaf) layout and J-Stick (4/8 way) joysticks.

One guy on the team did all the plans in sketchup and last sunday we did all of the wood cutting.  We each bought 2 sheets of 3/4'' plywood for the sides, the bottom and the tv support, and 1 sheet of 5/8'' plywood for the control panel and the centers pieces of the cabinet.

Here are some pics of the project and I will be updating this thread with new pics and details as time goes.

The plan in sketchup:


My test control panel


A little jigsaw around the template before routing


Finished routing the sides


Sanding the control panel to get some sexy curves


Getting a glimpse of the future!


The next steps are :

• Laminating all the center pieces
• Creating the support for the TV
• Putting all the pieces together
• ...and much more

We are really excited about this project and I can't wait to play!!!!

Thank you for your support and stay tuned!

[Yvan256]

Four full-size cabinets at once! 

By the way, I think now would be the perfect time to cut the T-molding slots on those side panels.

[rablack97]

Look here for some laminate ideas....

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130836.0.html

nope no t-molding cuts yet, they have to laminate first to account for the width of the laminate so it will be flush on both sides....He will need to laminate a test piece.  Route and fit the t-molding to flush on the inner piece if thats all he's doing if doing both sides, he will need to laminate both sides for the test piece and then find the center.

[mathdufort]

Four full-size cabinets at once! 

By the way, I think now would be the perfect time to cut the T-molding slot on those side panels.

Yes sir! 4 at once.  We really are motivated hehe 

As for the slot for the T-Molding you are right, it will be one of the next step, I just forgot.  I do have a question though.  Here in Canada I can only find 3/32'' slot cutters and I was wondering if I really have to get a 1/16 to get a thight fit or if the 3/32 will do just the same.

[mathdufort]

Look here for some laminate ideas....

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130836.0.html

nope no t-molding cuts yet, they have to laminate first to account for the width of the laminate so it will be flush on both sides....He will need to laminate a test piece.  Route and fit the t-molding to flush on the inner piece if thats all he's doing if doing both sides, he will need to laminate both sides for the test piece and then find the center.

Great tips thanks.  We will laminate the visible parts on the inside of the cabinet and all of the outside + the center pieces.

[Yvan256]

Four full-size cabinets at once! 

By the way, I think now would be the perfect time to cut the T-molding slot on those side panels.

Yes sir! 4 at once.  We really are motivated hehe 

As for the slot for the T-Molding you are right, it will be one of the next step, I just forgot.  I do have a question though.  Here in Canada I can only find 3/32'' slot cutters and I was wondering if I really have to get a 1/16 to get a thight fit or if the 3/32 will do just the same.

I can't even remember where I got my T-slot cutter bit... maybe I ordered it from the same place as my T-molding? If I can find it, I'll measure it with my digital caliper.

From your family name, may I assume you're in Québec?

[mathdufort]

Indeed I'm in Québec (not the city but the Province)!  For the T-Molding I know t-molding.com sells a 1/16'' slot cutter and we'll probably order one from them along the t-molding for our cabinets.

[Yvan256]

Indeed I'm in Québec (not the city but the Province)!  For the T-Molding I know t-molding.com sells a 1/16'' slot cutter and we'll probably order one from them along the t-molding for our cabinets.

That's where I ordered my T-molding and slot cutter bit. Good selection and service. I would order from them again, but then again I still have plenty of T-molding in a lot of colors, probably enough for a few full-size cabinets.

[mathdufort]

That's where I ordered my T-molding and slot cutter bit. Good selection and service. I would order from them again, but then again I still have plenty of T-molding in a lot of colors, probably enough for a few full-size cabinets.

Speaking of cabinets, I've been looking at your MVS-99-6 project and damn that is sweet!  I really like the mini buttons you got for the top of the control panel.  Can theses buttons be used in 5/8'' wood or does the panel has to be thinner?

[sabreerbasAlpha]

4 At once..DAMN..!!! Will be watching this one. Good luck mate, I bet they will look sweet though,,,,

[mathdufort]

4 At once..DAMN..!!! Will be watching this one. Good luck mate, I bet they will look sweet though,,,,

Thanks for your kind words! 4 brains and 8 hands can come in handy to overcome all the bumps in the road of building an arcade cabinet! 

[Yvan256]

Speaking of cabinets, I've been looking at your MVS-99-6 project and damn that is sweet!  I really like the mini buttons you got for the top of the control panel.  Can theses buttons be used in 5/8'' wood or does the panel has to be thinner?

Thanks for the compliment, but that project is far from over. The small buttons are meant for metal panels, however I'll be snapping them on the thin plexiglass/lexan that will cover the control panel.

[mathdufort]

Thanks for the compliment, but that project is far from over. The small buttons are meant for metal panels, however I'll be snapping them on the thin plexiglass/lexan that will cover the control panel.

Ok so since I'll be using a plexi layer on my control panel I guess could drill a larger hole in my 5/8'' sheet and snap those buttons on the plexi?

[Yvan256]

Thanks for the compliment, but that project is far from over. The small buttons are meant for metal panels, however I'll be snapping them on the thin plexiglass/lexan that will cover the control panel.

Ok so since I'll be using a plexi layer on my control panel I guess could drill a larger hole in my 5/8'' sheet and snap those buttons on the plexi?

Depends on the thickness of the plexiglass. Keep in mind those are really, really small buttons.

But since you're building full-size cabinets, if all you want is smaller buttons for other functions you could simply use 24mm buttons instead of 30mm.

edit: I think you have a personal message to reply to, Math.

[sabreerbasAlpha]

4 At once..DAMN..!!! Will be watching this one. Good luck mate, I bet they will look sweet though,,,,

Thanks for your kind words! 4 brains and 8 hands can come in handy to overcome all the bumps in the road of building an arcade cabinet! 

Im sure you will do a great job.

[fablog]

Hey Math,

I'm from Montréal, where do you live?

Good luck With your project, I'm working on mine too http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=132082.0

[mathdufort]

Hey Math,

I'm from Montréal, where do you live?

Good luck With your project, I'm working on mine too http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=132082.0

Hey I live in Chicoutimi.  Nice to hear about your project.  It seems to be going well!  Good luck to you too!

[Yvan256]

I'm in La Tuque, sort of half-way between both of you. 

[gabrielvieira96]

I am a beginner in building cabs arcades, please could you share the file with the measures of the cab to try to do it.
sorry typing errors I am Brazilian and I do not know much English.     

[mathdufort]

It's been a while since I've posted news in this thread but the project is still ongoing.  Two of the four cabs are serving as test pilots for the other two (those are still in 2 neat piles of wood hehe).

Since my last post we've been hard at work.  We assembled my cabinet to check every pieces were properly cut.  Everything is screwed together using pocket holes which is really sturdy and fast.


Kreg tool for drilling pocket holes


Assembling the cabinet


Cabinet standing up!

More to come in a future post

[mathdufort]

My friend Denis (member of team) did a lot of work on his cabinet, creating a support for the TV, taking measures for the marquee light, creating the support for the wheels, etc.

I used his results and did the same thing on my cabinet during my X-Mas vacation.  I also bought speaker covers from jammaboards and order the missing parts from Suzo Happ (coin door, marquee retainers, coin door lights, cabinet handles, legs, etc.).  Here are a couple photos of the progress.


Testing the TV


Rear view of the TV support


Prepping for spray painting


Pacman themed speaker covers


Outside view of fan


Inside view of the marquee light and top fan


Leg

More to come soon!

[mathdufort]

The next step I did was prepping the coin door and the power socket.  I ordered a fake coin door from Suzo Happ, well in fact a real door but without the mecanism.  Using Denis' idea I bought a metal plate, cut it to size and bent it to create a support for the reject buttons' lights.  I then used a thin metal strip to create 2 actuator arms to use with the reject buttons which are now repurposed to credit buttons.

I ordered some C14 sockets from DX.com and wired everything up.  I then installed the coin door and the socket in my cabinet.


C14 socket working!


C14 Socket Wiring Diagram


Coin door parts


Custom made light & switch holder


Lights!


Coin door installed


Coin door installed close up


Coin door rear view


Power socket and power button close up


Power socket and power button

Still more to come later... stay tuned!

[mathdufort]

With this last post this thread will be up to date with our current progress.

The last things I did includes creating and printing my final button layout, creating some custom reject button art, cutting some mdf to make a shelf for the computer and cutting the back panel of my cabinet to create the access door.


Final button layout


Push for credit


Push for credit close up


Rear door opening

That's it for now!  We still have plenty to do to play our first pac-man tournament!

[BadMouth]

Having that power button on the lower back of the machine is probably going to get old fast, even faster if the kids know it's there.

I like them on top the cabinet because that's where most power switches were on the old games.
You could also put it inside the coin door so that it can't be turned on without the coin door key.

Otherwise, looks awesome.  carry on.

[mathdufort]

I'm not too worried about the kids and since my son was already playing rampage by is own on my test setup I'm happy he'll be able to power up the machine alone and get playing!  Thanks for the comments!

[EMDB]

Having that power button on the lower back of the machine is probably going to get old fast, even faster if the kids know it's there.

I like them on top the cabinet because that's where most power switches were on the old games.
You could also put it inside the coin door so that it can't be turned on without the coin door key.

Otherwise, looks awesome.  carry on.

Nice progress!

Another disadvantage of the power connector placement is that you can not put your cab close to the wall. My switch is on the top and a fixed cable is going through the bottom...

 

[HaRuMaN]

Have a DX link to that C14 socket?

[mathdufort]

Another disadvantage of the power connector placement is that you can not put your cab close to the wall. My switch is on the top and a fixed cable is going through the bottom...

Thanks for the comment!

Well the back of the cab is at an angle so this won't be an issue! (you can check the first few pictures of the thread) 

Have a DX link to that C14 socket?

Here's the link to the part I ordered : http://dx.com/p/2-in1-ac-250v-10a-flat-plug-power-socket-outlet-w-3-pin-on-off-rocker-switch-fuse-5-piece-pack-143505

[KevinFlynn]

Sorry, just saw the link to C14 sockets... Thanks!   

Do you have an extra one you could part with?  Nice build by the way.  Looking good!!

[mathdufort]

Sorry, just saw the link to C14 sockets... Thanks!   

Do you have an extra one you could part with?  Nice build by the way.  Looking good!!

I'm sorry but since we are making 4 cabinets there's only one left and I'm keeping it for a future project.   

[KevinFlynn]

Sorry, just saw the link to C14 sockets... Thanks!   

Do you have an extra one you could part with?  Nice build by the way.  Looking good!!

I'm sorry but since we are making 4 cabinets there's only one left and I'm keeping it for a future project.   

No worries.  They're cheap enough.  I'm guessing the shipping is actually more than the order of 5.  Thanks!

[yotsuya]

You can get them on eBay or Amazon for a good price.

[rablack97]

Yep i i buy all mine from ebay......

[KevinFlynn]

So I know this is off the subject, my apologies. I found the switch on ebay and yes, they're cheap.
Thank you mathdufort for the great pics of your build and how to wire the switch. That's helpful but I'm still nervous at the thought of installing one. I had used a power strip that I took apart and rewired the switch to the front of my cab. I would like to use the same power strip and simply wire it to the c14 switch. There are 2 wires, red and black that I would need to wire up. Of course there's prob a ground as well.
Does this sound possible or is it possible my cab will spontaneously combust? 

[mathdufort]

I'm no electrician but normally you just have to look up my wiring diagram and plug the red (positive) wire in place of the white (in my diagram).  You should also have a ground wire in your power strip and it should be connected to the groud on the C14 socket.  Good luck, keep a bag of marshmallows near just in case! 

[BAMBOO]

My kids love the Pac-man speaker covers.  Those rock.   

[mathdufort]

Thanks! I'm going for a Pac-Man theme and I'm putting 2 led pushbuttons between the speaker covers to act as pac dots / volume buttons =)

[gabrielmtl]

Looking good, fellow quebecer. Keep it up!

[dlaventu]

Update comming soon! One cab almost complete!

[mathdufort]

Things are going great for my build!  Following dlaventu's path, I began gluing and routing the laminate last week.  This is a very time consuming process but the results are amazing!  I also installed the PC on the shelf.  Here's the update in pictures!



















More updates coming soon!

[Rick]

Loving all of the work being done in this thread. Everybody working together to achieve a common goal. It's not even like you have to ... foursome.

 

[dlaventu]

Gratz Mat! You're almost catching me Except for the control panel...



































Marquee spacer (2 x 1/16" plexi)


Trying for the first time


Checking a youtube video with my glass installed!

[mathdufort]

Well it's been a long time since I posted in this thread.  A LOT has happened since the last time and I'm gonna split this in a couple of posts.  I'm almost completely done with my cabinet (missing a unscratched glass and side art), Denis' cabinet is only missing the artwork and the other 2 cabinets are now assembled and are missing all the parts.  Here are some photos of my progress:

Cabinet assembled






Building the door stopper and the back door






Finished laminated the sides


Putting foil for the marquee


C-14 socket and inside power installed




That's it for now but I'll post more pics soon!

[mathdufort]

Here's a follow up to the last post:

Fan installed


Marquee light installed


Installed handles on the back and bent metal plate to hide the joints




Installed plexi for the marquee


Cut the plexi for the control panel with the router


Installed the shelf for the computer and the computer itself


Installed the subwoofer and the wiring for the speakers




Installed a kick plate


And laminated the under side of the control panel


And still more to come...

[mathdufort]

A third post today with a lot of photos of the steps I did.  I would have prefered to post as I was going but I did it on spare time and spare time is hard to find!

Here goes:

Did the rack to put the glass in front of the TV:


Here's the glass in place with a mockup bezel made of a black cardboard bought at the dollar store.


I installed the clamps to keep the control panel in place:


And here's the control panel with a mockup of the artwork printed on my inkjet printer with t-molding temporary in place:




I also put the t-molding around the sides:




And now a black and white mock-up of my marquee artwork:


There was bleeding coming from the marquee light on the glass so I had to add a back panel to the marquee box:


That's it for today,  I'll post the rest probably tonight or tomorrow morning!  Stay tuned!

[ChanceKJ]

This build is great!  love the simple style.

[mathdufort]

This build is great!  love the simple style.

Thanks! Here are the last steps to put this thread up to date with my progress:

I then began the wiring for the volume boutons (the 2 pac dots between the speakers) and for the coin door.  I used rj45 cable and plugs:










Next I worked on my CPO.  I was supposed to just put the vinyl under the plexi but doing so created waves in the artwork because there wasn't enough pressure on the plexi to keep everything flat.  I then decided to apply the vinyl on a sheet of beige laminate and then route everything to fit the design of the CP :






After, I did the wiring of the controls, I used a terminal block to daisy chain the grounds since I had grounds coming from the coin door, the volume buttons, etc.














Mugshots with the control panel finished, it's just missing the bezel in color, a new glass and sideart:




More in a couple of minutes....

[mathdufort]

I sent my bezel artwork at costco's photo printing and glued it on a black cardboard, the result is perfect!




Just missing a new glass and sideart, waiting for some money 


My daugther playing Pac-Man (I took the shot before I finished my bezel in color) :


Well folks it's been 2 years since we bought the controls at Ultimarc and now I can say my cabinet is 95% complete, I'm just waiting for some money to get the sideart printed and to have a new glass cut.

I will update this thread when I have something new to show you! Thanks to all here for the inspiration (in particular Martijn for your Street Fighter cabinet, we fell in love with this one!!!)

Have a merry christmas and a happy new year!  The other 3 cabinets of project Arc4de should be completed in 2015, I'll keep you updated!

[Malenko]

solid work man, you must be pleased as punch to have it pretty much done 

[mathdufort]

solid work man, you must be pleased as punch to have it pretty much done 

Indeed I do!  And I know what my guests will be playing this Christmas 

[keilmillerjr]

This cab is a beauty! Much attention to detail and a fun theme!

[mathdufort]

This cab is a beauty! Much attention to detail and a fun theme!

Thanks mate!  I'm pretty proud of it 😀

[mathdufort]

A quick update...

I wasn't too pleased with the result of my CPO.  I had it printed at a local shop on laminated vinyl and with the plexiglas on top there was some sticking that caused what seemed like stains.  I then used the same process than for my bezel, I sent my file at Costco's online photo printing and swapped the CPO.  The result is now perfect!



Now I just need my new glass and money for the side art!

[mathdufort]

This weekend I had a tinted glass cut to size to replace the scratched glass that I used.  Here is the final shot :



There are still 3 other cabinets in our project to be completed.  Keep an eye here and I will update with photos of the other cabinets as they are ready.