Donkey Kong Themed Table Top Arcade Machine.

[solar]

I guess this is just to announce that i've finished the project (a little while back) and you might like to see the final result. So firstly sorry there aren't any in progress pics...but i'll try and give an explanation.

Sooo it all started with ebay (haha yeah i know) and after winning very cheaply an auction of mostly unused arcade bits it only seemed right to use it as an excuse to build a table top (it was going to be a midsized but then reality hit).

I chose donkey kong as its one of the games that i always go back to and as far as i can remember it was the first arcade machine i ever played on.

After sourcing the donkey kong blueprints online. I set about shrinking it down to a suitable size it was during this process that i decided to make it a two player cab and where it started to diverge slightly from the original plan.

After drawing it up, a bit of jig sawing, some glue, screws and finally a little bit of routering we have the final machine. Which i'm pretty happy with, there are things i would probably change if i was to build it again but its pretty close to my original cardboard model...so its just the usual niggles - which i can live with.

Rough specs are :

19" 4:3 Samsung LCD - i forget the actual model but i think it looks great.
Sanwa Joysticks.
Happ Buttons (red).
Unsure who makes the the blue buttons.
Msi Wind u130 software overclocked to 2.1ghz (runs most games fine -- and the ones i plan on playing no problems with a slightly earlier version of mame).
A little cheapy amp with two stereo speakers built into the base...just because i could lol.

Marquee :

Is just a decal sandwiched between two pieces of perspex and backlit with the led strip that you find in the lcd screen from the msi wind.

Carcass :

Wooden framed, chipboard sides and laminated with high impact polystyrene (it was a bit of an experiment but it was super cheap and easier than painting and can even be polished to remove any light scratches).

Roof, back and underneath can all be removed for easy access to everything. In fact I highly doubt i could fit anything else in there its tricky enough as it is.

Frontend / Software :

Mala with custom graphics.
Mame and Daphne emulators.

Hope that all makes sense any questions i'll try my best to help, in the mean time im off to try and beat my donkey kong highscore.

[Malenko]

that finish is fantastic 

[rablack97]

that finish is fantastic 

Yes it is, is it like a laminate sheet that can be routed or like a vinyl....looks like you were able to fold it over the upper marquee.

Please provide links where you found that stuff man, and in colors....

Very nice build.....

[solar]

Ah yeah the finish is all down to the product really.

I bought it locally in a massive sheet but if you search HIPS or High Impact Polystyrene, you should be able to find it, you can get it in loads of different colours. Both the blue and black on the cab is same product, it comes with a clear gloss top coat (lets you polish it up a bit if needed), but i think you can get it in matt finish as well.

Iirc the stuff i bought was somewhere around 1mm thick. cuts easy with a knife (that's how i cut the whole cab out after i'd glued it onto the sides). Depending on speed you may be able to router it, but i never tried as too much heat will cause problems.

Probably the biggest concern is making sure the adhesive is safe for use with it or being polystyrene based it melts...

Its used in vacuum forming so you can mold it into virtually any shape you like. I just used a hairdryer (you should use a heatgun really as temperature is important) and gently pulled it around the top curve.

Same stuff they used to make the storm trooper outfits, props etc etc.

[rablack97]

Hmmm so 1/16 laminate is the norm for a cab....this equates to about 1.5mm, which is around .06 in decimal.

.06 is a standard thickness for this stuff, cant source any in color though....thanks for the reply.

[solar]

Actually i've just checked where i bought it from instead of from memory and it's possible the stuff i used was 1.5mm thick. As it worked out the two layers plus chipboard was the same width as the standard dk t-molding.

But thickness can be from .5mm up to 2.7mm depending on requirements (i going to use this as as excuse for my vagueness lol). I'd have thought it could be sourced easy enough in the US even in colours?.

[PL1]

Three minor observations:

1.  You may want to paint the lower vent holes on the back to match the upper vents.

2.  Eight locks on the back panel??!!??  Nobody's breaking into your bartop.   

3.  The only downside to the high-gloss finish is that any uneven part of the surface shows up as a distortion in the reflection. (first pic, look at the reflected edge of the table)

Fortunately, it's not very noticeable unless there is a straight line visible in the reflection. 

What type of adhesive did you use to attach the High Impact Polystyrene?

Are those USB ports by the power inlet part of a prefab panel or did you fabricate it yourself?

This is definitely a build to be proud of.   


Scott

[solar]

Three minor observations:

1.  You may want to paint the lower vent holes on the back to match the upper vents.

2.  Eight locks on the back panel??!!??  Nobody's breaking into your bartop.   

3.  The only downside to the high-gloss finish is that any uneven part of the surface shows up as a distortion in the reflection. (first pic, look at the reflected edge of the table)

Fortunately, it's not very noticeable unless there is a straight line visible in the reflection. 

What type of adhesive did you use to attach the High Impact Polystyrene?

Are those USB ports by the power inlet part of a prefab panel or did you fabricate it yourself?

This is definitely a build to be proud of.   


Scott

1. Yeah already done...they were an alteration completed later on to help air flow.

2. You never can be too careful lol. They're just furniture bolts though not locks though they do look like them.

3. That would be one of the niggles i mentioned (seems to have been caused by a little height difference in the adhesive). But once it was stuck it wasn't coming back off without a fight. Iirc it was the first bit i glued on.

I took some comfort that in other officially manufactured cabinets that were in the arcade they have had similar issues on marquees when using what i believe is the same product.

I know for next time, if i ever decide to build arcade machine number 2.

Yeah those are usbs next to the power outlet, it was just a small piece of acrylic off cut i drilled and shaped out the holes.  Its got two usbs, the power socket and off switch.

Adhesive wise it was one of those no solvent type ones.

[leapinlew]

Holy crap, is that Mamewah?

Nice job, it's a great little cabinet.

[JDFan]

What thickness of the HIPs (High Impact Polystyrene) did you use -- seems to be a good alternative to painting if using the thin sheets but does get a bit pricey once you get into the thicker sheets.

[solar]

Holy crap, is that Mamewah?

Nice job, it's a great little cabinet.

No i'm using the Mala frontend, but i made my own artwork for the frontend. Really just so the coloured sections matched the colour of the cabinet. It's fixed size for my resolution and as the menu controls are built into graphic its really just for my cab, or i'd make it available if anyone wanted it.

What thickness of the HIPs (High Impact Polystyrene) did you use -- seems to be a good alternative to painting if using the thin sheets but does get a bit pricey once you get into the thicker sheets.

I did originally think it was around 1mm, but its now more likely 1.5mm thick.  But i originally checked the t molding thickness i was using, then worked out how much width i had left to occupy once i'd removed the board thickness.

If you can find a sign makers, plastic distributers etc. you should be able to get it way cheaper.

I'd recommend using a non solvent contact adhesive (its mentioned online what to avoid) something you can roll on as it should go on smoother, where as i used the gun type and that required more smoothing out / less work time.

There are limitations to the stuff but its all online (things like direct sunlight), so its a bit like owning a Mogwai but if you follow the rules you shouldn't have any problems and you can go from a bare cab to full skinned in a few hours.