First Build - Project Limited

[RumblePuff]

Hello All,

Like a few people here I've been lurking around for a while reading through threads and gathering up details and tips etc before finally taking the plunge to build a full size arcade cabinet. This has been a dream of mine for a long time and I've looked through literally thousands of images of arcade cabinets, both custom built and commercial before I finally saw a Vewlix cabinet and fell in love with it.

So why the project name Limited.
Well it describes my situation more than anything.

I have:
Limited Money
Limited Experience
Limited Time
Limited Space
Limited Tools and Equipment

Hopefully people here can give me some guidance as I think I'm going to have to get creative with some of this build.

My main source for the design has come from this site (is it ok to link to external sites?):-
http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/83104/vewlix-slim-project-plans-on-page-1-more-cp-info-added-page-1


My build goals:-

I'm aiming for a 2 player control panel with 6 buttons per player.
4 Admin buttons - Back/Escape,Pause,Hyperlink Favorites and Hyperlink Genres <== I may change these
It has to come apart to a degree - removable control panel and detachable top half where the screen joins the base
Painted and buffed to a smooth piano like shine
Hyperspin front end
Be able to manually rotate the screen from horizontal to vertical just like a real Vewlix

What I have so far:-
4 sheets of MDF - 1220mm x 606mm x 19mm
3 x 2 metre lengths of wood for joining stuff together - you'll have to excuse my lac of knowledge on the correct terminology
Loads of screws of various lengths
Tee-Nuts and M6 bolts - for attaching the control panel. It's needs to be able to detach as I may need to move the cabinet in a small car
Hinges - for access underneath the control panel
An arcade joystick and button kit (from Arcade Workd UK):- Includes 18 buttons, two Zippy Joysticks, IPAC2, P1 and P2 buttons and pre-crimped wiring to get things up and running.
PC - reasonably new HP ProDesk 405 G1 with a cheap PCIe graphics card
27inch LG LCD TV with missing remote
Maximum enthusiasm - this may fluctuate through the build.

What I don't have:-
Paint
Sandpaper or Wet and Dry
Wax/Polish
Large chamfer router bit
A decent saw

Tools I have:-
Stanley Fatmax Drill/Screw Driver
A cheap Router
Jigsaw
Small electric sander
Screw Drivers and a bunch of different sized drill bits.

I'll try and get some pictures of my progress up tomorrow.

Note that if my finished cabinet looks anything like a real Vewlix I'll be over the moon.
Cheers

[Locke141]

Welcome to BYOAC. No problem on external links here.

Some good advice for a new builder is to go slow and take your time.

Good luck

[RumblePuff]

Some pictures of my progress.
This has taken me around 3 weeks to get this far.

My plan is to attach the control panel to the base using a bunch of tee-nuts and M6 bolts. I'm looking for the cabinet to come apart to a degree and be transportable in a small car - this is a circumstance thing as I may need to move house during the build.

I have a couple of questions.
For mounting the joy sticks I see people routing out a recess on the underside of the control panel. Can anyone guide me on how deep the recess should be. My MDF is 19mm thick.
I'd also like to add a 3-4mm sheet of plexi to the top of the control panel and via a recess.
My concern is that thickness of the MDF holding the joystick will only be 10mm. Would that be sturdy enough or do people re-enforce joystick mounting plates?

[jeremymtc]

The amount you'll need to route for joystick pockets will have to do with the type of joystick you'll be using, and how high you want the shafts to protrude above the deck. If you're going to end up with ~22-23mm panel thickness (overlay inclusive), for most sticks you'll probably need to route a depth of ~12-15mm. You'll also need to think about how you're going to secure the joysticks - using carriage bolts through the panel permits a thinner deck surface than screwing into T-nuts.

[RumblePuff]

The amount you'll need to route for joystick pockets will have to do with the type of joystick you'll be using, and how high you want the shafts to protrude above the deck. If you're going to end up with ~22-23mm panel thickness (overlay inclusive), for most sticks you'll probably need to route a depth of ~12-15mm. You'll also need to think about how you're going to secure the joysticks - using carriage bolts through the panel permits a thinner deck surface than screwing into T-nuts.

My plan was to make a 3mm recess on the top of the control panel surface to inlay the plexi - the control panel MDF is 19mm. If I do that and also route out a 12 mm pocket for the joysticks that will leave a 4mm thick bit of MDF where the joystick is to be mounted which clearly isn't nearly thick enough. I'm going to have to do a bit more research on Slagcoin for joystick mounting options but might also consider using longer joystick shafts. I've never really though about how far a joystick shaft protrudes from the control panel until now.

[KLRinstinct]

Cool. Good luck mate! First timer here too. Yeah I've seen some people cutting recesses for joysticks and some people not. Was wondering what's the go myself.
I was planning to use a 16mm MDF and a 2 or 3mm piece of plexi to make up the 18/19mm on the control panel so t-moulding is still flush.

[RumblePuff]

Cool. Good luck mate! First timer here too. Yeah I've seen some people cutting recesses for joysticks and some people not. Was wondering what's the go myself.
I was planning to use a 16mm MDF and a 2 or 3mm piece of plexi to make up the 18/19mm on the control panel so t-moulding is still flush.

Hi, I've seen your build thread. That side art looks amazing, a tough choice to pick one.
I'm going to reinforce underneath the joystick mounting plate, spine strong ply board should do the trick.

[RumblePuff]

Finally bought a chamfer router bit and did some more work on the front of the control panel.
I've a lot of tidying up to do with wood filler and sanding etc.

Something I see a lot of people here mention is Bondo. It's not readily available in the UK but is it just the same as a two part wood filler?

[firedance]

bondo is a car bodywork filler/repair putty.

could try - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_3?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=p38+filler&sprefix=p38%2Caps%2C134&crid=ZFNN79P7MSL

i just use the cheap filler from wilkos for only £1 - http://www.wilko.com/fillers+sealants/wilko-filler-all-purpose-ready-mixed-330g/invt/0049900 once dry it's easily sanded.

[thomas_surles]

Yeah the bondo car filler is what I use. It dries instantly and is Sandable.

[RumblePuff]

Thanks for the advice. Is there any reason why people don't just use wood filler for filling in gaps etc? I figured as I'm working with wood that it was the obvious choice.

[thomas_surles]

I've used both but bondo just works way better. Wood filler is ok though if that's all you can find.

[RumblePuff]

Managed to get a bit more done after being wiped out with the Flu (man that sucks).

Attached the top of the control panel to the bottom with hinges. I had no idea how difficult this would be but due to the size and shape and location of the hinges, it was a nightmare to get it lined up properly.

Joystick recess routed out and the joysticks test fitted
Checked out what the buttons would look like
Attached the control panel to the base using tee-nuts. Makes it easy to remove the control panel as it's just a few bolts
Wired up the buttons to the IPAC 2 and tested them - works well.

Started cutting out the side panels for holding the TV.

 

[mourix]

Well done! As someone who'd love to build a vewlix one day, I'll be looking at this one closely.

[RumblePuff]

Well done! As someone who'd love to build a vewlix one day, I'll be looking at this one closely.

Thanks for the encouragement.
I'm now trying to figure out the best way to mount the TV so it can be switched between horizontal and vertical like a genuine Vewlix.
It's going to be a manual process but I figure if it can be done by removing a few bolts and take 15 mins it will be a nice option to have available.

[mourix]

No worries. I did find some discussion on bezels here.

[RumblePuff]

No worries. I did find some discussion on bezels here.

Thanks for the link mourix. What's they're saying there matches up with the real Vewlix manual where the top and bottom plates are removed and then attached vertically. My problem is I'm using a 27" TV which has a wider bezel along the bottom of the screen compared to the top. Thats probably going to have to come off but it ain't obvious how to get it apart. Doesn't look like it's screwed together. Have to do some Googling.

[RumblePuff]

Finally got all the side panels cut and chamfered and the control panel sides.
Also bought insert nuts which I'll use to mount the joysticks from underneath.
I've also bought some metal joining plates. I'm going to use these to join the top and bottom halves of the side panels using 6 insert nuts per half.
This will allow me to remove the top half of the cabinet to make it easier for transportation.