Day VII - The finishing touchHi all, I’m happy to say that the project is finished and I’m very happy with the results, considering it’s my first arcade.


After installing all the emulators, roms, testing, fixing bugs, testing again, fixing more bugs and then some more testing; the system was finally customized and fully functionable just the way I wanted it. It was time to finish the arcade cabinet by attaching the monitor bezel and the back panel.

I temporarily attached the plexi-glass and used masking tape to trace the screen.

Then; I removed the plexi and covered the entire “monitor surface” with masking tape. Make sure you have the entire surface covered, even the tiniest breach in the masking tape will mess up the paint job.

After using a razor blade and a ruler to carefully cut off the excessive tape, it was time to do some painting. I used spray paint, but I’ve heard that you can also use latex paint to paint the bezel with.

I sprayed a layer of paint, then let it dry for a while, then sprayed another layer etc. I believe it took 4-5 layers before the plexi was sufficiently covered.

I was surprised how nice the bezel looked when I faced the painted side inwards and let the light shine through it. I was very happy with the results on this one.


While the bezel was put away to dry, I started attaching the back panel. As the back panel is the best (only) way to access the cabinet’s hardware, I believe it shouldn’t be fastened using wooden screws. Instead, I used a pair of hinges so I can easily open and close the back panel in case the cabinet needs service of some sort.

Now I can just flip the back panel down, whenever I need to access the cabinet’s hardware.

I also attached the power button on the back panel. This is a power button I ripped out of an old ATX cabinet I had lying around. It’s actually pretty cool because the button is huge and it can be illuminated. Since I’m using a powerstrip inside the cabinet, all the hardware (marquee lights, computer, monitor, speakers) are switched on by the push of this button.

I also picked up a black wooden list which I thought would be a nice way of “separating” the control panel from the plexi/bezel.

I spilled a little glue when attaching the list to the plexi, so I will try to get a broader list tomorrow as a replacement to this one. It’s hard to see the black list in this picture, but it actually gives the cabinet a nice finish and looks pretty cool.

So what am I doing here? Well, a couple of days ago I decided I didn’t just want to put the bartop cabinet on top of a bar (or table), so I decided to “convert” it into a mini-cabinet instead. Therefore, I went to IKEA this morning and picked up a nice black dresser of some sort. It is as plain as it gets and it really looks good sitting underneath the cabinet.

After putting the dresser/cupboard/whatever together, I put some black molding tape on top of it to fasten the cabinet and to prevent vibrations. The camera blitz makes the dresser look brownish on this picture, but I assure you, it’s almost the same color (black) as the arcade cabinet and it fits perfectly.

No one wants a dirty arcade cabinet, so I wiped it off thoroughly before attaching it to the dresser arcade stand.
….
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to present to you the final result …

I’m finished. Done. Finito! The picture above does not bring justice to the cabinet at all, as the blitz makes the screen and marquee look very dark. Actually the screen is bright and colorful, while the marquee really lights up good in the dark.
I will now take some decent pictures of the arcade cabinet and also put together a video showing “Glory Days” in all it’s glory. Check back tomorrow for a proper presentation of the cabinet.
Now, it’s time to play some games.. Aaah, I’m so happy.

Peace!