javeryh's ARCADE cabinet!! (Updated 08.30.2006)
- Thread starter Javery
- Start date
ING (picture of a dude without his shirt on) HOTTIE!"
klwillis45
CAGiversary!
any updates a' comin????
OK, no pictures to show because I can't find my camera but I got a lot of work done over the weekend - I was actually playing Ms. Pac-man with real arcade controls! I almost crapped myself when I fired it up - I've never wired anything in my life so it was a bit shocking to get it working on the first try. Granted, I was playing it on my laptop because I still haven't bought the internal components (motherboard, hard drive, etc.) that will end up in there but it was still pretty cool.
OK, these pics are a little old (a few weeks) but it shows a lot of progress on the interior of the cabinet. The computer is installed and all of the controls work. I still have to finish mounting the monitor among a bunch of other smaller tasks. I even wired the thing to power on and off with the press of one button (hidden underneath a set of controls). It's really coming together...
[quote name='assassinX']How much does your arcade cabinet costs? This looks pretty cool I wanna make on in the future.[/quote]
This is a tough question to answer because what I think you want to know is how much it will cost you to build one and all I can say to that is "it depends" ... pretty helpful, right?
My cabinet has cost me well over $1,000 right now (probably over $1,500 actually) but I think I'm done buying everything... almost. I wanted an authentic arcade monitor and that was like $220 and I wanted to buy a new computer for it and that was around $400. The glass for the tabletop was $150, the coin door was $75, the arcade parts probably totaled $250 (buttons, ipac, optipac, trackball, t-molding, spinner, etc.). I bought midway speaker grills for $32, glass clips for $40. You can see where this is going... There were the stain and finishing materials (plus supplies), wiring, drill bits, router bits, vinyl overlay for the controls and on and on and on and on.
If you are looking to do this cheaply, you could use an old computer and monitor/TV laying around - maybe you have access to a woodshop so you won't need to buy any tools? It just depends on what you are looking to accomplish. If it is your first build, I would definitely say plan on spending at least $500 but in reality probably a lot more. I enjoy building these things and I already have plans to build another one (different design) when I'm finished... it's more like a hobby I guess. If you are worried about cost though you are going to go nuts. It's a million trips to Home Depot, orders from random websites and a lot of hours and trial and error... I'd be happy to answer any questions I can though...
This is a tough question to answer because what I think you want to know is how much it will cost you to build one and all I can say to that is "it depends" ... pretty helpful, right?
My cabinet has cost me well over $1,000 right now (probably over $1,500 actually) but I think I'm done buying everything... almost. I wanted an authentic arcade monitor and that was like $220 and I wanted to buy a new computer for it and that was around $400. The glass for the tabletop was $150, the coin door was $75, the arcade parts probably totaled $250 (buttons, ipac, optipac, trackball, t-molding, spinner, etc.). I bought midway speaker grills for $32, glass clips for $40. You can see where this is going... There were the stain and finishing materials (plus supplies), wiring, drill bits, router bits, vinyl overlay for the controls and on and on and on and on.
If you are looking to do this cheaply, you could use an old computer and monitor/TV laying around - maybe you have access to a woodshop so you won't need to buy any tools? It just depends on what you are looking to accomplish. If it is your first build, I would definitely say plan on spending at least $500 but in reality probably a lot more. I enjoy building these things and I already have plans to build another one (different design) when I'm finished... it's more like a hobby I guess. If you are worried about cost though you are going to go nuts. It's a million trips to Home Depot, orders from random websites and a lot of hours and trial and error... I'd be happy to answer any questions I can though...
[quote name='gunm']Nice cabling job! How'd you figure out where to mount the fans?[/quote]
Thanks! Heh, actually that's the only part of my entire project that I messed up but no one would ever know unless I told them. So far it's plenty cool in there with the 3 fans (one on each side pushing air in and out and one on the bottom pushing air in) but I haven't had an extensive play test with the box closed and everything running. Originally I wanted the fans and speakers to be directly across from each other so I made a template for cutting the holes in the sides of the cabinet except when I went to cut the second side I forgot to flip the template. Oops.
Anyway, the decision on where to put them was pure guesswork. I modeled it after the old Midway cabinets and just went with what was aesthetically pleasing for the fan/speaker covers on the outside. I later decided to add the fan on the bottom because there was plenty of room and I tried to put it in a spot that would be blowing directly on the tube of the monitor.
As soon as I can finish mounting the monitor I plan on leaving it on for 6-8 hours to test the heat inside...
Thanks! Heh, actually that's the only part of my entire project that I messed up but no one would ever know unless I told them. So far it's plenty cool in there with the 3 fans (one on each side pushing air in and out and one on the bottom pushing air in) but I haven't had an extensive play test with the box closed and everything running. Originally I wanted the fans and speakers to be directly across from each other so I made a template for cutting the holes in the sides of the cabinet except when I went to cut the second side I forgot to flip the template. Oops.
Anyway, the decision on where to put them was pure guesswork. I modeled it after the old Midway cabinets and just went with what was aesthetically pleasing for the fan/speaker covers on the outside. I later decided to add the fan on the bottom because there was plenty of room and I tried to put it in a spot that would be blowing directly on the tube of the monitor.
As soon as I can finish mounting the monitor I plan on leaving it on for 6-8 hours to test the heat inside...
CappyCobra
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 1 (100%)
Lookin swank!
I've still got plenty to do on mine (mainly CP related).
My next stage is to incorporate this and hookup my PS2 for some VF4 action:
http://www.frolicker.com.tw/mgcd/mgcd.htm
I've still got plenty to do on mine (mainly CP related).
My next stage is to incorporate this and hookup my PS2 for some VF4 action:
http://www.frolicker.com.tw/mgcd/mgcd.htm
megashock5
CAGiversary!
Awesome - looking great, Javeryh!
I *finally* finished wiring mine (had my dad come over to help) and when I turned the CP back over there was a huge wrinkle in the overlay that I can't fix. Sucks beyond belief, it looked so good and now it has this blemish that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Oh well, I could have it reprinted - but I'm not putting the money into that until I get it working. I still don't have the PC for it, that should be the last step. Hopefully the interface works like I think it's supposed to.
I *finally* finished wiring mine (had my dad come over to help) and when I turned the CP back over there was a huge wrinkle in the overlay that I can't fix. Sucks beyond belief, it looked so good and now it has this blemish that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Oh well, I could have it reprinted - but I'm not putting the money into that until I get it working. I still don't have the PC for it, that should be the last step. Hopefully the interface works like I think it's supposed to.
[quote name='CappyCobra']Lookin swank!
I've still got plenty to do on mine (mainly CP related).
My next stage is to incorporate this and hookup my PS2 for some VF4 action:
http://www.frolicker.com.tw/mgcd/mgcd.htm[/quote]
Thanks! Wiring the CPs was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Next time I'm going to try and make it a lot neater... I was also thinking about making a dedicated PS2 or Xbox cabinet but that's way down the list. We will probably be on PS5 by the time I get around to it...
I've still got plenty to do on mine (mainly CP related).
My next stage is to incorporate this and hookup my PS2 for some VF4 action:
http://www.frolicker.com.tw/mgcd/mgcd.htm[/quote]
Thanks! Wiring the CPs was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Next time I'm going to try and make it a lot neater... I was also thinking about making a dedicated PS2 or Xbox cabinet but that's way down the list. We will probably be on PS5 by the time I get around to it...
[quote name='megashock5']Awesome - looking great, Javeryh!
I *finally* finished wiring mine (had my dad come over to help) and when I turned the CP back over there was a huge wrinkle in the overlay that I can't fix. Sucks beyond belief, it looked so good and now it has this blemish that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Oh well, I could have it reprinted - but I'm not putting the money into that until I get it working. I still don't have the PC for it, that should be the last step. Hopefully the interface works like I think it's supposed to.[/quote]
Thanks! I bet your wiring will work just fine. I was *shocked* when I finished my wiring and turned everything on - I was able to play Ms. Pac-man with real arcade controls! It's the first thing I've ever wired in my life so if I can do it anyone can.
I stalled on getting the PC too (there's a great thread around here where people are giving me tips on what to get) but that was also easy to set up. It just took a lot of time to get everything just right. I'm so close now though. Once I mount the monitor I'm basically done. Here's my definitive list of remaining tasks:
Construction:
1. Monitor mount with shims to table top
2. Drill holes in base and install leg levelers
3. Drill hole for speaker volume controls
4. Splice speaker controls and thread through hole
5. Mount volume control underneath long CP with velcro
6. Wire coin door switches to ipac
7. Set coin door to accept tokens
8. Wire coin door LEDs to power supply
9. Wire plexiglass LEDs to powersupply
10. [Figure out how to remove CPs]
11. Seal any gaps in CPs
12. Connect monitor and top to base unit with piano hinge
13. Seal any gaps between bezel and monitor
14. Plug monitor into motherboard
15. Install glass clips to hold glass in place
16. Install t-molding around CP3
17. Glue grommit for power supply plug in place
18. Apply admin button stickers
19. Print artwork and apply to tabletop
To Buy:
1. Two (2) 2-1/16" x 13" x 1-1/4" shims for monitor mount
2. Plexiglass for CP1 and CP2 lighting
3. LEDs for CP1 and CP2 lighting and coin door lights
4. Admin button labels
Computer Set-Up:
1. Install and configure MaLa (hide all non-parents and clones)
2. Install and configure NES and SNES emulators
I *finally* finished wiring mine (had my dad come over to help) and when I turned the CP back over there was a huge wrinkle in the overlay that I can't fix. Sucks beyond belief, it looked so good and now it has this blemish that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Oh well, I could have it reprinted - but I'm not putting the money into that until I get it working. I still don't have the PC for it, that should be the last step. Hopefully the interface works like I think it's supposed to.[/quote]
Thanks! I bet your wiring will work just fine. I was *shocked* when I finished my wiring and turned everything on - I was able to play Ms. Pac-man with real arcade controls! It's the first thing I've ever wired in my life so if I can do it anyone can.
I stalled on getting the PC too (there's a great thread around here where people are giving me tips on what to get) but that was also easy to set up. It just took a lot of time to get everything just right. I'm so close now though. Once I mount the monitor I'm basically done. Here's my definitive list of remaining tasks:
Construction:
1. Monitor mount with shims to table top
2. Drill holes in base and install leg levelers
3. Drill hole for speaker volume controls
4. Splice speaker controls and thread through hole
5. Mount volume control underneath long CP with velcro
6. Wire coin door switches to ipac
7. Set coin door to accept tokens
8. Wire coin door LEDs to power supply
9. Wire plexiglass LEDs to powersupply
10. [Figure out how to remove CPs]
11. Seal any gaps in CPs
12. Connect monitor and top to base unit with piano hinge
13. Seal any gaps between bezel and monitor
14. Plug monitor into motherboard
15. Install glass clips to hold glass in place
16. Install t-molding around CP3
17. Glue grommit for power supply plug in place
18. Apply admin button stickers
19. Print artwork and apply to tabletop
To Buy:
1. Two (2) 2-1/16" x 13" x 1-1/4" shims for monitor mount
2. Plexiglass for CP1 and CP2 lighting
3. LEDs for CP1 and CP2 lighting and coin door lights
4. Admin button labels
Computer Set-Up:
1. Install and configure MaLa (hide all non-parents and clones)
2. Install and configure NES and SNES emulators
These shots are from the underside of the long CP. The red button is the power on and power off switch. One press turns everything on and one more press turns everything off (thank god for the smart strip!).
It was pretty easy to install - I used a 1-1/4" forstner bit to drill a hole about 1/2 way into the bottom panel (from the inside/top) and then using the center mark left by the bit, I just drilled a hole all the way through for the shaft of the button (note the tear out - I'll touch it up later). The reason for the "two-step" drilling of the hole is so I could get my fingers around the shaft of the button to turn the nut that secures the button in place. It also made wiring it up a little easier.
You can't see it at all where it is located and no one will even know it is there unless I tell them. Also, the button is quite tough to press so I'm not worried about an accidental press by someone's knee during play...
It was pretty easy to install - I used a 1-1/4" forstner bit to drill a hole about 1/2 way into the bottom panel (from the inside/top) and then using the center mark left by the bit, I just drilled a hole all the way through for the shaft of the button (note the tear out
- I'll touch it up later). The reason for the "two-step" drilling of the hole is so I could get my fingers around the shaft of the button to turn the nut that secures the button in place. It also made wiring it up a little easier.You can't see it at all where it is located and no one will even know it is there unless I tell them. Also, the button is quite tough to press so I'm not worried about an accidental press by someone's knee during play...
[quote name='javeryh']Also, the button is quite tough to press so I'm not worried about an accidental press by someone's knee during play...[/QUOTE]
Unlike the credit button on the "throw the football through the hole" game at Dave & Buster's that caused me to spend $20 without me knowing it. Damn, was that tiring. My arm was sore for at least a week.
Unlike the credit button on the "throw the football through the hole" game at Dave & Buster's that caused me to spend $20 without me knowing it. Damn, was that tiring. My arm was sore for at least a week.
It Works!!
About 2 weeks ago I finished mounting the monitor and I was able to attach the hinge and fire up the cabinet for the first time!! I don't have any good pictures but here's one of the thing all closed up with a game running. The flash on my camera combined with the dust on the glass tabletop really ruined the picture. When I get a few better pictures I will definitely post them.
I played a few games of Ms. Pac-man, Mr. Do! and Galaga and it felt great. I even squeaked out a 75,000 Ms. Pac-man score on my first game without really concentrating so the controls are working well. I still have a TON of software tweaking and game management to work on but if I wanted to I could have the thing playable for a party or something in a few hours of work. There are still a bunch of things I have to do until I call this project "complete" (and start the next one!) like mount the volume controls, wire the coin mechs and lights, apply the artwork to the table top, install the glass clips, etc. but I am super super close...
About 2 weeks ago I finished mounting the monitor and I was able to attach the hinge and fire up the cabinet for the first time!! I don't have any good pictures but here's one of the thing all closed up with a game running. The flash on my camera combined with the dust on the glass tabletop really ruined the picture. When I get a few better pictures I will definitely post them.
I played a few games of Ms. Pac-man, Mr. Do! and Galaga and it felt great. I even squeaked out a 75,000 Ms. Pac-man score on my first game without really concentrating so the controls are working well. I still have a TON of software tweaking and game management to work on but if I wanted to I could have the thing playable for a party or something in a few hours of work. There are still a bunch of things I have to do until I call this project "complete" (and start the next one!) like mount the volume controls, wire the coin mechs and lights, apply the artwork to the table top, install the glass clips, etc. but I am super super close...
megashock5
CAGiversary!
Man, I'm jealous!
I'm getting closer on mine. Finally got a PC from someone at work, but the thing has Linux on it and I have no idea what to do with it. I need to track down a Windows intall disc and try to reformat it (I'm out of my element here, I'm a Mac guy - this is the first PC that's ever been in my posession in 35 years). Then we'll see if the wiring works (please, please, please!!!).
Here's where it is at the moment:
I'm getting closer on mine. Finally got a PC from someone at work, but the thing has Linux on it and I have no idea what to do with it. I need to track down a Windows intall disc and try to reformat it (I'm out of my element here, I'm a Mac guy - this is the first PC that's ever been in my posession in 35 years). Then we'll see if the wiring works (please, please, please!!!).
Here's where it is at the moment:
Thanks for the compliments guys. It is really really cool to have a working arcade machine in the house. My daughter's birthday is coming up so I think the cabinet will get its first workout from the 30 or so party guests that will be showing up. I think I'm just going to make a list of 100 or so popular games and get them working well instead of trying to configure the whole thing by then.
SpottedNigel
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 3 (100%)
Cant see the picture. any imageshack or whoever links javeryh?
bread's done