How to Build a Home Arcade Machine
Remember the arcades? Were you saddened when they closed up one by one, leaving no outlet to actually go out and socialize while you played video games? With all the home consoles and internet connectivity, gaming has evolved, but the social factor has been eliminated. Sure we can play against others, but they may be miles and miles away. Remember back in the day when you could go down to the corner store to play your favorite game and show off your skills in front of a crowd? Well, all is not lost.
In this article, I will guide you through a scratch build of a simple, yet elegant arcade and console emulation system.
Nearly completed project. Illuminated canada goose outlet online uk buttons all lit up and flashing. Please disregard the light gun cord on the left. Working on routing that, after I finish either a coin acceptor or keyboard shelf in that blank space. Step 1 Determine Space RequirementsInitially, I wanted to build a full on arcade cabinet; canada goose outlet locations in toronto however, the space constraints of my home had other ideas. I wanted to find a way to incorporate fun into my existing entertainment center. This How To guide will explain how to build a pedestal style arcade system.
Step 2 Obtain MaterialsThere are many decisions you will be required to make in order to get the look and feel that you want from your cabinet. You will notice that for this project, I decided to go with a very clean and natural wood grain finish.
WarningsThis guide is intended for people that are both comfortable and knowledgeable in the proper use of various power tools. This is critical to having a clean cut edge. Dull tools may leave ragged edges, and pose potential danger to machine operator.1 sheet 4′ X 8′ X 3/4″ Birch or Oak Plywood Lowe’s roughly $47/ea1 2′ canada goose outlet florida x 4′ x 3/4″ Birch or Oak Plywood sheet (Match above choice) Lowe’s $18/ea2 sheets 2′ X 4′ X 3/4″ Medium Density Fiber Board (MDF) OSH $9/eaWood Glue (8 oz.) Lowe’s $61 lb 1 1/4″ Gold or Drywall Screws Lowe’s $61 2″ x 4″ x 8′ lumber or 15 5/8″ X 3′ square dowels OSH $2/ea40 (or more) Horizontal Push buttons w/ Microswitches Groovy Game Gear $2.75/eaLED Wiz Groovy Game Gear $44.95I PAC 4 player interface Ultimarc $654 Ultimate Joysticks Happ Controls $11/ea1 3″ Trackball Groovy Game Gear $117/eaTrackball mounting plate Groovy Game Gear $14/eaLEDs Resistors (use 1 per button) Groovy Game Gear $0.49/eaLight Gun(s) Ultimarc $44.95 electronics + $44.95 for gun bodyT Molding (3/4″ or 13/16″ widths) Groovy Game Gear $0.40/ft1 quart polyurethane Lowe’s $12Mineral Spirits (if using oil based finish) Lowe’s $16100′ Black, Red, Yellow, Green 22 AWG wire Fry’s $4.99/spool.187″ Quick disconnects (150 pcs.) Jameco Electronics220 grit sand paper Lowe’s4″ zip ties (1000 or so will do) Fry’s $9.99 Adhesive Cable womens canada goose black friday tie downs Fry’s $7.99Double sided tape Lowe’s $5Furniture slides Harbor Freight Tools $5Tools:
Table SawCircular SawJigsawRouter with 1/16″ slot cutting bitPlywood bladeGuides for circular sawSafety glassesCombination squareProtractorDrill and/or Drill Press1 1/8″ Spade or Forstner bit2″ Paint BrushSanderWire StripperDiagonal cutting pliers (spring loaded works best)3rd hand toolSoldering iron (soldering station with thermal control preferred)Solder (60/40 or 63/37 is ideal ROSIN CORE ONLY!)Step 3 Cut Out Control PanelUse the 2′ x 4′ x 3/4″ Birch or Oak plywood sheet to cut out the control panel.
Click on image to see dimensions. Actual cuts are marked in red. Dimensions marked in blue.
Step 4 Determine Button Joystick Layout
I utilized this template to set up my buttons and joystick. This has been modified from the template available here.
Print out 4 full sized sheets of this template by clicking on the image and saving. Figure out how you want to lay this out on your panel. It is up to you where to install the buttons and their relative positions.
I approximated the angle of the two canada goose outlet jackets end players. The trackball is centered with respect to the 4′ edge on top. I made all the pencil markings on the underside of the panel so as not to damage the top surface when it comes time to finish.
Use a 1 1/8″ spade bit to drill button holes, 1 1/4″ spade buy canada goose uk bit to make joystick holes. Use a jigsaw to cut out the square mounting hole for the trackball.
Sand the top side of the panel with 220 grit sand paper. Go with the grain, and the resultant surface should be smooth cheap canada goose to the touch with no scratch marks. Use mineral spirits or a tack cloth to clean off the saw dust thoroughly.
Here is the layout process: I did everything on the underside of the panel. This is so the pencil marks do not damage the thin birch veneer of the visible surface. I used a spring loaded center punch to mark the center canada goose 3xl uk of each hole. Drill part way through from the bottom, make sure to have a scrap piece of board underneath to prevent shredding of the top surface. Once all holes canada goose outlet are drilled part way through, flip panel over and complete cut from the top side. Make sure your drill bit is cool to the touch and level. Allow tools to cool between drilling.
TipsMake sure to thoroughly clean the wood surfaces. Residual sawdust will result in an uneven finish. Apply light, thin coats of finish. Allow to dry per material instructions, and lightly sand with 220 canada goose outlet or higher grit sandpaper. Apply another coat of finish. I utilized 8 layers for the panel top to get a nice and glossy durable finish. This will help, since this surface is going to be constantly used. Step 5 Cut Out Box Assembly
Click on the image to the left for cut dimensions for the box. The two upper pieces are the left and right sides.
The center piece is the back board. The lower boards are front left, front center, and front right walls.
These pieces are cut from the 4′ x 8′ x 3/4″ plywood. You will need to cut two 4 1/2″ strips. The box walls should be 4 1/2″ tall. This allows proper clearance for the buttons, and especially the trackball.
Sand the front faces of each piece of the box assembly, similar to the process above.
Turn drilled panel over, and assemble box into place. Boards should rest 1/4″ away from https://www.chinese-sharpei.de outer edge. Use 5/8″ square dowels with wood glue and brads to fasten walls to panel. I used a 18 gauge, 1 1/4″ Air Brad Nailer to take accomplish this.
Step 6 Cut Out Panel Box BottomMeasure the inside dimensions of the assembled box, and cut the corresponding shape out of one of the MDF boards. Utilize a piece of scrap board to measure the height you will need to set the square dowels on the inside perimeter of the box. This will support the box, and allow you to screw the panel shut. I did not provide the measurements for canada goose kensington uk this step because the assembled box may not be perfectly symmetrical. In the end, it is barely noticeable, but you want to make sure you don’t break the joints apart.
Step 7 Install Buttons, Joysticks TrackballThe new Electric Ice 2 Illuminated push buttons essentially come in four parts. There is the button itself, the nut, the switch holding assembly, and the switch itself. You will need to find an angle that best supports the switch retainers without interfering with each other. Tighten the nuts canada goose jacket uk sale with a nut wrench. Verify that all the retainers will clip into canada goose outlet price place without crowding each other out.
The joysticks canada goose jacket uk mens can be mounted either using carriage bolts with a through canada goose outlet store usa hole drilling the intersecting corners of the button template, or you can use a blind screw method which leaves a cleaner overall appearance. I used a 10 32 x 1/2″ nut from Home Depot to drill a hole halfway through the panel from the bottom side of the panel. I used a 10 32 x 3/4″ machine screw to screw the joystick base into the nuts.
Step 8 Install LEDsThere are several methods to install the LEDs. I found the simplest method was to bend the leads down, and then use needle nose pliers to bend 90 degree angles into the leads. The longer of the 2 leads is the positive (+). Solder a red wire to this. Repeat this for the shorter lead with a green wire. The color coding helps to keep the electrical connections in order. I soldered the resistor to the terminal end of the green wire so canada goose discount uk there is a solid lead to insert into the LED Wiz.
WarningsDo not apply voltage to the LEDs without using the supplied resistor. Here is an overview of the completed panel. Red highlight is the I Pac4, Blue outline shows the LED Wiz, and the Green shows the bottom of the trackball.
Also shown is the soldering station, solder, uk canada goose outlet third hand tool, needle nose pliers, spools of wire and zip ties.
(1) Red and green wires. You can use 22 AWG. 24 or 26 AWG is cheaper and works just as well. 24/26 AWG is easier to route on the button. (2) Use the wire strippers to remove 1/8″ 1/2″ of wire, depending on how you want to solder the connections. I would recommend stripping about 1/8″. I will show two alternate methods of soldering the connections. (3) This is what a typical LED looks like. This is a 5mm style LED. I chose a colored lens for demonstration purposes only. The ones you order with the buttons will be clear.