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    My custom arcade cabinet. Who's got dibs on player one?

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    custom casecabinetcabinet buildprojectplayer 1
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    • S
      Skinsey
      last edited by

      Poke the holes
      3b6aa6c4-fba8-41f9-899d-02d1542d215d-image.png

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      • S
        Skinsey
        last edited by

        As I was routering out space for the mini hi fi audio amp in the monitor panel so I could poke the volume dial through, there was a little mishap, and the router bit rattled out of the collet just enough to go through the face, So I had a 3" hole. I fixed it with a little piece of aluminum. I ran an AUX splitter from the pi, so I could have a headphone jack, as well as a volume dial for the speakers overhead.

        78e4da8f-0c9d-4b95-93bd-3add64875bad-image.png

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        • S
          Skinsey
          last edited by

          Finally, mounted this thing on 2 french cleats. This took a LOT of work. Thinking of making more to sell, but would be cut on the CNC to increase production speed. Interior design would improve.

          2baf49ab-bb51-4372-9aca-1b302a1d6033-image.png

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          • ClydeC
            Clyde
            last edited by

            Thanks for the update, it's really impressing piece of work. I do admire anyone who can build something like this from scratch, since I'm the extreme opposite of a handyman. Thus, I built my own upright cabinet from a flat pack kit and used printed car foil instead of paint.

            I have two questions about your project:

            • Why didn't you use the CNC if you could have?
            • What made you choose grey as the base colour? It's rather unusual in the colourful arcade world.
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            • S
              Skinsey @Clyde
              last edited by

              @Clyde I do custom millwork for work. Not everyone is highly proficient in woodwork, and that's okay. Thanks for comments!

              To answer your questions

              1. I wanted this one to be fully handmade, and using the CNC removes that aspect. Less skill involved. I did the curves with a bandsaw, edge sander, and a random orbital sander.

              2. I used black and white high gloss plastic laminate (no grey, I suppose it's just my shoddy photography) for a number of reasons. I was limiting myself to shop scraps so i paid nothing in material costs. I barely squeezed out what I needed from what we had. Laminate Is also durable and more impact resistant than paint or vinyl. I did use matte black paint for the monitor panel to reduce distracting reflections and glare. I almost went with a brushed brass laminate instead of white, but decided the black and white would better fit the retro/modern look I was going for

              ClydeC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • simpleethatS
                simpleethat
                last edited by simpleethat

                That thing is sexy! Super clean and sleek and it's a great modernization of the 50s and 60s view of the future. Well done!

                Thorr69T 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                • Thorr69T
                  Thorr69 @simpleethat
                  last edited by Thorr69

                  @simpleethat said in My custom arcade cabinet. Who's got dibs on player one?:

                  That thing is sexy!

                  me: looks at picture number 2 after reading this quote..
                  me: snickers out loud because I am 12...

                  RPi 3b
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                  simpleethatS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • simpleethatS
                    simpleethat @Thorr69
                    last edited by

                    me: looks at picture number 2 after reading this quote..
                    me: snickers out loud because I am 12...

                    Hahaha! That had me chuckling pretty well as I was scrolling through the post

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                    • S
                      Skinsey @simpleethat
                      last edited by

                      @simpleethat I'm still giggling about it

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                      • ClydeC
                        Clyde @Skinsey
                        last edited by Clyde

                        @Skinsey said in My custom arcade cabinet. Who's got dibs on player one?:

                        1. I wanted this one to be fully handmade, and using the CNC removes that aspect. Less skill involved. I did the curves with a bandsaw, edge sander, and a random orbital sander.

                        Haha, from my unskilled perspective, using the CNC is still absolutely handmade, but with a bigger, slightly more convenient tool. 😄

                        As for the laminate, it really looks grey on my monitor, not white at all. 😎 The control panel of my cabinet is also coated with laminate, about which the printing shop said "you can dance a waltz on it". 😄

                        @Thorr69 said in My custom arcade cabinet. Who's got dibs on player one?:

                        me: looks at picture number 2 after reading this quote..
                        me: snickers out loud because I am 12...

                        At first, picture #2 was the only picture in the opening post. 😲😉

                        HurricaneFanH S 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 2
                        • HurricaneFanH
                          HurricaneFan @Clyde
                          last edited by

                          @Clyde Where did you get the laminate from?

                          ClydeC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • Z
                            zerohex
                            last edited by

                            Nice build. I'll take player 2 please... I also need that workbench/assembly table you have. Mine is too small for my new shop setup and I've been too lazy/busy to build a new one.

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                            • ClydeC
                              Clyde @HurricaneFan
                              last edited by

                              @HurricaneFan I got the laminate from the German printing service https://arcadeartshop.de/. You'll have to ask for it when ordering the prints, though. I read about it in the shop owner's blog (example, example).

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                              • S
                                Skinsey @Clyde
                                last edited by

                                @Clyde A CNC is waaaaay more than a slightly convenient tool. Scan a barcode and hit start. In minutes you have any curve you can draw on a computer that would take hours by hand, or a bunch of cabinet parts with all tongue and groove joints, screw holes for assembly and any hardware all machined out. It makes a huge difference depending on what you're making. If I were to make several of these, I'd CNC almost all of it.

                                ClydeC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • S
                                  Skinsey @zerohex
                                  last edited by

                                  @zerohex I have a 4'x8' melamine top for my bench. Great size

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                                  • ClydeC
                                    Clyde @Skinsey
                                    last edited by

                                    @Skinsey Now you've made me want a CNC. 😛

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                                    • S
                                      Skinsey @Clyde
                                      last edited by Skinsey

                                      @Clyde

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