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

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Projects and Themes
    custom casecabinetcabinet buildprojectplayer 1
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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.
          S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • 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

                  S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • S
                    Skinsey @simpleethat
                    last edited by

                    @simpleethat I'm still giggling about it

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • 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.

                          S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • 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. 😛

                                  S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • S
                                    Skinsey @Clyde
                                    last edited by Skinsey

                                    @Clyde

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