ArcadeCab’s MAME Cabinet Plans- 2nd Set This is a PDF copy of the online cabinet plans, found on www.ArcadeCab.com, just stripped of most all the full-screen images. This document was created to provide individuals with an easy-to-print paper copy to work from.

I hope this helps you with your goal of building your own MAME cabinet. If you have any questions, fee free to contact me at [email protected]. If you use these plans, be sure to send pictures of the completed project for me to display.

Have a great day!

Mike Trello February 26th, 2009 ArcadeCab- MAME Cabinet Plans 2: Background

Cabinet Plans 2: Background Background Table of Contents Welcome to my second set of FREE cabinet plans. Since I put the original Background help document on this site in 2003, a much larger number of people have Tools benefited than I would have ever dreamed. Barely a week goes by without Materials at least one email thanking me for the resource. I am grateful for those who Cutting Side One take the time to email me and even happier when the visitors complete a Cutting Side Two cabinet they never knew they could build for themselves. Please continue to Dado for the Base send me any progress and/or completed pictures of your cabinet- I'd love to post them on my site. Building the Base Monitor Shelf There are areas in the first set of plans that are vague or missing completely Ledger Boards that I hope to rectify in this new set. Expect to also see detailed explanation Speaker Area- Start of the control panel build, how to wire up the coin door, and how to add one- click on/off switches. Between the two set of plans you should be able to Upper rear have most any question you might have answered. Back Top The page layout differs from the first. The table of contents is on the right of Drawer each page now, with the website controls on the left, consistent with the rest

Search ArcadeCab! of the site. The cabinet dimension PDF is also included on each page, for Door easy access. Photos will be interspersed within the text, and the photos can Speaker Area- Cuts

be clicked to full-screen size. I have opted to increase the size of each large Painting image to show greater detail. There are more photos than in the first cabinet Assembly plans. The text on each page will be more verbose (read: more detail) so Marquee please bear with me if I ramble in spots. My writing skills, you will see, have Monitor Bezel not improved since the first document. List of Boards The MAME cabinet shown is for my brother-in-law. He has wanted his own arcade cabinet since the very first visit to my home and we finally have Control Panel Part 1 gotten together to make it happen. He is an accomplished comic book artist and the finished product will show off his skills. Control Panel Part 2 Wiring the CP I had several design goals that differed from my first cabinet: Attaching the CP Cabinet Dimensions 1) No external screw holes, Finishing Touches 2) Lighter-weight, but equally sturdy, internal framing, and Software 3) Constructed specifically for a custom controller. Final Thoughts

Now that we have the background out of the way, feel free to move on through the rest of the document. The pages will be added to gradually, as work is completed on the actual cabinet. Pages will continue to be refined/ edited during this process but I felt it would be better to get some of the pages up than to wait for the finished cabinet. If you see any errors, please email me so they can be corrected. If any section seems confusing, let me know so it can be made clearer.

The next page shows the basic tools you'll need to get the job done.

Tools->>>

http://www.arcadecab.com/CabinetPlans2/CabinetPlans2_Background.html [2/24/2009 10:58:59 AM] ArcadeCab- MAME Cabinet Plans 2: Tools

Cabinet Plans 2: Tools Tools Table of Contents The tools that are shown throughout this document are: circular saw, jigsaw, Background table saw, drill(s), router, clamps, saw horses, tape measure, and pencil. Tools You can get by without the table saw but it is nice to have. Materials

I used 1" and 1-1/4" course drywall screws exclusively on this project. The Cutting Side One holding power is excellent. Cutting Side Two Dado for the Base Be careful with the tools and take the time to understand how they function. Building the Base If you are new to a tool, test it out on scrap wood before moving to your

cabinet. Remember that you'll need all your fingers to play the games when Monitor Shelf the cabinet is complete. Ledger Boards Speaker Area- Start Below are a few pictures of the key tools. Upper rear The circular saw. If you don't have access to a Back table saw, this will serve you almost as well. I Top have a plywood cutting blade in it, which does a Drawer Search ArcadeCab! very nice job with my cuts. This blade will also Door cut laminate. Speaker Area- Cuts Painting The router. I cannot say enough good things Assembly about it- it is a critical tool for me. This beauty is Marquee over 30 years old (thanks Dad) and still works

perfectly, handling everything I throw at it. Monitor Bezel List of Boards Corded drill. Even if you have a nice cordless

drill, I would really recommend having even a low- Control Panel Part 1 end corded drill. You don't want to run a battery Control Panel Part 2 dry at an inopportune time, and you will

occasionally need the extra torque. Wiring the CP Attaching the CP Cabinet Dimensions The jig saw. It is handy for cutting the first side. Finishing Touches Run it against a straight edge and the resultant Software cut is nearly impossible to discern (by sight) from Final Thoughts a circular saw cut. The downside is it takes a lot longer to cut with than the other saws.

The main router bits I use are the slotter cutter (far left), the flush cutter (second), and the 3/4" straight bit (third from left). You can tell the bits have seen some use. The next bit is the combo- drill bit/countersink which saves me time. 3/8" spade bit is second from the right, and, lastly, the 1-1/8" spade bit (for the control panel). The parts you need for the slotter are 6700A and A200B from this page, and part #2400 from this page.

Saw horses. I have four on-hand and use them constantly. I have found the cheapo ones work just as good as the higher priced ones for the application we need them for. I just would not recommend expecting them to hold your body weight in addition to the board weight for any length of time. In other words, no napping on construction days.

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I love these small, quick-release clamps. I own two and they are used all the time. You should invest in at least a set. They are expensive but worth every penny.

These are the two clamps I use to hold the cabinet sides together during test fittings. They are 24" long.

This is a combination drill bit and countersink. It is a huge timesaver.

The cabinet is held together primarily with 1" and 1-1/4" course drywall screws. They are quite strong (never had a head break off like with other screws), have a nice flat head, and have a fantastic grip. A pound of each will be plenty.

Just for informational purposes, I've included this shot of some common router bits. This is a set I purchased from a traveling tool sales tent that visits our city annually for about $10. The 3/4" (and 1/2") straight bit(s) I use are from this set and have more than paid for entire set.

I might mention additional tools later in the text but these are the key tools that will get you far in the project. If you don't want to purchase them, see if you can find a friend (or co-worker) to borrow from. I've had emails of persons who have done just that, and the co-worker has ended up becoming interested in MAME as a result. Great stuff!

<<<- Background Materials->>>

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Cabinet Plans 2: Materials Materials Table of Contents I prefer 3/4" birch cabinet grade plywood for anything that is to be painted or Background stained. The quality is a pleasure to work with. MDF would be a cheaper Tools option but there are several downsides when used for a cabinet: it is Materials significantly heavier, screws can split the wood, it is more suseptical to Cutting Side One moisture damage, and the dust from cutting it is extremely fine and a Cutting Side Two breathing hazard. I do use MDF in all my smaller controllers but the extra Dado for the Base expense for the plywood was justified. Building the Base The ledger boards were of two different sizes, 1x2 and 3/4"x3/4". I Monitor Shelf purchased what Lowes calls 1"x4"x4'boards (actually 3/4"x3-3/4") and ripped Ledger Boards them to 3/4" wide on the tablesaw. You'll want the straightest boards with Speaker Area- Start minimal knots that you can find. These ledger strips are used in some situations, and the 1x2 boards are used in other. I'll explain these boards in Upper rear detail on the Ledger Board page. Back Top Drawer Below if a list of materials I used. The tools have been left off. I also left off

Search ArcadeCab! the prices as they vary so much from location to location, and some items Door you might be able to find bargains on. I have also left off the control panel Speaker Area- Cuts

parts. These will be discussed in that section. Painting Assembly Item Qty Where From Marquee 4x8' sheet of 3/4" birch, cabinet-grade plywood 3 Lowes Monitor Bezel Ledger Boards List of Boards Coin Door (Happ over-under) 1 ebay T-molding (3/4" blue, smooth) - 40' 1 Happ Control Panel Part 1 (T-molding.com carries colors other than black) Control Panel Part 2 Marquee Retainer - 10' 1 Happ Wiring the CP Keyboard drawer slides- 16" 1 Lowes Attaching the CP Cabinet Dimensions 1-1/8" Utility Cam Lock 1 Lowes Finishing Touches Drywall screws- 1" course thread 1 box Lowes Software Drywall screws- 1-1/4" course thread 1 box Lowes Final Thoughts Drywall screws- 1-5/8" course thread Lowes Cabinet Screws - 3" 8 Lowes 3" paint rollers (3/8" smooth pile) (2 pk) 6 Lowes Kilz (gallon) tinted 1 Lowes Valspar Duramax Latex Gloss Enamel paint 1 Lowes (gallon) 12" fluorescent light w/ 6' cord 1 Lowes 2" Industrial Casters - Rotating and locking 2 Lowes 2" Industrial Casters - Rigid 2 Lowes !!!!!!!! hinges 1 Lowes Foam brushes (1" and 3") 6 Lowes Tack cloth 6 Lowes L brackets (4 pack- 1-1/2" x 5/8") 2 Lowes 1/16" slot cutting bit w/ arbor 1 RouterBits.com Valspar Multi-purpose Black Enamel Spray Paint 1 Lowes

1/4" glass - xxxxxxx 1 Vision Glass

<<<- Tools Cutting Side One->>> http://www.arcadecab.com/CabinetPlans2/CabinetPlans2_Materials.html (1 of 2) [2/24/2009 10:59:06 AM] ArcadeCab- MAME Cabinet Plans 2: Cutting Side One

Cabinet Plans 2: Cutting Side One A note before we start Table of Contents The observant reader will notice that the photos on this page show MDF not Background plywood being cut. I created an MDF template to make sure the design Tools would work out before cutting the ply. Everything did so I used these Materials pictures. Cutting Side One Starting Out Cutting Side Two To begin with, lay your 4x8 sheet out on two saw horses. Taking the Dado for the Base measurements, draw out the cabinet on the sheet. Take your time; Building the Base everything can be drawn using the supplied measurements. Monitor Shelf The order I made my cuts is shown in the diagram to the Ledger Boards right (click for a larger view). This isn't necessarily the Speaker Area- Start optimum order, it is just what worked out best for me. You Upper rear can refer to the cut numbers as you read through the Back description. Top The first cut (#1) was made with the circular saw. I cut the Drawer Search ArcadeCab! excess material from the top of the board. I lined the cut up Door with the very top of the cabinet (72" from the base). See Speaker Area- Cuts picture C. Painting The second cut was the angled back of the cabinet. Picture D shows the Assembly setup for the cut. Marquee Monitor Bezel

List of Boards

Control Panel Part 1 Control Panel Part 2 Wiring the CP

A B C D Attaching the CP Cabinet Dimensions Finishing Touches The marquee area was the next circular saw cut (cut #3). I just cut straight

down, going past the marquee area. E shows the setup and check out Software picture H for how far down I cut. This just gave me less excess material do Final Thoughts have to deal with later on. The fourth cut was to cut up from the bottom, toward the controller ledge. I used the circular saw and cut up as close to the controller support as I safely could. Cut #6 was the straight bit on the front of the controller area, again with the circular saw (see photo H). The rest of that area will be cut using the jigsaw.

E F G H

Photo I shows the progress so far. The jigsaw is used, with a board as a straight edge, to make the 6th cut (see J). It is again used for the top portion of the controller support (#7 and photo K). The speaker and monitor areas are also completed with the jigsaw (see L for the completed cuts).

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I J K L

The final cut, #10, is done with the jigsaw. The slight curve was made with a sanding bit on the drill. A bit of sandpaper wound around a piece of 1" dowel and a little elbow grease could also do. Now you should have something resembling picture O.

M N

O

<<<- Materials Cutting Side Two->>>

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Cabinet Plans 2: Cutting Side Two The Second Side Table of Contents The second side is a lot easier than the first. First, place the full plywood Background sheet down on the sawhorses, good side down. Now place the completed Tools side down on it. Square up the back and bottom edges perfectly. Trace Materials carefully around it. Take the first (completed) side off and it set it out of the Cutting Side One way. You will then cut around the outside of the line. My method is to simply Cutting Side Two cut around the lines with a jigsaw, staying within 1/2" of the line, as in picture Dado for the Base A. You might need to take a break halfway around to give the blade a few minutes to cool down. Be sure not to touch the hot blade (Scott!). Building the Base Monitor Shelf Note: Make sure the two best sides will end up as the outside of the cab. Ledger Boards Even on this quality of plywood, there is a better (smoother) side. Speaker Area- Start Next, pick up this rough-cut second side from the sawhorses. Take the Upper rear completed, first side, and lay it back down on the sawhorses. Lay the Back second side atop this first side, carefully lining up the back and bottom Top edges. Clamp the two sides together with at least four clamps. You do not Drawer want the boards to shift at all. Search ArcadeCab! Door Take the router and insert the flush-trim bit into it. (Note- In case you Speaker Area- Cuts missed it on the tools page, the slotter is made up of 6700A and A200B Painting from this page, and part #2400 from this page.) Adjust the height of the bit Assembly so that the ball-bearing is riding on the bottom (completed) side. The cutting Marquee portion should only be touching the unfinished board. Lock everything down Monitor Bezel and begin to route the second (top) side. Move from left to right. Pictures B, List of Boards C and D shows. Take your time. Go back for a second pass to clean up any

rough spots. Wa-la, the two sides are now identical.

Control Panel Part 1 Remove the top side and stand it up out of the way. Take a break and Control Panel Part 2 admire your handiwork (as in E). But it's not quite time to celebrate with a beer yet. You still need to slot the two sides (for the T-molding). Wiring the CP Attaching the CP Cabinet Dimensions Finishing Touches Software Final Thoughts

A C D B

After the router cools for at least five minutes, swap out the flush-trim bit for the slotter. You will need to center the cutter in the middle of the plywood edge. The plywood that I had was seven-ply, so this task was simple. I adjusted the router height until the cutter was perfectly aligned with the fourth (middle) layer. I then tested it on a scrap(!) piece of plywood, snapping a small piece of T-molding into the groove to make sure it was perfect. Once I decided it was, everything was tightened down again on the router and the first side was slotted. As always, move from left to right when using the router (just like reading a book). I slotted everything except for the bottom. Be careful to keep the router flat against the plywood surface at all times. Take this finished side and put it against the wall. Place the other side piece down on the saw horses and route it. In just a couple minutes, you'll have two slotted sides. Congrats!

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F G H E

<<<- Cutting Side One Dado for the Base->>>

http://www.arcadecab.com/CabinetPlans2/CabinetPlans2_Cutting_Side_Two.html (2 of 2) [2/24/2009 10:59:13 AM] ArcadeCab- MAME Cabinet Plans 2: Dado for the Base

Cabinet Plans 2: Dado for the Base Dado for the Base Table of Contents I used a different construction technique for the base this time around than Background on previous builds. The key reason is that I did not want any screw holes on Tools the exterior of the cabinet. The solution to this was to create slots on either Materials side for the base to sit inside. I used that technique in the past for my Cutting Side One entertainment center. The slot is cut 3/8" deep, which is half the plywood Cutting Side Two thickness. Trust me- this is very sturdy. Below is the diagram of how it will work. Dado for the Base Building the Base Monitor Shelf Ledger Boards Speaker Area- Start Upper rear Back Top Drawer Search ArcadeCab! Door Speaker Area- Cuts Painting Assembly Marquee Monitor Bezel List of Boards

Control Panel Part 1 Control Panel Part 2 Wiring the CP Attaching the CP Cabinet Dimensions Finishing Touches Software Final Thoughts

Before I begin detailing how I created this slot, let me explain the calculations in general. The base will be inset 1-1/4" from the front (1/2" inset + 3/4" for the door), and 1/2" from the back. The lower half of the back is open so we have just the inset. If you want to enclose the back of the cabinet, just add the 3/4" for the backing board to the 1/2". The base needs to be raised some to allow for both the casters and the 3/4" ply strips that the casters will screw into. (The base construction is detailed on the next page.) I measured the casters at 2-5/8". From my current cabinet, I know that 3/4" of caster sticking out below the cabinet is about perfect for carpet. The cabinet sides appear to be floating just above the carpet, which is a nice look. You might drop this to 1/2" if you plan to have it on a hardwood floor, but all my calcs assume a 3/4" exposure.

Knowing all these numbers, you can figure out where the top http://www.arcadecab.com/CabinetPlans2/CabinetPlans2_Dado_for_Base.html (1 of 3) [2/24/2009 10:59:16 AM] ArcadeCab- MAME Cabinet Plans 2: Dado for the Base

of the slot should be. The simple math is below:

3/4" Base plywood sheet +3/4" Ply strips the casters screw into +2-5/8" Height of the casters Amount the casters will stick out from the underside -3/4" of the cabinet ------How many inches from the bottom of the cabinet the 3-3/8" top of the slot will be (see picture A)

Now let's begin showing this process step by step. First lay out the first cabinet side so the front of the cabinet is to your left. Next, measure and mark 1-1/4" from the front. That will be where your slot will stop at. Next measur