CoMakingSpace Wiki - User Contributions [en]

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T16:04:53Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title=Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ✏️ Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ⚡️Electronics ==

=== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons ===
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== 💡Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

==== 💾 Commodore Amiga ====
For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format. So with the help of a Windows-Amiga-Emulator, I could convert my disks into .adf files for Batocera.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T11:29:10Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title=Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ✏️ Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ⚡️Electronics ==

=== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons ===
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== 💡Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

==== 💾 Commodore Amiga ====
For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T11:17:40Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ✏️ Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ⚡️Electronics ==

=== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons ===
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== 💡Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

==== 💾 Commodore Amiga ====
For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T11:17:11Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== ✏️ Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Electronics ==

=== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons ===
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== 💡Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

==== 💾 Commodore Amiga ====
For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T11:14:20Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Electronics ==

=== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / ===
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Retro Gaming Arcade

2026-07-29T11:13:09Z

Björn: Björn moved page Project:Retro Gaming Arcade to Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

#REDIRECT [[Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"]]

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T11:13:08Z

Björn: Björn moved page Project:Retro Gaming Arcade to Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Template:ProjectInfoBox

2026-07-29T11:12:02Z

Björn:

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px; border-color: #00773D"
!colspan="2"|[[Template:ProjectInfoBox|ProjectInfoBox]] 
<big>'''{{{project title|Unnamed Project}}}'''</big>
|-
!colspan="2"| [[{{#if: {{{extrabox|}}} |File: | Has image::File:}}{{#if: {{{image|}}} |{{{image}}} |project-default.png}}|frameless|300px]]
|-
| Status:
| {{{status|planned}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{date|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Release Date:
{{!}} [[ProjectDate::{{{date|(planned) finishing date}}}]]
|}}
|-
| Initiator:
| {{{initiator|who maintains it?}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{team|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Team:
{{!}} {{{team}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{materials|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Materials Used:
{{!}} {{{materials}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{tools|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Tools Used:
{{!}} {{{tools}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{software|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Software Used:
{{!}} {{{software}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{cost|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Approx. Cost:
{{!}} {{{cost}}}
|}}
|}
[[Has caption::{{FULLPAGENAME}}|]]
<noinclude>
Inform others about your [[Projects|project]] in a compact overview!

== Documentation ==
To use this template, simply copy this code into your page and enter the relevant parameters:
<pre>
{{ProjectInfoBox
|project title=
|image=
|status=
|date=
|initiator=
|team=
|materials=
|tools=
|software=
|cost=
}}
</pre>
Default values for some parameters exist, but will only be used if the entire line is omitted. For example, <code>|image=</code> leads to no image being displayed while not entering the image parameter at all will lead to the default image (light bulb) being displayed. Please make use of the "Show preview" button and it should be clear.

If you had/have helpers with your project, you can use the <code>team</code> value to give them credit. Try using [[Template:HelpNeeded]] here to find collaborators! If you delete it or leave it empty, that field is not displayed at all.

The <code>software</code>, <code>materials</code> and <code>tools</code> value behaves this way as well since some projects are realized with tools and materials but others are done mostly digitally.

== [[Semantic MediaWiki]] ==
The content you enter for "date" can be queried under [[Property:ProjectDate]].

== Bugs/Future Development ==
* selection instead of free text: status= planned/in progress/finished?

== Template Parameters ==
<templatedata>
{
"description": "Provide information about a project you have built.",
"params": {
"project title": {
"label": "The name of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": true,
"description": "The name of your project",
"default": "Unnamed Project"
},
"image": {
"label": "An image for your project (your-uploaded-filename.jpg)",
"type": "wiki-file-name",
"required": false,
"description": "The file name of the image which represents your project the best. This might be printed on our [[Project Wall]]",
"suggested": true,
"example": "your-uploaded-filename.jpg"
},
"status": {
"label": "Status of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The current release status of your project",
"default": "planned",
"suggested": true
},
"date": {
"label": "The release date of your project",
"type": "date",
"required": false,
"description": "The date on which your project has been finished. Will be assigned to Property:ProjectDate and thus be searchable within [[Semantic MediaWiki]]."
},
"initiator": {
"label": "Who initiated your project?",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The user page or name of the person who initiated the project. Please provide them as their wiki name. You can leave out the \"User:\" part.",
"default": "who maintains it?",
"suggested": true,
"example": "[[Lukas]]"
},
"team": {
"label": "The team helping with your project.",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "Please provide them as their wiki usernames. You can leave out the \"User:\" part.",
"example": "[[Keno]]"
},
"materials": {
"label": "Materials you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of materials you have used in your project. Please provide them as their wiki titles. You can leave out the \"Material:\" part.",
"example": "[[MDF]]"
},
"tools": {
"label": "Tools you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of tools you have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki title / name.",
"example": "[[Table Saw]]"
},
"software": {
"label": "Software you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of softwareyou have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki name / title",
"example": "[[Autodesk Fusion]]"
},
"cost": {
"label": "Costs of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "An estimate of the cost to be expected if someone wants to recreate your project."
}
}
}
</templatedata>
</noinclude>

Template:ProjectInfoBox

2026-07-29T11:06:31Z

Björn:

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px; border-color: #00773D"
!colspan="2"|[[Template:ProjectInfoBox|ProjectInfoBox]] 
<big>'''{{{project title|Unnamed Project}}}'''</big>
|-
!colspan="2"| [[{{#if: {{{extrabox|}}} |File: | Has image::File:}}{{#if: {{{image|}}} |{{{image}}} |project-default.png}}|frameless|300px]]
|-
| Status:
| {{{status|planned}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{date|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Release Date:
{{!}} [[ProjectDate::{{{date|(planned) finishing date}}}]]
|}}
|-
| Initiator:
| {{{initiator|who maintains it?}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{team|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Team:
{{!}} {{{team}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{materials|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Materials Used:
{{!}} {{{materials}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{tools|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Tools Used:
{{!}} {{{tools}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{software|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Software Used:
{{!}} {{{software}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{cost|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Approx. Cost:
{{!}} {{{cost}}}
|}}
|}
[[Has caption::{{FULLPAGENAME}}|]]
<noinclude>
Inform others about your [[Projects|project]] in a compact overview!

== Documentation ==
To use this template, simply copy this code into your page and enter the relevant parameters:
<pre>
{{ProjectInfoBox
|project title=
|image=
|status=
|date=
|initiator=
|team=
|materials=
|tools=
|software=
|cost=
}}
</pre>
Default values for some parameters exist, but will only be used if the entire line is omitted. For example, <code>|image=</code> leads to no image being displayed while not entering the image parameter at all will lead to the default image (light bulb) being displayed. Please make use of the "Show preview" button and it should be clear.

If you had/have helpers with your project, you can use the <code>team</code> value to give them credit. Try using [[Template:HelpNeeded]] here to find collaborators! If you delete it or leave it empty, that field is not displayed at all.

The <code>software</code>, <code>materials</code> and <code>tools</code> value behaves this way as well since some projects are realized with tools and materials but others are done mostly digitally.

== [[Semantic MediaWiki]] ==
The content you enter for "date" can be queried under [[Property:ProjectDate]].

== Bugs/Future Development ==
* selection instead of free text: status= planned/in progress/finished?

== Template Parameters ==
<templatedata>
{
"description": "Provide information about a project you have built.",
"params": {
"project title": {
"label": "The name of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": true,
"description": "The name of your project",
"default": "Unnamed Project"
},
"image": {
"label": "An image for your project (your-uploaded-filename.jpg)",
"type": "wiki-file-name",
"required": false,
"description": "The file name of the image which represents your project the best. This might be printed on our [[Project Wall]]",
"suggested": true
},
"status": {
"label": "Status of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The current release status of your project",
"default": "planned",
"suggested": true
},
"date": {
"label": "The release date of your project",
"type": "date",
"required": false,
"description": "The date on which your project has been finished. Will be assigned to Property:ProjectDate and thus be searchable within [[Semantic MediaWiki]]."
},
"initiator": {
"label": "Who initiated your project?",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The user page or name of the person who initiated the project. Please provide them as their wiki name. You can leave out the \"User:\" part. For example: [[Lukas]]",
"default": "who maintains it?",
"suggested": true,
"example": "[[Lukas]]"
},
"team": {
"label": "The team helping with your project.",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "Please provide them as their wiki usernames. You can leave out the \"User:\" part. For example: [[Lukas]]"
},
"materials": {
"label": "Materials you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of materials you have used in your project. Please provide them as their wiki titles. You can leave out the \"Material:\" part. For example: [[MDF]]"
},
"tools": {
"label": "Tools you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of tools you have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Tools]])"
},
"software": {
"label": "Software you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of softwareyou have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Software]])"
},
"cost": {
"label": "Costs of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "An estimate of the cost to be expected if someone wants to recreate your project."
}
}
}
</templatedata>
</noinclude>

Template:ProjectInfoBox

2026-07-29T11:05:25Z

Björn:

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px; border-color: #00773D"
!colspan="2"|[[Template:ProjectInfoBox|ProjectInfoBox]] 
<big>'''{{{project title|Unnamed Project}}}'''</big>
|-
!colspan="2"| [[{{#if: {{{extrabox|}}} |File: | Has image::File:}}{{#if: {{{image|}}} |{{{image}}} |project-default.png}}|frameless|300px]]
|-
| Status:
| {{{status|planned}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{date|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Release Date:
{{!}} [[ProjectDate::{{{date|(planned) finishing date}}}]]
|}}
|-
| Initiator:
| {{{initiator|who maintains it?}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{team|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Team:
{{!}} {{{team}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{materials|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Materials Used:
{{!}} {{{materials}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{tools|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Tools Used:
{{!}} {{{tools}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{software|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Software Used:
{{!}} {{{software}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{cost|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Approx. Cost:
{{!}} {{{cost}}}
|}}
|}
[[Has caption::{{FULLPAGENAME}}|]]
<noinclude>
Inform others about your [[Projects|project]] in a compact overview!

== Documentation ==
To use this template, simply copy this code into your page and enter the relevant parameters:
<pre>
{{ProjectInfoBox
|project title=
|image=
|status=
|date=
|initiator=
|team=
|materials=
|tools=
|software=
|cost=
}}
</pre>
Default values for some parameters exist, but will only be used if the entire line is omitted. For example, <code>|image=</code> leads to no image being displayed while not entering the image parameter at all will lead to the default image (light bulb) being displayed. Please make use of the "Show preview" button and it should be clear.

If you had/have helpers with your project, you can use the <code>team</code> value to give them credit. Try using [[Template:HelpNeeded]] here to find collaborators! If you delete it or leave it empty, that field is not displayed at all.

The <code>software</code>, <code>materials</code> and <code>tools</code> value behaves this way as well since some projects are realized with tools and materials but others are done mostly digitally.

== [[Semantic MediaWiki]] ==
The content you enter for "date" can be queried under [[Property:ProjectDate]].

== Bugs/Future Development ==
* selection instead of free text: status= planned/in progress/finished?

== Template Parameters ==
<templatedata>
{
"description": "Provide information about a project you have built.",
"params": {
"project title": {
"label": "The name of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": true,
"description": "The name of your project",
"default": "Unnamed Project"
},
"image": {
"label": "An image for your project (your-uploaded-filename.jpg)",
"type": "wiki-file-name",
"required": false,
"description": "The file name of the image which represents your project the best. This might be printed on our [[Project Wall]]",
"suggested": true
},
"status": {
"label": "Status of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The current release status of your project",
"default": "planned",
"suggested": true
},
"date": {
"label": "The release date of your project",
"type": "date",
"required": false,
"description": "The date on which your project has been finished. Will be assigned to Property:ProjectDate and thus be searchable within [[Semantic MediaWiki]]."
},
"initiator": {
"label": "Who initiated your project?",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The user page or name of the person who initiated the project.",
"default": "who maintains it?",
"suggested": true
},
"team": {
"label": "The team helping with your project.",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "Please provide them as their wiki usernames. You can leave out the \"User:\" part. For example: [[Lukas]]"
},
"materials": {
"label": "Materials you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of materials you have used in your project. Please provide them as their wiki titles. You can leave out the \"Material:\" part. For example: [[MDF]]"
},
"tools": {
"label": "Tools you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of tools you have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Tools]])"
},
"software": {
"label": "Software you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of softwareyou have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Software]])"
},
"cost": {
"label": "Costs of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "An estimate of the cost to be expected if someone wants to recreate your project."
}
}
}
</templatedata>
</noinclude>

Template:ProjectInfoBox

2026-07-29T11:02:54Z

Björn:

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px; border-color: #00773D"
!colspan="2"|[[Template:ProjectInfoBox|ProjectInfoBox]] 
<big>'''{{{project title|Unnamed Project}}}'''</big>
|-
!colspan="2"| [[{{#if: {{{extrabox|}}} |File: | Has image::File:}}{{#if: {{{image|}}} |{{{image}}} |project-default.png}}|frameless|300px]]
|-
| Status:
| {{{status|planned}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{date|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Release Date:
{{!}} [[ProjectDate::{{{date|(planned) finishing date}}}]]
|}}
|-
| Initiator:
| {{{initiator|who maintains it?}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{team|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Team:
{{!}} {{{team}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{materials|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Materials Used:
{{!}} {{{materials}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{tools|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Tools Used:
{{!}} {{{tools}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{software|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Software Used:
{{!}} {{{software}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{cost|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Approx. Cost:
{{!}} {{{cost}}}
|}}
|}
[[Has caption::{{FULLPAGENAME}}|]]
<noinclude>
Inform others about your [[Projects|project]] in a compact overview!

== Documentation ==
To use this template, simply copy this code into your page and enter the relevant parameters:
<pre>
{{ProjectInfoBox
|project title=
|image=
|status=
|date=
|initiator=
|team=
|materials=
|tools=
|software=
|cost=
}}
</pre>
Default values for some parameters exist, but will only be used if the entire line is omitted. For example, <code>|image=</code> leads to no image being displayed while not entering the image parameter at all will lead to the default image (light bulb) being displayed. Please make use of the "Show preview" button and it should be clear.

If you had/have helpers with your project, you can use the <code>team</code> value to give them credit. Try using [[Template:HelpNeeded]] here to find collaborators! If you delete it or leave it empty, that field is not displayed at all.

The <code>software</code>, <code>materials</code> and <code>tools</code> value behaves this way as well since some projects are realized with tools and materials but others are done mostly digitally.

== [[Semantic MediaWiki]] ==
The content you enter for "date" can be queried under [[Property:ProjectDate]].

== Bugs/Future Development ==
* selection instead of free text: status= planned/in progress/finished?

== Template Parameters ==
<templatedata>
{
"description": "Provide information about a project you have built.",
"params": {
"project title": {
"label": "The name of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": true,
"description": "The name of your project",
"default": "Unnamed Project"
},
"image": {
"label": "An image for your project (your-uploaded-filename.jpg)",
"type": "wiki-file-name",
"required": false,
"description": "The file name of the image which represents your project the best. This might be printed on our [[Project Wall]]",
"suggested": true
},
"status": {
"label": "Status of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The current release status of your project",
"default": "planned",
"suggested": true
},
"date": {
"label": "The release date of your project",
"type": "date",
"required": false,
"description": "The date on which your project has been finished. Will be assigned to Property:ProjectDate and thus be searchable within [[Semantic MediaWiki]]."
},
"initiator": {
"label": "Who initiated your project?",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The user page or name of the person who initiated the project.",
"default": "who maintains it?",
"suggested": true
},
"team": {
"label": "The team helping with your project.",
"type": "string",
"required": false
},
"materials": {
"label": "Materials you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of materials you have used in your project. Please provide them as their wiki titles, for example:[[MDF]]"
},
"tools": {
"label": "Tools you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of tools you have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Tools]])"
},
"software": {
"label": "Software you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of softwareyou have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Software]])"
},
"cost": {
"label": "Costs of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "An estimate of the cost to be expected if someone wants to recreate your project."
}
}
}
</templatedata>
</noinclude>

Template:ProjectInfoBox

2026-07-29T11:00:04Z

Björn:

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px; border-color: #00773D"
!colspan="2"|[[Template:ProjectInfoBox|ProjectInfoBox]] 
<big>'''{{{project title|Unnamed Project}}}'''</big>
|-
!colspan="2"| [[{{#if: {{{extrabox|}}} |File: | Has image::File:}}{{#if: {{{image|}}} |{{{image}}} |project-default.png}}|frameless|300px]]
|-
| Status:
| {{{status|planned}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{date|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Release Date:
{{!}} [[ProjectDate::{{{date|(planned) finishing date}}}]]
|}}
|-
| Initiator:
| {{{initiator|who maintains it?}}}
|-
{{#if: {{{team|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Team:
{{!}} {{{team}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{materials|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Materials Used:
{{!}} {{{materials}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{tools|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Tools Used:
{{!}} {{{tools}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{software|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Software Used:
{{!}} {{{software}}}
|}}
|-
{{#if: {{{cost|}}} |
{{!}}-
{{!}} Approx. Cost:
{{!}} {{{cost}}}
|}}
|}
[[Has caption::{{FULLPAGENAME}}|]]
<noinclude>
Inform others about your [[Projects|project]] in a compact overview!

== Documentation ==
To use this template, simply copy this code into your page and enter the relevant parameters:
<pre>
{{ProjectInfoBox
|project title=
|image=
|status=
|date=
|initiator=
|team=
|materials=
|tools=
|software=
|cost=
}}
</pre>
Default values for some parameters exist, but will only be used if the entire line is omitted. For example, <code>|image=</code> leads to no image being displayed while not entering the image parameter at all will lead to the default image (light bulb) being displayed. Please make use of the "Show preview" button and it should be clear.

If you had/have helpers with your project, you can use the <code>team</code> value to give them credit. Try using [[Template:HelpNeeded]] here to find collaborators! If you delete it or leave it empty, that field is not displayed at all.

The <code>software</code>, <code>materials</code> and <code>tools</code> value behaves this way as well since some projects are realized with tools and materials but others are done mostly digitally.

== [[Semantic MediaWiki]] ==
The content you enter for "date" can be queried under [[Property:ProjectDate]].

== Bugs/Future Development ==
* selection instead of free text: status= planned/in progress/finished?

== Template Parameters ==
<templatedata>
{
"description": "Provide information about a project you have built.",
"params": {
"project title": {
"label": "The name of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": true,
"description": "The name of your project",
"default": "Unnamed Project"
},
"image": {
"label": "An image for your project (your-uploaded-filename.jpg)",
"type": "wiki-file-name",
"required": false,
"description": "The file name of the image which represents your project the best. This might be printed on our [[Project Wall]]",
"suggested": true
},
"status": {
"label": "Status of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The current release status of your project",
"default": "planned",
"suggested": true
},
"date": {
"label": "The release date of your project",
"type": "date",
"required": false,
"description": "The date on which your project has been finished. Will be assigned to Property:ProjectDate and thus be searchable within [[Semantic MediaWiki]]."
},
"initiator": {
"label": "Who initiated your project?",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "The user page or name of the person who initiated the project.",
"default": "who maintains it?",
"suggested": true
},
"team": {
"label": "The team helping with your project.",
"type": "string",
"required": false
},
"materials": {
"label": "Materials you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of materials you have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Material]])"
},
"tools": {
"label": "Tools you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of tools you have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Tools]])"
},
"software": {
"label": "Software you have used (wiki links, if possible).",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "A list of softwareyou have used in your project. Please provide them as wiki links ([[Software]])"
},
"cost": {
"label": "Costs of your project",
"type": "string",
"required": false,
"description": "An estimate of the cost to be expected if someone wants to recreate your project."
}
}
}
</templatedata>
</noinclude>

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T10:57:19Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T10:56:02Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner/optical encoder)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 translucent buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]); no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed head)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are made from 19mm MDF. The side panels are milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
[[File:Arcade-build-12.jpg|thumb]]
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T10:52:53Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner/optical encoder)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

'''For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:'''

# 🕹️ '''Appearance''': shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 '''Minimalism''': no visible screws
# 📦 '''Easy storage''': no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's original Space Duel cabinet], but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]) buttons are translucent; no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed knob)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are from 19mm MDF. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T10:51:47Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner/optical encoder)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[CNC Router]],
[[Table Saw]],
[[Handheld Routers]],
[[Router Table]],
[[3D Printers]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]],
[[Adobe Illustrator]],
[[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]) buttons are translucent; no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed knob)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are from 19mm MDF. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T10:50:03Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC),
[[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints),
[[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner/optical encoder)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[Router Table]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]) buttons are translucent; no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed knob)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are from 19mm MDF. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-29T10:49:35Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]] (help with CNC), [[Finno]] (help with vinyl prints), [[Johannes]] (help with wiring the spinner/optical encoder)|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[Router Table]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can be placed anywhere: stand on a desk, hang on the wall or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classic 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus-challenge: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be fun 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet depth to reduce the pull on the screws. This saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets are true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults plus:

* joysticks ([https://www.smallcab.net/joystick-seimitsu-p-1909.html Seimitsu LS-32-SS]) + [https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-shaft-extender-p-752.html shaft extenders] (some people seem to like them for more joystick travel / bigger hands etc)
* 8 buttons per player ([https://www.smallcab.net/seimitsu-30mm-translucent-p-383.html Seimitsu PS-14-KN]) buttons are translucent; no LEDs to light them up as I don't like too much blinky-blinky, but I can add a basic LED spot inside the cabinet for a subtle light effect and better visibility
* 4 [https://www.smallcab.net/white-illuminated-button-24mm-p-1429.html illuminated service buttons] (to start games, "add coins", enter emulator settings etc)
* central spinner ([https://www.amazon.de/dp/B095X7FN38 optical encoder] + 3d-printed knob)
* an old 27" LCD screen I already had
<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. All panels are from 19mm MDF. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the [[Router Table|router table]] with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges, and a T-slot router bit to add the grooves for the [https://www.smallcab.net/molding-19mm-black-p-654.html T-molding profiles]. <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 19mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.

The panel above the screen has 3 holes cut in for speakers and maybe a light source. (I'm currently using an old set of USB-stereo-speakers, so closed the holes with a 3d-printed grid to hide the speakers). <gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future]. There never was a Captain Future arcade game, but hey... who cares 🙂

For the [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet comet spaceship] on the sides, I wanted a very particular perspective and angle. I found a suitable 3d-print STL-model-file and used a 3d-software to change camera angle / focal length to get what I want.

[[User:Finno|Finno]] helped me print the side-panel and control-panel graphics onto self-adhesive vinyl. The vinyl contains a tiny "air canal" texture on the back, which made it straight-forward to apply without any air bubbles.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#SEIMITSU Seimitsu]. To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €15 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

🎮 Additional control pads (for games with more than 2 players) or a mouse (for some computer games) can be connected via a USB-hub or bluetooth.

=== Marquee Lighting ===
To light the marquee from behind, I glued an old USB-powered LED-strip onto some sheet metal. The marquee graphics are printed on paper, which diffuses the LED strip for even lighting.

== 👾 Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using [https://batocera.org Batocera]. My first setup was on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini, which allows for more realistic shader setups (to emulate CRT-Screen scan lines, glow etc).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard (although they do work), as it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine". This can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons. Batocera is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc. – full list [https://wiki.batocera.org/systems here].

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the [https://wiki.batocera.org/add_games_bios Batocera/ROMs directory]. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

Once a game is installed, Batocera can scrape the game's metadata, graphics, user manual etc for the Emulation Station's beautiful and intuitive front-end.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall: I fastened one part of the french cleat from behind the shelf's verticals (with an in-between piece of timer the depth of the verticals, so to meet the front of the shelf).

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T11:14:07Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc, using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system.

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classi 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, a central spinner and of course an old 27" LCD screen I already had.

<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T11:13:36Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]|initiator=[[Björn]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc, using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system.

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classi 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, a central spinner and of course an old 27" LCD screen I already had.

<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T11:12:32Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Björn]], [[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc, using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system.

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classi 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, a central spinner and of course an old 27" LCD screen I already had.

<gallery>
File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg
File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg
</gallery>

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T11:11:57Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Björn]], [[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc, using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system.

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classi 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, a central spinner and of course an old 27" LCD screen I already had.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-01.jpg
File:Arcade-build-02.jpg
File:Arcade-build-03.jpg
File:Arcade-build-04.jpg
File:Arcade-build-05.jpg
File:Arcade-build-06.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-09.jpg
File:Arcade-build-10.jpg
File:Arcade-build-11.jpg
File:Arcade-build-07.jpg
File:Arcade-build-08.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂<gallery>
File:Arcade-build-12.jpg
File:Arcade-build-13.jpg
</gallery>

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

File:Arcade-Finished-05.jpg

2026-07-26T11:11:39Z

Björn:

Arcade-Finished-05

File:Arcade-Finished-04.jpg

2026-07-26T11:11:23Z

Björn:

Arcade-Finished-04

File:Arcade-Finished-03.jpg

2026-07-26T11:11:03Z

Björn:

Arcade-Finished-03

File:Arcade-Finished-02.jpg

2026-07-26T11:10:46Z

Björn:

Arcade-Finished-02

File:Arcade-Finished-01.jpg

2026-07-26T11:10:28Z

Björn:

Arcade-Finished-01

File:Arcade-build-13.jpg

2026-07-26T11:02:39Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-13

File:Arcade-build-12.jpg

2026-07-26T11:02:23Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-12

File:Arcade-build-11.jpg

2026-07-26T11:02:00Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-11

File:Arcade-build-10.jpg

2026-07-26T11:01:36Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-10

File:Arcade-build-09.jpg

2026-07-26T11:01:16Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-09

File:Arcade-build-08.jpg

2026-07-26T11:00:59Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-08

File:Arcade-build-07.jpg

2026-07-26T11:00:39Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-07

File:Arcade-build-06.jpg

2026-07-26T11:00:18Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-06

File:Arcade-build-05.jpg

2026-07-26T11:00:00Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-05

File:Arcade-build-04.jpg

2026-07-26T10:59:40Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-04

File:Arcade-build-03.jpg

2026-07-26T10:59:18Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-03

File:Arcade-build-02.jpg

2026-07-26T10:59:00Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-02

File:Arcade-build-01.jpg

2026-07-26T10:58:25Z

Björn:

Arcade-build-01

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:46:52Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Björn]], [[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]], [[CNC Router]], [[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]], [[Adobe Illustrator]], [[Adobe Photoshop]], [[Cinema 4d]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of a sturdy shelf etc, using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system.

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like classi 1970s/1980s arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but of course leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, a central spinner and of course an old 27" LCD screen I already had.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the entire cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our "Workbee" CNC Router. Besides, the router had since received a big update / new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts on one or both sides. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with an angled [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Graphics ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:35:02Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Björn]], [[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]]
[[CNC Router]]
[[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]]
[[Adobe Illustrator]]
[[Adobe Photoshop]]
[[Cinema 4d]]}}

I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:33:54Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Björn]], [[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]]
[[CNC Router]]
[[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]]
[[Adobe Illustrator]]
[[Adobe Photoshop]]
[[Cinema 4d]]|cost=}}I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:33:22Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Björn]], [[Leo]], [[Finno]]|materials=[[MDF]]|tools=[[Handheld Routers]]
[[CNC Router]]
[[Table Saw]]|software=[[Autodesk Fusion]]
[[Adobe Illustrator]]
[[Adobe Photoshop]]
[[Cinema 4d]]|cost=}}[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb|The "Retro-Cade" inside an IKEA Ivar shelf. (Original photograph with coloured lighting; no Photoshop/retouching or AI)]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:23:36Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=https://wiki.comakingspace.de/images/b/bc/Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[Leo]]|materials=[[https://wiki.comakingspace.de/Material:MDF]]|tools=|software=|cost=}}[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb|The "Retro-Cade" inside an IKEA Ivar shelf. (Original photograph with coloured lighting; no Photoshop/retouching or AI)]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:22:34Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=https://wiki.comakingspace.de/images/b/bc/Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[User:Leo]]|materials=[[https://wiki.comakingspace.de/Material:MDF]]|tools=|software=|cost=}}[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb|The "Retro-Cade" inside an IKEA Ivar shelf. (Original photograph with coloured lighting; no Photoshop/retouching or AI)]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T10:20:17Z

Björn:

{{ProjectInfoBox|project title="Retro-Cade" - Retro Gaming Arcade|image=https://wiki.comakingspace.de/images/b/bc/Arcade.jpg|status=finished|date=March 2025|team=[[https://wiki.comakingspace.de/User:Leo]]|materials=[[https://wiki.comakingspace.de/Material:MDF]]|tools=|software=|cost=}}[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb|The "Retro-Cade" inside an IKEA Ivar shelf. (Original photograph with coloured lighting; no Photoshop/retouching or AI)]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T00:46:24Z

Björn:

[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb|The "Retro-Cade" inside an IKEA Ivar shelf. (Original photograph with coloured lighting; no Photoshop/retouching or AI)]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design like 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T00:42:36Z

Björn:

[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb|The "Retro-Cade" inside an IKEA Ivar shelf. (Original photograph with coloured lighting; no Photoshop/retouching or AI)]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design should follow 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for low-volume storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.

Project:Arcade Gaming Cabinet "Retro-Cade"

2026-07-26T00:39:20Z

Björn:

[[File:Arcade.jpg|thumb]]
I had been toying with the idea to create a retro gaming arcade machine ever since an old friend had invited me to one of his "Retro-Zock"-nights. In order to save space, I decided to create an arcade machine that can either stand on a desk or can hang anywhere: on the wall, or at the front of an Ikea IVAR shelf (using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cleat french cleat] hanging system).

For the arcade's overall design, three things were a must-have:

# 🕹️ Appearance: shape and design should follow 1970s/1980s classic arcade cabinets
# 🔩 Minimalism: no visible screws
# 📦 Easy Storage: no wood glue on the side panels, so everything can be disassembled for low-volume storage if need be

Bonus: combining points 2 and 3 should turn out to be a fun challenge 🙂

[https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/ ClassicArcadeCabinets.com] has DXF files for original arcade cabinets, including the 1982 Atari Classic [https://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/space-duel.html Space Duel]. Since I planned to mount it on the wall using a French cleat, I shortened the cabinet to reduce the pull on the screws. This also saves space, but leaves less room for the side graphics.

All angles and fillets stay true to Atari's original Space Duel cabinet, but I widened the cabinet to 70 cm to fit two adults, two joysticks, eight buttons per player, and a central spinner.

== Cabinet Design & Woodworking ==

=== CAD / Side-Panels ===
I designed the cabinet in [[Autodesk Fusion|Fusion 360]], using Atari’s original angles for the side panels. The side panels would later be milled with our Workbee [[CNC Router]]. On the inside of the side panels, I added recesses (~ 2 mm) so timber beams could later be fitted precisely, in order to keep all screws hidden from the outside: The MDF side panels attach to the internal timber, which connect them to the horizontal MDF.

It'd been a few years since I last used our CNC Router. Besides, the router has since received an update with a new interface. Big thanks and shoutout to [[User:Leo|Leo]], who helped me transfer my CAD design to the CNC Router.

After CNC milling, I used the router table with a flush trim bit to remove the CNC tabs/bridges and tidy everything up.<gallery>
File:Arcade CNC.jpg
File:Arcade inside.jpg
File:Arcade inside 2.jpg
</gallery>

=== Horizontals ===
All horizontal MDF pieces were simply cut with a [[Table Saw|table saw]]. Due to the lack of 90-degree-angles, most of them needed mitre cuts. The lower front part includes a 65° angled recess (cut with a [[Handheld Routers|handheld router]]) for the removable control panel (joysticks + buttons) to rest on. The hole for the display bezel was cut with the same router and then rounded with a roundover router bit.

For the control panel layout, I opted for 8 buttons per player, following one of [https://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html Slagcoin's] classic layout suggestions. To add joystick + buttons to the 18mm MDF board, I first had to reduce the material thickness. So I used our [[Laser Cutter|lasercutter]] to create a guide bush template for the handheld router.<gallery>
File:Arcade bezel.jpg
File:Arcade front panel.jpg
File:Arcade control-panel rear.jpg
</gallery>

== 🎨 Paint / Side-Panel Design ==
Prior to assembly, I primed and painted all visible parts using water-based acrylic paint and a paint roller: black for all "insides" (horizontals, bezel etc) and white for the outside. 2-3 layers in total, with in-between sanding.

The side panels would later have a design printed on vinyl stuck to them, but a decent and even paint job would allow for the vinyl to later be replaced if need be. I also primed the side panel's insides, though that probably wasn't necessary.

The side-panels and the control panel graphics are all hand-illustrated (I'm a graphic designer): I wanted the overall look & feel to be like [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=atari+space+duel+arcade Atari's Space Duel], but with characters from my favourite childhood cartoon series [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain%20future Captain Future] (inlcuding his [https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=captain+future+comet spaceship], of course)

Yes, there never was a Captain Future arcade machine, but hey... who cares 🙂

== 🕹️ Joysticks and Buttons / Electronics ==
[[File:Arcade control-panel rear cables.jpg|thumb]]
Joysticks and buttons are from Sanwa (Sanwa Denshi Co., Ltd.). They are widely regarded as one of the industry standards for Japanese arcade cabinets and commercial fightsticks. They are known for a light spring tension, short throw/travel distance, and a ball-top design optimized for fast, precise inputs.

To connect and encode joystick + buttons to USB, I'm using [https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/ Ultimarc's I-PAC2]. The controller is super fast, offers flexibility for various 2-player configurations and add-ons (like a spinner, for example), and the customer service is really fantastic. (I had a few post-sales questions, and always received an answer within less than a day).

Talking of spinners (for games like Arkanoid, for example): I don't really understand why dedicated (and expensive) arcade spinners are advertised as "fast spinning". I wanted something with a bit of resistance, so it doesn't spin too quickly. Even a cheap €20 spinner was still too fast for playing Arkanoid... so I tried to add some friction by laser-cutting the spinner's hole in the control-panel's cover acrylic a little tighter.

== Game Emulation ==
To emulate games, I'm using Batocera. I first had it running on a Raspberry Pi 4b, and now on an old 2012 Mac Mini (Batocera for Linux).

With Batocera, there's no need for a mouse or a keyboard, because it boots straight into the so-called "emulation machine", which can be operated with the arcade's joysticks and buttons (and with modern control pads). It is open-source and can emulate pretty much any arcade, games system or computer that's ever been produced: MAME and FBNeo (=classic arcade games), Atari, Sega, Nintendo, C64, Commodore Amiga, Apple II, Apple Mac, Playstation 2, etc.

For me, the Commodora Amiga was one of the most important machines to emulate. The old Amiga ROMs are still copyrighted, so I purchased them [https://www.amigaroms.com here]and added them to the Batocera/ROMs directory. To convert my old Amiga 3.5" Disks, I've used Rob Smith's [https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge], which converts modern USB-Floppy-Drives to read and write the native Amiga disk format.

== Hanging System (French Cleat) ==
My initial idea was to hang the arcade cabinet to a wall with a french cleat hanging system. After the cabinet was finished, I found an even better spot: "inside" my Ikea IVAR shelf wall.