Project:ArcadeMachine
| ProjectInfoBox Arcade Machine | |
|---|---|
| |
| Status: | Work in Progress |
| Initiator: | Lorenz |
| Materials Used: | MDF, Framing Lumber, Electronics |
| Software Used: | FreeCAD 0.19 |
| Approx. Cost: | >500 € |
This is my first project and it is work in progress so this page is also very much not finished.
Introduction
The idea is to build an Arcade Machine also known as Arcade Cabinet. Think of an old Pac-Man machine. "Insert Coin"... "New Player"... that kind of stuff.
I designed the cabinet in two parts. An upper part that houses the computer, the buttons and joysticks, the screen, and the speakers. The bottom part is is just the support to bring the upper part to the right height and then also serves as storage. The two parts are held together by four screws.
The cabinet is almost completely build from 16mm MDF and with the exception of the bezel around the screen which is only 3mm. Since MDF is not well suited for being screwed together and I put 24mm x 48mm framing lumber in the corners to screw into.
For the electronics I wanted a Raspberry Pi 4 but unfortunately due to the current (2023) chip shortage this is not readily available or only at unreasonably inflated prices. As an alternative I bought a Raspberry Pi 400 which is essentially the same hardware in a different form factor with a heat sink and a keyboard for the same price tag. And it has the great advantage that it is readily available from several vendors. Including a 5.1V 3A USB-C power supply, a micro HDMI to HDMI cable and a 128 GB micro SD card this set me back ~100 €.
The screen is a ASUS 24" (VK248H) that I picked up from ebay-kleinanzeigen for 20€.
The buttons and joysticks I bought an amazon from EG-STARTS as a 2 player kit which comes with 2 joysticks 20 buttons and the electronics to connect it via USB all together for 50€.
...to be continued.
Materials List
| ID | Quantity | Description | Source | Total Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Cabinet | ||||
| 2 | MDF 1100x1000x16 mm | Bauhaus | 50 € | |
| 1 | MDF 1400x800x16 mm | Bauhaus | 20 € | |
| 4 | Framing Lumber 2000x24x48 mm | Bauhaus | 8 € | |
| 500 | Screws 4x35 mm; partial threaded | Bauhaus | 20 € | |
| 2 | Hinge with built-in damper; full-overlay (Innenanschlag) | amazon.de | 11 € | |
| 8 | Rubber feet; 38x10 mm | amazon.de | 7 € | |
| 4 | Kistenverschluss | amazon.de | 6 € | |
| Electronics | ||||
| 1 | ED-STARTS Arcade Kit: 2xJoystick; 20xButtons; 2xUSB encoder | amazon.de | 50 € | |
| 1 | Screen; ASUS 24" (VK248H) | ebay-kleinanzeigen.de | 20 € | |
| 1 | RaspberryPi 400 | welectron.com | 90 € | |
| 1 | USB-C PSU 5.1V / 3A | welectron.com | 8 € | |
| 1 | SanDisk Ultra microSD 128 GB | welectron.com | 14 € | |
| 1 | Micro-HDMI to HDMI Kabel | welectron.com | 6 € | |
| 1 | Micro-HDMI to HDMI Adapter | amazon.de | 8 € | |
| 1 | 4-Port USB 3 Hub | amazon.de | 8 € | |
| 1 | USB 3 & HDMI extension Dash Panel | amazon.de | 15 € | |
| 2 | USB 3 extension Dash Panel | amazon.de | 22 € | |
| 1 | Kaltgerätekabel (unten gewinkelt) | amazon.de | 7 € | |
| 1 | Power switch | amazon.de | 8 € | |
Log Book
Day 1
- Buying materials:
- 2x MDF 1100x1000x16 mm
- 1x MDF 1400x800x16 mm
- 4x Framing Lumber 2000x24x48 mm
- 500 Screws 4x35 mm partial threaded
- Instructions for Reciprocating Saw
Day 2
- Marking cut lines on the boards
- Instruction for handheld circular saw
Day 3
- Cutting boards with handheld circular saw
- Instructions for 3D printer, drill, and handheld router
Day 4
- Marking points for drilling holes.
- Drill holes with cordless drill.
Day 5
- Instructions for handheld sander
- Instructions for laser cutter
- Finish drilling holes with cordless drill.
Day 6
- Sanding Framing Lumber with Eccentric Sander.
- Cut Framing Lumber to length with Jigsaw.
Day 7
- Drill pilot holes into framing lumber.
- Cut corners from middle shelf to make room for rear framing timber.
- Start test assembly to check whether everything fits together.
- Middle shelf and Top shelf are slightly to wide. Need to take of 1 mm from each side.
Day 8
- shorten middle and top shelf with handheld circular saw.
- Experiment with 35mm Forstner drill for pot hinges. Turns out the 16 mm MDF is too thin and the tip of the drill but pokes through. Solution was to not drill all the way and scrape some material out with a spatula. The MDF is soft enough to make this a viable option.
