I’ve always wanted to build a game cabinet from scratch. In this build, I create a bartop arcade game cabinet using some pre-cut CNC templates, Happ and Seimitsu controls and an HP all in one monitor.
Build Components
The following is a breakdown of all the parts used in my build.
- CNC bartop templates by LEP1 Customs, LLC on eBay
- 1 can of spray shellac from Home Depot
- Rough and fine grain sand paper from Home Depot
- 3 cans of black semi gloss spray paint from Home Depot
- HP all in one monitor from eBay
- AK81 Mini Wireless Keyboard Mouse Combo from Tmark.com
- Happ control joysticks and buttons from BSA Gaming on eBay
- LED Happ style player and coin buttons from Magic Stone on eBay
- Seimitsu buttons for pinball paddle controls from Focus Attack
- Kinter 2 channel mini amp from Nargos on Amazon
- Lanmu USB DC 5V to DC power converters from Lanmu direct on Amazon
- BOSS Audio BRS540 50 watt 4 inch speakers from Speece, Inc on Amazon
- Joystick mounting from amazingtreatsure123 on eBay
- Electrical wire terminal crimp connectors from eBay
- Rubber non-slip adhesive feet from Home Depot
- 2 sheets of 12×24 x .093 plexiglass from Home Depot
- 1 1/8″ drill bit from Home Depot
- Small gauge wiring and screws from eBay
Getting Started
After receiving my my bartop templates from LEP1 Customs LLC, I began the process of first sanding down the templates, then gluing them together. Using standard white wood glue, I ensured all the pieces fit correctly together securing the panels that I would want to remove with sheet metal screws.
Painting
Once the templates had dried, I set them out on to be primed. I used spray on primer to create a base coat and sanded them down using fine sand paper to ensure a smoother surface.
Next, came the black coat. I used multiple layers of black spray paint to ensure a nice even distribution and fine sand paper in between spaying to smooth out any uneven areas and add a nice sheen.
Plexiglass
I decided to use plexiglass to cover the joystick, button areas, marquee and screen edge. Using an angle grinder and a then cutting wheel, I cut the marquee and control base plate to size. The joystick and buttons plexiglass was secured using sheet metal screws. I used a drill press to ensure the holes where made perfectly vertical without introducing cracks. I then used a 1 1/8″ drill bit to drill out the button and joystick holes in the base plate plexiglass.
Cabinet Art
I had custom decals made for the cabinet sides, marquee areas, button and joystick base plate. Once these arrived, I placed them one edge at a time using a cloth to apply even pressure and stick them in place. Once placed, I used an exact-o knife to cut out the holes for buttons and joysticks.
Buttons and Joysticks
I used arcade Happ controls for the buttons and joysticks. Placing these initially was quite simple, the tops pop right into place and are secured by a screw in gasket. Once placed, the triggers need to be attached and wired up. This took a bit of testing along the way to make sure each trigger worked as expected. Having a laptop or other device to use as a testing machine helps greatly in terms of ensure the buttons are configured correctly. The triggers were being translated into standard keyboard codes by use of a small converter board which ends in a standard USB connection.
LED Lights
For the marquee backlight I decided to use standard LED lights that can be purchased pretty much anywhere and are powered by USB. This allowed for the power to come directly from a PC instead of the need to supply an extra power source.
Monitor And Computer
I decided to use an all in one monitor PC combo. In this way, all the guts of the computer itself could be contained in a single area behind the monitor itself. The only issue would be the power button. For this, I needed to do a bit of custom wiring. I removed the all in one PC cover and disconnected the wires responsible for the power button. I then soldered my own wires to the original power wires and connected them to an arcade push button. This would be eventually installed into the rear of the cabinet.
Mounting the monitor was pretty simple, I simply needed to change the direction of the cover screws to face outward and mounted them to the provided template board. Once this was in the correct position, I glued the mounting board into place.
Sound And Speakers
I purchased a small form factor USB amp and 4 inch speakers. The speakers mounted very easily into place using bolts and nuts. I then used standard speaker wire to connect the left and right of the speaker inputs to the output of the USB amp. The amp was then connected to the all in one monitor PC combo.
Paddle Buttons
The last addition was the paddle buttons. For this I used Seimitsu buttons from Focus Attack. These installed every easily and only required 2 additional wires to connected to the keyboard converter board.
Conclusion
Finally, the rubber feet were added and the cabinet was ready to play. This build was fun and very interesting. I really didn’t take much effort, just a bit of patience. If you’re interested in building one yourself, I highly recommend doing so. If you have any questions about how I did it, or if you get stuck, please feel free to contact me and I’ll do what I can to help. Thanks for stopping by.
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