Video: Building an arcade cabinet
February 6th, 2009
It’s nice to have friends in high places. Failing that, it’s nice to have friends who can build you a sweet arcade cabinet! Brandon Haynes is a Rubik’s Cube virtuoso. He’s also pretty good with power tools. In this episode of the raddevon video podcast, we discuss his experience building a MAME cabinet.
The plans Brandon used to construct the cabinet were obtained for free from ArcadeCab.com. The only modifications made were to accomodate for the HotRod joystick as the original plan assumes a homemade control panel.
The monitor was found through an ad on the Freecycle Network which allows users to post giveaway items to be claimed by other users. BYOAC (Build Your Own Arcade Controls) has a video section which explains the ins and outs of different types of monitors.
The cabinet is not currently done (We will revisit it when it’s complete.), but the build cost is going to be less than $300 for the materials, monitor, and hardware necessary. I’m lucky enough to have an old Dell Pentium 4 lying around I can use as the brains of the cabinet. I also have some computer speakers. Check out the price list for details on the prices and sources of our components.
For more information, questions, or advice on this project, contact Brandon via e-mail (rcubeman [at] comcast [dot] net).
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Coming up on raddevon video for February 20th, I have an interview with a musician who distributes music online using equipment and software you probably already have. Check back in two weeks at 8pm Eastern.
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2 Responses (Add Your Comment)
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It’s probably much cooler than mine in its current state since hasn’t had its brain installed yet.
I know I would have been elated to go to a friends house and find any kind of arcade machine when I was a kid. Actually, I still would! The closest I ever came was a friend with a slot machine. It used tokens instead of real money, and we soon learned that the tokens also worked in the mall arcade. I guess that was kind of like a friend having an arcade machine.
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hey, not sure if i told you (or you actually care), but i have an actual arcade game in my house for my boys. it’s old school and it’s always a hit when friends come over and see it as they walk in the front door. it’s not as cool as yours, granted, but it’s definitely a hit. thanks for sharing!