miniMame.com

Publishing the Guide Online

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Mon, 08 May 2006 17:46:00 +0000

I'm in the process of putting the entire guide online in HTML in addition to the original PDF format. Please excuse the mess. I'll have everything up very shortly.

New Blog Driven Site

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 07:07:00 +0000

Sorry for the hiccups if you had stopped by recently but I am changing the site to be a blog style. It seems more appropriate that way and sure makes it easier to update content since I'm not much of a web developer.

If you have built or are in the process of building a miniMame cabinet, please send me a url or pictures and a some basic info so I spread the word. This site gets a bit of traffic and I'd love to spread the news of your work and link to your website!

I define a miniMame cabinet as a smaller sized cabinet particularly ones that are scale replicas like my miniPac. I would also like to post nice bar top cabinets as well.

Be sure to check out the Construction Guide for building your own miniMame arcade cabinet.

PacMan Side Art Stencil Templates

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 05:24:00 +0000

I have gotten a hold of some PacMan full size cutout sencil templates for the side art. I haven't actually tried the cutout stencil templates nor am I sure if I will use them on this project but I thought I would offer them up if you want to give it a shot.

The cutout stencil templates are only for the PacMan side art. There aren't any cutout stencil templates for the kick plate.

Grab it in the download section [these have been removed]

miniMame Control Panel Complete

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Wed, 12 May 2004 05:26:00 +0000

A friend of mine is building a miniMame also and he got his control panel complete. He used the Ms. PacMan replica joystick with the metal mounting plate recessed into the wood and then laminated over with the Wilsonart laminate.

He did a really good job putting it together and I'm anxious to get pictures of his completed cabinet.

The plans for the miniMame video arcade cabinet are now online.

Plans and Instructions for miniMame Cabinet

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 19 Oct 2003 05:30:00 +0000

The plans and instructions for the miniMame compact arcade cabinet are now online here: http://www.minimame.com/2003/07/arcade-cabinet-introduction.html

70% Scale PacMan Arcade Cabinet

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 19 Oct 2003 05:28:00 +0000

My latest project is a 70% scale PacMan video arcade machine. The cabinet is the same one used for Galaxian if you like that one better. It is similar to Ms. PacMan, Galaga and the basics to Burger Time but not exactly. Those video arcade cabinets have more of a steep curve to the top and a bit more of a protrusion out of the front but most people would not notice. Of course, if you try a Burger Time variation you would have to put the curves into the top to accomodate the chef's hat artwork. I'd like to build one of those next. :) A mini Tempest video arcade cabinet is also high on my list.

This video arcade cabinet stands about 4' high and the base is roughly 18" square.

I got the monitor installed in the cabinet the other day. It is a 17" ViewSonic with the rear bezel removed and mounted through an MDF support bracket and 2x support strips.

I have all the artwork all drawn up and 100% accurate in vector format. I plan on having it printed onto adhesive backed vinyl.

The artwork and side panel templates for the pacMini are now available for download. [these have been removed]

MiniMame Taking Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 29 Jun 2003 05:33:00 +0000

Whew! I'm tired but the prototype miniMame video arcade machine is almost complete. It is really looking nice. All of the laminate is on, all panels are complete with the exception of the back door. I cut it too big! Ugh! All that is left is to mount the hardware (motherboard, speakers, controls and wiring). I also need to apply some graphics, Lexan in front of the TV and put on the t-molding. Oh! And a marquee too, of course. The marquee area is really tight especially considering the speakers are also mounted in there. I'm not sure if I can squeeze a light in there or not.

All in all, it has taken me about 2 days to get it this far. If you decide to build an arcade cabinet, hopefully you find it as simple to construct as I did. I think the biggest part is having all the materials and tools on-hand, ready to go.

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 29 Jun 2003 05:33:00 +0000

MiniMame Cabinet Prototype

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sat, 28 Jun 2003 05:35:00 +0000

Took the day off from work today and worked on the prototype arcade cabinet all day. I'm also going to be working on it all day tomorrow as well. I got almost all the panels cut and mounted today. Also got the TV shelf done and installed. Got a few more panels done than pictured but thats the one I had.

I've cut out several extra sets of parts that I may sell to anyone thinking of building one of these. Since it is small it should not be a problem to ship and might make a nice little starter-kit to save you some time.

I figured out some simpler construction sequences and eliminated several bevels you would otherwise have to cut. I updated the instructions and plans to reflect these changes.

Tomorrow I will cut and mount the last two panels, get the interior painted black and get some of the laminate applied.

Finalizing Cabinet Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Tue, 24 Jun 2003 05:36:00 +0000

Welcome visitors from ArcadeControls.com. So far, I've been waiting for my laminate to come in so I have been focusing a lot of time finalizing the plans and working out the details in the instructions.

I've created several more illustrations of the build process and ran a couple of test prints to make sure everything is sharp and readable.

I will be starting a 4th prototype strictly following the instructions to check for correctness. Another friend was interested in a half-size cabinet as well so it will be for him. He plans on putting an X-Box in it and emulating MAME with it. Should be really cool.

If you want me to let you know when updates are made or when the plans are available, send email and I'll keep you up to date.

Cabinet Construction Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 15 Jun 2003 05:38:00 +0000

Some of my friends saw the arcade machine cabinet for the first time and a couple of them had to have one as well so I cut out and assembled two more in about three hours. This is actually a good thing because it helps me test and confirm my assembly instructions.

miniMame Cabinet Construction

Last weekend I cut out and assembled and basic frame. It took approximatly 2 hours to prepare, cut and assemble the first one.

Arcade Cabinet Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sat, 31 May 2003 19:00:00 +0000

Thank you for your interest in building a miniMame half-size arcade cabinet. This document is intended to walk you through the construction process of building one yourself.

Because of the various skills required, I can’t guarantee that yours will turn out or at what level of quality. I will try to communicate as many details as possible to help yours turn out to be a well-built cabinet.

You must be very comfortable using a circular saw. There are a few unusual cuts that must be made with it. This is a very dangerous tool. If you are not completely familiar with its operation and comfortable using it, you should not attempt this project without help.

You should plan on reading this document from beginning to end before starting your miniMame cabinet. It’s very important that you have the whole build process familiar in your mind as you are progressing. This will help you avoid mistakes and actually help you get the project complete in a very short period of time.

Throughout the document I have added sections called ‘Building Tip’s. These are usually things I have learned along the way because I messed something up and had to do it again. Hopefully these will help you avoid making the same mistakes.

At the end, I’ve put some references to web sites you may want to visit to get controls and other information. I also added a cost summary for the items I had to purchase to give you an idea of the material costs.

Next: Planning

Planning Cabinet Construction

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Fri, 30 May 2003 19:00:00 +0000

As previously mentioned, read this document from beginning to end and make sure the whole process is clear. If something is not clear to you, feel free to email me at info@minimame.com and I will try to help clarify.

Ideally you should try to purchase everything you will need so that you don’t get stuck waiting for materials. Some materials have to be ordered and will take a week or two to arrive. Most people will not purchase everything up front though, so reading the whole document will give you an idea of what you will need and when.

You should print the downloadable version of this document out and have it with you to refer to while building.

Next: Building Materials

Arcade Cabinet Building Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Thu, 29 May 2003 19:00:00 +0000

This is a list of building materials you will need to build your cabinet.

Qty:1 48” x 96” sheet of 5/8” MDF

Qty:1 48” x 96” sheet of counter top laminate

Qty:1 48” 2x4 pine stud

Qty:1 48” 2x2 pine strip (these are actually about 1 1/2” square)

Qty:12 1 1/2” drywall screws

Qty:12 3” drywall screws

Box of 1/2” wood screws.

Qty:2 3” fence hinges or self-closing cabinet hinges

(Optional) lever type lockset for the back door.

Wood Glue

Repositionable spray adhesive

Qty:18 L-Brackets (appx. 3/4” tabs x 1” wide)

Qty:4 24” long 1/2” dia. wood dowels

1 quart laminate adhesive

3” chemical resistant paint brushes

Flat black paint

1 quart drywall mud

Next: Necessary Tools

Necessary Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Wed, 28 May 2003 19:00:00 +0000

This list of tools is what I used to construct my cabinet. If I'm missing something, please email me or leave a comment to let me know and I'll update the list.

[ ] Circular Saw

[ ] Framing Square

[ ] Jigsaw

[ ] 4 or more Clamps

[ ] 48” straight edge*

[ ] Drill

[ ] Router

[ ] Slot cutting bit

[ ] Laminate trim bit

[ ] Saw horses

[ ] Extension Cord

[ ] Tape Measure

[ ] Scissors

[ ] Belt / Orbital sander

[ ] Laminate knife

[ ] 3” laminate J-roller

Next: A Note About Dimensions

A Note about Dimensions

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Tue, 27 May 2003 20:00:00 +0000

The dimensions shown on the plans are from my prototypes. Because of the somewhat imprecise methods we are using for cutting out our pieces (circular saw) you may have to compensate slightly. Use these dimensions as a guide but you should double check by measuring your unit prior to cutting.

Building Tip

Remember the carpenters rule:
Measure twice, cut once.

Next: Construction - The Frame Assembly

The Frame Assembly - Side Panels

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 25 May 2003 20:53:00 +0000

[ ] Check to see that your 48” x 96” sheet is very close to square. They usually are but you should double check.

Building Tip

You can check that any piece is square by measuring it on both diagonals. If both measurements are the same, the piece is square.

[ ] Cut your 48” x 96” sheet of particleboard in half so you have two pieces each 48” x 48” in size. You should use a straight edge to get your cut square and straight.

You need to measure your circular saw’s offset of the blade from the edge of the blade guide. In my case it is 1½” on one side and 3½” on the other side of the blade.

Building Tip

For most saws, you will want to make all your cuts from the shorter side of the saw blade guide. The electric motor sticks out of the other side and may bump into your clamps and ruin your cuts.

Measure the length of your blade offset and clamp each end of your straight edge down to use as a cutting guide. You can use a piece of MDF molding for a straight edge. A piece of molding is cheap and MDF is straight enough for our purposes.

[ ] Next take one 48” x 48” piece and cut three 14” wide pieces from it. Pay close attention to get the pieces straight and square. Take the other 48” x 48” piece and cut it in half.

At this point you should have:

2 pieces 24” x 48”

3 pieces 14” x 48”

[ ] Cut out your full-size printout of the side panel leaving about a 1” border around the lines of the panel.

Apply an even coat of repositionable spray adhesive on the back side of the printout. Don’t go too light because it’s difficult to stick to the particleboard but don’t saturate the paper. By the way, make sure its repositionable adhesive or you might not be able to peel the template off of the wood when you are done.

Let the template sit for 30 seconds or so per the instructions on the adhesive can. Make sure your particleboard is nice and clean. Apply the template to a piece of the particleboard. Make sure the bottom and back edges of the cabinet drawing are along the factory edges of the particleboard. This eliminates two cuts you would otherwise have to make.

[ ] Clamp the piece with the template glued on onto the other 24” x 48” piece of particleboard with two clamps at opposite ends. You will be cutting the two sides of the cabinet at the same time so they are exactly the same. Be sure to clamp them with the factory edges together so that you always have one nice, square corner to work with.

[ ] Using your circular saw, cut away most of the excess material from around the template leaving about 1” – 1½” of material to remove on your final cuts. This makes it much easier to clamp your straight edge guide and make your final cuts. You can make these cuts by hand, no straight edge guide is necessary.

[ ] Now you will be making your final cuts so make them good!

Next: Side Panels continued...

Frame Construction - Side Panels (cont.)

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sat, 24 May 2003 20:00:00 +0000

Cut out all of the outside lines and angles first using the circular saw. The outside lines are the ones that are greater than 90° such as those all along the top, back and the coin door. All of these can be completely cut with the circular saw plus it will remove as much material as possible to help with cutting the inside lines.

Building Tip

Don’t use the jigsaw to make your cuts. Use the circular saw. I used the jigsaw for my first one and although I stayed on the line, the bottom of the blade wanders and you don’t get square cuts.

The inside angles are the ones that are less than 90° such as those around the monitor area and the bottom of the cabinet below the coin door. Cut the inside lines and angles next.

Note: All of these inside angle cuts will require the jig saw to complete. You should use the circular saw to cut as close as use can but because of the round blade, you will not be able to get all the way into the corners.

Two of the cuts will require you to ‘plunge’ the blade into the wood. These are the trickiest cuts. This means that you won’t be starting from an edge and must press the blade into the wood from the top. If you have not done this before, you should practice on some scrap pieces a few times until you can make precise, accurate cuts. These plunge cuts are done for the monitor face and the bottom panel below the coin door.

Place the front edge of the saw guide against the straight edge holding the blade up over the wood so that when you push the blade into the wood, you are doing it into the middle of your cut line. As you are pushing the blade, make sure you are keeping the saw guide against the straight edge. Once the blade is all the way in, cut backward very slowly until you reach the corner, then go forward slowly until you reach the other corner.

Do this for the rest of the cuts. Once you are done, remove the straight edge and use the jig saw to complete the cuts getting all the way into the corners.

[ ] Use your belt sander or orbital sander to remove any blade marks from all your cutting. All the edges should be reasonably smooth because any substantial bumps will show up when trimming your laminate.

You can now unclamp your side pieces and set them aside. Particleboard isn’t very tough so be careful not to break off the corners of the pieces.

Next: Base Assembly

Frame Construction - Base Assembly

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Fri, 23 May 2003 20:23:00 +0000

[ ] Cut 3 pieces from the 2x4 stud each 14” long. Make sure they are all exactly the same length.

[ ] Cut a piece 16¾” long from one of the 14” wide pieces for PANEL J. Remember the Building Tip in the planning section and the “Note about Dimensions”. This piece will become the panel labeled BOTTOM SHELF on the plans.

[ ] Screw the bottom shelf panel onto two of the 14” 2x4 studs you cut earlier as illustrated. Make sure the studs are flush on both ends and the sides. As you screw it down, be sure the assembly stays square. Use 3 screws on each side and screw the panel to the studs.

Next: Assembling the Frame

Cabinet Frame - Final Assembly

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Fri, 23 May 2003 00:27:00 +0000

[ ] Lay one of the side panels on the floor. Tip the base assembly on its side and place it at the bottom of side panel on the floor. The ends of the studs should be in contact with the side making the cabinet 15” wide. Center the base front-to-back on the cabinet side. When centered, it should give you about a 9/16” space on each side of the base. This leaves room for the front and back panels to be mounted about 1/16” from flush with the edge of the side.

Place the third 14” stud you cut vertically at the top end of the frame along the angled back as per the plans. This will be the top brace.

NOTE: Although some of the illustrations show the top brace at the very top of the cabinet, I have modified the plans to locate the stud on the back angled edge. This provides a lot more room for marquee lighting and speaker mounting.

The top stud should be 9/16” from the edge to allow for PANEL G to be mounted.

Place the other side panel on top. Get it lined up the same way you did with the panel on the floor. Get the base assembly centered (about 9/16” on each side) and the bottoms of the studs flush with the bottom of the side panel.

Building Tip

You should be sure to drill a 1/8” pilot hole before driving the drywall screw. The screw will split the wood if you don’t. If that happens, you won’t be able to get the head of the screw to sink below the surface.

Mark the side panel to indicate where the studs are. Run one screw into a bottom stud and one screw into the top stud. Use your framing square to check that the cabinet is square and not twisted. (see picture)

Once you have determined everything is square, drill pilot holes and then run two 3” drywall/wood screws into the ends of the rest of the studs. Keep the screws at least 1/2” from any edge to keep it from breaking through.

You should make sure that the head of the screw goes slightly below the surface of the side panel. Use a countersink drill bit if necessary. If the screw head sticks up it will translate into the laminate finish material and you will see a bump.

[ ] Now flip the assembly over and repeat to screw down the other side panel. Make sure the frame is square and is not twisted as discussed before.

The Completed Frame

(see note on top stud location change)

Next: Front and Rear Panels

Arcade Cabinet - Front and Rear Panels

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Thu, 22 May 2003 00:50:00 +0000

Before you begin...

You should only cut one panel at a time working your way from the front to the back. Before cutting your panel, you should double-check the sizes and angles by measuring your own cabinet and using the plans as a guide. This will ensure a good fit between panels.

Also note: do not permanently mount any of the front, top or back panels until after the lamination has been applied

Next: Panel Construction

Arcade Cabinet - Cutting Panels

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Wed, 21 May 2003 01:08:00 +0000

Building Tip

When you cut your panels, always use the straight edge and always double check that your cut is square using the framing square. If you don’t, it will translate into your next piece and you’ll have gaps where your panels meet.

FRONT PANELS A, B & C

click for larger

NOTE: The prototype I built used wood blocks instead of angle brackets as shown on the plans. Some of the illustrations show the wood blocks. You should think of those as l-brackets. I think they worked out better as the cabinet ends up very durable and rigid.

At first I thought being screwed together would make the cabinet much more rigid but the base and 2x4 frame makes the cabinet very rigid.

Anyplace you see wood blocks pictured, you can replace them with L-brackets and ½” wood screws. Make sure your screws don’t poke through the outside surface.

[ ] Cut out an 8” piece from one of the 14” wide pieces of particleboard. This will be PANEL A. Test fit the panel in the cabinet.

Mark the panel where the l-bracket should be mounted with a pencil. (see picture)

Remove the panel from the frame and screw two of the l-brackets on each side where you marked. Make sure the l-brackets are nice and flush with the edge.

Building Tip

On all the pieces that get screwed together, I used wood glue to secure the joints in addition to screwing them together. This will make the cabinet more rigid and over time the cabinet won’t get loose from being moved around.

Make sure you don’t glue anything until after lamination and you are sure it’s ready to be permanently mounted.

You can now put PANEL A back into place on the frame and screw it to the side with one screw on each side just to hold it. Don’t screw it all the way down and don’t put any glue on it. You need to be able to remove the panel to apply the laminate. This applies to all the front, top and back panels that will get a laminate finish.

[ ] Next you can optionally cut out PANEL B. PANEL B is about 1½” long and is cut from the 14” wide pieces. Follow the same process for this panel as you did for PANEL A. Temporarily mount PANEL B also. PANEL B isn’t really seen and can be skipped if you want to save time. I don’t plan on using this panel for my own cabinets.

[ ] Cut two pieces 12” long from the 14” wide material for PANEL C (coin door and TV shelf).

Next: Coin Door Panel C

Panel Construction - Coin Door Panel C

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Tue, 20 May 2003 01:19:00 +0000

[ ] Take one of the 12” pieces and mount four l-brackets along the side edges. Test-fit the panel and mark where the brackets are. (see pictures)

Run two screws into the side panel to temporarily secure the COIN DOOR PANEL C into place. Remember not to glue it in place yet and use as few screws an necessary to hold it in place for test-fitting.

[ ] If you are going to install a coin acceptor, you should cut the mounting holes for it now.

Some coin acceptors that I have found that are small enough are from http://www.happcontrols.com. Some examples that should fit are:

40-0023-00P
40-0229-00
40-0168-00
40-1500-02

They range from around $30 for single slot and $65 for a double slot.

Next: Monitor/TV Shelf

Cabinet Interior - Monitor / TV Shelf

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Mon, 19 May 2003 02:33:00 +0000

[ ] Cut two pieces 9½” from the 14” wide material for the two PANEL Fs.

One of the two pieces is the SPEAKER PANEL F, where you mount your speakers. Speaker mounting patterns and sizes vary widely so you will have to determine the size of the holes to cut for them and how to mount them. You should cut the holes for these now.

The other is TOP PANEL F and is the top panel of the machine.

[ ] Using your framing square, place one side flush with the ‘monitor edge’ of the cabinet. The corner of the framing square should be right in the corner where the monitor edge meets the control panel. Clamp the framing square down in this position.
(see illustration on the right)

Use a pencil and mark a line along the bottom edge of the framing square from front to back. This will be your reference line for the TV shelf. Also mark a line on the inside edge of the framing square. This is how far back you mount the shelf.
(about 1 1/2”)

Translate the bottom reference line to the outside of the cabinet as well so you know where to drive your screws by putting the framing square in the same position on the outside of the cabinet.

[ ] Screw down two of the 1 1/2” blocks along your reference line as shown. I would recommend wood blocks here rather than l-brackets. Keep the tops of the blocks aligned with the angle of the line. Repeat this on the other side of the cabinet.

Set the SHELF PANEL F onto the blocks. The front edge should meet the pencil vertical pencil line along the monitor edge of the side panel. Glue and screw down one the SHELF PANEL F panel onto the blocks. (see picture)

Next: Test Fitting the Monitor

Cabinet Interior - Monitor Test Fit

noreply@blogger.com (Tricky) — Sun, 18 May 2003 02:44:00 +0000

[ ] You should now test fit your TV on the shelf. Because of the variety of shapes of TVs, you may need to place scraps or clamps to keep it in place.

At this point, you should be figuring out how you will get the TV set at the correct angle, parallel with the ‘monitor-edge’ of the side. In my case, I will have to prop up the back with two ½” scrap pieces. With this, the TV seems to stay securely. You will have to be your own judge for your own situation.

Next: Top Panel D