Cheapest and easiest way to build an arcade machine!

ronanc1000

Hi guys I love retro games and want to now build an arcade machine! Preferably a cocktail cabinet style, I'm a novice to the construcion of this...and also looking for a cheap/ budget friendly way of doing this also easiest way of going about it would be good to here as I've the leaving cert to contend with this year!:eek: Any pics or links will be massively appriciated!
Thanks :pac::pac::pac:

o1s1n

Easiest cocktails to build are ones which use the Ikea Ramvik tables as cabinets.

Like this -

http://gizmodo.com/5022607/ikea-%252B-apple--mamebook-cocktail

Or this -

http://www.instructables.com/id/Ramvik-Arcade-Cocktail-Cabinet/

I've one like the first and it works well. It's nowhere near as nice as having an actual arcade machine, but it's fun to play around with.

ronanc1000

Cool! Do u know where I can pick one of these up?
And what's the best way to put this together for example tv or computer , parts etc.... :pac:

donno about cocktails but when it comes to uprights its cheaper and easier to buy a generic Jamma cab.
Hard to get the proper feel off a repo.
Others might disagree!

Optimus Prime

Having built a full size upright cab and bought multiple jamma cabs, the easiest and best option is to simply buy a working jamma cab. Its so much hassle building one from scratch.

If you want the "real" arcade feel when you are playing the games, then you have to buy a jamma cab, everything else just falls short.

I'm seriously considering doing a donkey kong repo tho! My uncle owns a hand made furniture company so tooling ain't an issue.I'd be buying repo glass, cp, marquee art and t moulding.
I've learned a lot since my first mame build so I think I could do it justice

Andrew76

urbanledge wrote: »

donno about cocktails but when it comes to uprights its cheaper and easier to buy a generic Jamma cab.
Hard to get the proper feel off a repo.
Others might disagree!

urbanledge wrote: »

I'm seriously considering doing a donkey kong repo tho! My uncle owns a hand made furniture company so tooling ain't an issue.I'd be buying repo glass, cp, marquee art and t moulding.
I've learned a lot since my first mame build so I think I could do it justice

Yeah I know but show me where I'll get a DK cab!

Dr Bob

Bearing mind that I'm not entirely fussy about accuracy, with a combination of a 21 tv , decent pc and modified slkistik controller.Plus a load of MDF , a marquee light and some perspex I'm hoping to get some sort of homebuild cab going.Anyone done it before?(The reason I'm not going jamma btw is that I just cant afford it, if I can pick up the mdf cheaply enough and get it cut then I can keep the cost down.)

o1s1n

Dr Bob wrote: »

Bearing mind that I'm not entirely fussy about accuracy)

Have some standards!!! :pac:

Dr Bob

o1s1n wrote: »

Have some standards!!! :pac:

I CANT AFFORD TO!!

Optimus Prime

Ive built one from scratch, it costs more money than just buying one in my experience. an ipac alone is what, 80 quid? Tmolding probably 40, glass 40, light 20, buttons, joysticks 40. wood 100? paint 30 or so.. thats the guts of 300 already without even taking into account artwork or the pc\monitor, coin door, bezel, screws etc, a router to cut the channel for tmolding. speakers.

It all adds up and takes a lot of time. plus from experience even painting the thing is a nightmare, if you are one for detail it will drive you nuts. I primed mine with 2 coats, sanding in between, then painted black twice sanding in between all with a roller, and it was terrible looking.

In the end i sanded again and my brother got a spray machine out his job and it turned out great.

I got my artwork from gameongraphics which is really pricey. Its seriously cheaper just to buy a shell of an arcade, even non working and do it up.

Yeah I did one before too,
ended up costing a fortune.
All the trips to the shop for a box of screws or a holesaw add up rapidly.
Buy one definitely

The Last Bandit

As already said there is no way to build a cheap decent looking cabinet, unless you have access to all the materials for next to nothing and a well equipped workshop - and your time is free !!

A ropey old jamma cab would work out a lot cheaper to get started on.

Im just adding up the bits to do a DK cab to spec,
400euro before wood,paint,coin door and labour.
Then add screen and game board it might not be worth the hassle

Dr Bob

Bearing in mind I have the TV/PC/Joysticks buttons and ipac already (basically I've been playing on a mame cab without the cab),and that I dont mind doing it in stages I'm still hoping that the build is better.
(plus I'm cursed with trying to get cabs , had a chance at 2 , both deals fell through , and I tend to miss out on the bargain ones).Unless anyones got a ropey cab I could gut that they'd trade self build is pretty much the only way I can go for the next few years

Myrddin

Dr Bob wrote: »

Bearing in mind I have the TV/PC/Joysticks buttons and ipac already (basically I've been playing on a mame cab without the cab),and that I dont mind doing it in stages I'm still hoping that the build is better.
(plus I'm cursed with trying to get cabs , had a chance at 2 , both deals fell through , and I tend to miss out on the bargain ones).Unless anyones got a ropey cab I could gut that they'd trade self build is pretty much the only way I can go for the next few years

Have you tried Mitch? I'm sure he'd have an empty shell he'd sell to you for a good price. I'd echo the above re DIY builds

ronanc1000

So where can I buy just the empty shell or arcade machine? Preferably in Ireland? And I may sound complete novice here sorry , but what's jamma compared to mame? And how does it work?

Jamma is an industry standard so you can swap out game boards (PCBs) easily without adapters for different makes of machine.
there's usualy a few on adverts/dungdeal.

best to get an empty one and fix it up.
Or get a working one and get a japc adapter so you can hook a pc directly to the original monitor/controls

Optimus Prime

I have 3 more cabs to put up for sale. one is empty, the other two are taito minis. one is working, im pretty sure its not jamma though but i wont know until i drill the locks off. keep an eye on adverts in about a week or so. Ive a phoenix cab up there too, needs some work. screen works though.

2ndcoming

Been dreaming of building a proper Mame cab for a couple years now, but a combination of time, effort and ability have seen me keep it on the long finger.

I have Neo Geo, SNES, and Genesis emulators which I run through my TV via HDMI and I'm happy with that at the minute, but my only question is if I get a couple of USB Arcade Stick controllers and download MAME and a heap of Roms will it run the same way as the console emulators do, or is there a lot more to it than that?