[Entropia] is just putting the final touches on his bar-top MAME cabinet (translated). The project started out as a 3D model to get the case dimensions just right. An old laptop is being, so the enclosure was designed to fit the bare LCD assembly and hide the rest of the computer. [Entropia] had access to a CNC mill through an education program and used it to cut most of the parts for the case out of MDF.
From there the build proceeds as normal. Mounting holes for the controls were cut with a drill and hole saws. We think it’s a bit easier to lay this design out once you have the control panel itself milled, rather than try to get it right in the 3D model. The image above is part way through the build. Since it was taken the case has been painted and a sound system was added but it looks like it’s still waiting for a bezel over the LCD and a marquee for the masthead.
You can see a demo of the game selection UI after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ-t7KjqqsU&w=470]
[Thanks Lauri]
It’s nice and all, but that button layout kinda sucks to be frank. True, it’s comfortable to put your right hand in at an angle hence it being a tilted 3×2, but that’s not how you do it. This site shows a much better (and tried-and-tested) approach: http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html
Sorry to critique but I’m a longtime arcade enthusiast. I hate it when something is “so close, yet so far away.”
I am literally in the beginning stages of doing this same thing. So glad you posted this, so now I know where to start!
Can’t wait to see the paint job on the finished product and I wish he’ed used a CRT, old games need a CRT!
Why do Hack-a-Day writers insist on using the word “mill” when they mean “router”?
because he use a mill not a router, didn’t you view the steps?
Um… No. That’s a router. If you are unfamiliar with industrial machinery, you can look for little clues, like the name “ROUTRON” on the front panel, or the lack of milling machines in the manufacturer’s product categories[http://www.scmgroupna.com/c-1-product-type.aspx].
As a rule, CNC machines designed for cutting wood (and other soft materials) are routers, those capable of working hard metals are milling machines. I’m not sure what to call the flimsy CNC homebuilds often featured here – maybe just CNC machine is best – but they are not mills in my book.
Because they’re right. He is milling the material.
Hi guys. It’s nice to see my project here. Sorry about only Finnish text which machine-translates very very poorly. I intend to release the same in my blog in English.
DanAdamKOF: Thanks for the critique, I appreciate it. I tried to come up with a good layout but unfourtunately I didn’t find a good website such as you linked. My layout isn’t perfect but so far it’s been satisfactory.
I will post the link here when I finish translating the story.