The last file that is needed to design and build your own Arcade Cabinet Phone Holder is the adobe photoshop print template. This file is set to fit on a single A3 sized sheet without scaling. Be sure to double check your print settings as each printer handles page centring and scaling a little differently. The PSD contains working layers and text to help identify where is graphic will end up and to help cut out the individual pieces.

The PSD file can be downloaded here

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Here are the cutting files to be used or manipulated for your own Arcade Cabinet Phone holder. I've included 3 different file types to suit your editing needs.
Keep in mind that the tabs on the middle sections are designed for 5mm side panel thicknesses. If you wish to use a thinner side you'll need to cut the tabs accordingly. If you are planning on using the designs to make a cabinet from paper of card stock, the two large side panels can fit on an A4 in height but will only fit singularly in width, meaning you'll need one sheet per side. Ideally the Arcade sides should be printed onto an A3.

I've placed the three different files here; In a zip, or you can download the source As a AI, and As a FLA. The ZIP file contains a DXF for direct universal import, the AI for Adobe Illustrator, and the FLA for Adobe Flash.

The cutting layout has been structured to fit a 900X600mm laser bed and so it will need adjusting if you wish to use any other medium. The power and speed of your cuts will need to be determined by the hardware you are using and the material you are cutting. Refer to your machine specifications for further information.

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The Second Arcade Cabinet Phone Holder has been completed. Based off the 1980's Donkey Kong Stand-up cabinet it has a screensaver to match.
The cabinet holds the phone whilst in charge and as well as displaying the time also shows any notifications as they arrive. Like the first cabinet the phone is awkward to navigate whilst in the holster, but it serves its purpose as a way to check the device without needing to pick it up. Again a bluetooth keyboard is used in-lieu of the touch screen when in the holder.

The two cabinets have been extremely fun to put together and from the initial idea to the finished model has taken less than a week, including the line drafting and graphics.
This will be my last cabinet and the files for making your own will be released shortly.

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As I do plan to release the illustrator and photoshop files of this project to allow anyone to build their own Arcade Cabinet Phone Holder. I've put together an exploded diagram that shows how the finished product is put together.< br /> While the image is not very descriptive the phone holder isn't too difficult to assemble once all the parts have been cut out.

In the exploded view the yellow pieces are paper with printed graphics. For the ones in the middle of the holder they simply need to be attached to the backing acrylic panel with thin double sided tape. While glue does work it can cause the paper to 'ripple' or the ink to run if it is too wet.
For the graphics on the side of the machine they too are attached to their backing panel with tape, to them attach the front clear acrylic panels you will need to use a glue that will bond between the paper and two acrylic panels. I used acrylic cement which does cause the ink to run and 'bleed', so be aware not to over-use the glue and dot it only in the corners to minimise the image distortion.

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The second cabinet is slowly coming together. The middle sections are all glued in place with the centre graphics slotted behind a clear piece of acrylic. The clear acrylic helps enhance the graphic image colour while adding a high gloss finish to the result, independent to what type of paper is used.

Each panel has been wiped with a microfiber cloth and windex to help remove dust and finger grease before having glue applied. Different from the first arcade cabinet the graphic images have been secured to their opaque backing with double-sided tape to make sure they don't slip when the tabs are being inserted and the middle sections are glued to the sides

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Started working on the second version of the arcade cabinet phone holder. The prints are all done and ready to be cut out.

This one is based on an actual machine rather than a pop culture reference. Next step is to cut out the acrylic before being able to piece everything together.

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Knowing that all the pieces fit it was time to piece everything together. The most fiddly part is the bar that the phone rests on at its bottom, it is a fair way inside the box and doesn't sit up straight on its own when trying to align the two sides. To piece everything together I placed one of the side panels on the table and double checked all middle panels were inside their respective holes before adding some dabs of glue to them.
The glue is a mixture of acrylic cement and acetone, the acetone helps thin the glue out and also increases the work time (which is handy with something so fiddly). As a bonus the glue doesn't 'string' when I pull away the applicator (for which I used a syringe) until about 5 mins in. The downside was that the 'thinned-out' glue soaked into the paper when I applied too much and for the best result I dabbed lots of tiny pin-headed drops along the edges, rather than fewer large drops on the corners.

The middle panels had the paper slotted in between the clear and opaque panels and are held in place purely with pressure, in hind-sight they should have been double-sided sticky-taped to the backsides as some of them slipped when trying to attach the opposite side panel, but because they weren't fixed I was able to 'fish' them into their correct positions.

The side graphics were stuck on using double-sided tape and then the clear panels were stuck on top with tiny amounts of glue dabbed around the edge, the glue dried clear and it doesn't show too much. The clear panels over the graphic prints work a treat, it hides the odd print line and makes the colours look fantastic.

All up the holder works a treat. I have a screen saver for my phone that shows RSS feeds and it'll allow me to glance at incoming messages and emails without having to touch my phone at work. The project was all based on looks, and so as expected it isn't very functional, however using a Bluetooth keyboard allows me to control some aspects of the phone while it is in the holder.

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I got all the panels cut in their appropriate thicknesses and colours. I also got the graphics printed on glossy card stock at around 180gsm. Everything slots together well and I've only needed to trim a few tabs.

The paper graphics were cut out using a sharp scalpel and a metal rule. I'll have to thank Tested.com for the tip to always use a new sharp blade when dealing with paper, it makes such a difference being able to score lightly and have it cut, especially on curves.
While not a 'classic' arcade replica in any sense of the word for this model I decided to make it a little more pop-culture and create an Adventure Time cabinet.

I've done a test assembly holding it together with rubber bands and have identified some of the issues with putting it together especially when the acrylic glue has a 2min work time. The biggest issues I'll have are not adding too much glue that it melts parts I don't want it to, making sure glue doesn't touch the images as it may run/distort them, and to not get glue on the clear panels causing them to 'fog' as that is a step I cannot undo.

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All the parts have been drawn up as vectors and I'm ready to export out my DXF to the laser cutter. One thing I've learnt over my time with a cutter is that the settings don't always match up. What gave a perfect cut yesterday may not penetrate all the way through today, so always do a test cut with the preferred settings at the top left and bottom right of the cutting area. The other is to layout the cuts to share cut lines, saving time and space. Below is the cut layout I used with each colour on a different piece of acrylic.

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In Flash I took the wireframe screenshot and sized it up to 1:1 scale before starting to trace the image and add in proper curves to the design. A side profile layout let me prepare all the front/back panel sizes and their tabs while seeing easily if they had enough wiggle room and wouldn't bump into each other.
My initial conception was to print the graphics onto sticker paper and simply lay them over the panels, but I figured I'd get a better result if I laid clear panels over the top giving them a high gloss finish.

The panels will be cut from 3mm and 5mm acrylic, in both black and clear. I've chosen 5mm for the cabinet sides as most arcades I saw have heavy bulky side panels and I wanted to emphasize that feature. The middle section of the panels that include graphics are slotted into the side panels which allowed me to create 6mm slots (instead of 3mm) and have two panels squash the paper graphic between them. For the larger sides of the cabinet I'll most likely glue the clear panels on, as I would prefer not to have screws showing.

The image above shows a side view and how the front/back panels will fit. I know each front/back panel is 3mm high so from this draft I just need to extrude out each pink box to the width of the phone allowing for some wiggle room. The tabs of each then need to be extruded out 5mm so they can slot into the larger side panels (which are 5mm thick).
The whole model comes together by slotting one panel into the next at 90 degrees before covering it with the opposite side.

Whilst the image above doesn't show every front/back panel it does give a good idea of how the assembly will take place. The tabs on each of the front/back panel don't need to be level or centred as long as there is a corresponding hole in the larger side panels of the cabinet. Having them not even also makes it easier to identify what panel is what as each one will only fit in one place.

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Step one is to see what shape an arcade cabinet looks like when the screen is a Galaxy s4 and not your usual NTSC CRT. I took the dimensions of the phone and built a cube inside maya (the 3d modelling tool I use) so I could build a arcade shall around it.

From this I can easily eyeball dimensions and tweak any sizes so it 'looks' like a regular stand-up arcade. I didn't need a complete 3D model, just enough to get the size and scale correct. The main thing I wanted was a scaled down arcade, one that didn't look too "super deformed".

From the above wireframe screenshot I can import this into flash and work on the proper curves and in-between panels. The important parts here are the angle of the phone, the size of the screen, and the clearance between the phone and the rest of the casing.

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After seeing Tested.com's plans for making a arcade coffee table I got some inspiration and started googling arcade cabinets to see what other creations people have tried. I came across some small model railway kits and also some desktop functional mods that show arcade in a more portable format. I was looking for something I could have on my desk at work that would serve to be more practical than a static model but not be a complete machine. I came up with the idea of making a stand up arcade shell that houses a charging phone as the screen. Simple!

I don't have any major functional plans for the model it'll just look nice on my desk. Eventually I'll try to add a 8 bit-eske screen saver to the phone while it charges but it is just a way to check the phone when a message pops up, while keeping it charged and connected to the work PC. Plus did I mention it'll look cool?

The project will be open source and I'll have a link to the files I used once I get a mock-up done for myself and I know it all fits together. Follow my process at Kaabaa and any troubles I encounter along the way.

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