The ZOOM MACHINE

A MAME based arcade cabinet I made with Kate in the year of 2003, and also, the year of 2004.

ZOOM MACHINE


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This is the (dusty) top of The ZOOM MACHINE.

The top board is "indented" from the side panel and marquee front. This adds another element of realism. Rather than leaving the top corner flush, indenting gives the machine a professional look.

If you decide to use Sean Hatfield's blueprints, you will discover several problems. First, several drafted cuts are erroneous. The plans call for two control panel tops. It is unclear for what purpose the second serves. The two long, thin strips also have no functional use.

Second, Hatfield's measurements are questionable. Rather than trust his math and make a horrible mistake, I waited until the sides were cut and screwed together to measure and cut the angled back piece, the top of the marquee piece (both pictured above) and the coin door panel. My theory proved correct and Hatfield's numbers were way off.

As seen in this picture I left a portion of the back panel open as a ventilation system to keep the TV cool. Some people close or lock the rear panels of their arcade cabinets.

This is a glimpse at the rig holding my bezel in place. By the way, plexiglass is good for the marquee, but the bezel should really be done with glass. It is harder to scratch and presents a finished look. Some people - like Russ Prince - have installed rotating monitors. I attempted that route, but quickly abandoned the idea after several spectacular failures. Some pieces from my rotating rig remained in the final version of the Zoom Machine.