Close-up of using a piece of quarter-inch MDF template to create a copy on three-quarter inch MDF using a hand router

Arcade Cabinet: Side Panel Cutouts

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Here, I detail how I used a paper template to create the two identical side panels for my arcade cabinet.

Weekend #1:

Using my original SketchUp drawing, I saved a 2D PNG version looking directly at the side panel.  

Side view of arcade cabinet, as portrayed in Google SketchUp

I scaled this up in GIMP to the actual dimensions at 72dpi, saved as PDF, and printed it at full scale on the plotter at work.

I then cut out the pattern and taped it to a piece of 1/4″ 2x4ft MDF.

A paper cutout of the top half of an arcade cabinet side panel, attached to a sheet of quarter-inch MDF
Paper pattern taped to 1/4″ MDF.

Using a jigsaw, I cut around the template, making sure not to cut over any of the lines.  I occasionally had to stop and re-tape the pattern as I cut across the tape originally holding it in place.

The MDF has been cut to match the paper pattern
1/4″ MDF cut to shape with jigsaw.

Once the template was roughly cut out with the jigsaw, I got out a straight file and filed the edges straight & flush with the lines on my paper pattern.

Using a hand file to smooth a curve that was cut into the quarter-inch MDF pattern piece
Smoothing the edges

After lots of filing, I removed the paper, and used a pen to trace around a metal washer at all of the sharp corners in the pattern.  Then I filed the corners round using the lines as a guide.

A quarter-inch MDF cutting termplate for the top half of the side on an arcade cabinet. The template is outdoors, leaned against a sawhorse.
Completed wooden template for top section of side panel.

Weekend #2:

I clamped my template to the top half of a 2 x 6ft sheet of 3/4″ MDF. (This sheet is the product of Lowes cutting a 4 x 8ft MDF sheet into one 2 x 4ft sheet and two 2 x 6ft sheets for me so I could fit them into my car).

I traced around the wooden template and removed it.  I then used a straightedge to continue the incomplete straight line down from the bottom-front.  I cut around the outline with my jigsaw, leaving about 1/2″ of space between my cuts and the lines I’d drawn.  I left that extra bit of space between my jigsaw cuts and the final edge, because I couldn’t make a true perpendicular cut with a jigsaw if my life depended on it.  That’s where a router comes in.

Once I had my rough cutout, I reattached and securely clamped the top-section template.  I used a duplicating router bit to cut the side panel to match the template (see the photo at the top of this post for how it works).

Top two-thirds of cabinet has been cut using duplicating / template bit on router.
Top two-thirds of cabinet has been cut using duplicating / template bit on router.

When I got to the bottom 2 feet where the wooden template stopped, I just flipped the template over, re-clamped it, and used the straight edge on the back as a guide.

Using the back of template to complete cutting the bottom-front section of the side panel.
Using the back of template to complete cutting the bottom-front section of the side panel.

With one side completed, I repeated this on the second side.  This time, I used the first side as the template piece.

Using the first completed side panel to create a duplicate panel.
Using the first completed side panel to create a duplicate panel.

Once I got the sides cut out, just for fun, I clamped them to the frame so I could get an idea for the eventual scale and look of what I’ve been working on.

The two side panels of the arcade cabinet, standing upright
Side panels clamped to the frame.

2 thoughts on “Arcade Cabinet: Side Panel Cutouts”

  2. Thanks! I'll have some more updates in the next week or two.

    I think I'll be doing a lot of assembly this coming up weekend. I basically have all of the separate components cut out and tooled. Now it's time to put them all together.

    In the meantime, I also have some more recent progress here.

    Reply

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