Are ArcadeCab's Free Plans Suitable for First-Time Cabinet Builders?

Updated

Yes—ArcadeCab's plans are explicitly written to be followable by someone building a cabinet for the first time. The site documents each build step by step with measurements and construction photos, and offers printable PDFs for download. The Original Cabinet Plans page states the build was documented "so that even a first-time cabinet builder could follow along." The main caveat is that these are hobbyist plans from a personal archive, not a commercial kit: you supply your own materials, tools, and hardware, and some linked projects (like BarCade) are built around dated spare parts.

What the plans actually give you

ArcadeCab has been online since 2003 and documents full-size MAME cabinets, control panels, tabletop cabinets, and other arcade projects. For a first build, the site points new visitors to four plan sets:

Plan set What it is Why it matters for a beginner
Original Cabinet Plans First full-size MAME cabinet, originally designed around the X-Arcade controller Step-by-step measurements and construction photos; written for first-time builders
Cabinet Plans 2 Second full-size cabinet with more construction detail Incorporates lessons learned from the first build; section refreshed in 2026 with a rebuilt high-resolution printable PDF
BarCade Compact tabletop cabinet using spare PC hardware and leftover materials Shows how to adapt a build to parts you already have; original hardware is now very dated
Ultra-Trackball / Single-Player Plans Detailed plans for a trackball design and a single-player panel Smaller one-player control setup instead of a full two-player panel

Each of these has a "View the plans" page and a "Download PDF" option, so you can read online first and print the version you'll work from in the shop.

How to use them as a beginner

  1. Read the full build page before buying anything. The value is in the sequence: measurements, then construction photos, then the next step. Skim once to understand the order of operations, then read again with a materials list in hand.
  2. Download the PDF for the plan set you chose. Cabinet Plans 2 has the most current printable version (rebuilt in 2026), so it's the stronger starting point if you want maximum construction detail.
  3. Match the plan to your hardware. The Original Cabinet was designed around the X-Arcade controller; the Ultra-Trackball plans suit a one-player panel. Decide your control setup before cutting wood, since panel dimensions follow from it.
  4. Check the visitor gallery before you commit to dimensions. The "Cabinets built by visitors" section shows people who followed the plans closely and others who widened, shortened, or re-themed them—useful evidence that the dimensions are a starting point, not a rule.
  5. Verify as you go. Because the plans are measurement-driven, the practical check is comparing your cut pieces against the stated dimensions at each stage rather than trusting a single overall measurement.

Where first-timers should expect friction

  • Dated hardware references. BarCade was built around spare PC hardware that the site itself calls "very dated." Treat it as an example of adapting a design to available parts, not a shopping list.
  • Historical software and hardware pages. ArcadeCab keeps older project pages online as reference material. Some front-end software and hardware write-ups are historical, so confirm current compatibility elsewhere before relying on them.
  • No kit, no cut parts. The plans are free documentation; materials, tools, and electronics are yours to source. The site does include a "Support ArcadeCab" section with PayPal, but that's optional support for the site, not a purchase of plans or parts.
  • Presentation is being modernized. The site notes it is gradually updating its presentation while preserving original projects, photos, and write-ups—so some pages may look older than the 2026-refreshed Cabinet Plans 2 section.

Bottom line

If you want free, photo-documented, measurement-based plans and are comfortable sourcing your own materials, ArcadeCab is a reasonable starting point for a first cabinet—start with Cabinet Plans 2 for the most detailed and most recently rebuilt documentation, and use the Original Cabinet Plans and visitor gallery to sanity-check your approach. If you need a complete kit with cut parts and current electronics, these plans won't substitute for one.