instructables

Simple Wood Arcade Stick

by meub

I’ve been into playing retro games lately and thought it would be cool to build an arcade stick (also called a “ ght stick”)
for use with RetroPie. I had some leftover IKEA oak butcher block from a kitchen project and gured it would be a great
material to use for this. I love the look and the feel of it and at 1 1/8-inch thick, it’s super sturdy and solid. Also, it’s easy to
treat with mineral oil to make it look good.
Supplies:

I used the following components:

Top: 1 1/8 Inch Ikea Butcher block (leftover from another project)
Body: Just some scraps of 3/4-inch pine I had on hand
Mineral oil for treating the wood
Joystick: Sanwa JLF - TP - 8YT Stick 8 Way 5Pin Handle
Buttons: SANWA 6 Piece Original OBSF-30
USB Encoder: Reyann Zero Delay Arcade USB Encoder
USB Port: Neutrik NAUSB-W-B Reversible USB Port
Rubber Feet: Ace Anti-Skid Pads Black Round 1-1/2 in.
USB Cable: Tripp Lite Coiled 10 ft. Cable
Ribbon cable adapter: Female to Female JST XH Adapter

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Step 1: Cut Control Panel to Size and Drill Holes

After cutting the butcher block to my desired size for the control panel, I printed out my preferred panel layout (grabbed
from Slagcoin) and taped it to the top. I went with a Sega-style layout that had extra space between the joystick and
buttons. I then used my drill press and a 1 1/8” hole saw ( about 29mm) to drill the holes for the buttons and a 7/8” (about
22mm) hole saw for the joystick.

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Step 2: Route the Inside of the Control Panel

I then used my router to thin out the 1 1/8” thick butcher block to the desired 3/8” thickness inside to allow for the proper
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range of motion for the joystick. Usually it’s recommended that the distance between the bottom of the joystick ball and
the top of the control panel is about 9/10” (23mm). Doing this also gave me more space inside for all the required
components.

Step 3: Test Fit the Buttons and Joystick

After routing the inside of the control panel, I propped it up on some blocks of wood and test t the buttons to make
sure they t in securely but weren't too tight. My holes ended up being the perfect size didn't require any sanding. I also
made sure the joystick t correctly and checked the spacing between the joystick ball and control panel.

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Step 4: Assemble Panel Support Box

I assembled a small box out of an extra 3/4" scrape wood and drilled the necessary holes for the three front buttons I
wanted (Start, Select and Special), as well as the USB port. I didn’t have the necessary 24mm diameter bit for the USB port
so I used my 7/8” (22mm) hole saw and used a smaller drill bit to increase the diameter to t. I then glued the box to the
the control panel top, clamped it up and let it dry for 24 hours.

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Step 5: Apply Coats of Mineral Oil

Using a rag, I applied a few coats of mineral oil to the control panel top and to the sides to bring out the natural color of
the wood and prevent any drying or cracking. It made a huge di erence!

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Step 6: Attach Buttons and Wire Them to USB Encoder

I then assembled all the components inside the box. It was a little tricky to securely mount the joystick into the 3/8” top
but I managed to do it using some small screws and extra washers. This gives it a nice clean look without screws showing
on the top of the control panel (something I see on a lot of other DIY arcade sticks).
I then glued the USB encoder to the side of the box to keep it secure and also glued some small blocks to the inside
edges of the box so that I had something for the feet to screw into. Lastly, I attached the ribbon cable from going
between the Joystick and USB encoder and wired up all the buttons to the USB encoder. As long as you hook up the
buttons to the button slots, the actual order doesn't matter as you can easily remap these in RetroPie.

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Step 7: Cut and Attach Bottom Panel With Rubber Feet

I cut a small piece of 1/8” MDF for the bottom cover. This way I could use the feet to hold the cover on so it’s easily
removable if I ever need to mess with any of the components.

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Step 8: Play Some Games

I plugged it into my RetroPie machine and it was instantly recognized as a game controller. I quickly mapped the
controls and jumped into playing one of my favorite games. I love the experience of playing old arcade games with it.

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Nice job on your first Instructable :)

Thanks!

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