Custom CNC Arcade Hitbox

by laniuyeda in Workshop > CNC

1232 Views, 7 Favorites, 0 Comments

Custom CNC Arcade Hitbox

Screenshot_20230428_143955.png
Screenshot_20230428_144210.png

In the past, I have made a variety of custom controllers for fighting games, including arcade sticks and hitboxes out of laser cut materials. I wanted to push the boundaries of finish by creating a CNC milled aluminum and wood hitbox. The layout is easily customized, which was important to me due to the unorthodox hand placement I tend to use while playing.

Supplies

Screenshot_20230428_144559.png
Screenshot_20230428_144752.png
Screenshot_20230428_144840.png
  1. Aluminum extrusion - you will want Aluminum in the rough shape of your desired hitbox size.
  2. Wood board
  3. Wood stain
  4. Screws, nuts, bolts, and other hardware
  5. USB joystick kit - Typically includes a joystick module, buttons, wires, and a USB interface board, but we only need the board and the buttons. Some popular brands of USB joystick kits include Adafruit, SparkFun, and Arcade World UK.
  6. Thin enameled copper wire - the cables contianed within the usb joystick kits are frequently too large to be used in such a compact space. To reduce the size of the hitbox I soldered copper wires to replace the included cables.

Planning, CAD, and CAM

Screenshot_20230428_150210.png
Screenshot_20230428_150307.png
Screenshot_20230428_150353.png

The first step of the process is to plan the layout of your buttons. I used paper to map out where my fingers tend to lie when relaxed, and measured the coordinates and relative positions of each of the buttons. It is important to take into account the minimum distance between buttons, as you want to ensure that there is enough clearance for the button and its surrounding material. Once you design the part, complete the CAM profile.

Machine

Screenshot_20230428_150455.png

Machine the CAM profile. A good resource for learning how to operate a CNC mill is here. I used the class' HAAS vf-2 milling machine and the AXYZ CNC router to machine the aluminum and wood respectively.

Assembly

Screenshot_20230428_151133.png
Screenshot_20230428_151201.png
Screenshot_20230428_151213.png

Assemble your components, soldering and checking the wires on the board before screwing on the bottom wood plate.

Finishing

Screenshot_20230428_151403.png

During the process of assembly, the plastic on my buttons got scratched up. To remedy this, I used a 3 step acrylic polsihing compound. I also sanded the aluminum to remove any burrs and sharp edges and added a dark stain to the wood to bring out the contrast between materials.