IVAR expands into a Nintendo arcade cabinet

Discreet arcade games cabinet built into the IVAR system.

I recall the loud humming sound. The base resonating from numerous heavy wooden cabinets. Plastic buttons clicking. The smooth surface of a marble ball at the end of a stick. Four Coin tokens inserted. I take my stance.

For the next minute or two this cabinet and I will become more than the sum of our parts.

It is the essence of good design and the reason that I decided to embark on the task of hacking the IVAR into my own arcade cabinet hack.

Why hacking?

Well, I live in a small flat and already made a cat walk bookcase combo out of a set of IKEA IVAR shelves.

Cat walk + bookcase combo

When IKEA came out with the IVAR table add-on it only made sense to combine it to my existing unit and further complicate what is already a rather multifunctional piece of furniture.

arcade cabinet

Cabinet Ingredients:

• IKEA IVAR table add-on x 1
• UTRUSTA hinge for horizontal door x 2
• IKEA IVAR shelf to fabric wall attachment kit x 2
• FINTORP magnetic knife rack x 1 and three matching metal scraps about the same size as the knife rack
• 80cm scrap wood sticks x 2

Arcade ingredients:

• Nintendo switch + dock x 1
• Hori Nintendo switch arcade stick (horn taiko no tatsujin drum – optional) x 2
• Old computer monitor x 1
• Monitor screen shield made out of a plastic IKEA picture frame and way to much duct tape

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Related: Make a retro arcade machine from an old wardrobe

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DIY Nintendo Arcade Cabinet:

Assemble the IKEA IVAR table add-on except for the table legs.

Cut out a third of the table and save for later. (I used a small electric garden saw).

Copy the holes from the small cutout part of the table to the newly resized piece and connect the legs and mechanism.

Cut the legs so they will fit inside the bottom frame of the table. (This will allow the legs mechanism to fit neatly inside the frame.) Keep the cut out piece.

Reconnect the cut out piece using a seperate piece of scrap wood

While the table is fully open secure the legs in a 45 degree angle using the IVAR wall attachment cloth. This will allow weigh transfer from the table surface to the floor / IVAR shelf while providing adequate leg room.

Attach the knife holder to to the original cabinet inner shelf and the matching scrap metal pads to the table so it could lock in when closed.

Connect all cables and docks. Position the monitor and screen shield inside the cabinet and secure the arcade sticks firmly in place.

I used the remaining table piece and IKEA kitchen horizontal door hinges to make a door for the remaining cavity in the cabinet.

Here’s an overview of how it all fits together in my living room.

That’s it.

You can decorate the cabinet with stickers and feel free to drop me any comments on how to improve on my design. Cheers.

~ by Ohad

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