Arcade1up Drilling Holes in the Plexiglass

Arcade1up Drill Plexiglass - Fast and easy!

This is a quick Arcade1up mod tutorial that will show you how to drill holes on a plastic control panel. The plastic sheet that sits on top of the control panel is actually made of plexiglass. Folks may want to do this to replace their existing artwork overlay and/or add the plastic protector to save from additional wear and tear. Hence, the term “Arcade1up drill plexiglass”.

You can also upgrade from the stock Arcade1up joysticks and buttons for a decent price and, the cool buttons light up giving it the arcade the extra spice it needed. #arcade1up drill plexiglass

Here are some options if you’re interested in upgrading your joysticks and buttons

Prior to installing the new plastic protector, I had trouble finding any good tutorial and instructions so I thought it would be a great idea to share this experience with anyone who may be interested.

Most people fear the plastic sheets would crack when drilling them but fear not as I was able to drill perfect holes with no issue.

Note, this guide is only for plastic sheets that were 2mm thick from Arcade1Up.

Things You'll Need. Arcade1up Drill Plexiglass

3 Things (and costs) you will need to get started:

  1. Street Fighter Deck Protector with Overlay from Arcade1Up.
  2. Electric Drill
    • $34.99 USD
  3. Step Drill Bit
    • $9.99 USD

My Total Project Cost: $69.48 (not including taxes)  

Electric Drill

You may be able to get away with any drill, but I wanted to use a low powered drill to avoid the risk of the plastic cracking from too much force. For this project, I used this BLACK & DECKER 12V Cordless Drill – BDCDD12C.

Step Drill Bit

The proper Step Drill Bit is also required to do the work. There are certain drill bits which are made for plastic/acrylic. After some research, I have found the Neiko Titanium Step Drill Bit (1/4” to 1 3/8”) and Innetoc Shank Titanium Step Drill Bit (1/4” to 1 3/8”) has worked without issues for me.

Step 1: For best results, I would place the plastic protector over a hard and stable surface. In my case, I used the Arcade1up control panel. The new holes should be clear and open as seen below (yellow arrows).

Step 2: Remove the plastic film from the Arcade1Up Sheet Protector.

Step 3: Place the plastic protector onto the firm surface. In this case, it would be the Arcade1up control panel. 

Step 4: Center the drill bit and make sure you screw in the protector to keep it from shifting.  

Step 5: Press firmly against the plastic sheet and start slow. You will smell some burning as you speed up and I would slow down to assess the condition of the sheet. Drilling down to 1 3/8″ marker worked for my setup.

Step 6: In less than a minute, you should have the perfect hole for the button. 

Step 7: If you decide to install the artwork overlay, you can remove the plastic and place the artwork underneath it. You can slice the center of the button hole in the shape of a + or drill through it.

There you have it! Your Arcade1up is now setup with the new buttons.

Arcade1up mod completed with extra buttons.

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