Barn Arcade Cabinet
A hand-cranked arcade cabinet made from one big box.
STUFF YOU'LL NEED
- • 1 large cardboard box
- • 2 paper towel tubes
- • 1 wooden dowel or straight stick
- • 3 clean tin cans
- • Marbles
- • String
- • Tape and glue
TOOLS
- • Box cutter (adult)
- • Ruler
- • Marker
- • Scissors
SAFETY
- ⚠ An adult should make all box-cutter cuts.
- ⚠ Check tin can rims for sharp edges. Tape them.
HOW IT WORKS
A crank turns an axle. The axle lifts a marble ramp. Gravity does the rest — your job is aiming.
A crank is a lever going in circles. It trades a small easy motion for a bigger, stronger one.
BUILD STEPS
- 1
Cut the face
Stand the box up. Cut a big rectangle window in the front panel.
WATCH OUT: Adult with the box cutter, every time.
- 2
Punch the axle holes
Poke a hole through both side walls, level with each other, near the top.
HINT: Measure from the floor of the box on both sides.
- 3
Install the crank
Slide the dowel through. Tape a cardboard handle to one end.
- 4
Build the ramp
Tape a cardboard ramp from the top of the box down to the window.
- 5
Set the targets
Tape the tin cans in a row at the bottom. Tape every rim.
- 6
Decorate it
Draw the marquee. Give the game a name. Bad names are still names.
- 7
TEST
Crank it. Drop a marble. Adjust until it's fun but not easy.
TEST: Play ten rounds. If you win every time, make it harder.
IF IT ISN'T WORKING
- Marble sticks on the ramp
- Raise the ramp angle a little. Or sand the tape flat.
- The crank slips
- Glue a cardboard washer on each side of the box wall.
EXPERIMENT WITH IT
- • Change the ramp angle. Where does the marble go fastest?
- • Add a scoring hole worth 500 points that's almost impossible to hit.
NOW INVENT SOMETHING.
What would YOU change?
