3D Printing Arcade Cabinet Upgrades: Files, Materials, and Print Settings You Actually Need

Stop guessing — print the right parts for your cabinet and keep them working

If you've ever printed a pretty-looking arcade button or bezel only to have it warp, strip, or crack after a weekend of play, you're not alone. The biggest barrier for home restorers and arcade builders in 2026 isn't access to STL files — it's choosing the right filament, settings, and post-processing so parts survive real use, heat, and repeated stress.

The 2026 reality: what changed and why it matters for arcade parts

In late 2024–2026 we've seen three practical shifts that affect how hobbyists 3D print arcade hardware:

• High-temp consumer filaments are mainstream — polycarbonate blends, PETG+ and ASA/ABS mixes have become affordable and easier to print on enclosed, budget-friendly machines.
• Resin printing is standard for fine details — desktop MSLA printers now produce crisp, translucent button caps and speaker overlays at low cost.
• Community STL curation matured — curated packs and verified build notes are common on forums and repositories, reducing trial-and-error.

Those changes mean you can reliably print functional, attractive parts — if you match the material and settings to the job.

How to think about materials: job-first recommendations

Don't pick filament by price or color first. Ask: will this part see heat (CRT, cabinet interior), impact (joystick play), friction (coin door), or cosmetic requirement (marquee clip)? Use the table below as a quick decision guide.

Material recommendations by part

• Buttons (caps & bodies): PETG for body/structural pieces; translucent PETG or resin for illuminated caps; PLA only for low-use, display-only buttons.
• Bezels & monitor surrounds: ABS or ASA for heat and abrasion resistance; PETG acceptable if annealed and kept away from direct CRT heat. ABS for classic CRT restoration where bezels are near heat sources.
• Joystick mounts & load-bearing brackets: PETG for stiffness and impact resistance; nylon or polycarbonate (PC) for high-stress/long-life setups.
• Coin doors & locks: ABS or PETG; consider metal inserts for lock points.
• Speaker grills & fine overlays: Resin for fine detail; PETG for robust grills with thicker cross-sections.
• Marquee clips & trim: PLA or PETG — PLA is fine if not exposed to high heat or direct sunlight; PETG for longevity.
• Vents & caster mounts: PETG or ABS; use higher infill or solid prints for caster plates.

Pro tip: When in doubt about heat, choose ABS/ASA or annealed PLA/PETG. Heat is the silent killer of cheap prints — especially around CRTs and enclosed cabs.

Actionable print settings you can use today

Below are battle-tested settings for the most common filament families you’ll use on arcade parts. These assume a well-calibrated FDM printer with a 0.4mm nozzle unless noted. Adjust slightly for different hot-ends, nozzle sizes or printer models.

PLA (for low-stress, cosmetic parts)

• Nozzle temp: 200–210°C
• Bed temp: 55–65°C
• Fan: 50–100% (helps bridges and small details)
• Layer height: 0.12–0.20mm for smooth button caps; 0.20–0.28mm for faster, less visible parts
• Perimeters: 2–3 walls minimum
• Infill: 10–25% for button caps and decorative parts; 30–50% for moderate-strength items
• Print speed: 40–60mm/s

PETG (the reliable all-rounder for cabinets)

• Nozzle temp: 235–250°C
• Bed temp: 70–80°C
• Fan: 0–30% (low cooling reduces stringing and increases layer adhesion)
• Layer height: 0.12–0.24mm
• Perimeters: 3–4 walls for higher impact strength
• Infill: 20–40% for structural parts; up to 60–100% for joystick plates or caster mounts
• Print speed: 30–45mm/s for best results
• Retraction: Reduce a touch to minimize stringing — typical 1–6mm depending on direct vs Bowden extruder

ABS / ASA (heat resistant bezels & exterior trim)

• Nozzle temp: 240–260°C (ASA similar)
• Bed temp: 95–110°C
• Enclosure: Strongly recommended — temperature swings cause warping
• Fan: Off or 0–10%
• Layer height: 0.12–0.24mm
• Perimeters: 3–4 walls
• Infill: 20–40% (solid for load or screw-mount faces)
• Adhesion: Use brim/raft and a sticky bed surface (ABS slurry, PEI, or glue stick)

Polycarbonate (PC) & Nylon (for extreme strength)

• Nozzle temp: 270–310°C for PC; 240–260°C for nylon blends
• Bed temp: 100–120°C
• Enclosure: Required to avoid cracking
• Use cases: Joystick pivot plates, caster plates, mechanical hinges
• Note: These materials often need specialty hot-ends and are more abrasive — hardened nozzles recommended.

Print orientation, layer direction and part design tips

Design and orientation determine durability. Z-axis layer bonds are the weakest. Print parts so forces load across layers, not between them.

• Buttons: Print caps upright (top-to-bottom) to preserve smooth top surfaces. For internal button bodies, orient so the axis of force is across perimeters, not along layer lines.
• Joystick mounts: Print flat with the stress plane parallel to layers to maximize shear strength.
• Bezels: Print flat to reduce warping; use a brim and minimize overhangs. Design with countersunk screw bosses rather than relying on printed threads.
• Screw bosses: Make them thicker, add fillets, and print with 3–4 perimeters. Use heat-set brass inserts for repeated assembly/disassembly.

Post-processing and finishing that matter

How you finish parts affects fit, feel, and longevity.

Heat-set inserts and fastening

1. Drill or print a slightly undersized hole for the brass M3/M4 heat-set insert.
2. Use a soldering iron or dedicated insert tool to press the insert in, stopping before the plastic droops out.
3. Let cool, then use machine screws for strong repeatable joints.

Annealing for heat resistance

Annealing increases temperature tolerance of PLA and PETG. It's a great trick when you want to use cheaper PLA for a bezel near a warm monitor.

1. Preheat an oven to 70–80°C for PLA, 80–100°C for PETG (lower end for small prints).
2. Place parts on a flat ceramic tile to avoid warping and keep dimensional stability.
3. Bake 30–90 minutes depending on part mass; expect slight dimensional change and possible shrinkage — test first.

Sanding, filler and painting

• Sand in descending grits (200 -> 400 -> 800) for smooth bezels and button surfaces.
• Use filler primer (Xylene/automotive–safe) for PETG/ABS to smooth layer lines — PETG can be fussy, so try adhesion promoter or sand first.
• For ABS, acetone vapor smoothing is quick, but do this in a ventilated area with PPE.

Bonding and repairs

• ABS: solvent weld with acetone for near-invisible joins.
• PETG: use epoxy or cyanoacrylate; solvent weld is not reliable.
• PLA: specialized adhesives (3D Gloop) or epoxy.

Design-for-print: small details that save time and headaches

• Add alignment pins to bezels and panels for repeatable assembly.
• Make mounting holes oversized by 0.2–0.5mm to account for printer tolerances.
• Include screw recesses so heads sit flush and reduce stress transfer into printed bosses.
• Use chamfers and fillets at corners — they print cleaner and reduce stress concentrations.

Where to find quality STL files and verified print profiles

By 2026 the community is more organized than ever. Focus on repositories that provide build logs, printer profiles, and user comments about materials. Here’s where to start:

• Prusa Printables (search for “arcade button”, “joystick mount”, or “cabinet bezel” — look for Verified or Quality-checked tags)
• Thingiverse — older library but many classic arcade parts. Filter by remixes and recent build logs.
• Cults3D & MyMiniFactory — curated paid and free STLs, often with higher-quality supports and multiple file versions.
• GitHub & arcade-focused repos — people publish parametric OpenSCAD/SVG kits for marquee frames and control panels.
• Reddit communities — r/cade, r/3Dprinting and r/Arcade have project threads with photos, settings, and problem fixes.
• Arcade-Controls/ArcadePunks & Discord servers — community-shared packs and verified vendors for custom bezels and overlays.

When you download an STL, always read the comments and look for a build log: the best files come with a “what I printed it in” section that includes filament brand, nozzle size, and crucially — post-processing notes.

Case study: joystick mount that survived heavy weekly use

In our shop (retroarcade.store workshop), we replaced a cracked plywood joystick plate with a printed PETG mount following these steps:

• Model: parametric mount from a community GitHub repo, scaled to fit a Sanwa JLF.
• Material: PETG (Prusament PETG+ equivalent).
• Settings: 245°C nozzle / 75°C bed, 0.18mm layer height, 3 perimeters, 40% infill, 35mm/s speed, fan 15%.
• Post-process: sanded mating face flat, installed M4 heat-set inserts, used stainless screws to attach to cabinet.

Result: zero deformation after two years of weekly tournament play. The PETG handled repeated impacts and the heat of the cabinet interior without sign of fatigue.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Using PLA near heat sources — leads to softening and dimensional drift. If you need cheap PLA, anneal or move the part away from heat.
• Neglecting enclosure for ABS/PC — warping and layer separation are common without an enclosure.
• Relying on printed threads for repeated assembly — use heat-set inserts or metal nuts to avoid stripped bosses.
• Under-specing perimeters and infill — thin walls and low infill can fail quickly under impact, especially on joysticks and caster mounts.

2026 trends to watch — future-proof choices

• Carbon-fiber and glass-filled filaments are now affordable and provide stiff, dimensionally stable parts for joystick plates and braces. Use hardened nozzles.
• PC blends with improved bed adhesion let hobbyists print strong parts without exotic setups — good for long-term upgrades.
• Resin for illumination — translucent MSLA parts for illuminated buttons and marquees are common. Expect more multi-material kits that mix PETG/ABS structural parts with resin caps.
• Community-curated STL packs — designers now publish full cabinet retrofit packs (cutouts, bezels, button templates) with tested print profiles.

Quick reference: print settings cheat-sheet

Copy this into your slicer as a starting profile and tweak for your printer.

• PLA: 205°C / 60°C / 50% fan / 0.16mm / 2 walls / 15% infill
• PETG: 245°C / 75°C / 15% fan / 0.18mm / 3 walls / 30% infill
• ABS/ASA: 250°C / 100°C / fan off / 0.18mm / 3–4 walls / 25% infill / enclosure
• PC: 285–300°C / 110°C / enclosure / 0.16–0.2mm / 4 walls / 40%+ infill

Final checklist before you print

1. Match the material to the use case (heat, wear, impact).
2. Pick an orientation that loads across layers rather than along them.
3. Set 3+ perimeters for load-bearing parts; 15–30% infill for most parts.
4. Plan for inserts/metal fasteners instead of relying on printed threads.
5. Save the print profile and include it with your STL when sharing.

Actionable takeaways

• Use PETG for the majority of cabinet parts — it's a versatile balance of strength, heat tolerance, and ease of printing.
• Reserve ABS/ASA for bezels near heat or when you need solvent-weldable finishes.
• Choose resin for illuminated or detailed cosmetic parts, and pair them with printed structural pieces.
• Always use heat-set inserts for repeated assembly points and avoid printed threads where possible.
• Download STLs from curated community sources and prefer files with build logs and slicer settings attached.

Where we help at retroarcade.store

We maintain curated STL packs, pre-tested print profiles for popular filaments, and replacement part kits that pair resin caps with PETG bodies. If you want the exact profiles we used for the joystick mount case study above or a starter pack for a bartop, we publish build logs and .3mf profiles that match the settings in this guide.

Call to action

Ready to stop replacing brittle prints and start making parts that last? Download our free Arcade 3D Starter Pack (verified STLs + slicer profiles for PLA, PETG and ABS) or order pre-printed inserts and button kits from our workshop. Head to retroarcade.store/3d-upgrades to get the files, profiles, and a troubleshooting checklist we use in-house.

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