Something quite different

[mike_bike_kite]

I've built a few Mame cabinets and love them all but this time I wanted to make something a bit different to other cabs. It will only run one game but the game will be a retro arcade game I'm writing myself for the cab. The cabinet will look like a smoked glass cube (because that's exactly what it is) and just have a few control buttons drilled into the top. The idea is when the box turns on the screen will appear, the controls will light up and I'll maybe have a few effects on the outside appearing through the glass.

The cabinet:
I saw this and thought it might be perfect. I believe I can get them in smoked glass as well. I guess things depend on whether I can drill the glass and whether there's any method of mounting the hardware to the internal frame. I don't know how suitable the box is as I haven't seen one in person yet.

The software:
The game is currently a java applet but I'll aim to convert it to a dedicated application - if you're interested you can try it out - I'd genuinely like to hear your opinions. I won't need Mame for this as I should be able to call the program directly on start up. I might use one of the smaller Linux OS (mempis looked good) as they boot up pretty quick.

The hardware:
I'll use something like a cheap mini ITX motherboard. Depending on cash flow I might use a small SSD as the hard drive. I'll use standard 2.1 speakers for sound. I'll suspend an LCD screen under the top glass and paint everything black to hide things. I'll use a small ipac controller for the buttons. An intelliplug to switch the power and perhaps an LEDwiz if it's required for the lighting. I don't know whether to use wifi or not - at the moment the high scores are kept on a server and it would be a shame to loose this.

The controls:
The aim is to drill 4 holes for the arcade buttons along the edge of the top. I'll put an on/off switch along with  a volume control somewhere (possibly underneath).

The bling:
Obviously the screen will light up with the game. The buttons will light up also. I thought about using an LED strip taped to one of the sides to write MBA which are the initials of the game. I might fix the motherboard near one of the glass panels and then light that up as well - possibly on the front.

Here's a few questions:
Has anybody drilled glass? I believe it can be done using diamond dust drills?
Can I control the lighting from within my Java application? I'd like to have control of the LEDs in the buttons.
Will I need ventilation or could I get by by perhaps fitting washers in the panels?
It's small, only about 45cm square and a little taller in height - would this still be usable?

I'd also like to hear your opinions.

Cheers Mike

[ark_ader]

I saw one of these at Debenhams and it was a glass type cube, and I thought about it for a while and concluded that it would make a cool feature in the living room but as a display for pictures and the odd Mame game.  Something futuristic and arty mixed into one.

What I could not figure out was how suspend an image from the cube, without it looking hokey with wires coming from it.

Since your post is similar, I could only suggest  using a reverse image off the LCD onto an airburshed mirror and have the game suspend like a holograph.

I would use a remote bluetooth device to play the game.  Rather than ITX  would look at maybe an IBM TP 240X with a plexi surround with fairly lights.

Or scrap that idea and make it look like orac from Blakes 7. 

[bkenobi]

Perhaps use a projector on the bottom?  Only problem would be shadows cast by controls wiring.

[mike_bike_kite]

I'll go to Debenhams and have a look at it then - that will save me £90 if turns out to be impossible.

I figured that if it's just smoked glass then I could put an LCD screen up close and on the underside of the glass. The measurements suggest there's enough space. The image should then just appear through the glass. If I use a mirror then I'll loose some of the brightness and I'm guessing the image would be too dim.

Oddly enough the blakes 7 computer actually held a real computer called the acorn system 1 and that was the computer I learnt to program on - in machine code, none of that soppy assembler language stuff. I'd love to get hold of one again.

Did the box look big enough to house the gear and did you notice what type of frame it had?

[Franco B]

If I was you I would use acrylic rather than glass.

The glass will end up being very expensive as you will have to cut the panels/holes etc or have them cut before they are tempered.

You can get clear, smoked and frosted acrylic and it can be easily cut/drilled/routed etc.

Check out [this] jukebox case that mccoy178 made from acrylic.



He used a product called Weld-on to bond the pieces together. It is not availiable here in the UK but I found a product called Extru-fix that does the same thing. It is a fantastic product that gives very clean joints.

This is a video that shows Weld-on being used but Extru-fix is used in exactly the same way.



Just note that it only works on extruded (not cast) acrylic but extruded is cheaper anyway

[ark_ader]

If I was you I would use acrylic rather than glass.

The glass will end up being very expensive as you will have to cut the panels/holes etc or have them cut before they are tempered.

You can get clear, smoked and frosted acrylic and it can be easily cut/drilled/routed etc.

Check out [this] jukebox case that mccoy178 made from acrylic.



He used a product called Weld-on to bond the pieces together. It is not availiable here in the UK but I found a product called Extru-fix that does the same thing. It is a fantastic product that gives very clean joints.

This is a video that shows Weld-on being used but Extru-fix is used in exactly the same way.



Just note that it only works on extruded (not cast) acrylic but extruded is cheaper anyway

+1

Franco is on the money with this one.  The Debenhams cube was on special (70% off) Betty someone... Anyway IF I was going to create something different I would go acrylic just as Franco suggested.  Its been awhile since I did plastics at school, but it is far sturdier and if you make a mistake - not so devastating.

I was thinking about this the other night.  The mirror to suspend the image could be less opaque with regard to the backing of the mirror to give it a ghostly effect.  But like Mike said - something completely different.

Please post in Project Announcements when you start as I would be VERY interested in your project. 

[mike_bike_kite]

I used an acrylic sheet for a clear top on a Mame cab I built for a friend. Sadly it ended up with a lot of small scratches which put me off using it for that application - though my friends kids are a little bit more rough and tumble than mine. That video was rather interesting though and it's given me a few ideas for another little project Is there a way of buying the acrylic in a size similar to the size used in the video but less thick - I don't think my handiwork skills would ever produce a smooth edge.

The idea of using the smoked glass really appealed to me and assuming

• I can cut the holes
• that it's big enough to hold the hardware
• and that there's some way of mounting the hardware inside

then it would look very special when turned on but like an ordinary piece of furniture when turned off. The glass cube is just an ordinary piece of furniture that you can buy for £90 which probably isn't that much different to buying all the wood, screws, paint etc that's required for an ordinary cab. Obviously if I can't drill it then I've wasted the money - I'll probably practice on a million small bits before going for the real thing. Is there any way of telling whether the glass is tempered or not by looking at it? I believe you can't drill tempered glass.

There's definitely no need for a mirror in the design and there certainly isn't any space for one in the box. I must admit I don't understand why you think it will be necessary? have I missed something?

[Franco B]

Was it definitely acrylic you use and not polycarb? I just ask as acrylic is fairly scratch resistant to normal wear and tear for such an object.

Yes you can buy acrylic cut to size in a range of thickness's. Most plastic suppliers will cut to size for free. I mainly use www.trentplastics.co.uk as they are local to me but I also have used www.plasticonline.co.uk

If you do want them to cut it for you tell them that you want it cut as square as possible as they will probably just rip it out and it may not be as square as it need to be to make a cube.

They will probably be able to finish the edges for you suitable for bonding. Thinking about it if I was you I would ask a company to CNC route out the panels for you. The pieces should be pretty much perfectly square and will have a nice routered edge for bonding. They will probably charge you a little extra for this but if it is just square sections it should be fairly straight forward and, hence, reasonably priced.

I don't think you can drill tempered glass and any type of object like a pre made cube will definitely be tempered. As cool as it would be to make it from glass I wouldn't attempt it unless you are a glazier.

I don't want to dissuade you too much but I don't really think glass is a suitable direction to take.

Of course, I would love you to prove me wrong

[mike_bike_kite]

On more research it appears that this cube is likely to be made from tempered glass as a plate glass cube would likely be a death trap in a lounge with kids about. It also definitely seems like you can't drill tempered glass. So that's the glass cube out 

I just gave my mate a call to check what type of surface we put on it (he handled this bit) - he tells me it was perspex which is a type of acrylic(?). He seems very happy with the end result so maybe the scratches weren't as bad as I imagined - I'll have to go round and have another little play on his cab.

That means a box made from the dark tint acrylic sheet might be the way forward. I tried one of those links at random and they had 500mm square my 5mm which I think should be fine. I suppose the next question is should I make a box from these sheets by glueing them or should I make a wooden frame and then fix the sheets to the wood? The later makes it much easier to fix the hardware but means I'd need to drill every sheet to fix it to the frame.

[Franco B]

Yeah Perspex is just a brand name of acrylic just as Lexan is a brand name of polycarbonate.

You definitely want to use acrylic over polycarb. Polycarb will machine/cut slightly easier but it will also scratch much easier. I have cut components from 1mm-25mm acrylic with no major problems.

5mm may be thick enough. I personally think 8mm+ would look nicer but that's up to you.

A quick google came up with [this] page which shows that thicker tinted stock is available if you wanted it. Just be careful that they mention it is cast acrylic which won't work with the Extru-fix if you want to use it. You may have to dig around further for some thicker tinted extruded acrylic.

Obviously the thicker you go the more expensive it will be. I would suggest practising various things on lots of scrap pieces for a start until you get the feel for working with it.

In regards to the frame, I would personally want it as minimal as possible if at all. If you used thicker stock you could build a stable cube with little/no frame work and the thicker material would allow you to mount your hardware easier.

If you do go for a frame I think you want to use aluminium/stainless section or stained wood. Definitely no MDF in this case. I think some anodised blue aluminium section would look nice with clear panels but you may want something more neutral if you have tinted panels.

[Turnarcades]

If I was you I would use acrylic rather than glass.

The glass will end up being very expensive as you will have to cut the panels/holes etc or have them cut before they are tempered.

You can get clear, smoked and frosted acrylic and it can be easily cut/drilled/routed etc.

Check out [this] jukebox case that mccoy178 made from acrylic.



+1. You could go for a million different sizes and finishes with some sort of acrylic assembly, even so far as to create a custom discreet hatch to access the internals, plus you could even create a fold-away control layout perhaps....

He used a product called Weld-on to bond the pieces together. It is not availiable here in the UK but I found a product called Extru-fix that does the same thing. It is a fantastic product that gives very clean joints.

This is a video that shows Weld-on being used but Extru-fix is used in exactly the same way.



Just note that it only works on extruded (not cast) acrylic but extruded is cheaper anyway

[mike_bike_kite]

Evolved Idea:
Moderately small box around 45cm cubed made from 5mm tinted acylic. LCD screen pressed against underside of top of cube. 4 buttons lit by LED. Various other lighting bits. Still running just a single java arcade program. Probably try and get old PC off freecycle and just take boards out.

Questions:

• 1)Will 5mm be strong enough? I can't seem to get thicker but then again the cost might go up dramatically. I wondered whether I could increase the strength on top by bonding 2 sheets together perhaps with hole for screen.
• 2) Will this size box be big enough for everything?
• 3) I was going to have the underside open to allow the sound out - will this be enough?
• 4) What might be the best method of fitting all the hardware into box?
• 5) If making a big cube like this what might be the best way to make sure it all ends up square?
• 6) I want one panel to be removable for access - what's the best method to fix this in place?
• 7) Various bits of the hardware will be lit up inside the box but other bits I want to keep hidden. Any suggestions to fix any light pollution within the box?
• 8 ) How will the colour of the tinted plastic affect the look of the game?
• 9) In fact will an LCD screen shine through this tinted plastic at all?

Cheers Mike

[LeedsFan]

If you know the dimensions of the pieces you need then why not get the acrylic supplier to cut them for you? Not all places can do this of course. But when I got my acrylic pieces cut for my bartop I got them from a company called Barkston Plastics. They have a service where they can cut pieces to size on a laser machine while you wait. Each piece came out perfect so I had no need to cut or trim anything. The only other thing you might want to do is polish any exposed edges.

[RayB]

Mike, shouldn't your user name be "mike_bike_bite" ?

(I pay attention to the weirdest things).
 

[mike_bike_kite]

why not get the acrylic supplier to cut them for you?

Good idea but only after I have sorted out my questions above.

shouldn't your user name be "mike_bike_bite" ?

Don't think so - but I'm curious now why you think it should be? PS I have a collection of bikes and kites and just don't like the idea of being mike_the_bike17

[RayB]

Makes sense! I thought your name was based on the word puzzle game where you can change only one letter to make a new word.

Sorry for the interruption!