First Arcade Cab Project - UltraLux RGB Button Tip!

[dawolv]

Ok instead of posting all over the forum, why dont I try posting here  

First of all its nothing special just a regular old cab. No real theme...yet.
I thought about calling it "The Peachy Keen Machine" and going that route...but that idea lasted about 3 seconds.

So just a plain cab, open for ideas, suggestions, and for everyone to learn from my mistakes.

The story is this cab is my first one so it will be a learning experience, the cab will be moved from the garage to an office then to a rec room.
The wife did not approve of my original plan which was about 36" deep by about 29" wide. So I cut it back a bit (28" x 24 1/4")

Here is the Google Sketchup design (I made some changes on the fly but its close to this):


Here is the overall look when complete:

[dawolv]

The Rig
My machine specs are quite humble it was originally my Windows Home Server box, but I have since upgraded out of that box.
The rig was built for reliability and low power consumption and for the number of SATA ports.
I think this will make a pretty good box for this project since I am planning on mostly the classics like Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Galaga etc.
AMD Athlon 64 x2 4000 2.1 Ghz 65Watt (Love the low wattage here)
Gigabyte M57SLI S4 Mobo
Corsair Fanless PSU 450W (Quiet and very efficient, lets you plug in what you need so there is no uneeded cables cluttering up your box.)
BFG GeForce GT 220 with 1GB DDR2
2 GIGs of DDR2 800 Memory

I have an old BenQ 19" LCD that will work with the width of the cab.

For my front end, I am enjoying GameEx as my FE.

I think that is it for the internals (barring the Speakers still undecided on to use some old Altec Lansings or get some cheapies with bass)

[dawolv]

I grabbed two 3/4" Birch Plywood from Lowes for $39.95 each (no sales tax here)  .

Here is the first side cut out:


After getting the first side to where I wanted it, I placed it on a new sheet of 3/4 Ply and traced it.
Then I rough cut that outline, clamped them together and flushed trim the second piece.

Odd Whale or Airplane shape when side by side  



I recieved my 3/4" Samples from T-Molding.Com, I decided to go with the Light Blue.


And of course my first U360 from Ultimarc.com

So running cost so far:
2 3/4 Birch Plywood: $39.95 x 2 = $79.90
T-Molding Samples: FREE + Shipping = $1.22
U360 Joystick: $59.00 + $14.00 Shipping = $79.00

Total Project: $160.12

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Using a Test Piece and centering the bit, I routed out a slot for the T-Molding.
Using the 5 Ply Plywood it was a no brainer, I aligned the bit on the 3rd layer then micro adjusted my router depth so it was perfect.
To be sure it would be completely centered I first Slotted one side then flipped the piece over slotted it again.
It is perfectly centered now, however I found the 3/4" Trim in the 3/4" Ply left the T-Mold proud by 1/16th on each side.

Now at first I was going to Paint the cab but after all the advice here I decided to laminate the cab.
My guess (Hope) is the Laminate I saw at Home Depot will be 1/16ths and all will be well...

Here is the Bit at Amazon.Com that I used to make the Slot, you will need this Shank if you dont already have one.

Cost
Shank: $7.07
Slot Bit: $12.00
Shipping: $4.80

Total: $23.87
Project Total: $183.99

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Next I worked on my base, I went to Lowes and bought two 2" Swivel and two 2" Fixed Casters.
I decided I did not want the Screws coming up through the bottom of my cab.
I came up with a solution, I would just use my Forstener bit to counter sink the Hex Bolt and Washer then use a Lock Washer and nut on the bottom supports then affix the Cab Bottom piece ontop of that. Still would be a piece of cake to change out a caster if I ever had too.

Bottom Supports with Wheels Installed:


Counter Sunk Hex Bolts and Washers:


2 Inch Clearance from the sides so the wheel will swivel:



Originally the base would be part of a adjustable shelving unit.
Then I got to thinking maybe it would be cool if the Door was actually a full extension Drawer.

So that is where I am for now, not sure if I want to use a Heavy Duty full Extension slide for a drawer front.


Cost
4 Casters: 4 x 3.98 = $15.92

Project Total: $199.91

[dawolv]

Im still deciding on a CP Background Image with no theme it makes this easy or hard I guess LOL.

I am using Paint Shop Pro X3 you can get a free trial at thier website . Originally I was going to get Adobe Photoshop CS5 but WOW that is expensive, there is a free trial of that too.

Here are my top 5 in no order.
Im not sure if we have a FTP File Collection here or not so if anyone would like any of these let me know, I will email them over.

[dawolv]

Here is a Test design Im toying with, the design is originally from Knievel, it seems pretty popular and I can see why  
I couldnt find the Adobe file or any tutorials on how to do it.
I also have no idea how to use Graphics Programs but meh I think it looks ok.

If anyone else is as lost as I am with this and wants help of what I did or wants me to add to this thread on what I did let me know.
Either case it would be nice to collaborate.  

This is using Paint Shop Pro X3

[ninjasquirrel]

Nice work so far dawolv...Is this work done over a few days or all this weekend? As far as the artwork, I'm having a difficult time deciding on what I want to do also, it's all personal preference in the end, just too many options!  My choice would be the superhero graphic, it looks pretty slick and it matches your avatar somewhat  But whatever you decide, just be happy with it yourself. Good luck

[dawolv]

Thanks Ninjasquirrel!
Im just working on it an hour here or an hour there type thing.

I got a little a further today. I picked up a piece of laminate at Home Depot today only have break apart when I got it home. 
I was standing it up to position it and...whooosh a nice gale of wind...CRRRRRACK!
That stuff is much more delicate/brittle than I thought! Hopefully I can salvage most of it of course it broke it the worse places...no way that it can be used to cover an entire side but it should work for the smaller pieces.

After I calmed down from breaking a $45 sheet of laminate, I added some Dados on the Cab, 1 for the bottom and 1 for the top shelf, then added a dado to divide the top/bottom area.


Routing leaves that nice round groove, stuffing a sqaure peg in a round hole thing. Since I am not bull nosing this piece time to square up the cuts


Then I test the square on a test piece to make sure it was tight.



Then I did a dry fit to makes sure it would all fit


So far so good.

Cost
1/16th Black (and Broken) Laminate Sheet: $45.11 (used a gift card from Amex)
Blum Inset Hinges: 2 x $3.97 = $7.94

Project Total: $252.96 (207.85)

[syph007]

Hey, nice start!  Regarding the laminate, didn't they roll it up and tie it for you?  Or do you mean the wind caught the roll?  It is pretty brittle, and the broken edges are really sharp, as I'm sure you'll find out. 

[WhereEaglesDare]

Why did you chose Birch Plywood as opposed to a cheaper MDF or even particle board?

[dawolv]

@Syph007 - No our Home Depot is pretty much Self Service LOL, Our Lowes on the other hand wont leave you alone for 5 minutes..but they didnt have the black laminate...and yep that is brittle and sharp!

@WhereEaglesDare - MDF/Particle is cheaper (by about $15) and I weighed on this for awhile. MDF vs Ply. I wrote down the disadvantages of each and the only disadvantage on Ply was the Cost. My MDF Disadvantages were numerous from the weight to urea-formaldeydes.
I know that Birch is very lightweight but extremely sturdy and strong, it is very easy to work with, easy on my tools, and easy to paint since I was originally going to go with the paint route.
Also since I do most of my work alone, MDF would be way to heavy for a project like this (alot of moving it around, standing it up, laying up ontop sawhorses/tables, etc) so for me the scope of this project justifies the extra cost of the Ply and not to mention the relief my back will get 

[dawolv]

Playing with the CP again while waiting:

Xmen Design
Xmen Design with CP Base outlined:
Xmen Design with bubbles 


I think I try putting on the broken laminate pieces today if I get a chance

[rablack97]

Nice work so far.

I like # 1.  Minus the fact there's a butt staring at you  with no face.....

The yellow square doesn't fit on #2, and the speech balloon's are adding more busy to an already busy design.

[dawolv]

Yeah your right about the Butt thing, I think there is a joke in there somewhere...thanks for pointing that out!

My Bad, The yellow boxes was meant to outline where the actual 3/4" box borders would be at so it would not interfere with the buttons and wiring.

I think I found a cool sideart piece (School for Gifted Youngsters  )

[Don]

I think the third CP looks great

[dawolv]

OK I got some more laminating done today and Ive learned 2 things about Laminating:
1- Very very brittle
2- Route *AFTER* you laminate  

I wasnt sure how to mark off measurements and such on the Black Laminate without it being a permanent eyesore.
So I went to Office Depot and grabbed some Chalk (yeah old school chalk), gotta say that worked pretty good. Easy On, Easy Off Daniel-san.

Now what is the best way to get contact cement off of the laminate? Yeah I got a little carried away there.

After inhaling the wonderful fumes from the contact cement I came in and toyed with the X-Mame Cab idea again...

Wilsonart does make blue (the inside of the cab would be black the outside blue with Yellow trim)
I used X-Men Issue number #1 for the CP back ground  

Then I say..do I really want an X-Men Theme for a Cab?  Dang Fumes

[dawolv]

Came across this ad last night, Wow...I remember these shows
Saturday Mornings have never been the same.

[ninjasquirrel]

Your best way to get rid of contact cement on your laminate is lacquer thinner (you can get it at lowe's, walmart, etc) of course there are many specialty removers that smell like orange etc but the cheapest is the lacquer thinner.
I really like where the new cp is going. The joystick surrounds look great! Nice progress!

[dawolv]

Orange smelling...yeah thanks Ninjasquirrel for reminding me about Goo Gone! I have a bottle of that in my truck. Worked like a charm!


Well today I got some more laminating done:


Then I decided to add in my Shelf Pin holes, I used my chalk to mark the center lines.
I had to be careful here since I have the front, back, and divider are all at different insets:



I had some old silver shelf pins and shelf pin sleeves and thought it would look cool with the black laminate:


Here is what it will look like with the Light Blue Trim against the Black Laminate:



Here is what the other color samples would look like (Blue, Purple, Light Blue)... sorry bad pic:

[dawolv]

Been another crazy week.
Heres a quick update:
Laminated - Laminated - Took off the Laminate and then Laminated again 
I recieved my coin door from Arcade Emulator and decided to work on the door.
I hit a few snags (I laminated one side of the door while I was waiting on the Coin Door to arrive then when the Coin Door arrived I decided to "punch" through the laminate...heh didnt work too well).
Needless to say I spent some time sanding...after that it was like clock work.
I made a little jig to cut and 'paste' the laminated edges.

I recieved the Light Blue T-Molding from T-Molding.Com on Friday and decided to mold the inside storage area.
I found that I will need to take a sharpie to the very inside layers of the plywood maybe 1/8th of an inch before I T-Mold the rest of the cab, any sort hairline gap between the wood, laminate, and T-Mold,against the black cabinet really shows through.

Here are some pictures -not very good ones though

Here is the Coin Door in the door:



And here is the inside storage area when the coin door is removed:

[dawolv]

Another update...I got my 250MM Blue LED fan in from Xoxide today here are some pics!

Added a 12inch ruler -


another picture:


It has seperate mountings for either intake or outake directions very cool!



I also got in the PCI Power bracket in case I use my old Centurion case (which matches the arcade color scheme)




Hopefully it will cool off a little bit tomorrow to make some progress 

[Roo]

I dunno if you are still debating the x-men theme or if you have come to your senses now that you are fume-free   

For what it's worth, I say go with the x-men theme.  I think it's a great art choice.

[Silas (son of Silas)]

That laminate looks great. This is coming along nicely.

That fan is HUGE. I've got a 200mm exhaust fan and a 200mm heatsink fan, but now I am really tempted by that 250.

[dawolv]

After the fumes cleared and the Blue sample came in from Wilsonart ...it just didnt seem to be the right Blue I was looking for BUT Im thinking about doing an X-Men theme Barcade 

Yeah I love that fan! It is very quiet and the Blue LED isnt totally annoying but I did test it out in the garage in broad daylight, but so far Im pretty happy with it.
Im hoping to just get a nice glow from behind the unit when the fan is flipped on.
I cut a 9 5/8" hole for the Fan but I had to route it a little larger then sand it again so it would fit properly.

I finished the back door and t-molded the rest of the outside today. I had a gap on one side that was a nuisance but ended up using Tight Bond and some clamps and that worked.
BUT on the other side two real Pain in the  gaps! I used electrical tape on the spine of the T-mold to fit it in one gap then used Tight Bond again for the other larger gap.
The larger gap went smaller then I filled it in with Super Glue and clamped it all down again!! I posted earlier on how to rid these gaps and some one suggested Hot Glue and to use paper as shims.

I was ready to head over to Hobby Lobby for a glue gun after THREE times of using super glue it now seems to be holding its own.
I would never imagine that the T-Mold would be such a pain...

I put my wheel base on as well and took it for a spin.

Heres the results so far:

I have the Doors taped closed (front and back) in case they opened at a most un-opportune time:


Dirty Dirty Dirty...to the right is where the Shelving is - the left is where I may add a Slide Out drawer with either a PC or a Plexi encased box with the hardware.


Here is the back door open...You can see the hole where the 250MM fan is going..I am also undecided if I should use French Cleats for the upper back or just screw it in..


Well hopefully next week-end I will get the shelves done, then start on the upper back, top, and Speakers (still dont know what kind of speakers Im using).

[dawolv]

Another update...although its been near 100 degress for like EVER..I managed to take this nice 90+ degree day and finish my keyboard drawer when I got home from work tonight.

Thats it for tonight 

Sideview:


Front:


Sliding it out:


I made the front fold down for easier access to the keyboard and mouse:

[dawolv]

I got my back Vent installed:


And did some test fitting:



I think for the speakers I am going to use the Logitech S220's so hopefully I will start that project next week-end *pending temps*

Ive been tossing around ideas on the CP...still lost on the Marquee and CP artwork....

[Silas (son of Silas)]

I love this build. Really nice job so far. You'll have a really smart piece of kit when you finish this. 

[dawolv]

Woohoo found my speakers at Best Buy tonight!
Got these Logitechs Z313 on sale:


I also been playing with my Matrix LINX Marquee Lights (fast ass shipping btw) trying to decide the proper layout (yeah they are plenty bright enough):

[]-[]-[]
[]-[]-[]

or

 []--[]--[]--[]--[]--[]

[JustMichael]

Dawolv,
Looking at the picture of the black fan bezel, ruler and fan, the fan doesn't look like it is 250mm. Is this an optical illusion because of the way the items are placed?  In the picture the fan appears to be about 220mm.

[dawolv]

Dawolv,
Looking at the picture of the black fan bezel, ruler and fan, the fan doesn't look like it is 250mm. Is this an optical illusion because of the way the items are placed?  In the picture the fan appears to be about 220mm.

Hmmm this is what the box says:


BUT you know when I measure the fan itself it comes out to 8 5/8 inches (about 220MM)...wierd!

[dawolv]

Definately a basis that dogged me for awhile but I think I got the correct measurements for the U360 joysticks and pushbuttons.
Im awaiting the NovaGems 2 release, so I just ordered a regular old button to test the printed measurements.
After some experimentation and a few paper recycles through the printer I think I have it fine tuned for the best fit for angle and my fingers.





This part (actually the whole CP and Marquee) seems to be the hardest part for me LOL.
If anyone wants this or any materials here please let me know and I will be more than happy to send them over...the button layout is in 300 DPI and was quite large to post in full size.

[muppets4]

Nice work on your cab. I really like the black and blue style.

I myself am not that far, but what I've been reading keeps me going. I too want to play with that glue! Designing the CP is hard for me. I can do the design, but can't seem to get the button layout. Yours seem great. Can you sent it to me? crombeen@crombeen.tweakdsl.nl please. It has a huge inbox and I will remove it from here after receiving. I'm not bothered with spam though, cause this adress attracts hundreds a day allready (-:

[dawolv]

Hey Muppets I sent over the full 300 DPI over to you minus the text  
It looks really huge...but when I print it its the correct size...
I also sent over the template in case you are using Paint Shop Pro so you can tweak any part of it to your liking.

EDIT: I sent those over to your hotmail listed in your profile...D'oh

[dawolv]

Finally started some work on my CP.
I decided on 30 x 13 inches - I found a pretty cool Nebula for the background. Then added some Sunburst effect and shading/coloring in the center.


Here is My basic CP Layout:



Here is my idea of what to do with it (taking a break so only two Characters so far LOL):



Am I missing anything?
I think I may put the Spinner near the top or perhaps make a space for it to the bottom left of the Trackball? Im not sure if it would get in the way of the Trackball..  

I do have my Layout for anyone who would like to tweak it the way they would like it...the layers and shapes/objects are labeled and its pretty easy to move stuff or resize stuff.
You can change the transparency and background and filter it the way you want as well so your not stuck with the background Im using.
This was a big pain in the arse for me since I am not familiar with Graphic Art...so if anyone wants it just PM me an I will send it over, you just need Paint Shop Pro X3 or just the free trial of it should work too.

Yay Dinner Time!

Edit: For Poor Spelling 

[dawolv]

Ok got a little further this morning...beginning to wonder if I hit the cheezy wall 

[jimmy2x2x]

Im in the process of designing a similar panel, 2 sticks, 6 buttons each, 3" trackball, spinner - all the same controls

My biggest concern is slap space around the trackball, looking at yours at the moment - it has other controls very close above, left and right

Have you tried printing out a draft of the control panel, and have a test play with where the trackball is

try slapping it hard to the left and right

go for a big drive forward

I think it might be more comfortable with the trackball underneath its current position.

Just a thought, try and get a mockup done before you commit for everything - make sure its comfortable for you!

[dawolv]

Thanks Jimmy! I didnt think about how much 'operation' room I will need for the Trackball.
I will need to print this out and give a try.

I need to get my U-Trak on order but Ultimarc is not shipping until Aug 20th iirc. I didnt see the U-Trak on Arcade Emulators site.


Does anyone have their spinner mounted near the top (Near my Navigation Area)? Im wondering how comfortable that is and if it would be cramped up there too.

[dawolv]

Cool my Speaker grills came in yesterday 

[EvilNuff]

Nice start so far.  Are you willing to share your sketchup files for the cab design? 

Personally I like the cp without the characters...my preference is artwork that isn't cluttered or "busy".  Check out http://www.inkscape.org/ for a freeware open source vector graphics editor btw.

[Bender]

I Agree, I like your Basic CP art the best, those characters just look slapped on there for no reason

[drventure]

+1

Ditch the characters.

Personally, the script font doesn't seem right either, but maybe that's just a personal thing.

[JustMichael]

I vote for ditching the characters and tossing the words too from the wall (the wall looks right for some reason).  For the coin buttons, player 1 and player 2 buttons you can get artwork to go right on them.  This would also show that player 1 was on the left side so no need to state it twice.  What are all the navigation buttons for?  The only administrative buttons I have are Select/Exit (selects the game from the frontend and exits Mame to go back to the frontend), Pause, and Reset (for resetting Mame).  I use the select/exit and pause buttons a lot but not the 3rd.  I have a Mame'd Xevious cabinet so I put in 3 admin buttons because on my cab there is a metal piece up above the control panel that also goes over the lower edge of the glass.  The metal piece sits there even if the 3 screws aren't in there so I replaced them with mini-buttons from radio shack.

[dawolv]

Thanks guys for the feedback...I was wondering if it was getting too cheezy. You guys rock!
Ok so here it is without the Lettering and Characters:




Seems a little plain, like there is just something missing maybe less is better..I need to order my Marquee to complete that area and I would like the colors/theme tied into the CP.

What are your thoughts on placement for a Spinner (mostly for Tempest)?

Everything here is available for anyone who would like to have it...However I cannot find the right sketch-up...I think I may over written it!
I did most of the designing on the fly (shelving, divider, shelf pins, drawer, back doors etc) if you need any measurements let me know and I will post them  

EDIT: here is the full size picture of the Sketch up..I should probably post this one back on my first post

[RTSDaddy2]

Nice looking build - makes me wish I was starting another one!   I will have to agree with the guys, though I initially thought it looked good with the characters, I agree it's more becoming without them...they were distracting from the center artwork for me somehow.

Somebody asked you about using the Birch vs. MDF, and while it's personal taste, I could not agree with you more. At the time we started ours, we had not made a concrete decision of whether we were going to paint it or stain it. We wound up painting, but the patterns in the plywood made it possible to go either way.  Plus, like you said, that stuff is easier on the tools but solid as a rock. Ours has been together now for 5 years and the connections are still just as sturdy as they ever were.  If we ever move, though it'll take four or five adults to get it out of the house. HEAVY!

[ragnar]

Do you have a link to where you got the nebula from?  I might use the same image but differently.

[dawolv]

Thanks RTS! Yeah I was in the same boat with Plywood, its so versatile paint it, stain it, ...or in this case laminate it. And so sturdy and lightweight. It definately saved my back a few times when I had to move it in and out of the garage.
Why is yours so heavy?
I think if I do the X-Men Theme Barcade it may be out of MDF just to give it a shot. I may be using MDF on a garage project soon too.

Here is the link to the Nebula Image
If it doesnt work let me know I can send it over.
Cant wait to see what you got in mind for it...its a great picture.

[dawolv]

ok I came across another two images in my travels, I think they would also make a good Marquee with the Mame Logo centered across it.
I changed the dimensions to 31x15..

Take Two:



And again with a little Red vs Blue flavor:



 
Seems to be the hardest part....

[JustMichael]

Top control panel if you like space type games.  Bottom control panel if you like "fighters".  Both panel options look really nice.

[PsychoMikey]

Very nice artwork! 

I personaly like the bottom CP the best. It has a nice dynamic look to it and i like the color changes between player 1 and 2.

[emphatic]

+1 on the bottom one.

[megrog2]

Yea def the second cp

[dawolv]

Been busy again lately, but managed to move the Cab indoors as the oustide temps begin to plummet.

I decided to paint the Speaker Grills chrome instead of leaving them matte black.
Also ordered the smokey plexi from estreet plastics..very happy with what I got so far.
I also ordered the 1/8th Lexan (36x18) for my CP from eStreetPlastics.Com along with the Bezel Plexi (24x24) pretty good deal $44 for both pieces with shipping.

I set the Plexi in place with the bezel behind it, I left the mask/protectant on it in case it gets scratched up while finishing.
Hopefully it will look ok LOL



Door Opened revealing the shelves and the PC area:


Another view:


You can see the two back doors to the side there, the intent was for this cab to come apart easily so it could be moved around. So far its been a piece of cake  

[dawolv]

Ok so if you were wondering what the heck that stuff is at the top of the speaker area this is what it is:

I went to Michaels and saw this stuff sitting there:


I took it home and cut it..and spray painted it black...DONT SPRAY PAINT this stuff...it causes a wierd chemical reaction.
it sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies! And it will melt the material.

So I cut this out for the speakers to go in:


You can totally see where it melted due from the spray paint.
The speakers will sit snug and no light shines through the speaker grills so far.

[dawolv]

And finally here are some more renditions/revisions of the CP and Marquee.
All advice appreciated!

CP:


And the Marquee:


The Marquee feels like there is something missing...I tried some color tinting blue and orange but just doesnt seem right yet.

[Celsius]

Mind telling where you got that background...like it alot 

[dawolv]

Mind telling where you got that background...like it alot 

--- LINKY ---  

[releasedtruth]

Marquee has a decent background, but the stretch is a little weird. If you are willing to give the project a name, you could ditch the MAME logo and fill the space a little better

[Celsius]

Thanx...and yes i think this is the better choice  

[EvilNuff]

Thanks for the link, there are some pretty nice wallpapers there.

[dawolv]

I had some time to begin the cutting out my box for the CP.



The White spot here is Bondo, my clamp slipped a bit while I was flush trimming with the router so I had to repair the chunk that had gouged out.



And yep Im using MDF here, very dusty stuff...but like the mistake above, MDF is easily repairable.

Ive also bondo my edges and have them sanded down to recieve the paint.

I have a few coats of prime on them now and hopefull I will get some paint on them tonight or tomorrow  .

Ive decided to paint the outside of the CP box black and the inside blue, I was debating on going with a white interior but the blue on the shelf at Home Depot looked kinda slick and kind of matches my trim.

For fasteners I tried biscuit and Tightbond II on some scrap MDF but it broke, then I tried a Kreg joint with coarse screws that joint was very brittle.
I dont want the joints to show so I may try Kreg Joint on the bottom and then perhaps toss some biscuits and glue on the bottom panel as well as the side pieces.


Hopefully I will get some more pics up tonight or tomorrow.

[dawolv]

I got some spray paint on it last night and today, it still needs to dry all the way ... but I couldnt wait to see what it would look like so I slid the pieces together.






Still needs to be fastened and cleaned up, the pictures look pretty bad but it actually looks ok.

[dawolv]

Another update:
I was able to do some sanding and another coat.

After a few days of letting it sit I brought it inside to see what it would look like:

Out in the Garage for a few days:


Some quick pics on the table:






and one with a Plotter Print out of the CP on the cab:


I still need to clean it up a bit, then apply some protection...one step closer 

[severdhed]

looking good

[dawolv]

Well after a small break and alot of weather delays Ive dusted the old cab off and FINALLY got past one of my hurdles...the art work.
With some help from Vlad over at Game On Graphics it is finally completed   

Here is the FINAL art:


Here are the Marquee lights (from GGG) mounted..I used Tinfoil with Packing tape to protect it from ripping:



Here is the Artwork and the Marquee Lighting:


I also cut out my CP, Art, and Plexi:


Now onto the rest.... 

[DirtyDachshunds]

I'm glad you changed the artwork.  I don't know what it is about planets and marble looking paper that everyone has to have it on their control panel.

[dawolv]

Yeah me too Dachshunds! I really like the Homebrew Fusion art.

I put my order for Ultimarcs PAC LED64  
It will be a little awhile before I get to play with it...but cant wait to try it out!

In the meantime I've been making some progress while the temps have been in the balmy 20-30s  

This is what I used to attach my CP to the Cab, they are quick release and work very well!
I got them from Rockler..they were blue so they matched haha


Checking overall fit:


Smoky Plexi:

[Erik]

Looking very nice!  How do you like the led marquee backlighting? 

[Gatsu]

thats turning out awesome man. great job.

keep up the good work!

[dawolv]

Looking very nice!  How do you like the led marquee backlighting? 

Love it! My camera on the other hand...


Here is the "250mm" Fan

Room lights On:


In the Dark:




Yeah my camera really sucks! 

[britinva]

Coming along sweet!

Interested in some details on your CP layout  as I'm having trouble deciding on mine (just looking a a 2 player like yours).

I see your using U360 (UltraStik 360?) Joysticks ...... are you using 2? And is this for the auto switching of 4 to 8 way?

I understand the UltraStik 360 has 8 button inputs but see you have total 19 buttons - so are you adding another encoder?

Thanks,
Mark

[dawolv]

Thanks Mark!

I will be using two U360s, I have one now and one on the way each one will have its own encoder harness 
I just need to remember I have to assign them an ID before I plug them both in.
So far it automatically adjusts itself to the game, pretty slick!
I do rememember there was a file you could edit to assign each game a 4 way, 8 way, 2 way or Qbert diagonal..that file could have been in the frontend but I havnt had to use it yet.

I am using an Encoder for 6 of the 8 inputs, it operates like a gamepad and Mame, Hyperspin and GameEx have all recognized the buttons.
However I did buy the IPac for Coin in, Pause, P1, P2 start etc. The minipac may have worked but ...

Once I get both the U360s installed then I can give you a better of how they are getting along 
Let me know if I can help!

I see your project is also starting

[britinva]

Yes - my project is starting, first purchase today (slot cutter - got same as you off Amazon)/ Looks like going to be warm this weekend so will be getting MDF and cutting oin drive.

A few more Q's if you don't mind:
1) I assume the U360 comes with the harness - said on website its optional (assume means you don't use it if your not connecting buttons as couldn't see it in the store)
2) Did you get yours dirtect from Ultimarc - are they best deal?
3) You say "automatically adjusts itself to the game" - so your using GameEx and your not have to tell it to switch betwenn 4-way & 8-way?

I'm going to have a total of 20 buttons (I think  ) I need to decide if to use a separate control or use a 'shift' button like emphatic has mentioned in my thread.

4) What swayed you to a separate encoder?
5) What one are you using?

OK enough questions 

Thanks,
'Mark

[dawolv]

Lets see if I can help..

1) No, it does NOT come with a harness you have buy those seperately. Those are $8 each. With a little patience, you can make your own if you like.

2) I got mine from Ultimarc however you can also purchase them state side from Arcade Emulator , it ships really fast from Ultimarc in the UK!

3) Yep auto does it!

4) I wanted seperate buttons to perform seperate functions and the ability to add more if I needed. Also I could just use the Ipac2 instead of the harness if I ever wanted too. I only ended up with 6 extra buttons (P1 Start, P1 Credit, P2 Start, P2 Credit, Pause, and Back). I may add one more to bring up CP Wizard...so yeah future expansion I guess. 

5) IPAC2 from Ultimarc

Keep em coming 

[britinva]

Hey - you might regret saying that 

Thanks for answers.

[dawolv]

/sigh another road block...

I drilled out for 1 1/8 and tried a Happ, Generic, Spectralight, and a Ultralux, I settled on the Ultralux and ordered all Ultralux buttons with the RGB connectors!
For me the Spectralight was a very close first choice...however I really like the PAC LED64 board and how easy it would be to connect it with the RGB harness (School/Work/Family  = No time  ).
But ... the Ultralux's I recieved are about 1/8 too large! The ones I recieved will only fit a 1 1/4 hole!!  



Very very frustrating!      

The white ultralux is not the same as the blue ultralux - The white one is 1/8 larger, has a jewel like rim, and the 'collar' is much more longer.



On the plus side, I got my additional U360 and now have both installed...but a fruitless victory without my buttons!  


Ok I need to go and breathe now while Andy works on what went wrong and hopefully gets me a quick ETA  

[britinva]

Wow - what a PITA. I'm sure things will work out in the end - albeit a bit slower.

[Dlude]

Hey awesome build so far......pity about the oversize button, maybe a bit of Dremel work might help.

Got your PM dawolv, but I cant reply for some reason.....can you use the email addy I sent you.

Cheers

[n88n]

great looking build.  I never get tired of seeing the black and blue cabs.  So Sharp!

[dawolv]

Ok so what to do when the Temps plummet again?

...Play with the PAC LED 64  and LED BLinky!



The board is about 3 inches by about 2 inches. Those harnesses is just simply awesome!

Man my camera stinks haha

[Nephasth]

But ... the Ultralux's I recieved are about 1/8 too large! The ones I recieved will only fit a 1 1/4 hole!! 

Crazy, the specs on the buttons say the diameter is 28mm, just an RCH under 1 1/18".

What's the total number of LEDs you'll be controlling with the PACLED64?

[dawolv]

Yeah Andy got the buttons figured out, seems I was sent the wrong ones he is re-sending the correct ones (hopefully I will get them soon), he is also letting me keep the old ones.

I will be controlling 18 RGB lights  

[Nephasth]

How many of those will be under blue buttons? Or was the pic of the blue button just to show the difference between that and the white ones you got?

[dawolv]

They will all be white buttons

The video is a bit rough...



Here it is Loading 10 Yard Fight: Speaking the game name then the controls.
I pressed pause and it repeats the Controls.
It lights all lights when it says "10 Yard Fight"
Then Light up my the Coin to Green, the P1 to White, The Pause to Yellow, and the Lateral button to Red




I still have alot of tweaking to do  
Edit: PAC LED64 AND Led Blinky 

[Nephasth]

No video at work, I'll have to check it out when I get home.

[dawolv]

How many of those will be under blue buttons? Or was the pic of the blue button just to show the difference between that and the white ones you got?

I ordered the blue one for a test; I actually ordered 1 of each blue button from Happ, Spectralight(GGG), Generic, and Ultralux(Ultimarc).
They each have a different feel so I thought it worth to try them all out before I got stuck with a button that I wasnt totally happy with. 

[dawolv]

I finally got back home from a short business trip and I found my UltraLux Pushbuttons from Andy!   

On the RGB Ultralux's the wiring can get in the way of the plunger that connects to the switch.
Sometimes the little switch will press down all the way sometimes not, the plunger or "foot" of the pushbutton makes contact with the wiring and prevents a good contact.

So here is my tip for the RGB Buttons...First my mistakes 

I tried to Split the wires in pairs around the bayonet...didnt work too well but better


Next I was a little more drastic.. Mistake Number Two
I clipped the "foot" off.


So far so good right?



Ok maybe not, the button kind of lays sideways:




Finally I decided Hmmm we are not using the Male connectors on the side I wonder if I can pry them off:


It makes it much easier to gently pry the connector out while it is within the button.


So far so good...and the final result!
The cables are out of the way!






I hope this will help the next guy.

 

[dawolv]

Got the CP wiring done 



Still tweaking LED Blinky.

[Nephasth]

I hope this will help the next guy.

 

This helped me out with my Two-headed Beast RGB wire routing. Thanks man!