"Blows dust off post" ** Cough *** Cough **
It's been a horribly long time since I posted an update - I think it's due.
Back in September I put this project on hold. I had come to the realization that I was confused and had NO IDEA where I was going with this project and that with out a plan or clear vision I was doomed to failure and would have likely ended up hating the experience.
So I put on the breaks and started to think and research. I asked questions here, to KLOV members and when February came along - I got back to work.
Before I get into it - I want to thank everyone who has commented on this thread and my other posts on various subjects across these forums- you've all contributed in big and small ways.
THE PLAN: Convert gutted Robotron cab to MAME with the following features:
- 19in CRT
- 2 Plyrs (U360s), 6 buttons each
- Spinner *Decided against the high-low
- Light Guns
- Removable/storable Foot Pedals
- Lit Buttons (leafs, if I can afford it)
- Custom Graphics
I didn't go with a restoration to a dedicated cab for a simple reason - I'm not ready for it, I'd rather wait and restore a more complete cab.
(NOTE: I lost all the pictures I took of this stage - the missus apologizes - she thought I had already downloaded them to my PC.
)
That being said - I got to work by first removing the CP (and piano hinge) and the lower part of the the marquee where the single speaker was located (I had already removed the fluorescent - I'm going to use LED to light the marquee). The speaker was toast and the grill covering it was broken. I decided that I would replace the piece with a new piece of 3/4in russian-ply cut to accommodate two 4" speakers (and covers) salvaged from some old speakers that came from a RCA theater-in-a-box kit - hooked up to a 2.1 channel t-amp I picked up on ebay. Easy peasy.
Next I removed the old feet supports - notice that the previous owner had already removed about an inch of material from the bottom of the cab - judging by the rust on the feet probably water damage - I'll fix those edges with Bondo. I initially was going to install new feet - but I opted to install wheels instead - 2 fixed, 2 rotating with breaks. All I did was drilled holes and used carriage bolts to secure - I'll cut those bolts down later with my dremel.
I then tackled removing the laminate applied by the previous owner of this gutted cab. Luckily - the contact cement didn't adhere well and the laminate peeled off with just a little coaxing. FYI - if you ever need to remove stubborn laminate that has been applied to a painted or non-porus surface you can use an iron to help soften the glue enough to get a tool in there to help lift.
I almost wished I didn't remove the laminate - the cab sides had been painted 3 or 4 times (not including the glue residue) and hid a multitude of deep scratches, dents and nicks. As the saying goes, "Paint can hide a multitude of sins."
Using my little sander to remove the glue residue was out of the question, the glue being old could be removed manually by rubbing the surface with a leather work glove (works surprisingly well - but slow). I ended up using the paint stripper I planned to use to remove the paint - I didn't know it at the time that I purchased it but the stripper could also dissolve glue and epoxy. After 2 applications the paint and glue nearly slid off the cabinet sides - exposing the old Robotron side art - which sadly was in bad shape (I had hoped to salvage it - wishful thinking). The top-layer of the the plywood had begun to split and bubble in areas and the cab sides had gone through a lot of abuse. Repairs weren't difficult - just time consuming - but once done and edges repaired by bondo it looked very good - especially after the first coat of primer.
I pulled out the camera and took a pic of the cab as it is now (see attached - I apologize for the poor quality, I'll take another in the daytime when there's better lighting) - sides primed and sanded (twice), the rest of the surfaces are also sanded. I'm not going to paint the first coat of black until I've finished building & installing the shelving for the PC, the gun holsters, pedal plugs, et cetera.
NEXT POST: The CP and the great graphics/cab name/controls waffle. Be seeing you,
WonderAlex
** UPDATE: Better pic of the cab.