Two-Headed Beast -- Finished

[AlienInferno]

My guess is something to do with joysticks.  Maybe they mount ontop of the joystick plate to give the dust washer something to ride on without ruining paint/graphics.   

[Nephasth]

My guess is something to do with joysticks.

 

I tore apart one of the CPs this morning to see how they'd look. So here you go:

Lights in room on, LED off.


Lights in room on, LED on.


Lights in room off, LED on.


The options coming out for RGB balltops has been great, but there isn't an option available for JLWs yet, let alone U360s (without getting a machinist to do some work). Also, I don't know what the smoke color of my balltops would do to the light. So I came up with the idea of edge lighting some plexi just under the CP and above the dust washer. In the pics, there is only an LED on one edge of the plexi (and the protective film is still in place, good eye BadMouth). When these are finished being installed, there will be one LED on each edge of these plexi plates. What do you guys think?

[yotsuya]

Nice idea, and it shouldn't affect gameplay! 

[GIZMOGAMES]

nice and simple solution to lite your joystick and one in each corner should create an even glow
 i guess those invaders are giving you more ideas i was going to say there mounting plates for turncogs that will rotate the invaders left and right like a pendulum haha
only kidding

[mgb]

the lit joysticks look real slick!!
 what you're doing with lighting on this cab is simply amazing 

[yotsuya]

Neph-

Are you going to do RGB, or just blue?

[AlienInferno]

Everything else is RGB he HAS to do RGB on these as well.

[Nephasth]

Nice idea, and it shouldn't affect gameplay! 

nice and simple solution to lite your joystick

the lit joysticks look real slick!!
 what you're doing with lighting on this cab is simply amazing 

Thanks guys! These have been boiling in the thought box for a little while now.

Everything else is RGB he HAS to do RGB on these as well.

 

Neph-

Are you going to do RGB, or just blue?

RGBs. I'll be using the same RGB LEDs that are in those LED strips I used for the Invaders and marquee, but each one will be wired individually to my PACLED64s (no resistors required). I have just enough spare outputs between both my PACLED64s to light up 4 RGBs per joystick, leaving just 2 outputs to spare between both of them. Here's the LEDs I've got coming for these.

[Nephasth]

I have just enough spare outputs between both my PACLED64s to light up 4 RGBs per joystick, leaving just 2 outputs to spare between both of them.

Minor miscalculation. I forgot about the coin reject button LEDs being wired to the PACLED64s. I'll have to reduce the number of RGBs per joystick down to 3...

[Nephasth]

Hardware finally showed up from Fastenal and was able to make a little progress yesterday. First thing I did was remove the monitor glass brackets and upper marquee retainer. Drilled the holes a little larger and installed some 8-32 threaded inserts. Reinstalled the brackets (minus the right side monitor glass bracket) and finished them off with some new 8-32 torx screws.

Next I pulled the bezel, disconnected the monitor chassis, pulled the tube out of the front, and pulled the chassis with frame out of the back (won't fit through the front). After all that, I was finally able to make my access holes.

Fresh cuts, no clean up.


Look at the size of that holesaw!

It has served its purpose...

With the big holes cut, I could get access to the backside of the front panel and mount the Invaders. That top one was the biggest ---smurfette---, and I could just barely reach the top screw to tighten it (still need to go back and straighten him a little).


View from the top down, so you can see how they're mounted.


I need to make the wiring harness from the Invaders to just inside the main part of the cab before I stuff that monitor back in.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...

[Le Chuck]

I need a set of invaders shipped to my home address.  You can make new or just take them off your cab.  Your choice.   

[Mental]

Really nice work, especially the wiring and LED work. Keep it up!

[Nephasth]

I need a set of invaders shipped to my home address.  You can make new or just take them off your cab.  Your choice.   

LEDs and all?!? You're nuts Chuckster!

Really nice work, especially the wiring and LED work. Keep it up!

Thanks man! This thing is almost done...


Got home from work today, played a game of Gorf (scored a new personal best ), and started on the Invader harness. Lit one of them up to check it out. The camera exaggerated the reflection in the second pic.





Got lots of clean up to do, left the game room a mess last night. Hoping to get the marquee done this weekend...

[GIZMOGAMES]

lol you were using rgb leds for the invaders or are they 1 color i didnt remember
And oh boy that cp is SMEXXXXXXY  
and btw i found my solution in the end, but thanks for the help

[Nephasth]

Got the assembly of the marquee finished up today. I cut a piece of plexi just big enough to cover the cutout letters. Taped it into place and marked the corners. Laid this over the letters to mark the holes for the bolts and harnesses. I removed the plexi and painted the back side with some flat black and let it dry over night. This morning I JB Welded the plexi to the backside of the marquee.

Backside.


Front.


Installed the letters on the marquee and reinstalled the marquee in the cab.


Next up is to make the harness for the marquee. Curious to see how the light will reflect off the marquee...

[zato1ch1]

So smoov!!

[yotsuya]

I gotta admit--- your photos today gave me wood.

[CoryBee]

I gotta admit--- your photos today gave me wood.

I second that....

[Woodshop Flunky]

Wow!  So many things to like about your cab! 

[Nephasth]

I gotta admit--- your photos today gave me wood.

I gotta admit--- your photos today gave me wood.

I second that....

Well just make sure you guys can hold out until the end!

So smoov!!

Thanks man!

Wow!  So many things to like about your cab! 

Likewise!

Got my LEDs in from China today. I was hoping that I'd get my standoffs for my interface panel (that were ordered 2 weeks before these LEDs and from the states... ), but I'll have to do what I can with what I have. Started preparing the LEDs for installation. I've only been soldering for just over a year (and only a little here and there), but man am I glad I had the practice! These solder points are so tiny! I hope I never come across anything smaller...



Pretty surprised they still work after the solder job. 2 down, 10 to go...

[CoryBee]

Nice solder job for a years practice. Your worst nightmare then would be these! SMD leds and components!!!!



Try soldering onto those contacts hahaha

[Nephasth]

Finished soldering the LEDs the other day. Finished installing the Micro-fit Molex connectors on them this morning. Installed the RGBs in the left CP (still need to install the plates on the right side). I made some little test harnesses to tap into existing button RGBs to test these LEDs with the PACLED64 and to see how even the ring would light. Turned out pretty good. There's a little bit of a "hot spot" on the top of the ring, but it's not too distracting. Love the fact that I can use these RGBs with the PACLED64 without any resistors. They're the same brightness as the IL-lumination RGBs that have resistors installed. These will be pretty slick once it's all wired up. For some reason, people not familiar with arcade machines try grasping the right joystick (P3 or P4) and use the lit buttons on the left (P1 or P2). Lighting the joysticks should help them out a little...

White up close.


Green from player's perspective.


Red from a distance.

[Malenko]

I wont lie, I get giddy everytime I see an update to this thread. Looks AWESOME bro. How much for you to make me some LED'ed joystick light thingies? I just need 2 =D lol

[Nephasth]

I wont lie, I get giddy everytime I see an update to this thread. Looks AWESOME bro.

  Thanks man!

How much for you to make me some LED'ed joystick light thingies? I just need 2 =D lol

You mean the NephRings^TM? I'll shoot you a PM a little later, got to get ready for work now.

[Santoro]

Love those.   I am certainly going to steal that idea if I decide to rework my CP.

[bsktbllmn23]

This cab build is one of the reasons that I have been so motivated to get my arse in gear and build my own.

Such nice work!

[TopJimmyCooks]

So what's left to do on that thing?  Pop in the monitor, crimp the last 200 or so molex connectors, wire up 20 more LED controllers and fire it up!  Crank up the black metal and Bob's yer uncle!  Let the draw from the thousand RGB LED's cause a brown-out in your neighborhood. 

  DO IT 

[Nephasth]

Love those.   I am certainly going to steal that idea if I decide to rework my CP.

Thanks! Feel free, I would love to see this on other cabs.

This is cab build is one of the reasons that I have been so motivated to get my arse in gear and build my own.

Such nice work!

Welcome to the forum, and thanks! Looking forward to seeing yours when you get it going.

So what's left to do on that thing?  Pop in the monitor, crimp the last 200 or so molex connectors, wire up 20 more LED controllers and fire it up!  Crank up the black metal and Bob's yer uncle!  Let the draw from the thousand RGB LED's cause a brown-out in your neighborhood. 

  DO IT 

I put the monitor back in a couple days ago. I've got about 7 harnesses to build, need to mount the LED-Wiz to the interface panel, finally get to wiring up the right side coin door, install the NephRings^TM and RGBs in the right side CP... and that's pretty much it build wise! Easy going from here on out!

[Nephasth]

Some of you may be interested in this... All parts have been purchased to see this project to its intended completion. For shitsNgigs, this morning I added up all of my purchases, subtracted the parts I've sold from the machine, and took into account the many freebies. The grand total for the Two-Headed Beast comes to right around $850 +/- a couple of tokens.
Don't tell my wife.

[AlienInferno]

I don't think that's bad. I'm almost 100% positive I've spent over a grand on mine. That includes most of the tools I needed though. The router, mdf, and a few other pieces was $500 by themselves. Then there are the pieces I had to buy two of because of mistakes. Still I'm happy with what I spent. It's a fun project that also became a learning experience a few times.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

[BadMouth]

Some of you may be interested in this... All parts have been purchased to see this project to its intended completion. For shitsNgigs, this morning I added up all of my purchases, subtracted the parts I've sold from the machine, and took into account the many freebies. The grand total for the Two-Headed Beast comes to right around $850 +/- a couple of tokens.
Don't tell my wife.

That's not bad at all for all the custom stuff you have going on.
I ended up with around $700 in my $50 driving cab and it's still just a pc wheel bolted onto a cab.
(I've since spent hundreds more experimenting with different hacks and steering setups)

My next update to the current build will include a custom made air vent that only cost me around $30 and two evenings to make.   
(but it's light proof    )

[Nephasth]

Been getting a little work done here and there lately, nothing really worth taking pics over though. My P1 U360 was starting to get stiff, I tore it apart and lubed it up with some silicone grease (good as new now!). I did the same to P2's U360 while I was installing the joystick lighting plates and LEDs on the right side CP. Got the last of my hardware last night from UPS. This afternoon I took the interface panel out of the cab to retrofit it with the new hardware and install the LED-Wiz. I swapped out the screws with nuts for threaded female-female standoffs, I'll also be ditching the nuts on the 1/4" screws that mount the panel inside the cab and will be using some of those spacers I have left over from mounting the cab lighting. This will make it much easier and quicker if I ever need to take a board out or the whole panel out (although I hope this will be the last time). Here's the interface panel (the LED-Wiz dwarfs the other boards)...



All that's left now is wiring!

[Ond]

Just wanted to add my comments.... This a great build from the quality of the craftsmanship, attention to detail in fittings, wiring and refurbishment to the choice of theme and lighting.  I love the steel and black, it just works really well.  Strong theme that still looks authentically Arcade.  Top stuff.

[alfonzotan]

Steve Jobs would love this project.  Gorgeous inside and out.

[Malenko]

Steve Jobs would love this project.  Gorgeous inside and out.

yeah but Neph is actually doing something, not drinking fruit juice thinking it'll cure cancer.

[TopJimmyCooks]

I'm surprised you let that LEDwiz anywhere near your unit, with those screw terminals.  Where's the connector Love?   

[Nephasth]

Just wanted to add my comments.... This a great build from the quality of the craftsmanship, attention to detail in fittings, wiring and refurbishment to the choice of theme and lighting.  I love the steel and black, it just works really well.  Strong theme that still looks authentically Arcade.  Top stuff.

It's pretty awesome getting a compliment such as this from someone with a far greater skillset than myself. Thank you, you're work is truly inspiring!

Steve Jobs would love this project.  Gorgeous inside and out.

Thanks man!

Steve Jobs would love this project.  Gorgeous inside and out.

yeah but Neph is actually doing something, not drinking fruit juice thinking it'll cure cancer.

 

I'm surprised you let that LEDwiz anywhere near your unit, with those screw terminals.  Where's the connector Love?   

Jimmy, you know me all too well!



I hate screw terminals. It's not pretty, but it'll do the trick.

[yotsuya]

That looks tight, bro. 

[Trip]

I seriously need to stay out of this thread, every time I come in here my wallet gets considerably lighter.

[Le Chuck]

I seriously need to stay out of this thread, every time I come in here my wallet gets considerably lighter.

You have to pay to get in?

Why didn't I think of that?!