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Mame Cab Build (Northcoast Kit) (Complete, Updated 6/1/11)
jmike:
WOW, that is an awesome looking mallet!
Seriously though, good luck with your build and remember take plenty of pics.
:cheers:
WindDrake:
Here's s'more info for the weekend.
So, a few things have happened.
I got the Sideart/Marquee/CPO Friday from GameOnGrafix. It looks amazing!
I tested the speakers and amplifier. Sounds great.
I got the Red/Blue Coin Door reject inserts installed with custom inserts. Looks great!
I found the inserts at ArcadeCab.com. http://www.arcadecab.com/CabinetPlans2/CabinetPlans2_Door.html
Speaking of Tokens, I had to modify my coin mechs to take anything I shoved in them. I don't care what, as I primarily would be running tokens of all shape/sizes.
Here's a pic of the Mechs I have (Suzo-Happ 0.25$ Ultimechs.)
I want to run tokens and stuff, so I had to make some changes.
Now the mechs take whatever I give them. Tokens, quarters, nickels, Susan B.'s, whatever fits. The ramp was required because without the rotating tumbler, the coins would get stuck. The ramp's angle is important so coins don't just fall through or get stuck in the reject side.
I built the ramp out of a small ziptie chunk, super glue, and some modeling epoxy I had been using at the time (was helping a friend assemble Warhammer 40,000 Models.)
WindDrake:
Quick update before I hit the hay.
Cab arrived today. Construction began. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.
No boards arrived damaged, but the Plexi monitor overlay was incorrectly cut. I fixed that.
My monitor also sits about 3" too low to be comfortably viewable. I'm going to fix that by stacking 3 8x8x1 peices of wood/mdf ontop of eachother as a raised platform, then dropping lag bolts through the whole stack and the monitor shelf, as well as the monitor's foot to secure it all into position.
No pictures came out well, so I'll leave you with this. The cab itself's instructions are straight forward. It's simple. The thing's also a ---smurfing--- tank. For Particle Board, it's REALLY SOLID. There was one damaged board, but it' s in a spot you can't see (inside, top), so I don't really care. If it was a bigger issue, I'd have Northcoast send me a new one, but meh. It's fine. It's a minor split.
WindDrake:
Here's the recap for the weekend.
As it stands, the cab is 80% complete. I started building it on Friday Evening. I think I've got about 20 manhours into this freaking thing.
The trackball was a surprise. A Highball mounting plate has DIFFERENT MOUNTING DIMENSIONS then the regular trackball! So, I had to modify things. With a mini-hacksaw. Ugh.
Ugly, but it works.
The control panel wiring came next.
Not pretty, but it works fine.
Then the CP top.
I also installed an Admin switch to disable the coin buttons on top. This works by switching the coin button's shared ground.
Then the monitor was too low. MDF Squares to the rescue! (8x8x3/4")
This pic here has the amplifier in the image as well, which is mounted to the rear of the screen (keeping it away from the PC.)
And the test-run..
I still need to touch up the edges of the CPO. The white underlay shows through. Sharpie or oil pen to the recue, there. I may also touch it over with varnish or something to protect the edges. Admittedly, I suck at cutting vinyl.
Last pic will be of the bezel, taken about midnight last night. I'll have a better pic up once I paint the exposed wood edges of the plexi retainer. You can see the bezel I made. It's not terribly pretty, constructed of black-core black foamcore board after I accidentally turned the original cutout into a trapezoid. Oops. But thankfully with the plexi in place, it actually looks quite good!
More to come later today when I get home and finish this beast!
DirtyDachshunds:
Very nice. Looks a lot like the cab I just finished. Some people will flame you for the large CP but it comes in handy for some serious 4P turtles action!
cowabunga!