Routing depth for Nintendo jostick?

[Chris]

I  have a Nintendo (DK Jr.) 4-way balltop joystick.  It has a very short shaft.  I've seen pictures of one mounted beneath a wooden control panel (at http://www.arcadeobsession.com/dkjrjoystick.html), but the stick is so short I have to imagine that I need to route out a place for it.  Does anyone have one of these sticks on their panel?  If so, do you have any suggesttions as to routing depth?

--Chris

[spidermonkey]

I'm not sure but I'll bet you'll have to route down to about a 1/4" thickness to achieve the normal height for that stick. Heres what I'd like to know. I seem to remember the Nintendo cabinets (DK,DK Junior popeye style ect..) had a polycarbonate or acrylic sheet over the cp so I never could figure out wether those cabs had a metal or wood control panel. I'm guessing wood with a thin mounting plate for the joystick but who could tell since they came with the plexi protector right out of the factory. Maybe someone who has one of these cabs could shed some light on this. Someone around here is bound to have one so I would hold off on the routing until you here from someone who has one of these. I'm sure they could give you a more accurate answer to your prob. With the exception of the fully restored ones there aren't many empty Nintendo cabs in that style laying around anymore because they were one of most cheaply made cabs around in those days. They were made out of partical board (crap) and were held together with staples rather then nails or screws. As a result many of them just fell apart over time because of either moisture or just becoming rickidy and flimsy from being moved around from location to location. They just didn't weather very well compared to other brands of cabinets of that era. Paige Oliver knows his $hit when it comes to cab designs so I wouldn't be suprized if he chimes in on this thread and gives you the help you need.

[Chris]

Hmm... I'm looking at a Donkey Kong panel photo, and it may be relevant:



The panel is clearly wood, as evidenced by the button holes, but the joystick is right u against the veray, implying that it's installed through the top of the panel!  On the other hand, that's not the original CP overlay, so the whole CP may not be original....

Heres what I'd like to know. I seem to remember the Nintendo cabinets (DK,DK Junior popeye style ect..) had a polycarbonate or acrylic sheet over the cp so I never could figure out wether those cabs had a metal or wood control panel.

Here's what http://home.nc.rr.com/ellis1701/davesarcade/donkeykong/renovation/dkrenovation.html has to say on the subject:

"Unfortunately, DK3 used a metal control panel with the CPO glued to the surface. Donkey Kong used a wood CP with a Plexiglas overlay bolted onto it."

So we have a bit more info, but no definitive answer.