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Author Topic: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March  (Read 15443 times)

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bigmatty77

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Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« on: January 29, 2012, 02:29:49 pm »
1st of all, let me thank all the contributors to this forum.. in the planning of my build i've been able to find the answers to any of my questions somewhere in these great boards  :cheers:, my meagre post count doesn't reflect the unhealthy amount of time i've spent here the last couple of months  :lol  

I've gone back and forth on ideas of what i was actually going to build, but being as i have practically zero woodworking ability i've decided to start simple....

I'll be building a 2 player upright. 8-way sticks, 6 buttons per player. After looking at a few build threads i decided that lokesens fantastic Tait-O-Rama would be my primary guideline

http://www.koenigs.dk/mame/eng/steptaitorama.htm

My side pieces were taken directly from his measurements, so 18mm MDF was purchased and i made a start, felt good to finally get to cutting after lots of planning...

1st side was cut with my jigsaw, used a straight edge as a guide and did the curve freehand (very nerve-wracking!)



Using my newly bought router and a pattern cutting bit i made a duplicate for the other side, i also attached the wooden supports ready for the back panel



Next i made the bottom part for my cp, i mitred the edges at work and added an extra wooden strut for strength. i then glued and screwed the bottom and the front face together



The extra button under th cp will be the exit/escape button.
I've been given a load of scrap MDF from work which will be used for the interior panels, its a bit messy on one side but is fine as it will be the interior of the cab and not seen.

All of which brings me to today where i've started the cab assembly



Not bad for a couple of days of work!

Apologies for the poor mobile phone pics, now the build has moved indoors i will break out the proper camera for my next updates   :)

« Last Edit: March 17, 2012, 06:00:17 pm by bigmatty77 »

wp34

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2012, 02:32:28 pm »
Looking good so far.  That's an impressive curve considering you did it freehand.  Nice work.   :cheers:

monkey puzzle

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2012, 05:03:04 pm »
Nice work. I wanted to do curved sides just like this in my cab, but gave up because I thought it would be too tricky. Looks like you've managed it well though.

How tall is your cab? It looks like the marquee is pointing up in the air but I guess that would be ok if it's a short cab and/or you are tall.

nordemoniac

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2012, 06:52:37 am »
Nice work. I wanted to do curved sides just like this in my cab, but gave up because I thought it would be too tricky.
I really recommend a router. A lot of them have a bracket included, which you fasten to the (future) scrap board, choose your radius, and route away :)

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2012, 12:32:26 pm »
Thanks guys.

Was happy with how the radius came out by hand, was just a matter of taking my time, being a noob to woodworking it never occured to me to use the router bracket  :D

@monkey puzzle, the height of the cab is just under 1.7m, i believe the dimensions on lokesens site are based off the original Taito cabs. i've test fitted the screen angle and it looks great to me  :)

PIZZ

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2012, 04:55:30 pm »
Cool build! I also just started a build from Koenig's plans too. On your CP are you leaving room for access to the underside? I was thinking of a piano hinge to flip it over in order to get to the wiring easily. Seems like a pain in the ass to have to go under the cab every time you want to swap out a part
« Last Edit: January 31, 2012, 05:37:50 pm by stankwho »

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2012, 11:37:32 am »
So 6 inches of snow here in the UK has stalled my progress this weekend, that said i did manage to get a couple of things done...

I made some progress on my monitor surround/bezel, monitor was bought as a 19" from ebay, but actual measurement is closer to 20", its an LG Flatron. I've playtested MAME and a bunch of console emus on it set at 640 x 480 and i'm very happy with it for the £30 i paid.

I'm using some of the scrap MDF i had from work for the bezel, its 10mm thick but i'll be routing a 5mm lip around the edge of the monitor hole.

Poor quality phone pic of routing the lip on the back of the bezel...



This was what i was going for...



Perfect! (or as close as my skill set will allow  :D ) But i made an error in the measurements somewhere, the other side was flush with the edge of the screen...



At least it was an error in my favour and easily solved...



Done. :) I also managed to make a start on my cp. Test fitting of my parts...



I was thinking of a piano hinge to flip it over in order to get to the wiring easily.

This will be exactly what i will do, i'm using the Zippy sticks which are switchable from 4/8 way from the bottom, so i'll need quick access when i want to play those classics. Good luck with your build PIZZ  :cheers:

Hoping for better weather this week so i can finish construction of the main shell of the cabinet. More updates soon.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2012, 11:51:16 am by bigmatty77 »

Louis Tully

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2012, 01:54:54 pm »
.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2015, 05:21:15 am by Louis Tully »

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2012, 02:19:46 pm »
Still up in the air at the moment, seeing as its based on a Taito cab, i was thinking of throwing either a Bubble Bobble or Rastan Marquee on there, won't be adding full side art (at least not initially!  ;) ) I'll be painting the sides black and will be using yellow t-molding, my yellow buttons and ball tops are on route  ;D, so that really just leaves the cp, i'm open to suggestions...

Funny how its generally the artwork that makes the cab, but its the area i've given the least thought to  :dizzy:
« Last Edit: February 05, 2012, 02:54:44 pm by bigmatty77 »

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2012, 01:12:36 pm »
Another weekend of working on my cab and another update  ;D

Finished a lot more of the assembly work on the cab itself, top and bottom of marquee box has now been attached, as well as the base. This is where my lack of woodworking skills became apparent as some of the pieces didn't quite line up, the hot glue and wood filler came into play here :laugh:



Also added the T-mold slot

The second most expensive item in this build so far  :laugh:





All screw holes are now filled as well and have been sanded smooth, as far as woodwork goes, i just need to attach my front door (still need to get hinges) and cut my speaker panel, hoping to have that done this week so i can get her primed next weekend.

Back inside and test fitting the monitor and cp for angle and see how they look together (Blue buttons will be switched out for the yellow ones when completed)



Had to fire up the pc too, really getting a sense for how this thing is going to look now



More updates soon   :)

Louis Tully

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2012, 01:33:53 pm »
.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2015, 05:22:05 am by Louis Tully »

elkameleon

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 12th Feb
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2012, 01:34:03 pm »
You just made the biggest mistake in this hobby... making it playable before its finished. I hope you like the look of MDF, cause you ain't ever gonna paint it now! :laugh2:

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 12th Feb
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2012, 01:49:17 pm »
The cp isn't wired up yet, if you'll notice the Street Fighter stick in the one pic, this is what i've been using for configuring my emus (there's a cthulu pcb in there thats going in the cab for P1) so technically my mame pc has been playable for a while, i'm hoping the fact that i've already logged quite a few hours will dissuade me from too much playing before completion but we'll see  ;D

dandare

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 12th Feb
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2012, 02:56:40 pm »
Sweet stuff man.  Looking great! :applaud:

Thanks for putting my project to shame! he-he.  ;D

elkameleon

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - slimline upright cabinet
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2012, 04:27:28 pm »
Had to fire up the pc too, really getting a sense for how this thing is going to look now

That's one of my favorite steps of the build.
Plug it in, fire it up and...



Looks great, man.
Points for the Office tie-in.

PIZZ

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 12th Feb
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2012, 10:55:25 pm »
Looking great! Im itching to get my CP on and running. Im looking to do a similar layout. Did you find a flaw in the plans for the speaker mounting area? I dont think it specifies the angle cut for the speaker hole panel.

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 12th Feb
« Reply #16 on: February 13, 2012, 12:25:57 pm »
Did you find a flaw in the plans for the speaker mounting area? I dont think it specifies the angle cut for the speaker hole panel.


I remember reading something about this in another thread based on these plans, to be honest other than the sides, i didn't stick too close to the plans, i'm kind of just freeballing and taking ideas from other builds. I cut the speaker panel today and looks like it fits fine on mine.

@dandare, i hadn't seen your build before but it looks awesome m8 (and much tidier than mine  :laugh: ), have you made any progress on it lately?

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 12th Feb
« Reply #17 on: February 29, 2012, 03:41:04 pm »
So now the woodwork is pretty much done, the dreaded paintwork stage of the project is currently underway, i managed to borrow a pad sander and a decent sanding block, so thats taking the sting out of the sanding at least..

So heres where i'm at after 2 coats of primer/undercoat..





The finish is ok, its smoother than i thought it would be. Still undecided whether or not i need to give the outside another coat before i move on to the black gloss though, the inside still needs work as well, T-molding has been ordered tonight so its all coming together  ;D

nordemoniac

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 29th Feb - Paintwork :(
« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2012, 08:26:40 am »
Do some light sanding, and do another layer - Once you have painted, it's no way back. And we both know that you'll be here swearing when it's not as glossy as you wanted it  :lol

Turambar

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 29th Feb - Paintwork :(
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2012, 11:33:43 am »
This really looks fantastic.  Hindsight being what it is, I wish I'd gone with a smaller style cabinet for my first build. 

PIZZ

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 29th Feb - Paintwork :(
« Reply #20 on: March 03, 2012, 09:20:46 am »
Looking great.. hopefully I can get painting soon as well. btw how are you running SF3? Which mame are you using? I cant seem to get it to work.

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 29th Feb - Paintwork :(
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2012, 05:18:51 pm »
@nordemoniac - took your advice in the end and did the 3rd undercoat, not that its making much difference, the black gloss is still looking like ass  :lol  I think i just need to accept i suck at painting, i just don't have the patience  :banghead:

@Turambar - Thanks for ups, with 3 kids in the house, space is a premium, i was leaning towards a 3/4 scale cab but the Taito cabs (especially this slim version) aren't much bigger than some of those anyway. This was pretty much the perfect cab for my needs  ;)

@PIZZ - Thanks again  :cheers: Re:SFIII, I'm running a fairly recent MAME build but not the very latest, 0.142 if i remember. The CPS3 games need the CHD file as well as the rom to work, you should be able to find it wherever you get your roms  ;)

Onto a small update, i always wondered what the big deal was about painting MDF, now i know... This stuff is horrible. 3 coats of black gloss later and i'm somewhat happy enough to let you guys see it



It doesn't look as bad in the pic as it does in person, how many coats am i looking at to a decent finish here guys? I'm running out of sandpaper!  :P

Much like PIZZ in his build, i'm considering leaving the CP black for the time being, i'll see if i can come up with something i like.



You can see how i've deviated from lokesens plans (wasn't brave enough to attempt the curved cp  :D ) so i just over hung the top and ran some t-mold across it, i quite like it actually.

Hoping i can get another couple of coats of black on this week and start wiring this thing together and installing the rest of the t-molding next weekend, i'm itching to get to playing!!  :lol

Still on my shopping list:

Marquee light
Marquee
Tinted Perspex to cover monitor/bezel area
Perspex for CP
Coin door
« Last Edit: March 11, 2012, 05:47:52 pm by bigmatty77 »

DaOld Man

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Looking good!  ;D

wp34

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Looks great.  I actually like the plain black CP.   :cheers:

PIZZ

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Looking cool! I like the yellow buttons. Ya I found MDF soaks up paint like a sponge. You can try a flat black, then paint gloss black over once that dries. I tried that on another project I was working on and that seemed to work ok.
Where are you getting the tinted perspex? Im considering using the same thing.

bigmatty77

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Thanks for the encouragement guys  :cheers:

Where are you getting the tinted perspex? Im considering using the same thing.

I found an ebay seller here in the uk that will cut to size, they sell both tinted and clear so i'm just waiting on some samples. I want to get that stealth look when its off so you can't see where the monitor is  :afro: i've seen it on a few builds as well as the Tait-O-Rama.

Not sure the best place to get that in the US, i know a lot of the guys use tap plastics though

bigmatty77

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So i'm kinda done with this whole paint thing  :banghead: Its not a terrible finish, and at least its uniform  :D Theres a still a few spots that need a touch up, but i'll do that at the end now, once its all put together.



I consider it a learning process, and when/if i decide to build another one of these, i have definitely learned that i won't be painting  ;)

I've also got the rest of my t-mold installed. Am currently in the process of wiring up my speaker panel and my cp, hopefully this think will be playable in the next day or 2, THEN the progress will grind to a halt!  :laugh2:

Couple more pics..






« Last Edit: March 17, 2012, 06:05:42 pm by bigmatty77 »

monkey puzzle

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« Reply #27 on: March 17, 2012, 07:06:18 pm »
The black and yellow is looking really nice.

dandare

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« Reply #28 on: March 17, 2012, 08:49:23 pm »
yeah very nice!
 
reminds me of the namco arcade stick.

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« Reply #29 on: March 17, 2012, 11:55:51 pm »
Love the colors on this... Never thought of a yellow and black cab looking sharp


My cabs
4 Player Arcade
X-men Arcade Remixed
My Pin Cab Attack of the PINZ cab
My Racing Cabinet Cab [URL=http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=

PIZZ

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« Reply #30 on: March 18, 2012, 11:59:00 am »
Black and yellow looks sweet. Kinda early 80ish. I dig the retro  :afro:

bigmatty77

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« Reply #31 on: March 21, 2012, 01:34:19 pm »
Thanks for the compliments on the colour scheme guys, dandare hit the nail on the head, i was definitely inspired by namcos ps1 stick. It was my 1st 'proper' arcade controller, many many hours logged on Tekken and Soul Blade  ;)

Well my cp is wired up so the cab is now playable  :applaud:

The kids enjoying a game of Tekken 3...



(Thats the speaker panel resting in the marquee area)

 MY FE, like the cab itself, is a simple affair; 'Retro GUI' theme (from the file repositry), modified to match the cab...





The usual emulators running, up to null DC (Though i'm still tweaking that one, its a bit jerky on my p4)

Turambar

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Re: Documenting my 1st build - Slim Taito - Updated 17th March
« Reply #32 on: March 21, 2012, 10:56:48 pm »
It looks really good, man.  Keep going!