Second Bartop project.

[pfspleen]

Hello there.
I started a post on bartopmania.com but it seems to have gone now, so I thought I would post here.

I built my first bartop a few months ago and it turned out pretty well I think.

As I have some mdf left over as well as an xbox, monitor, and bits and pieces (no controls or audio though), I thought I would make another.
I still be using the original plans, but adapted to cater for two players (but still keeping the body 450mm wide) and altered a bit to make it different from the first.
I built a cardboard fullsize mockup to see how it would look.

[Dance Commander]

Got a theme picked out for it yet or you just gonna wing it?

[pfspleen]

I think I'm just gonna wing it for this one, much like I did for the other.

[pfspleen]

A little bit more done.
Have cut the MDF for the main frame, assembled and also test fitted the 19inch monitor I will be using.
Next step will be to paint it with a primer and to fashion together some sort of control panel.

[Termin8tor]

Coming along nicely. Are you going with 6 or 4 buttons per player on this one? 

[pfspleen]

Cheers.

I'll probably go with six buttons for each of the two players, as well as two or three for the other functions (start, stop, random game). I may even add two buttons on the sides to play pinball games.

[Termin8tor]

Cheers.

I'll probably go with six buttons for each of the two players, as well as two or three for the other functions (start, stop, random game). I may even add two buttons on the sides to play pinball games.

At six buttons it's going to be a tight fit. My first cab was 450mm wide with six buttons per player, manageable but only just. Good Luck.

[pfspleen]

The cab is 450mm wide but control panel will be about 540mm wide, so it will overlap the sides by a bit.
This should hopefully give me more room for the two players.

[Termin8tor]

The cab is 450mm wide but control panel will be about 540mm wide, so it will overlap the sides by a bit.
This should hopefully give me more room for the two players.

At 540mm you'll be fine.

[pfspleen]

Yes, hopefully.

Anyway, got a bit more done over the last few days.

Tried out the bare cabinet with my xbox and monitor to see if it works, as the last xbox wouldn't output vga after disassembly, and it does, which is good. Although after taking apart the xbox and mounting everything on a wooden base, again the vga output wouldn't work. It must be an earthing problem between the power and main board so I think I'm just going to keep the bottom half of the xbox case inside this cabinet, there's enough room. I also need to keep the dvd drive in as I'm using the 'vga boot disc' for the monitor, the vga softmod didn't work when I last tried it, I may try again though.

I cut two holes in the top next for the speakers and a board for the control panel. The speakers will face out as there isn't enough space in the usual place. They are these ones, and hopefully won't look too bad.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310400841585?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I finally painted the whole thing with undercoat and cut out the holes on the control panel.
I'm unsure how I'll finish it, whether paint or vinyl covering, I have some nice red and white checked stuff courtesy of the wife that will certainly look different.

[pfspleen]

Got some more done over the last couple of days.

Fit the xbox (with DVD and HDD) onto a removable base inside, as well as a cheap amp and the speakers on top facing out.
Doesn't look too bad I think.

Also covered the sides and top in that crazy red checked vinyl, it was certainly easier than painting but I'm unsure if I'll keep it.

Made a back panel that was cut in two and used hinges to lift the bottom half, the top half will be attached. the hinges are a bit violent, but it works ok.

I need to add some extra buttons onto the control panel for the admin options. I'm thinking along the top, just below the monitor. I'll probably need insert coin, P1 start, P2 start, black, white and right analogue down (random game in CoinOps and launch ball in one pinball game). So that six buttons along the top. The six player buttons will be A, B, X, Y, LT and RT. Also player 1 LT and RT on the sides, for pinball games.
Does that sound ok?

[Drnick]

Sorry but I immediately thought of this.



Get that off of there and put some 3m Carbon fibre or something on.  Unless of course its for a 6Yr old girl, in which case slap some Hello Kitty stickers on it.

[pfspleen]

That's what  I'm thinking too. It is indeed Gingham.
Have got some black vinyl and red vinyl on order, I may change it.
It is unique though............................ 

[johnm]

More like minging

Hows the VGA set up?

edit:

remember you from coinops, you got a component to vga cable, i take it the monitor is Sync on green?

[pfspleen]

Hello again. 

The VGA setup is ace, most of the time. The monitor goes black every so often for a few seconds, annoying, could be a cable problem.
I have to use frostys VGA boot disc too, the dual boot softmod would work for some reason, and sometimes the xbox doesn't boot from it resulting in a green tinge.
On top of that while my kids were playing the simpsons arcade game  the screen went black and the xbox locked up, this happened twice. The power button on the xbox wouldn't do anything either, so I had to pull the plug, I think this is an overheating problem, the fan might be too high.

Apart from those problems all is going well.

Despite the love on this forum for the gingham style cover I've changed it, sorry. 

Only the player 1 controls are set up at the moment, I'm using a KADE encoder, need to hack a controller for the other one.

The buttons on the sides are duplicates of the LT and RT on top, it seems to work well for the 3 xbox pinball games that I've got.

The control panel is on a hinge, as you can see, and held down with a little clasp and gravity. I need to tidy it up when i do the second player.

[pfspleen]

No expense is spared, or maybe it is.
I've printed off some pictures at home onto sticker paper and decorated the machine.
I may do the marquee in the same way or print onto photo paper and sandwich between two pieces of perspex that I've got, if I can hide the join it should look ok.