Kim Possible Cabinet (Full size from scratch) [2015 illuminated bat-tops update]

[MacGyver]

Well I enlisted the help of my wife and got the pica-vinyl and t-molding installed.  I can only offer one real piece of advice, do not try to install vinyl by yourself that's all.  I did one side by myself (twice) and it was a nightmare, having her help made it 20 times easier. 

I still need to get the tinted glass cut, and about a gagillion other things, but at least it finally looks like a proper arcade cabinet.

I promise to post a whole bunch of photos and a video, and detail how it all comes apart into 6 pieces without tools when its done.

[griffindodd]

It's looking great, I likey a lot, it's almost like a cartoon character itself 

[UncleArgyle]

Real nice! The spinners and trackball don't get in the way when using the joysticks?

Mike.

[MacGyver]

Real nice! The spinners and trackball don't get in the way when using the joysticks?

Mike.

No, I checked before putting it all in wood, and even the analog flightstick isn't really in the way of the trackball (unless you are reeaallly following through.
The lip on the left side is slightly a bother (no lip on the test panel).
Getting it all to fit was the real issue, and I can thank Photoshop for all the help. I basically created the panel in PS with perfectly scaled technical drawings as layers, and then created the art over them, and left the center crosses for guides to drill,  and hid the tech layers.  So when I got my CPO printed, I taped it to my panel, then pushed thumbtacks through the crosses into the wood below, then drilled everything after with the vinyl was removed.

Thanks again for all the kind words, I am still working on it, last night I put in the guns, only to discover that my camouflage artwork for the Aimtrak emitter is upside down  . 

[MacGyver]

So I looked everywhere but couldn't find a translucent bat-top (ok, I did find a clear Sanwa bat-top, but I wanted a red and blue set).  I could find solid red, blue, black, white, and every color of aluminum, and even some trippy marbled and wooden ones, but none in translucent red and blue.  (http://arcadeshock.com/products/sanwa-denshi-lb-30n-cw-clear-bat-top, http://www.creativecircuits.net/new-lighted-custom-tops---bruce-lee-bat-top.html , and http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/591-bat-tops)

So I looked into making them, and found one guy that did make a set of semi-translucent opaque white ones.  He had used a drill press (of which I did not have at the time) but I figured I could do the same thing without one.  I tried a bunch of different ways, but in the end a drill press was the easiest way, so I borrowed one from a friend.  (http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/comment/3138504/#Comment_3138504)

So I started with a coke bottle (something narrow to save on the amount of mold material needed.


I attached the only bat-top handle I had to a shaft with a washer in-between (to make a better defined lip on the mold)


Cut the top off far enough down to allow for the bat-top to be removed through the top opening.


Made a note of where I needed to make the lower cut (low enough to have about three quarters of an inch worth of mold below the bottom of the bat-top)


Added 3 small screws to use as guides for my mold later.


I then hot-glued the coke bottle to my board with the three screws inside. (note: hot glue is hot and curls the coke bottle, this is annoying but doesn't impact it too badly)


FYI:  The drill in the press is never turned on, or used in any way.  It is just to hold the shaft.
Test fit the handle assembly into the drill chuck, and aligned (and screwed)  my board so that it was properly centered under it.


Adjusted the press so that all the way down is right where I wanted it


This is called quick-release.


If you don't use it, things will stick, and you will end up with molds like this.


This is a bisected mold I made in a Monster can, it didn't work out (no drillpress at the time), but it is still useful for making a “test example” with any spare material you may have left over.  So I can test the color, stickiness, and whatnot with out harming or prematurely messing with the real one.


These are the nuts that will be embedded in the new bat-top.


Notice how I have used a Dremel to give them some more biting surfaces.


What the final assembly will look like before embedding.


The final assembly being test fit in the press.


Lowered to check the height.


Making sure it's still centered.


If your press isn't mounted down, you should mark its location so that you can recreate the same variables later when it comes time to pour the epoxy (same level for the mold = same level for the cast).


Apply the quick-release to both the coke bottle mold and the bat-top-washer-shaft assembly, and brush it everywhere, then spray it all over them once again (let the pieces sit for at least 5 minutes prior to use)
Now reattach the original bat-top-washer-shaft assembly into the chuck and lower it into the empty mold.


Here is the stuff I used to make the mold, OOMOO 25.  It says it sets up in 75 minutes, but I found that 5 hours is a safer bet.  (remember to keep it inside and warm prior to use)


You pour equal amounts into their own cups, and then mix each separately until they are good and mixed (and more viscous), then mix them into a new cup together, then mix that until the color is uniform.

 
Now pour that mix into your hot-glue mounted, perfectly centered coke bottle half (you should pour it around the already lowered handle, lowering it after might work, but you're on your own) 
Don't worry about a mess, it will just peel off most everything once set if you just leave it alone.


I fill it up to washer.


Now wait 5 hours (or 75 minutes if you're feeling lucky)


After 5 hours loosen the chuck from around the shaft.
Then raise the press up and out of the way (but don't mess with anything else, you need the press to be the EXACT same later when you make the cast.


Now remove the mold from the board (this was easier said than done with the hot-glue I used).


Carefully remove the flimsy coke husk.


Now you can see what the screws were for, they will act as guides to let you position the new mold EXACTLY where it goes back on your board.  I even routed out a dent to give it more absoluteness.
The key thing is that where the mold was when you made it is the same as when you cast the new shaft (or else the shaft will be off-center or at an angle)


Just adding some quick external marks to make finding the screw guides easier later.


Carefully unscrew the shaft and trim off any excess mold material.


Vola,  all trimmed up.


The entombed original handle.


Reattaching the shaft to make it easier to remove (I also use a bit a water).


After a bit of fuss it will come out (unless you didn't use enough quick-release).


Negative left in the mold.


Place the mold back on the board (using the guides).


Remember that shaft we made earlier.  Make sure you generously apply the quick-release to the shaft and threads but NOT on the nuts.  If you get quick release on the nuts they will pull out later.  If you don't get enough release on the shaft and threads, the shaft will be locked into the cast and you will destroy it when trying to remove it.


Mount it in the chuck.


Checking the depth again.


The epoxy is mixed by weight, so you will need a scale.  The stuff I used was 100-30.


The red dye mixed into part B.


I used 40g of part A and 12g of part B, plus about the amount that fits on a tooth pick worth of dye.  (makes about two bat-tops so maybe cut it in half if making only one)


When you mix them together, it turns cloudy, you will need to mix it until it turns clear again.  Make sure to keep scraping the sides, there can be NO streaks.


Pour it into the mold, and lower the shaft, and top off as needed.


Better view.


Using the left-overs in an old mold as a test.  (bolt-shaft will definitely be wonky securing it this way)


A day later.


Notice the shrinkage already.  This is caused by trapped air (microscopic tiny bubbles), degassing the casting resin first and then final pour would most likely solve this.  (with a vacuum chamber)


Four days later.  (You can try removing it in 2 days like the package says, but I find that it's still sticky if not a little soft)

You carefully pull your hardened bat-top from the mold.


Notice the shrinkage.  (caused by not degassing)




Test mounted on a spare joystick.


Notice it hasn't been polished yet.  (I'll do that in a day or two when I'm sure it's as hard as it can be)


Test mounted on the cabinet.


Went from this.


To this.


So the final result.



Now onto the blue side.  (This is the current ball top, I'll make the other blue one in a few days)


I really do wish I knew how to inject bubbles into my new joysticks, I think they would look a lot better.
But until someone decides to make some real production ones, this is the best I can do.

[reptileink]

Bubbles would just be air if you ask me. Perhaps about 1/4 of the way into drying, use a syringe and "inject" air into the mold? Of course, it would be really tough to get them uniform I would think 

[yotsuya]

Actually, I think yours look nicer without the bubbles.

[n3wt0n]

Your cab looks great but the coolest part is the light up bat tops! Nice job on those. I agree. To me, yours look better than the bubbly ones.

[MacGyver]

Thanks guys.

The blue one is curing as we speak, should be ready Wednesday, I'll post the results.   I also updated the how-to post with links to the other types I found, as well as the original post that made me think I could even do it.

[millercentral]

That is really incredible, thanks for sharing the process you went through -- really interesting! Completely worth the effort, as they look fantastic. Personally, I agree with the others -- I think bubbles would detract a bit from the great effect you created.

[wp34]

That red one really looked cool.  I'm impressed with your patience.  Thanks for taking the time to document the process so thoroughly. 

[MacGyver]

The shaft prepared for the blue top.


Weighing out part A.


The amount of dye needed to make the blue cup on the left.  Notice the first attempt on the right.


Part B with the dye mixed in.


The first time I used twice as much dye and it turned out near black, so be careful.


Mixing parts A and B together.


Bubbles, the scourge of bat-top making.


Now to wait four days.


So here is the test top I made at the same time (in an old trial mold), I opened it a day early and it seemed mostly fine, so I decided to open the real one a day early too.




Here is a reminder on how much not degassing the epoxy will cause it to shrink.


Here it is still in the chuck.


Released from the chuck and the drill back up.


Out it pops.


Here I am drilling out the inside for some extra room for the LED.


Here is the new blue bat-top in the daylight.


Here they both are in the daylight.






Here they are in the dark.







So in the end they look ok, but they would look a lot better if I had some way to degas both the mold-making latex and the epoxy prior to use.  Degassing the latex would make for a higher resolution mold, and degassing the epoxy would eliminate the shrinkage (and therefore the lighter see-through area near to the bottom because of it).

[redbeard30]

Awesome DIY bat tops! A 2 piece mold would've been easier and you could help the air bubble issues by adding another route for air to escape. That way as you pour the resin, the air will be forced out. Only issue is you would have a small piece of resin (sprue) that would need removed and sanded smooth. Plus with two piece molds you can put lock keys in so the mold lines up but this results in a mold line around the cast that needs smoothed. But generally a two piece result s in a better, more detailed castand easier removal. Also no drill press, just need a level surface! Smooth-on makes very good resins and silicon moldaterials that feature virtually no de gassing. Not sure if it s available in your area though. But anyway, awesome job, and I wasn't criticizing, just providing some tips and knowledge that I've learned doing model making for 20 years! Hell,  back when I started, the only resin available had arsenic in it!