Red Vs Blue Lightning Bartop

[SpaceHedgehog]

Glad you liked the vinyl - you'll be ordering square meters of the stuff soon to satisfy your appetite.

[CoryBee]

Glad you liked the vinyl - you'll be ordering square meters of the stuff soon to satisfy your appetite.

You might be right, didn't take much more money to make er perdy  Don't see why I shouldn't build more if this turns out well.

[CoryBee]

Modified a lightning picture from deviant art. duplicated it to the other side flipped, and colored it blue. Think I will add some more bolts to it to differentiate the sides and fill it out more.

-Marquee-


-Control Panel-

[rablack97]

$550? Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmm! 

Ok i'm beginning to believe hes quoting storage wars prices....where they just just toss stuff out and say, i can get 50.00 for this, 40.00 for that chair, just so it seems they make all of their money back....

You get 550, just for putting soap and water on your builds..........INCONCEIVABLE

Looks good. Now throw a photo on there of Arizona Cardinals Hall of Fame Running Back/Dancing With The Stars Champion Emmitt Smith, and you can get at least $400 for that bad boy in Texas.

Damn you to hell.......that's blasphemy..

[CoryBee]

Ok i'm beginning to believe hes quoting storage wars prices....where they just just toss stuff out and say, i can get 50.00 for this, 40.00 for that chair, just so it seems they make all of their money back....

You get 550, just for putting soap and water on your builds..........INCONCEIVABLE

I haven't gotten that much from it yet buddy, just what was offered for it when it is done. If he commits to it then  if not then I can sell it to someone else. Or keep it like I had planned, still spent under $100 to build it so no stress.

[rablack97]

Ok i'm beginning to believe hes quoting storage wars prices....where they just just toss stuff out and say, i can get 50.00 for this, 40.00 for that chair, just so it seems they make all of their money back....

You get 550, just for putting soap and water on your builds..........INCONCEIVABLE

I haven't gotten that much from it yet buddy, just what was offered for it when it is done. If he commits to it then  if not then I can sell it to someone else. Or keep it like I had planned, still spent under $100 to build it so no stress.

    INCONCEIVABLE

[CoryBee]

Played with it a bit more

[CoryBee]

Traced joystick support thingy and routed it out.





Also painted the CP box and sanded to get ready to put the vinyl on it



Going to staples and home depot to get some final things. Acrylic for CP and art printed.

[CoryBee]

Jesus, just noticed photobucket changed their layout and made the uploads a bigger size. "Edit: Switched to old version"

Art printed, soooo shiny



My brother wants me to build his son a mini-lowboy. He is 5 and loves playing on the bartops and my semi completed full size. Will create a log for this as well, he wants it done in 3 weeks......we will see. I have most of the parts and wood and he will chip in with work (probably not).

This is him whining because he had to leave.



Time for me to cut the lexan!

[CoryBee]

Routed the Lexan.....and it attacks!  Little bits of the lexan flew out at my right arm like flaming hot spiky demons! Wasn't too bad just annoying, and it came out perfect-o.

I samiched the lexan in between the CP and a piece of particle board, then routed away with the flush trim bit





Drilling the button holes, used the same spade bit as I did on the MDF. Ran the drill on the number 3 setting so if it snags the drill stops. Pretty much let it scrape with a fair amount of pressure.



Would have finished but the drill died.....waiting for recharge. 

[rablack97]

um, clamp your lexan on the template drill a hole big enough so the flush cut router bit can pass through and make your holes that way...less chance of splitting your plexi, and make the hole alot cleaner....

[CoryBee]

um, clamp your lexan on the template drill a hole big enough so the flush cut router bit can pass through and make your holes that way...less chance of splitting your plexi, and make the hole alot cleaner....

I had planned on doing this but was scared I might break the lexan, I am going to play with the extra lexan and see how it turns out for science. 

I really like the CP with art, really makes a difference. I HATE THE STATIC ON THE LEXAN!!!! 



Close-ups - CRACK SMOKIN DUSK ATTRACTIN FLOOZIE 





Underside

[CoryBee]

Gah, first time using t-molding and I didn't think to compensate for the acrylic on the control panel. 

It and is quite annoying. I am out of the thinner stuff to make another CP out of....... I think I am going to route the extra space from the top of the CP, this will give me the height desired. If this doesn't work well then I will have to either buy some smaller wood for it or buy bigger t-molding. Both things will cost me money, 

Time to get dusty.......

[CoryBee]

Looks like it worked out fine removing a lexan sized layer from the Control Panel 

The test piece





Pieces of the same size MDF to surround it and support it while removing the layer.



And the layer removed



Sanded it and painted it black again.

[Drnick]

Glad to see you fixed the issue for a moment I thought you had taken the excess off the bottom and not the top. But looking again I can see properly

[SpaceHedgehog]

Officially salvaged 

[CoryBee]

Glad to see you fixed the issue for a moment I thought you had taken the excess off the bottom and not the top. But looking again I can see properly

I would have lost it and done evil things to the dead CP 

Officially salvaged 

Yes, yes it is 





Collects so much dust on top when working with it (screwing buttons in, etc.)



Edit: Purchasing a router was the best investment to date involving my set of tools, electrical or otherwise. So versatile I am in love with it every time it eats away at the wood.

[Drnick]

So what you got planned for the screen bezel? Paint silver bit black and then smoked glass? Painted Lexan?

[CoryBee]

So what you got planned for the screen bezel? Paint silver bit black and then smoked glass? Painted Lexan?

I figure I would tape the lexan off, the ol' score it and painter's tape thing. Paint it a flat black on the back. Have more of the lexan left so that will be the cheapest route.

[CoryBee]

Got the wiring done for the Control Panel.

White "Player One" button is "Pl1 Start" "Pl1 Coin" and "UI Select" in Mame, same goes for Player Two's controls except "UI Select".

Player One's "Black" button is "UI Cancel" in Mame and "Select" button for bother Players in console games.

CP box with hole drilled for USB cords



Wires threaded through and CP in place



Under the hood



Close up





Cheers 

[CoryBee]

Got the marquee installed. For a marquee retainer I followed "mcseforsale" in using the clear wallpaper edge protector for this. Came in an 8' long piece, leaves me with much for later.











Without changing the design of the side panels and the addition of the bigger screen it left me with little room for a proper sized marquee. To rectify this instead of painting the inside of the retainer black I painted just the top part as to leave the front pieces clear. This worked out well 

[rablack97]

No sir, you will not leave the fronts clear.........

 

You are doing soooo good man, do not i repeat do not cut corners for the convenience of simplicity....

I tried using that stuff, and it just don't look right on a bar top due to the size....

If your not gonna light up your marquee, there are other options to hold that in place, and that aint one of em....

[PL1]

Looks like there's a whole lotta' lip goin' on here.

And I don't just mean Rodney. . .

Sometimes they come with different length sides.



The bottom is 1/2", the upright is 3/4" -- first example I could find.


Scott

[rablack97]

go to lowes or home depot.......go to the window screen repair section.

in that area you will find these long black plastic strips of what looks like miniature marquee holders.

They are black and cheap and can be cut to length.  I can't find a photo, but you will see what i'm talking about when you go....

[CoryBee]

But you guyyyyyyys, I already bought and installed it! 

I will take a look at the home depot tiny marquee retainers you mentioned "rablack97"

I looked all over home depot for something that had a small lipon it but to no avail, the metal ones were still too big. The acrylic doesn't look bad at all I promise!

[PL1]

The example pic was from Lowes.   

You might find some more options there.   


Scott

[rablack97]

These things.....

Bad photos, phone camera....







no, no, the graphic is not suppose to show through your marquee......

The retainers your using is for the grown up full size machines, your making a tiny arcade, so you dont put oversized clear marquee retainers on a baby...

Take it off, take it off.........

[yotsuya]

[Drnick]

Yes your 2nd choice would be a lot more appropriate for this size machine  

[CoryBee]

    

---smurfin---' aye guys.

Alright, I will find the marquee retainers you guys requested. Hmmm..... Too late to route a section for the marquee to fit in then t-molding the edges.... trying to use what I have, but if I must by more things to appease the byoac gods then I know it is what's best for the build.

 

[CoryBee]

Got most of the bartop done now, all that is left is cleaning up the dust, tweaking a few things and trying to find a better marquee retainer.

Drilled holes for back panel controls and routed the MDF to fit their corresponding nuts that hold them in place.

 

Controls Installed



Painted the back panel already and added t-molding to the top of it, Will update with more pictures when I get it cleaned up. Software is done as well, just need to find a quicker way of making the collection of roms perfect (no missing files).

 

[CoryBee]

Just took some pictures of the 99.2% complete 2-Player Bartop - (Still need to find a better marquee retainer)











Will add the video I took once it is done Uploading to Youtube. 

[CoryBee]

Quick Youtube video, not very pretty but shows off most of it.

[PL1]

Still need to find a better marquee retainer

The thought just occurred to me that if you can't find thinner marquee retainers, a custom full-wraparound retainer using thin acrylic bent into a C-shape by a heatgun might work.   


Scott

[CoryBee]

Still need to find a better marquee retainer

The thought just occurred to me that if you can't find thinner marquee retainers, a custom full-wraparound retainer using thin acrylic bent into a C-shape by a heatgun might work.   


Scott

hmmmm, no heat gun. I do most of my reflow work in a converted toaster oven. But I have a nice pen torch....

[TPA5]

This turned out really well! Very clean bartop, surpasses your other builds like crazy. I don't think I am 100% digging the marquee retainer, it looks ever so slightly off. Do you have any kind of tiny black clips you could use to secure it instead? Kind of like the ones they use on picture frames on the back. Of course it's only a suggestion, everything looks really good!

And kudos to the immense amount of patience you've had in this thread. I noticed a lot of pretty harsh 'direction' handed your way. You responded quite politely, a true gent if I ever saw one!!

[PL1]

hmmmm, no heat gun. I do most of my reflow work in a converted toaster oven. But I have a nice pen torch....

Rather than use an open flame, you may want to invest in a heat gun and accessory kit.


Scott

[CoryBee]

Rather than use an open flame, you may want to invest in a heat gun and accessory kit.

Scott

I know there is something better I can use for the marquee, I will source something that wont involve me buying more tools. Although I should have a heat gun in my arsenal.

This turned out really well! Very clean bartop, surpasses your other builds like crazy. I don't think I am 100% digging the marquee retainer, it looks ever so slightly off. Do you have any kind of tiny black clips you could use to secure it instead? Kind of like the ones they use on picture frames on the back. Of course it's only a suggestion, everything looks really good!

And kudos to the immense amount of patience you've had in this thread. I noticed a lot of pretty harsh 'direction' handed your way. You responded quite politely, a true gent if I ever saw one!!

Yea like I mentioned I am not all too happy with the marquee retainer either. You gave me some ideas though, I am going to go rummage through my garage and see what I can find. Had these black things for making thin picture frames 2 years ago....wonder if I still have them.

Best thing about this build is it has still only cost me about $100 or less, need to tally some things up properly, which makes me happy. The guy that made the offer wants to come see it tomorrow and I still don't know if I want to sell it.....but at that price I couldn't say no. ( MORE BARTOPS!  )

Finally if you don't have patience when it comes to the internet and forums, you will lose your ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- quick.  Thanks for the compliment!

[Drnick]

You could always cut the existing ones down and paint the back black,  Get the line as straight as is possible and all will be well.  A 0.00$ solution It would also mean you wouldn't have to worry about the existing screw holes as those you would leave existing size.

[CoryBee]

Okay, so you guys might be mad at me but the bartop was sold to someone who came for a laptop I had for sale and he bought it on spot for $500. Hadn't gotten a chance to change out the marquee retainer but he didn't care, he had a blast play testing it (marvel vs capcom 2).

I plan on making more bartops so I need to find a way to make a better retainer or just leave room for a taller marquee (this is a better choice I think).

Thanks again for the push to produce better quality projects, you guys are a great help and inspiration!  (Pumpkin Ale for all)