Author Topic: Mission Control Project: 5 years on, what to do with the leftovers? (Read 553537 times)

psychotech · « **Reply #1160 on:** September 08, 2007, 07:59:26 pm »

Not bad

Anyway, how did you actually do (and finish) all the bezel plexi curves? Too smooth

You'll surely fix it in the mix, but I couldn't resist:

Anyway,

AWESOME

psychotech

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1161 on:** September 10, 2007, 06:24:31 pm »

Whatchu talkin bout Willis?

Bones · « **Reply #1162 on:** October 02, 2007, 10:11:42 am »

I have been out of the arcade scene for awhile and thought I would take a peek here at your progress.

It's looking bloody fantastic!

All your plans and visions are really starting to take shape.

RetroACTIVE · « **Reply #1163 on:** October 02, 2007, 12:57:19 pm »

All I want to say is... "where are the oops'es?" This thing melts my brain!

I'd like to count how many times the words "unbelievable" or "fantastic" are posted in this thread

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1164 on:** October 02, 2007, 06:01:56 pm »

Well if you mean the "oopses" throughout the project, they lie in smouldering heaps all over my garage waiting to be recycled as scrap materials. The CP, navpanel and marquee were all built 2-3 times.

If you mean the "oopses" on the drive mount and bezel... well, I got lucky on those pieces. They're some of the few that don't have expensive twins in my garage junk pile.

javeryh · « **Reply #1165 on:** October 16, 2007, 11:55:20 am »

Random Q: Where did you get the blue plastic panels for the bezel?

Any more progress?

Dudeman · « **Reply #1166 on:** October 16, 2007, 12:29:11 pm »

Quote from: javeryh on October 16, 2007, 11:55:20 am

Any more progress?

It's only been about a month and a half! You can't expect any progress this soon!

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1167 on:** October 16, 2007, 04:48:06 pm »

I got all the plexi at an acrylic store here in Santa Monica called Solter Plastics. I think most acrylic or plastics stores would carry it. Google plexiglas and see where the local places are. The only drawback is that most places will charge for a full 4'x8' sheet for the less common colors unless they have remnants. That forced me to go with a different hue of blue for the lighter panel, since I otherwise would have had to buy the 32 square feet... the price for 4 sq ft was painful enough so I bought what they had left over from another job.

Progress has been limited to those time consuming but unimpressive tasks I have to finish before I can glue up. Recently I've been working on trimming sections of the side panels where the original routing had left a few sections blow out. That and sanding down uneveness in the panels along glue joints. Painfully slow going.

And then there's the pregnancy with twins to contend with. Upside to that is that I absolutely have to finish the entire cabinet by march. I may actually have to take vacation days at work to complete it.

javeryh · « **Reply #1168 on:** October 16, 2007, 04:55:46 pm »

Congrats on the twins! Wow that's going to be crazy!!

Thanks for the info on the plastic. I'm thinking about using a piece for the bezel on my next cabinet rounded over like yours but I'd need the plastic to be black. I'll look around - what are we talking for a sheet? I spent $60 per sheet on the birch plywood...*sigh* this is one expensive hobby...

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1169 on:** October 16, 2007, 05:02:53 pm »

Black is more widely available and in demand so the store may be willing to cut a sheet without waiting for a remnant. You're probably looking around 7 to 9 bucks per square foot for 1/4" thick.

Cornchip · « **Reply #1170 on:** October 16, 2007, 09:45:13 pm »

Twins...your the man!

Cronchip.

superbigjay · « **Reply #1171 on:** October 16, 2007, 10:16:56 pm »

Quote from: Pixelhugger on October 16, 2007, 04:48:06 pm

And then there's the pregnancy with twins to contend with. Upside to that is that I absolutely have to finish the entire cabinet by march. I may actually have to take vacation days at work to complete it.

mouah ah haha haaaaa!

We now have 2 options for the Mission control timeframe
November 2003 - March 2008

or
November 2003 - March 2028 (project completed by the twins, just before leaving the parent house)

Congrats on the twins. This is fabulous news!!!

Jay

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1172 on:** November 07, 2007, 02:36:02 pm »

Heh, yeah Jay.... I'm desperately trying to avoid the latter timetable. As it stands now, once I get the website up I'll actually be able to dedicate at least a couple pages to Mission Control: The Early Years. *sigh*

On another note... I'm really really excited for my latest acquisition. JMB noticed my posts in Ponyboy's thread and let me know he had 20 leaf switch adapters he wasn't using. Since it seems these may be out of Ponyboy's stock for a long time (maybe forever???) I was thrilled to pick them up from JMB at cost. With the 17 buttons on my CP I can now go 100% leaf switch!! Combined with the WICO joysticks I have realized my personal goal of zero microswitch tolerance.

Thanks JMB.

davieboynj · « **Reply #1173 on:** November 09, 2007, 02:50:06 pm »

I've read through most of this amazing and monsterous thread, but can't figure out how you made the cd eject on a button press... what's the secret?

by the way, amazing project. looking at it makes me want to never do anything ever again.

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1174 on:** November 09, 2007, 04:26:18 pm »

Quote

what's the secret?

I plan on using something like this.

shardian · « **Reply #1175 on:** November 09, 2007, 04:53:32 pm »

Looking good as always.

I have to say though, Knievel would have had this project done in 3 days.

(Shameless attempt at speeding this up!)

Knievel · « **Reply #1176 on:** November 09, 2007, 07:29:07 pm »

Actually I got frustrated with this thread and went ahead and built a clone of this cabinet last weekend.

I will wait until Pixel posts his completed project though. I don't want to ruin the ending for him.

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1177 on:** November 09, 2007, 07:54:57 pm »

Man that was cold.

mccoy178 · « **Reply #1178 on:** November 09, 2007, 10:30:40 pm »

Introducing Knievel's "Woody Control"

davieboynj · « **Reply #1179 on:** November 10, 2007, 08:18:07 am »

Quote from: Pixelhugger on November 09, 2007, 04:26:18 pm

Quote
what's the secret?

I plan on using something like this.

how about this?

http://www.alexnolan.net/software/commandline.htm

JMB · « **Reply #1180 on:** November 11, 2007, 01:37:38 am »

Quote from: Pixelhugger on November 07, 2007, 02:36:02 pm

On another note... I'm really really excited for my latest acquisition. JMB noticed my posts in Ponyboy's thread and let me know he had 20 leaf switch adapters he wasn't using. Since it seems these may be out of Ponyboy's stock for a long time (maybe forever???) I was thrilled to pick them up from JMB at cost. With the 17 buttons on my CP I can now go 100% leaf switch!! Combined with the WICO joysticks I have realized my personal goal of zero microswitch tolerance. Thanks JMB.

Well I've got $5 riding on you actually finishing this before Chad hits 100,000 posts so it was the least I could do.

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1181 on:** November 11, 2007, 01:27:57 pm »

YIKES! He's only got 74,177 to go. Better kiss that 5 bucks goodbye my friend!

Mordt · « **Reply #1182 on:** November 23, 2007, 07:31:17 am »

It's taken me a good 7-8 hours to read this thread and all I can say is holy cow this project is an inspiration. I especially love your custom made bezel. Great to see the dedication you have to completing this, if i started back in 2003 I think I would have lost patience by now.

Great work look forward to seeing the finished product sometime next year

AmericanDemon · « **Reply #1183 on:** January 09, 2008, 12:29:44 pm »

*breaks out the whip* Oh PixelHugger.....where are you..... we have some work to get done..... *SNAP*

nostrebor · « **Reply #1184 on:** January 10, 2008, 06:06:35 pm »

Quote from: Pixelhugger on November 11, 2007, 01:27:57 pm

YIKES! He's only got 74,177 to go. Better kiss that 5 bucks goodbye my friend!

Chad can drop that many posts before lunch.

Oh, and I still check in on your thread from time to time. Your standards stay at 2003 levels. That is a real accomplishment for this group of ADD slackers.

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1185 on:** January 10, 2008, 07:51:02 pm »

Wow. My autonotify isn't working.

Ironically I was spending all day playing hooky from work to make errr... unprecedented progress on the cab.. until a call at lunch that I had to go in to work for some last minute crap. Man was I pisssed. I wait years for this kind of break and then it gets yanked from my hands.

Quote

Your standards stay at 2003 levels.

Its funny... the longer the project drags on the more important it becomes to me and the more willing I am to start stuff over or pay through the nose for some part or other.

We've got twins coming in march so I've been madly scrambling to finish the cab before then since I know the ax is going to fall on personal time at that point. In December my wife got put on full bedrest and the

hit the fan. I was making good progress toward gluing up by Christmas and then got stopped flat. Last week I got time to continue... laying out dado lines that I had started a long time ago. When tracing the marquee box profile on the cab side I saw for the first time what the top and bottom of the marquee box would look like in the final cab. I've gotten so used to looking at the individual pieces I've finished that I have lost a sense of how they would look when all put together. Anyhow... the thickness of the marquee panel walnut was about a 1/4" thinner than the sides. It didn't bother me until I held the two together and decided.... another do over.

This was a particularly painful decision I waffled over for days. I wouldn't have had the

to do it except for the fact that the walnut wing panels that go beneath the CP had just been glued up and surfaced and their dimensions matched what I needed exactly. This also gave me the chance to route the top marquee panel as it should have been done originally... at an angle so the plastic of the marquee would sit flush against the walnut. Routing at an angle caused all kinds of issues so it's been slow. So... I'm hoping to make more progress tonight and finish the "new" thick and properly fitting marque box this weekend.

I've resigned myself to completing glue up by mid march instead of completely finishing the cab which would be impossible. I've added some twists on the design details which will complicate things but will be doable in my remaining spare time after the twins come.

So the plan now is:

week 1: Marquee box redo
week 2: Final dado layouts/Finish sand sides/route edges
week 3: Cut/build interior framing
week 4: Cut/build interior framing (cont)
week 5: Build angle jig for router/test on scrap
week 6: Route dados for base/monitor "shelf"/marquee box/all interior framing
week 7: Test assembly/dry fit
week 8: Glue up

So I have to stick to the schedule or live with the smouldering remains of my best laid plans when D-day hits in March.

BobbyG66 · « **Reply #1186 on:** January 11, 2008, 08:38:19 am »

Quote from: Pixelhugger on January 10, 2008, 07:51:02 pm

"in my remaining spare time after the twins come."

I have twins so let me give you some info here.
You will not have any spare time for the first 6 months to 8 years.
There may be a few times they are on the same feeding and sleeping cycle.
The rest of the time will be choas.
It does get better, good luck with them!

BG66

Zakk · « **Reply #1187 on:** January 11, 2008, 11:21:09 am »

...so we may see some progress on the cab 8 years from now... whoo hoo!

AmericanDemon · « **Reply #1188 on:** January 11, 2008, 05:35:24 pm »

Hey PH do you need help getting this done? Maybe some BYOACers can help you get it done.

Pixelhugger · « **Reply #1189 on:** January 11, 2008, 09:46:15 pm »

DrewKaree · « **Reply #1190 on:** January 13, 2008, 06:23:08 pm »

I've gone from loving this thing to "It sucks" now. Until you're done, it'll stay at "SUCKS!" Until you post something again, at which point I reserve all rights to change my opinion and give you a thumbs-up again.

SUCKS!

Felsir · « **Reply #1191 on:** February 28, 2008, 02:55:37 am »

Quote from: BobbyG66 on January 11, 2008, 08:38:19 am

Quote from: Pixelhugger on January 10, 2008, 07:51:02 pm
"in my remaining spare time after the twins come."

I have twins so let me give you some info here.
You will not have any spare time for the first 6 months to 8 years.
There may be a few times they are on the same feeding and sleeping cycle.
The rest of the time will be choas.
It does get better, good luck with them!

BG66

Yep. So true. My eldest son was 1,5y old when the twins were born. With three kids aged under 2 years...my life has turned into a happy chaos from that point. My advise; accept all the offers for help you get and take every minute of spare time you can for yourself. There won't be many- but man are those are some of the best spare minutes you'll ever have. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids more than anything!

They are however the main reason I turned from active BYOACer to just lurking these boards.

Good luck with the twins, it's great to have kids around!

CheffoJeffo · « **Reply #1192 on:** February 28, 2008, 09:46:33 am »

Quote from: BobbyG66 on January 11, 2008, 08:38:19 am

You will not have any spare time for the first 6 months to 8 years.

I also have twins, who, coincidentally, are turning 8 this weekend ... does this mean I will get my spare time starting next week ?

Congrats PH -- I remember the birth of my twins as if it was yesterday ... probably because that was the last time I had a full night's sleep.

You DO need to get the cab done soon. Where else will the kids play ? Here's your chance to shape the development of the next generation.

BASS! · « **Reply #1193 on:** February 28, 2008, 03:23:33 pm »

Quote from: AmericanDemon on January 11, 2008, 05:35:24 pm

Hey PH do you need help getting this done? Maybe some BYOACers can help you get it done.

Brilliant!!!!!!!!! BYOAC work party 2008!! Too bad we all live on other sides of the world

. Where you at for arguments sake? I'd love to help

kizer · « **Reply #1194 on:** April 02, 2008, 06:16:19 pm »

We demand an update.

SNAAKE · « **Reply #1195 on:** April 05, 2008, 07:09:44 am »

this "thing" still going in..I am pretty sure you lost interest by now lol

Santoro · « **Reply #1196 on:** April 05, 2008, 07:46:03 am »

Quote from: SNAAKE on April 05, 2008, 07:09:44 am

this "thing" still going in..I am pretty sure you lost interest by now lol

well...

Quote from: Pixelhugger on January 10, 2008, 07:51:02 pm

We've got twins coming in march ..

This explains a lot.

Zakk · « **Reply #1197 on:** April 06, 2008, 02:04:52 am »

I gotta tell you guys, here is a guy that could build pretty much anything he put his mind to, but the "mission control" cab will likely never see the light of day. For a perfectionist like pixel, this cab could never be "good enough". There are three likely outcomes: Either he loses complete interest (and I mean really, if he was truly interested he'd have it completed by now), or he does a hack job on the rest of it, just to "git er done", or it will stay in a semi-finished pile of expensive rubble.

I had hopes for this ultimate tribute to yesteryear being the high watermark in a mame-build world, but as it is, it's just a waste of everyone's time and thought. It's not going anywhere until these twins are in their 20's.

Sorry Pixel, no offense intended. I just think your vision exceeded the reality here. You probably spent more time thinking about the nav panel than most of us woul have thought of the whole damn project. How can you live up to the hype? Probably impossible.

psychotech · « **Reply #1198 on:** April 06, 2008, 09:03:39 pm »

Zakk:

Bet you a cab that..

..oh, psychology 101..

Anyway, (another) nice try

Pixelhugger:

Twins? Congratulations & all

Still.. that's no excuse...

kizer · « **Reply #1199 on:** April 07, 2008, 06:58:04 pm »

I'd completely understand twins slowing things down. I was only giving him grief because when this started my boy wasn't even a spark in my eye and now hes two years old.


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Author Topic: Mission Control Project: 5 years on, what to do with the leftovers? (Read 553537 times)