Mission Control Project: 5 years on, what to do with the leftovers?

[Mark70]

On an unrelated note, I thought I'd post these images- if only to show that when I can't be at home trying to build my cab, I'm busy dreaming about it at work.

These are the result of now cancelled plans to take the show and tell aspect of the project to even more ridiculous levels. Since I enjoyed making the mock ads so much I thought I'd mock up an actual magazine for the project. It was gonna be one of those absurd single issue commemorative magazines you find briefly on newstands after questionably significant events like royal weddings. After finding a magazine printer who could actually produce a bunch of them for a couple hundred bucks I decided I had to do it.

Until my wife refused to tell me what she thought of the idea. That meant it had nothing to do with money... she was in "protect my feelings" mode. Further badgering got her to admit that she thought it was ridiculous to the point of embarassing. I dimissed it laughing that I already knew that. But her look made me suddenly realize how right she was. It wasn't that she thought it was riduculous. It was that she thought it was pathetic. I started to feel like I was obsessing over the project like some teenage kid with a lowered honda and a two foot tall scoop on the trunk.... so no magazine.

Cover idea #1

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

My wife accepts my childlike enthusiasm for my cabinet project.  It's nerdy.  I can come to terms with that.  My brother and Sister In Law were up for superbowl.  They both said that when they heard the idea they throught it would be crappy.  When they saw it, they said it looked like something you would buy.  My Sister In Law, actually asked me where I bought the cabinet part (which I built), after I told her I bought the CP parts from real arcade suppliers.  We all had a great deal of fun playing it.  Every person has "their" game.  My Sister In Law was nostalgic about Tetris because she and her cousins took a roadie when the were younger with only gameboy tetris to play.  She said herself, it can be a bit nerdy, but it's not like it's the only thing you do.  I play sports (broke my leg doing it), teach skiing, build other home projects like fences, shelves etc...

Additional to that anecdote:

My wife laid out all of her wedding pictures with an online company which publishes a bound book.  I though that was a little obsessive.... but change the subject matter to, oh, I don't know, an arcade cabinet project.....  I can tell you that her mother, all her girlfriends, my mohter... every woman who has seen the bound wedding picture book went absolutely batty over how beautiful it was and how nice it was to have it all bound in a professional looking package.

Think on that when you ask you yourself if you really want to do up a magazine.  Consider also that FutureShop, Loblaws, Kodak... just about anywhere that does digital image processing now offer a book binding service.

[Mark70]

On an unrelated note, I thought I'd post these images- if only to show that when I can't be at home trying to build my cab, I'm busy dreaming about it at work.

These are the result of now cancelled plans to take the show and tell aspect of the project to even more ridiculous levels. Since I enjoyed making the mock ads so much I thought I'd mock up an actual magazine for the project. It was gonna be one of those absurd single issue commemorative magazines you find briefly on newstands after questionably significant events like royal weddings. After finding a magazine printer who could actually produce a bunch of them for a couple hundred bucks I decided I had to do it.

Until my wife refused to tell me what she thought of the idea. That meant it had nothing to do with money... she was in "protect my feelings" mode. Further badgering got her to admit that she thought it was ridiculous to the point of embarassing. I dimissed it laughing that I already knew that. But her look made me suddenly realize how right she was. It wasn't that she thought it was riduculous. It was that she thought it was pathetic. I started to feel like I was obsessing over the project like some teenage kid with a lowered honda and a two foot tall scoop on the trunk.... so no magazine.

Cover idea #1

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

My wife accepts my childlike enthusiasm for my cabinet project.  It's nerdy.  I can come to terms with that.  My brother and Sister In Law were up for superbowl.  They both said that when they heard the idea they throught it would be crappy.  When they saw it, they said it looked like something you would buy.  My Sister In Law, actually asked me where I bought the cabinet part (which I built), after I told her I bought the CP parts from real arcade suppliers.  We all had a great deal of fun playing it.  Every person has "their" game.  My Sister In Law was nostalgic about Tetris because she and her cousins took a roadie when the were younger with only gameboy tetris to play.  She said herself, it can be a bit nerdy, but it's not like it's the only thing you do.  I play sports (broke my leg doing it), teach skiing, build other home projects like fences, shelves etc...

Additional to that anecdote:

My wife laid out all of her wedding pictures with an online company which publishes a bound book.  I though that was a little obsessive.... but change the subject matter to, oh, I don't know, an arcade cabinet project.....  I can tell you that her mother, all her girlfriends, my mohter... every woman who has seen the bound wedding picture book went absolutely batty over how beautiful it was and how nice it was to have it all bound in a professional looking package.  I'd wager any red blooded man who has ever picked up as much as a hobby knife will give the male equivalent response.

Think on that when you ask you yourself if you really want to do up a magazine.  Consider also that FutureShop, Loblaws, Kodak... just about anywhere that does digital image processing now offer a book binding service.

Besides you could consider it a graphic design portfolio piece.  I don't know if you're a designer by profession, but you're pretty damn good at it.


oops.. was quoting instead of modifying.

[Flinkly]

(in regards to the photo shown with inlaid dust washers)

ah, i get it now, he's got Plexiglas over the routered hole and dust washer, i never noticed that before.  i always wondered how people wouldn't press your overlay down into your routered hole.  and i guess you could always use wood instead of Plexiglas.  on a even more side note, why not just recess your joystick into the top of the cp, then stick the dust washer on top, then put a layer of plexi over that?  it would take less routering and t-nuts...

sorry pixel to hijack your thread for personal reasons, i've started like two threads on the topic and never got a good answer to my cp conundrum.  go ahead and start working again.

[DrewKaree]

on a even more side note, why not just recess your joystick into the top of the cp, then stick the dust washer on top, then put a layer of plexi over that?  it would take less routering and t-nuts...

You'd need a hole large enough to stick the joystick body, and have just enough left over to support the corners of your joystick (take a look at a joystick - you'll see what I mean) that it'd be so poorly supported I don't suppose it'd take much to shove it right through your CP and/or bend a corner or something.  Sure, you aren't going to have yard apes playing on your cab, but things tend to "happen" in the oddest ways. 

Then, the whole top of some joys (I don't know about ALL, but I know about what I've got) is inset and will support an even smaller area of your CPO than routing out the dust washer recess.

Lastly, your joystick would sit taller than normal.  Mebbe you can work around it, but with all the other things working against you, do you really wanna add yet one last thing to help you screw something up?

Alternatively, you could trim your dustwashers (like it seems Kelsey did)

Now stop crapping up Pixel's thread.  He won't have room to post any updates

[Kremmit]

Those stainless washers are gorgeous. Can you feel them hit the shaft or do they fit tightly enough to move with it?

They do look nice.  The size I had Franco cut them, they are dead snug on a nice new Wico shaft, to the point of not even fitting onto a rusty one.  I ended up using RandyT's lollitops on my brother's panel, which have much smaller diameter handles.  You can feel them hit if you really shake things around, but during normal play, you don't notice a thing.  Gravity and the slope of the cp conspire to keep them hanging, and a sideways move of the stick just rolls them.  I suppose a direct down-to-up movement might produce a little impact, I can't say I ever noticed it to be a problem, but I didn't get much play time in on it before it left the building.

Drew seems to be worried about your nuts.

[Flinkly]

you know what, this huge thread is almost like a guide for building an arcade cabinet, the right way and the wrong way.  so far we've covered time issues and constraints, as well as how to get past them, and as for cabinet building, we've covered control panels and marquee building, as well as designing in cad software.  we've covered all sorts of small things too dealing with each topic, like the right way to bend Plexiglas, and the wrong way.

i say we should sticky this one and rename it as a cab building FAQ post.  of course, we can still ask pixel why he hasn't built this ridiculous cabinet yet and harp on him about all the things he does waste his time on, even if they are cool.

of course, we should probably wait till he gets done, but that might not be for another 3 years at the pace he's going.

[nostrebor]

you know what, this huge thread is almost like a guide for building an arcade cabinet, the right way and the wrong way.  so far we've covered time issues and constraints, as well as how to get past them, and as for cabinet building, we've covered control panels and marquee building, as well as designing in cad software.  we've covered all sorts of small things too dealing with each topic, like the right way to bend Plexiglas, and the wrong way... etc. <snip>

Well said.

This thread is a cabinet build thread... but it is also a thread that pushes the envelope of what can be done. It brings out some of the best and brightest fabricators on the forum. It stretches the imagination.

Because of the "obsessive" properties of this thread, there are many, MANY processes and discussions  that can be used to improve the construction of the most basic of cabinets to the most outrageous. I find myself regularly reading back through it, simply because it has so much great discussion about what I like best in this hobby... the design and fabrication of a well constructed cabinet.

I'm calling you out Pixel! Obsess away and hit us with more of the details.

[Timoe]

I have three (3) wico joysticks that I will someday top mount in a panel and cover with Lexan.

I would like to know more about how you applied your artwork.  Did you put a thin piece of plexi or lexan on top of your joystick bases and then sandwich your artwork between that piece and a top piece of lexan/plexi?

If so, how did you maintain a smooth transition between pieces and art at say, the trackball hole?

Any info or help here would be greatly appreciated.

edit* I finally found some free time to search through this thread and answer my own questions but if anyone has any more details regarding alignment or cutting of the plexi pieces that would be helpful.

[Pixelhugger]

Well as far as alignment goes, I used the same file to layout my controls as I did for the artwork. So when it came time to drill the plexi and mdf I printed out a full scale B+W sheet of my layout at Kinkos. Then I clamped the MDF and plexi together and taped the layout in place for reference when drilling.

[Mark70]

We need pics.  C'mon, the hall of fame is calling.

[Pixelhugger]

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Of the 20+ hours of lab since the "semester" started, I've only been able to go for about 45 minutes. Sigh. Anyhow, next week I've scheduled time off to be able to attend an unprecedented FULL LAB SESSION. 4.5 hours of uninterrupted cabinet progress. I'm hoping this will be enough to nearly finish the NavPanel and Minimarquee... structurally at least.

I've posted for opinions on the NavPanel layout before which was very helpful... so I'm looking to get feedback one more time before committing the design to plastic and wood forever. Basically I'm trying to decide between two button layouts.... one is all horizontal, which leaves some open space to either side of the DVD slot. Not sure if that's gonna look too bare or uneven. The other uses an arc of buttons to fill the space a bit better and I think it ties the panel in with the curves of the sides and CP. It also gives it a bit more of a "dashboard" feel. Goofy spaceship instrument cluster = good.... automotive instrument cluster  = baaad. Opinions wanted.

As far as what to expect wednesday (lab day) I'm hoping to get the following done:

Route 2 templates for inlays - one for the minmarquee and one for the navpanel.
Route recession for inlays in wood of minimarquee and navpanel
Cut inlays out of plastic
Bullnose wood and plastic

And if there's time, drill holes for buttons and route slot for dvd drive in the navpanel.

[nostrebor]

First blush...

curved.

After more deliberation...

curved.

Final conclusion...

curved.

[billf]

Curved layout for sure.

[markrvp]

Curved.  If it were possible I would prefer the curve inverted to look like a smile instead of a frown.

Also, did you scrap the original console button labels that had pictures of the consoles with the console name?

[Pixelhugger]

Yeah, I scrapped the pictures of the consoles because they didn't feel like a consistent design element without being vectorized. It also feels a bit cleaner to me without them.

[Felsir]

Curved. No question. Curved.

Just wondering - what does the 'mobility' button do?

[jcroach]

curved.

[Pixelhugger]

The mobility button toggles between two different first person 3D modes in the 3D Arcade FE. One allows the player to walkaround through a virtual arcade, the other fixes the players position while cabs scroll past as if on a conveyor belt.

[Bumblebounces]

Curved is the way to enlightenment, young Grasshopper.

[dphirschler]

Some comments on the two designs:

Curved almost looks like an alien frowning (not necessarily a bad thing considering the arcade theme).  It breaks the smaller buttons into two groups of three... which again is not necessarily a bad thing.  It leaves room below the buttons for some cool artwork or instructions.  Curved also fits the profile of your cabinet.

Straight puts more emphasis the orange button.  The look is a little more cramped.  It draws a line with the emulator titles on the buttons, might make them a little harder to read (or find quickly).

So, based on that, I have to go with curved.


Darryl

[Jontox]

They are right,

Curved is really nice 

[markrvp]

So what did you get done at the woodwork lab last night?

[Pixelhugger]

So what did you get done at the woodwork lab last night?

Well it turns out that 4 1/2 hours was only enough to get the jigs complete... I did manage to generate enough MDF dust to nearly send the entire class into respiratory failure... plenty of dirty looks from the old woodworking curmudgeons.

So here are the results...

First image is 1/4" MDF marked for routing out the jig

Second image is the router positioned at the end of it's path. I attached a stop block at this point for a good transition from the horizontal path to the vertical.

[Pixelhugger]

Here is the first horizontal pass with the router from stop block to stop block. I used the edge guide to hold the router straight.

Second image is the finished cutout.

[Pixelhugger]

The finished minimarquee jig.

[Pixelhugger]

I also finished the NavPanel jig. I'll post pics from home tonight for that.

Next step is to use these as guides for an inlay bit set to route out a 1/4" deep recession in the walnut panels, and cut matching plexi inserts from 3/8" plastic. Both the walnut and plastic will get a 1/8" bullnose where they meet. The plastic will protrude about 1/8" from the walnut. I'm very excited for the "crafted" look this should give these panels. If all goes well, I'll probably use the same technique for the CP of my (ahem) next cab.

[Pixelhugger]

Just realized the pic of the edge guide makes it hard to distinguish from the vise at the end of the table. Here's another.

[Pixelhugger]

Final jigs

[nostrebor]

Weird. Your MDF looks grainy like particle board. Wonder if that is a regional thing? The MDF here is much darker and one solid color.


This whole thing is making me sad. All my tools are packed awaiting the move. I had to borrow a drill from work yesterday It is quite depressing.

[Pixelhugger]

The MDF here is much darker and one solid color.

The only stuff darker than this out here is masonite. The camera may be adding a bit of graininess to it too. Dunno. After that last CP I don't think I'll ever touch particle board again for my arcade projects! Blech. 

[Pixelhugger]

Seems I can't get anything right on the project on the first attempt... so right on par with building this whole thing twice before it's actually done... I spend a chunck of time over the weekend re-routing the navpanel jig. I failed to realize how significant the inlay bit offset from the pattern was going to be. All told the overall dimension of the inlay is a full  3/8's smaller than the jig itself. I had to reroute in my "shop" without access to the high school lab. That meant no edge guide so I had twice as much blocking and measuring to do in order to form a horizontal guide. Just as well since the router seems to cut a much better line when running along the horizontal blocks than it did with the edge guide. I'm much happier with the smoother results. I'm determined to get these panels done wednesday!!

[ChadTower]

Basic question, I know, but what is a jig?

[Pixelhugger]

Basic question, I know, but what is a jig?

A lively dance typically incorporating leaping movements.

[billf]

Basic question, I know, but what is a jig?

A lively dance typically incorporating leaping movements.

[Pixelhugger]

Or in this case, a device used to guide to hold tools against a workpiece. Technically I suppose these are really templates or patterns. The device used to bend the plastic was a better example of a jig.

[ChadTower]

I know little about woodwork.  Difficult to tell, I know.  I am a bit confused as to what those minimarquee jigs would actually help you do.

[jcroach]

I know little about woodwork.  Difficult to tell, I know.  I am a bit confused as to what those minimarquee jigs would actually help you do.

I was confused about this too.  You're going to route out a recess in the panel and inlay in some shaped plexi, right?  Very slick.  This will hold down your artwork while still allowing the beauty of the wood to be shown.  I'm impressed.

[Pixelhugger]

I know little about woodwork.

Heh... well at the rate I'm going, that makes two of us. I know it's a bit obscure right now. If I had gotten to the point of finishing the inlay I'd have pictures that would make MUCH more sense. I actually just reread my post and confused myself. It'll make more sense wednesday... if I can do it right on the first try.

Essentially the idea is to recess a pattern in the shape of the artwork into the walnut of the minimarquee. Then cut a perfectly matching piece from thick plastic. The art then gets set into the deep recession and the plastic gets inlaid into the  recession as well. It'll protrude a little bit and be bullnosed and polished. So it'll have an inset/embedded feel.   The jig or pattern serves the purpose of guiding the router to recess the walnut. I'll then switch bushings on the router base and make a matching shape out of plastic using the same jig. Like I said, hopefully wednesday it'll all be clearer. 

[ChadTower]

That's good, I understand what you're doing now.  The jig is a template from which you will both route the recession in the control panel and cut the plastic that will fill that recession.

[Kremmit]

You know, it just occured to me that this:



...would make a heck of a token.  If a guy were going to spare no expense, that is.