Point Blank - Bringing a generic cab to life(I hope)

[Kier]

Never really one to start a thread at the beginning of a restore, mine always seem to take forever. But didn’t really want to wait until the end of this one either. So here goes squarely in the middle of it.

I got this Point Blank back in November of last year. Bought it as working. Red took about 10 minutes to warm up, and sound was very intermittent, and no recoil on the guns. Before I could figure anything out, the monitor blew out in the 1st 2 days.



I spent some time(read months) trying to get it back up and running. I found a diode blown in half ordered a replacement but when it arrived while it matched the schematics it didn’t match the one blown. I ordered a cap kit, etc. The problem was the QNIC-2500 monitor in the cabinet didn’t match the schematics that I found online, all the caps were different, all the diodes etc. I felt way over my head so I sent it out to Chad at Aracdecup. I highly recommend him if you have any monitor issues.

A few weeks back I got my chassis back, and she was up and running. I checked the power and cleaned and reset all the chips and the sound came and now fully working other than the recoil on the guns.

As you can see the game came in a generic Jaleco cab. The cab itself is in great shape, clean and sturdy as hell, but Point Blank cabinets are always bright and colorful so I thought I would help it along.

Now that the game is working I am thinking its time to bring the cab to life.

1)Artwork(Kickplate) – Being a generic cab I will have to alter any artwork I can find. From photos from the web I have drawn up the kickplate artwork. I know its not original to the 1st Point Blank, but it was within my ability to redraw. And I didn’t have much of a photo to go with.


2)Artwork(Control Panel) – I based this on another member's control panel from another forum. I had to adjust and add for the oversized control panel I have. And again, 2nd or 3rd version artwork. The main colors red and blue I am trying to match to the new buttons I purchased. The secondary colors in the triangles are lighter and I plan on matching to the guns.

3)Artwork(Instruction Bezel) – Again borrowed from the web with some additions. And again from the 2nd or 3rd version. But I like it and will make the bezel less generic.

4)Guns – I am going to be cleaning them and if needed using some vinyl dye(as done in Well Fed Games thread here) to bring the color back to life, although I like the pink and pastel blue. I just want them to look good and not faded out. Also would like to try to figure out the recoil even though I hear it gets old for home use.

5)Gun cables – I have had several ideas here. Remove the metal, and rewire with colored wires, and put in clear tubes around so the colored wires show. But I think I settled on removing the chain, and dying the metal wrap with alcohol dye. It should in theory give a red tint to the red cable and blue tint to the blue side. Just a strong hint. I will test it out on the chains first and go from there.

6)Player buttons – I couldn’t find any square ones, so I had to order from China. Came in looking great.

7)Coin Door – Is solid, maybe a light sanding and quick re-coat of black gloss. Currently the game is set to free play and does not have the coin lights hooked up. I like the free play but will connect have to connect the coin lights.

8)Vinyl Leg Sliders – I ordered these from Marco Specialties. They work great on carpet, the cabinets slide like nothing. A heads up, try to order in quantity. I ordered 10 sets of 4, so they cost I think $6 a set after being delivered, versus $11 for just 1 set.

9)Control Panel Size - I am not really 100% sure on this one. Hell not even 50% sure on this. But I really hate oversize control panels mainly because they take up so much damn room. But they are the only games in a tight row that you can see the side-art on. But alas this game has no side-art. I could make some though, or cut the control panel down to cabinet side. This would be a lot of work though. It might just be easier to do side-art. Just thought of this catastrophe today, lol.

10)T-molding - Not 100% sure here. Running through ideas, I like the vertical sides maybe to be red on the left and blue on the right to match the guns. I havent gone beyond that though.

Having a little trouble uploading the artwork. Will try and work on it and post when I can.

[Kier]

Finally got the control panel to load up.

2)Artwork(Control Panel) – I based this on another member's control panel from another forum. I had to adjust and add for the oversized control panel I have. And again, 2nd or 3rd version artwork. The main colors red and blue I am trying to match to the new buttons I purchased. The secondary colors in the triangles are lighter and I plan on matching to the guns.

[Kier]

Just a quick update. Weeks are so hard to find time. I got my Alcohol Dye in the mail last night and gave it a whirl quickly on 2 of the metal pieces that were holding the chains for the guns in place. Obviously need to work on my technique and read up on them, but damn, I really like they way they covered the metal but still transparent. Not sure if having a red metal covering and a blue metal covering for the gun cables will be too much color, but still think it will look good. Also a included the player start buttons I bought.



On a bummer side of it. My sound is cutting out. I loaded it up on MAME to verify and, the sound is great during the actual shooting, etc. But during the point tally, and selecting of mini-games it stops. Looks like the chips will need a better cleaning to begin with.

[Malenko]

I really like the direction you are going with the art. If you need any help, let me know.

[Kier]

I really like the direction you are going with the art. If you need any help, let me know.

Thanks, Malenko. Will do.

Hoping to have a mockup in the next day or two of the artwork on the cab.

[yotsuya]

Looking forward to seeing where this goes! 

[Kier]

Looking forward to seeing where this goes! 

Thanks, yotsuya. Me too. I have been working on again off again on the artwork as the chassis was sent out for repairs, finally taking form though. Still urks me I had to send it out though, lol.

[Kier]

Alright current mock in place. Forgive my rude GIMP skills, but it is only a mockup 



After mockup I made a couple changes I am thinking of.

1)Originally the red and blue in the kickplate go behind the coin door. But because I never wanted the bullets to start on the sides and have only a little bit of them on the center I shrunk the bullets to stay on the left and right side respectively. This created larger red and blue areas and when I saw them on the mockup, I didnt like them. So I cut them off to stay on their sides, leaving only green on the center panel of the kickplate and the yellow cloud, WTF bubble as I call it.

2)Was never sure what to do with the sides of the control Panel, I think the green ties it in nicely. I really wanted to put "Point Blank" on there, but so far it looks like crap every time I do it. SO still a work in progress.

3)Really feel I needed to add some color to tie the top of the cabinet in as the marquee and light fixture is just gray. I suppose I could go crazy and alcohol dye that piece. But for now considering the green on the ceiling of the inside of the cabinet.

4)T-molding- I like it. I was considering having it 1/2 Red then 1/2 Blue on the top of Control Panel, followed by 1/2 Blue and 1/2 Red on the bottom section. But think it would be too crowded. Also considered having the sides broke up and split in the middle red on the left then blue on the right. But thats really the last piece so I have plenty of time for that.

So any thoughts? Suggestions? Preferences? Opening the proverbial can of worms I know as opinions very so much, but would love to hear what others think.

Thanks

[Le Chuck]

Can we see the green in black?

[Malenko]

honestly?

Its too much green. When you have so much it takes away the "pop" of the splashes of green. Factory PBs had orange, have you considered that?   Worst case, Id change those large chunks of green to black.

Ive sloppily photochopped your attachment so you get a rough idea.

[Drnick]

I must concur,  1st choice Black, 2nd Orange, Last Green 

[Le Chuck]

I'd lose the half in half t-molding too.  Just not a fan.  And the green strip above the monitor as well.  I might even go black rather than white on the CP, blue black and red. 

[Malenko]

I'd lose the half in half t-molding too.  Just not a fan.  And the green strip above the monitor as well.  I might even go black rather than white on the CP, blue black and red.

Well, I get the desire to use red and black t molding, but I'd do it a little differently. Say, for example, red t molding on the side panels, but blue on the control panel. I forgot to paint that green strip black in my quick edit, but I agree, it should be black no matter what color the front or CP is. I prefer the white on the control panel, especially if you change all the other green to black, just breaks it up a little.

[Le Chuck]

Any reason not to mount the gun holders on the top of the CP since you have all that unused realestate?

[Kier]

Any reason not to mount the gun holders on the top of the CP since you have all that unused realestate?

No, no real reason not to. More holes in the control panel, but they would be small, and I would have to buy holsters. But was considering it as well.

[Kier]

Thanks for the different colored versions, Malenko. The Black does look Bad Ass. Only negative I would have to work around is eyebrows on the short dude.

The green might be a little bright also, but yeah, it is a little carried away. Too much of a good thing.

I had thought about orange as the kickplate of Point Blank at least 1 of the versions had orange as well, mainly either orange or green seemed the norm. Although to be honest it didnt look 1/2 bad in the original blue. Somewhere I even have it without kickplate and only control panel and I liked it as well. None of my other games have kickplate art, well my ancient Mamestation does.



Then also thought about changing the control panel front to orange there. The splash of green on the top was last minute add on, it just seemed weird so heavily colored base then nothing up top.

Thanks for all the thoughts, really appreciate all the feedback.

[Kier]

I thought I would throw this up as well. As this is my kickplate with door sized in. It does break up the green, I just could not for the life of me transform it correctly in the mockup.



Thanks again

[Malenko]

I just could not for the life of me transform it correctly in the mockup.
Thanks again

Like this?


I still like Black better, but left some green:

[Kier]

Yep, like that, lol.  Thanks again, Malenko.

I would be lying if I were to say I am a little worried about it being to bright. All other games are generally black from control panel down.

I keep going back to this photo. I didnt find it until I was almost done. The photo I used was a wrinkled sample of original kickplate, took forever to rebuild. The green looks duller on these cabs though.