Adding switch to coin return

[reptileink]

I will start by saying that I have searched all kinds of word combinations in search and maybe I'm dumb, but can't really find what I am looking for. If there is a good thread/post regarding this, please direct me and close this out.

I have a false coin door. It has the mechanics, but no guts. However, the coin return buttons are spring loaded. What I am looking to do is add a leaf switch to the coin return button to use as my "coin up" buttons. I have pretty much worked it out, but attaching the switch to the metal door has become a roadblock. I am assuming hot glue wouldn't hold up, and I don't want to drill/screw brackets into the door. I am no epoxy specialist either.

Just looking for examples if anyone has done this (I am sure I've seen it before), and maybe some different ways it has been done.

Thanks gang!

[vwalbridge]

Can you take a pic of your button return or describe it a little more?

Is it a small metal button, a rotating lever, or one of those plastic "push to reject" buttons?

[reptileink]

It's just a plastic "push to return" button. A plastic post surrounded by a spring. Trying to get leaf switch "suspended" with the lever pressed when you press the coin return button to activate "coin up"

It's this coin door from Twisted Quarter

http://www.twistedquarter.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=171_381&products_id=926

[vwalbridge]

You might have already seen this but if not, check out Bella's Arcade - Return Button Hack

It's similar to what you want to achieve but uses a micro switch instead.

There are probably half a dozen variations to getting this to work but all of them are going to require some kind of glue/epoxy/mounting plate in order to get the switch close enough to actuate.

[reptileink]

Thanks man, I'll take a look. I can use a micro switch just as easy.

EDIT: Of course, my work is blocking that site 

I'll have to check it out later.

[vwalbridge]

Here is a sneak peek:

[reptileink]

Yea, there are a lot more guts on that door than mine...lol.

I just have to monkey around with a mounting solution.

[vwalbridge]

Yea, there are a lot more guts on that door than mine...lol.

Yea, I thought this example wasn't exactly spot on for you scenario. Unless, someone else out there has a more elegant solution, you are going to have to rig some kind of custom bracket to hold the switch behind the coin return. Since you don't have any additional "guts" to help you out, you just have to come up with the entire bracket yourself. Good luck. 

[reptileink]

Yea, I'm sure I can figure something out.

I will be sure to share it when I do!

[BGoulette]

How much "guts" do you have? I don't have anything concrete in mind, but I'd like to see, just in case something pops into my head...

[CheffoJeffo]

This is one of those times where posting a picture of *your* door would come in handy.

Here is a quick snap of the inside of my MultiExidy where I needed to bury two buttons inside of the cab -- one behind each coin reject.

EDIT: And, yeah, epoxy. If you think epoxy requires a specialist, you've picked the wrong hobby. But then again, fake coin door.   

[reptileink]

It's not a "fake" coin door per se.

It's just a door with NO mechanics. You open the door and it has two square brackets to house the return buttons in and that's it. I was at work when posting originally, and now it's raining buckets and the cabinet is in the garage. I'll try and grab a shot tomorrow.

[yotsuya]

Mount a strip of wood behind the door, like a crosspiece, with two microswitches behind the reject buttons. I did this tinkering with my first door before I just decided to buy the "guts" and make it a proper door. But it worked.

[wemr97dl]

I used the normally closed side of the switch and mounted to use the actuator arm, it seemed the most reliable to me. just have to position the way I marked up in the photo and attach, I drilled and used bolts and nuts pretty small but just a few cents at the hardware store, the switch is always held in until you push the coin return button

[yotsuya]

Folks, he literally just has a door with nothing behind it. All these "mount it to the mech" tips, while good, don't help his situation.

[mgb]

Not sure how much guys are behind your coin ejects but here's what I did.
I left the coin mechs out and fixed some microswitches with tabs to metal brackets and bolted them in.
The coin reject catches the switches tab.

I understand if you don't have any mechs to screw to but then you may have to epoxy something in. It's not hard.

[BGoulette]

That was my thought. Without seeing the back of the door, my suggestion would be to epoxy a right angle bracket to it, then use some rigid steel strap to position the microswitches. Most strap you can cut to size with a hacksaw and bend with pliers if/as necessary. Could use hose clamps (or perhaps something more elegant) to secure the microswitch to the "end" of the metal strap.

[reptileink]

All great ideas!

Sadly, my cabinet is sitting in my garage and it's getting quite nippy here in New England this time of year. No room in house/basement so unless I find a way to heat the garage, my refurb project will have to wait until spring. 

[jdbailey1206]

During the week I got my coin mechs from Twisted Quarter.  They can be found here.  I didn't want this machine to have to rely on coins.  So I took a page from chopperthedog's build and modified the coin acceptors I got from Twisted Quarter.
To modify the coin acceptors I used Nintendo Coin Button holders that I found on ebay.  I just removed the actual button holder with tin snips and bent the remaining metal so that it sat my switch close to the coin button return. 



Then when the coin return button is pushed in turn it will trigger the switch to activate and tell the computer that a coin or credit has been applied.



Now I have to decide whether I want to keep the original coin catch which is on the right or use the one from Mikes Arcade on the left.  The one from Mikes Arcade is bulky and I may just keep with the original.

Above is what I did.  The original idea was taken from chopperthedog's DK build.  I understand the cold winters.  Michigan sucks around this time of year.  I can't imagine that the coin door would take up too much room in your house.  Bring it in and work on it.  At least you can get the small things done.

[mgb]

All great ideas!

Sadly, my cabinet is sitting in my garage and it's getting quite nippy here in New England this time of year. No room in house/basement so unless I find a way to heat the garage, my refurb project will have to wait until spring. 

It ain't that bad up here yet, get a space heater!

[yotsuya]

I got shorts on and am going to get ice cream in an hour. #ArizonaRocks

[reptileink]

All great ideas!

Sadly, my cabinet is sitting in my garage and it's getting quite nippy here in New England this time of year. No room in house/basement so unless I find a way to heat the garage, my refurb project will have to wait until spring. 

It ain't that bad up here yet, get a space heater!

Yea, it's actually not been too bad, but messing with door switches is far off for this refurbish. It's a double garage with gaps all over the place. Not sure a space heater would do much to help. Plus I'd have to run it a couple hours before even going out there...lol. Just getting my projects in a row for when the time comes (or I get motivated). I still need to sand and repaint this whole cabinet again, so wiring is a future part of the project.

[RandyT]

All this talk of epoxy for a little switch

Look into the red backed double sided "foam" (more like aerated rubber) tape from 3M.  Pretty sure I saw some at Wal-Mart the other day, in the Bondo area of the automotive supplies.

If the surfaces are clean, the bond will often be so strong that you break what is stuck to it, if you ever try to take it off.  If it's strong enough to keep rain guards attached around the window of a car moving at 80mph, a switch isn't going to budge.  Good for L-brackets in an application like this as well.

[pbj]

Meh, can't waddle to the garage and snap a pic means we're just talking about a pretend cabinet anyway.

Move along, reptileink.

[reptileink]

Meh, can't waddle to the garage and snap a pic means we're just talking about a pretend cabinet anyway.

Move along, reptileink.

Um, cabinet is in my signature. There is no reason to snap a picture really as I have explained it about 3 or 4 times. I literally have a coin door with no mechs. Nothing. You unlock it, and stare at the back side of the coin return buttons and the coin slots. That's about the extent. If you really need a picture to explain that, then I will add one when I get home. Thanks for your input though, very informative.

[harveybirdman]

pbj gotta pbj....



Seriously though, is it a Happ door?  Buy mechs and mech holders bruh!  Drop coins or GTFO!   

[reptileink]

This was my noob build. 8 buttons, EVERY game under the sun, X-Arcade controls.......   
Yea, I made ALL the mistakes.....lol.

I am basically just trying to get this one up and running as I really want to make something from scratch, but don't want to just leave this one sitting. 

Yes, it's a HAPP door. Attached a picture from Google (not mine)

I will basically turn this over to the kids, so not really looking to make it a coin machine. I know you guys are purists here, so that's why I want to start a new one from scratch.

[mgb]

Don't do what these guys want. Do what you want.
For the coin switches, I would glue or double sticky tape a cross member below the coin rejects and add some switches with levers so that the coin rejects hit them.

[reptileink]

Don't do what these guys want. Do what you want.
For the coin switches, I would glue or double sticky tape a cross member below the coin rejects and add some switches with levers so that the coin rejects hit them.

I've been here just long enough to know who helps and who tries to be funny/troll

I think I will go the cross member route and add the levers to the switches.

[harveybirdman]

In all seriousness, if it's just for kids, I'd just make a button on the panel add credits....


But yeah what you are going with will work, heck steal some K'nex out they toy box to build it, they don't play with them anymore and it's just one less thing to step on in the hallway....

[reptileink]

In all seriousness, if it's just for kids, I'd just make a button on the panel add credits....

Well, as I stated, this was my first foray into the arcade building world. I have two buttons on each side of the control panel as well (for pinball games) and a third one for admin, so I could just easily use those buttons. Still wanted a bit of the "arcade feel" by pressing the front coin reject buttons.

But yeah what you are going with will work, heck steal some K'nex out they toy box to build it, they don't play with them anymore and it's just one less thing to step on in the hallway....

True dat! 

[thefritz11]

Zombie thread. Seven years too late but I have the same door but only single slot. No guts at all. I used one of the bolts holding in the button to attached a small L bracket that I ground down to fit. Then I just used a small bolt to affix and extra microswitch I had laying around. This was the cleanest/easiest way I could think to do it and I didn't have to modify anything. I will try to get a picture of it over the next couple of days for posterity as I went searching for a solution for this for coin doors without guts and couldn't find anything simple enough for my limited skillset.

[pbj]

Meh, can't waddle to the garage and snap a pic means we're just talking about a pretend cabinet anyway.

[bimm25e]

I did this with leaf switches, Billy mays mighty putty, and matrix gator clips from cometpinball.com

Works like a charm, pulls right off if ypu don't want it.