extending a CP on a older cab *update: complete with pics

[Sephroth57]

I am going to be picking up this cab soon. http://www.basementarcade.com/arcade/4sale/robocop/album1.html

and i want to add a 7 button layout similar to Xarcade for a 2 player layout. im not sure if that CP is 'deep' enough though. it might be uncomfortable without much of a wrist rest. so i was thinking maybe i should just take that CP off and make something to fit it but just extend out a little more. would that be the best option or would there be some kind of way to extend that one a little more... or do you think it will be fine anyway?


scroll down for the new pics

[NoOne=NBA=]

That one SHOULD be pretty easy to extend the CP forward on--depending on what's underneath the metal one when it comes off.

If the current CP basically leaves the entire front open when it comes off, a deeper one should bolt right into place.
If there is a substructure, it could get a little trickier.

[Hamselv]

Hi Seproth,

I am in the same situation as you. I have a generic Compugame cabinet (Danish firm) in my garage. The CP is 2-player w. three buttons each and very small P1/P2 buttons. Far too small for the CP I have in mind!

My first ideas of extending the CP involved physically modifying the cabinet sides to accomodate a larger CP, but with my current, poor toolset and my lack of woodworking experience this is almost a certain recipe for a broken, ugly cabinet.

Anyway, I found a link on this forum a while ago, where a guy had made a really slick extension of a Centipede cabinet CP, which originally also features a quite narrow CP.
http://control-click.com/mame

Check out thumbnail page 3 for pictures of the CP. It will never be like the huge CPs that we see on home-built cabinets, but I think it looks very elegant while being roomy enough for the standard 2 Player, 6 buttons and a central trackball layout. And it still looks good on the original cabinet, I think....

Maybe this would fit your plans as well?

[paigeoliver]

Here, let me save you some trouble. The panel is big enough, my best friend has one of those Robocop cabinets at home, and the panel is plenty large enough for a 2x7 layout. It is a pretty standard sized panel, seen plenty of them converted into the Streetfighter series, which is the 2x6 layout, and the 2x7 layout doesn't take up any more space.

You would also have a heck of a time extending it without making it look terrible. It is a curved metal panel, and it follows the lines of the cabinet.

Also, if you aren't keeping with the Robocop theme, then would you be willing to let my buddy have your Robocop bezel? His machine doesn't have the graphical bezel like yours does.

Also, to do this cleanly you will likely need to locate a Bad Dudes control panel (or other dual joy panel that fits that cabinet). That sholdn't be too hard to find though.

[Sephroth57]

i like what he did with that centipede cabinet but it looks like a lot of work. I have some friends who are builders though so theyd be doing the woodwork for me =P

i looked at the bad dudes cabinet paige, http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=B&game_id=6991
it looks like it wont be enough room the 2nd joystick is too much to the right and the left setup looks like the 6 buttons would be almost running into the 2nd one. i think my only option is extending it similar to the centipede cab above

[Stingray]

That looks big enough to me. I'm with Paige on this one. That cab will look a lot nicer in the end if you don't extend the panel. If you don't like the layout of the Bad Dudes panel you can always make one from scratch, or get a metal shop to do it for you if you don't have the tools.

-S

[rampy]

I extended out my narrow-ish Taito cabinet control panel with a "T" formation so I could fit a 3" trackball and some other goodies.

In retrospect I probably could done just as well with 2 joysticks 12 buttons (six each) and maybe a 2 1/4" trackball, but I was insistent on playing golden tee on this cabinet... But I digress...

Ubercade site... I got my idea from ArcadeFX Ed's controlpanel

Good luck,

rampy

[Sephroth57]

ooh that T shaped panel is cool, it looks like its hard to make switchable though. I like how theres a lot of room in the middle, i wouldnt put a TB and just leave it 2 joys 7 buttons and have lots of room for fighting games and stuff. im gonna either do that or just extend it out normally without the T shape

[Sephroth57]

I ended up going with a design very similar to the extended centipede design, a good friend of mine did most of the woodwork for me I was pretty much just a helper =P  I dont care though cause it looks badass, and we made 2 identical ones, so when i make my 2nd Pop N Music panel we can swap easily. also we coated them both in black laminate, and repaired some small cracks and damages in the cabinet and it will be repainted black soon.

heres the old CP removed..

[Sephroth57]

made the slots for it to slide and lock in place, I will also have screws going down from the top holding it in, they will be wingnut type screws so they can be easily undone by hand

[Sephroth57]

the new panel

[Sephroth57]

full view

[Sephroth57]

so how do you guys like it

[paigeoliver]

Well, it does have that "extended" look, and doesn't match the lines of the cabinet, but I doubt anyone other than arcade geeks like me would ever notice.

I am often tempted to do the same thing myself. Haven't given in yet though.

Very glad that it appears that you kept the cabinet itself intact and did not chop off the front (the minute you do that you eventually resign the cabinet to the dumpster, games tend to switch owners every few years, once you sell something like that it will eventually fall into the hands of someone who will say "hey this is shite" and they will part it, and dumpster it).

Only thing I wonder is, how much larger did you even make the panel, it doesn't appear to be any wider, and increased depth is of questionable utility (questionabl because you can put stuff on the "second row" but it isn't always confortable to use).

Also, what are you going to do with your Data East panel?

[Sephroth57]

well after drawing out a spacing template in full size I found that it didnt need to be much wider, it just needed more depth. I like having a little wrist rest and i thought the data east panel was way too shallow. also I will be adding a 4 way in the middle toward the screen more , the depth allows this without cluttering the panel.

and the data east panel, right now is being used in my room hooked up through my ipac on my main PC. just cause i wanted to play MAME with a joystick until i finish my machine. after that it will probably sit in my garage as the beginning of my parts pile