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Author Topic: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap  (Read 3531 times)

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XSFDriver

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Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« on: May 28, 2018, 05:14:12 am »
Hi all, I'm new to the "Arcade Controls" forum, but firstly, a BIG THANKS to help I've already had in setting up my Daytona USA setup, especially to "Sailorsat" and the rest, with "Foolling with the M2 emulator".
Just thought I'd see if anyone was interested in building one of these gearshifts.... It's been put through it's paces, by me and a few mates, and after a few extra mod's and tweaks, it seems to work OK and could be adapted for a few other applications.
Cheers.

Malenko

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2018, 09:05:56 am »
definitely post more details!
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XSFDriver

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2018, 04:04:01 am »
Hi Malenko, Checked out your link to your Daytona USA 2, project... Man that's coming along nicely... Very professional look and finish to 'em. You've definitely got that "Looks like they belong in an arcade" design and style (makes my setup look like a real "thrown together" ::))
Anyway, the "more detail" of my "thrown together" gearshift is... I started off by asking a few mechanics to put aside used car ball-joints that they just throw out (I used a "BJ426" <-see google, but anything similar will work. Also asked if they could please save the rubber "boot" and nuts. I needed the ball-joint "worn" so the movement was free, but the rubber boot would center the stick and give it some resistance... and the nuts of course to mount the plastic "plate" to hit the micro-switches. But, as they say, "a picture speaks a thousand words", so I'll shut up and post some photo's of the first steps I did.... any query's or suggestions always welcome.

Black plastic plate => cut out from the bottom of a plastic tray 3mm thick.

"Frosty" (clear) plastic box sections to mount micro-switches => a container my Mrs. bought "cotton-tips or Q-tips" in... cut in half.

Top collar for stick => a nut from second ball-joint, welded to a bit of pipe and shaped.

Base => 3mm mild steel (105mm x approx. 570mm) salvaged from scrap metal.

...I'll post some more photo's tomorrow, I've gotta boot for now,

Cheers.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2018, 04:39:11 am by XSFDriver »

MrThunderwing

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2018, 06:33:52 pm »
Very cool.

baritonomarchetto

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2018, 03:58:52 am »
Cool. Thinking of toying with thick metal keeps me away from things like this, but you did a very good work there.

XSFDriver

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2018, 05:23:52 am »
Thanks for the positive feedback guys. Sorry I haven't got back to post the rest of the pic's until now, this week's been really busy.

XSFDriver

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2018, 05:47:34 am »
You nailed it baritonomarchetto... to do the bottom two bends in the main plate was tricky... my vice wasn't big enough for the length and I would've needed an "offset" vice too.... I had to clamp it to the edge of my work bench with a brace and use a small sledge hammer and a block of wood to make it do what I wanted it to !!
The top two small bends I was able to do in the vice.
Sorry guys... the rest of the photo's were larger than allowed... I'll have to "down-size"  'em and post them later.
Cheers.

Malenko

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2018, 08:17:22 am »
That is honestly a genius solution to fill your needs. I personally don't think it looks janky at all. While you made it "industrial strength" using steel,  I'm sure the concept could be applied to wood with similar results.

You could always wrap that in CF vinyl to make it look fancier. Thanks for the write up and the pictures, I appreciate it.
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Mike A

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2018, 09:21:14 am »
Definitely not janky. You should build a driving rig with a "Mad Max" vibe. Lots of exposed steel. That would be sweet.

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2018, 09:43:33 pm »
I've always wanted to come up with a nice DIY shifter, but never had any good ideas for what to use for the pivot mechanism.
 :cheers: on the ball joint....with a boot...to boot.

I've seen gates made out of cutting board plastic.  I guess it holds up or people wouldn't use it.


XSFDriver

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2018, 09:11:35 am »
For sure Malenko, after testing it and actualy feeling where the stresses are, as long as the
ball-joint was mounted well, I don't see any problem with making it out of wood. The part that gets
the most "Hammering" is the rubber plate directly under the "H" plate, and like Badmouth suggested,
cutting board plastic would stand up to it.

And you're right Malenko, it would look good finished in vinyl, I just gave it a quick coat of clear
spray, just 'cause I was pressed for time, at the time, just so it wouldn't go rusty.

You're probably spot on too, Mike A, I've got access to a lot of scrap steel, knowing me, if I
build somethung it'd probably look like something out of Mad Max, but I sure love the looks of the
units I've seen on this website being built.

It must be the area I live in, some of the Mad Max 1 scenes were filmed not too far away from here.
Finaly got to re-size more of the photo's...

XSFDriver

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2018, 09:17:43 am »
The rubber bands in the next picture were supposed to be springs, but I "threw" them in, meaning to swap them over at a later date, but they just seem to do the job nicely :dunno

XSFDriver

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Re: Four position gearshift built from mostly scrap
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2018, 09:20:33 am »
The wiring and small harness connecters were raided out of a big OLD photocopier.

The first "H" plate I made had "catches" in the rubber underneath (cut out from a piece
of truck mud-flap 5mm thick), but after a night of testing, myself and everyone else,
all agreed that the rubber "catches" just didn't work right.

Also, all agreed that the "H" plate was too "H"-y... and as all Daytona USA fans know...
on the last corner of the "Beginer" level (and others), it's fun to tap the brakes and
smash it quickly from 4th -> 2nd -> 3rd... and drift it through, not that it's good for
the ultimate lap time, but it's fun getting it right if you've had a few Jim Beam's.

So, for the next catch-up, I tried the "prototype #2" with a more "open" "H" and
the Hard Drive magnets to hold it in gear, and everyone gave it a pretty hard time,
(I asked them to), including myself, and my mates reckoned I'd nailed it.

It's set up it the corner of the spare room at the moment, with a car seat mounted on
wood sleepers, and the wheel mounted on a small coffee table... thats why I made a lead base,
made from melted down old wheel weights (I asked a bloke at a tyre place if he could save me
half a bucket of used ones), and I glued a piece of wet suit material to the bottom....
IT DOESN'T MOVE A BIT !!!

The screen is a big CRT TV, 'cause I've got "Point Blank" running off it aswell (PSX),
switched over quickly via a basic switchbox.

I know it's just a "thrown toghether" test bench, but I'm cosidering making up something
more like what the rest of you guys are putting together, more stylish, now that I've got
it all working.

At the moment, for 2 player Daytona USA, it's networked to another PC next to it, via a
crossover cable, (I've just been given a router to try, I just haven't got around to it),
but the other setup just has the same Logitech momo wheel on a PC desk,
using the wheel buttons for manual shift. (gotta make another 4 position shift).

I'd like to make up two side by side cabs for it, but the spare room's not that big, and
the rest of it is taken up with a 4 lane AFX HO slot car track, hooked up to a lap timer
(times to 0.001 sec) running on a C64 that I programmed years ago. (Also good fun when
you've had a few Jim Beam's).

Anyway, I hope this can help others hook up a 4 position shifter for Daytona USA and other
Games,

Cheers.