Mike A's end to procrastination

[bperkins01]

Thats the part I'm missing - duh... I have servostick..  No idea how to get that working with a jamma

[Mike A]

Maybe I will try sticks that have a bit more directional restriction.

[Vigo]

If you need measurements of a dedicated Trog 4 player cab, let me know. I can probably help in the art dept too. Something to keep in mind when you do feel like building another cab.


Oh, and 1000 points to Gryfindor for using Wico ball tops. I would expect no less from your work.

[Mike A]

It might come down to that. I really like the Wicos for the other games. I cheated on the buttons and I am using leaf pros. Those get a thumbs up from me so far.

[Vigo]

Wico 4 ways are excellent with Trog, so it is not the stick, it is the 8 way restriction.

Been meaning to try leaf pros for a while. Glad they are working out so far. 

[Mike A]

That is probably what I would use for a dedicated Trog cab. I have to see if there are other 4 player, 4 way games. I could multi game that cab too.

[Mike A]

Progress is slow but sure. I cut my real CP top and box. I cheated this time and used my CNC machine. I will post some pics this weekend.

I tried to save time by purchasing dupont cables for the P3/P4 harnesses. They worked fine, but they looked like ass and there were too many individual connections.

I bit the bullet and ordered up a bunch of Molex .100 connectors and pins. I will post pics of that process too.

While I was purchasing those I also ordered .156 molex connectors and pins to replace the interconnect cables on my Trog and Super High Impact PCBs.

Today I am driving in to the city to pick up a burn free working 19 inch electrohome, and a 25 inch Wells Gardner in similar shape.

Hey Vigo, I am going to need you to please measure the panels on your Trog cab. It is time to scratch build a Trog. Hell Yeah!

I think I may have been in a mild depression that slowed down my arcade work. I seem to have busted out of that.

It is hard to realize when it is happening because it doesn't affect my mood anymore like it did in the 2 years after my wife died. It just manifests in a lack of motivation.

[javeryh]

Glad you keep moving this along.  I know a thing or two about taking my time but as long as you finish then who cares how long it takes.

I'm super jealous you have a CNC machine.  Is it easy to operate?  How big of a piece of material can you cut on it?  If I had one of those I'd be cutting out 5 cabs every weekend and admiring crying over the giant stack of unassembled plywood/MDF in the garage.

[Mike A]

Mine cuts 24" wide by 12" long. That 12 inches can be extended to infinity if you index 12 inches at a time. That is tedious.

I don't use it for cabs because it is easy to cut cabs with conventional tools.

[Gilrock]

Glad you keep moving this along.  I know a thing or two about taking my time but as long as you finish then who cares how long it takes.

I'm super jealous you have a CNC machine.  Is it easy to operate?  How big of a piece of material can you cut on it?  If I had one of those I'd be cutting out 5 cabs every weekend and admiring crying over the giant stack of unassembled plywood/MDF in the garage.

Oh yeah well I'm jealous because you're not using a CNC so everyone pays attention to you build.
They look at mine and go pfftt well of course he's using a CNC.
The funny thing is I've wasted a half hour creating a design/toolpath in Aspire and then setting up the CNC just so I can cutout a rectangle...lol.

[Mike A]

That is why I don't use my CNC to build cabs. Cutting out rectangles, even really precise ones, is super easy with my budget table saw and quality fence. The odd angles are easily accomplished with a clamping straight edge and my mini circular saw.

A CNC machine is great if you are making a dozen or more of the same thing.

The CNC machine is good for CP tops that require pockets for the joysticks. The setup time is roughly the same for hand routing with templates and CNC setup.

[pbj]

Sure would be nice if one of you sexy CNC men cut me out a Midway cocktail.....

[javeryh]

Glad you keep moving this along.  I know a thing or two about taking my time but as long as you finish then who cares how long it takes.

I'm super jealous you have a CNC machine.  Is it easy to operate?  How big of a piece of material can you cut on it?  If I had one of those I'd be cutting out 5 cabs every weekend and admiring crying over the giant stack of unassembled plywood/MDF in the garage.

Oh yeah well I'm jealous because you're not using a CNC so everyone pays attention to you build.
They look at mine and go pfftt well of course he's using a CNC.
The funny thing is I've wasted a half hour creating a design/toolpath in Aspire and then setting up the CNC just so I can cutout a rectangle...lol.

Ha! Grass is always greener... I just think designing something on a computer and then cutting it out with a CNC is so freaking cool.  Like printing your own puzzle with giant interlocking pieces that fit perfectly.  Of course, I'd have to learn how to actually get the picture out of my head and into the computer. But I think I'd rather have a "perfect" cabinet from a CNC than some of the imperfections... I mean "character" that my cabs always end up with!

Mike - what do you use the CNC for?  Cutting smaller parts like brackets or do you like woodworking in general and use it to build coffee tables and book cases?

[Mike A]

I originally built a CNC machine out of gas pipe and roller skate bearings with HDPE for the structural elements. That was a long time ago. I made signs for my business, and

wine rack toppers for a local liquor distributor. My machine worked well, but it was slow. The liquor distributor orders piled up so I bought a CNC machine that was much faster.

The wine rack toppers were carved with their company logo.

I don't use it a whole lot anymore.

Do yourself a favor. Learn how to do real woodworking. Everybody thinks a CNC machine is a magical device for building arcade machines. It is easier to build an arcade cab

without one.

I could buy a good table saw, jointer, planer, track saw, router, and jigsaw and still be ahead of a full 4 x 8 CNC machine.

The only reason I own a CNC machine is that I had to do production scale work.

[Gilrock]

Yeah its almost just as much time using the CNC but I do have fun doing the designs.  For this new Joust control panel I didn't get it right till the 5th try.  Not all the mistakes were my fault I initially copied my Robotron dimensions and then found out my glass Robotron bezel was an 1/8" thinner than the new Joust bezel so I had to redo the width of my control panel.  That is when I love the CNC just plop down another piece of wood and fix the toolpaths for the new width.

[Mike A]

Or tap your table saw fence an eighth inch and spend 3 seconds cutting it.

[javeryh]

I'll never have the room for a CNC (or the need) but they do look fun to mess around with.  I'm getting pretty decent at woodworking and feel like I could make something if given enough time.  But if I make a mistake, it costs the entire day or more to cut something again instead of just tweaking the file.

[Gilrock]

Or tap your table saw fence an eighth inch and spend 3 seconds cutting it.

Yeah not that simple for the control panel.  I've got a 2.2mm pocket for the metal dust cover plate, a 4.5mm oval pocket for the dust washer to slide in, rectangular pockets underneath for the 2 way joysticks, and since its already on the CNC I let it cutout the button pockets which have a smaller diameter through hole and  larger diameter shelf.  I don't feel bad about using the machine because for one I gotta use skills to design the files and create the toolpaths and I've paid my dues over the years from back when I used to cut things out with a jigsaw and sand to the pencil line with a belt sander.

[Mike A]

They are definitely handy for CPs. Measuring and routing those pockets by hand is a pain.

[Mike A]

I CNC'd a few templates for different joystick and button combinations. It makes things really easy to do manually.

[Vigo]

I considered making one of these that stores vertically so I can have a large format CNC in my tiny garage -

https://www.v1engineering.com/lowrider-cnc/

Hey Vigo, I am going to need you to please measure the panels on your Trog cab. It is time to scratch build a Trog. Hell Yeah!

I'll work to get you accurate measurements in the next few days! 

[Arroyo]

I considered making one of these that stores vertically so I can have a large format CNC in my tiny garage -

https://www.v1engineering.com/lowrider-cnc/

I’ve been eyeing that same one.  Seemed like a good solution and good price point.

[Mike A]

That thing will not work the way you want it to.

[Mike A]

On top of no rigitity in the frame, belts suck bad. They stretch constantly and have to be readjusted. They are just a cheap ass short cut. They are not meant to be used under loads experienced by a CNC router.

[PL1]

That thing will not work the way you want it to.

On top of no rigitity in the frame, belts suck bad. They stretch constantly and have to be readjusted. They are just a cheap ass short cut. They are not meant to be used under loads experienced by a CNC router.

   

You're comparing apples and oranges here.

If anyone expects a $500 Lowrider hobbyist CNC to handle all the same materials, loads, feed-rates and cut-depths as a $5k-$35k professional model CNC, that is as insane as expecting a RasPi to run Gauntlet Legends at 100%.   
- Is the Lowrider as strong as a commercial CNC?  No.
- Is the Lowrider as rigid as a commercial CNC?  No.
- Is the Lowrider as fast as a commercial CNC?  No.
- Is the Lowrider as expensive as a commercial CNC?  Fortunately, no.   

There are many examples showing that a properly built Lowrider CNC is capable of accurately cutting MDF/plywood parts at reasonable loads, feed-rates and cut-depths for the Lowrider.

If you doubt the Lowrider's capabilities, here's one of many videos on YouTube showing it milling a part out of 1/4" aluminum.




Scott

[Mike A]

3 hours is reasonable?

[PL1]

3 hours is reasonable?

Not for mass-production, but many people will consider 3 hours for that part more reasonable than shelling out the big bucks for a commercial CNC.   

We both know that you can use faster/deeper settings for MDF/plywood than aluminum.


Scott

[Mike A]

Time is the most important resource anyone has. Yet everyone treats it like it is worthless. I hope we can just agree to disagree.

[PL1]

I hope we can just agree to disagree.

As long as Tolerance Boulevard is a two-way street, of course we can.   

I trust people will usually make the right choice for their situation if they clearly understand the available alternatives.
(There's nothing we can do if they don't do their homework and choose poorly.   )

I'm just offering another perspective and relevant facts to support an informed alternative opinion, not demanding my opinion be treated as absolute fact.


Scott

[Gilrock]

Don't worry I get what you mean Mike I have a man sized router.  Funny you were told to lighten up but it seemed like the person jumping in the thread like you called their baby ugly needed to lighten up...lol.

[Mike A]

He makes a decent argument for going cheap. The difference is that I know Vigo and Arroyo personally. I actually know their situations.

[Arroyo]

The difference is that I know Vigo and Arroyo personally. I actually know their situations.

I think what he means to say is, we’re a bunch of picky bitches.

[Mike A]

You value your time...and you are a picky ---smurfette---.

[bperkins01]

I figured I'd chime in..
I kinda see both side of this one - time is my most precious resource too.

However - how I value it can't really be applied in dollars.
The amount of time I've spent research and fixing stuff that I could have outsourced or just replaced makes no sense in dollars.  I'm probably paying myself $4/hour on it..

But yard work?  We have a 1/2 acre lot and spring cleanup is awful..  dropping $1k to not spend 20 hours doing that work - seems like a good trade to me.

Home CNC for most people is for fun - so I'd put that in the first category.  Once it bleeds into producing $$$?  then speed would matter.

Now - tool quality? 
Don't buy cheap tools... ever..  Buy the best and only cry once..   Early on I bought crappy tools and quickly became better than them..  then had to toss them because they had no value (Craftsman tools).  Good tools cost more for a reason..
My $.02

[Mike A]

Don't buy cheap tools... ever..  But the best and only cry once..

A CNC router is a tool. Same rules apply.

I built my first CNC machine. The tinkering and problem solving was fun. Waiting for the thing to cut stuff was not. You can't just walk away from a CNC when it is cutting a part for an hour.

[bperkins01]

Don't buy cheap tools... ever..  But the best and only cry once..

A CNC router is a tool. Same rules apply.

I built my first CNC machine. The tinkering and problem solving was fun. Waiting for the thing to cut stuff was not. You can't just walk away from a CNC when it is cutting a part for an hour.

Really?  I thought that was a selling point - but I don't have a CNC.
I'd probably sand something while I waited - another $4/hour job.   

[Mike A]

Yeah. You have to keep an eye on a computer controlled 30000rpm spinning bit. Especially a home made one.

A cheap CNC machine has its place. Especially if you just can't afford a real machine. My main contention is that you don't need one at all if building arcade machines for yourself is the end goal.
Conventional tools are a much better choice.

[bperkins01]

Low cost CNC is a gateway tool...
Next thing you know you are producing lots of Wooden items with writing on them, etc.   

[Mike A]

Yup. That is how I started.

[Gilrock]

I can't even remember why I bought the CNC.  I had just always wanted one and my debt was getting too low.  I remember buying a wood lathe just because I couldn't create a bowl part for the marble machine I was building for my son years ago...lol.