New cabinet build named... 'ehukai !

[bobbyb13]

I had been thinking about making a cabinet the same form factor as shaolindrunkard's very cool latest build and figured why not start a fresh project (that maybe I can actually finish in a month?!) while I wait for the solution to fix what I have screwed up on my monster multi-panel build to finally occur to me.

I've always liked the architectural work of Charles Haertling and my affinity/familiarity with parabolic curves in surfboards made me think that an unconventional shape cabinet would be a fun challenge.

Still haven't come to a final decision on the artwork yet but the cabinet body has a sweeping motion that suggests a wave, so I thought 'ehukai - the hawai'ian word for sea spray- was appropriate for a name.
Water elements in some organic fashion will enter the picture for graphic treatment eventually.
And the wacky lines of this thing will certainly require some fiberglass and resin work also- but that was the intent.

Design elements:
Sit-at side by side two player.
CRT (of course!) horizontal
Wide enough for two adults to (reasonably) comfortably sit at and also properly accommodate the 27" CRT in terms of viewing angle and proportions.
Control panel designed to accommodate a dozen of MY favorite games and a few early era 2 player simultaneous ones- but not have too much franken-flavor.
Not have any t-molding or edge taping- anywhere.
Be as short as possible and just narrow enough to get through a 36" door.
Run GroovyMame on Windows 10 utilizing Calamity's brilliance.

Since the monitor was already a known and I had a rough cabinet profile it was time to lay out the controls.

I roughed out the cabinet sides to make sure I could get the monitor in at an angle that was comfortable for viewing from a 20"-24" stool (for me anyway.)

The more I looked at it all, the more I decided I should continue to add curves as I build, so the control panel got a parabola too.

After the control panel had revealed itself, I got after the curves I wanted on the cabinet profile.  They will all be hand drawn parabolic curves throughout the machine.

I built a base with good casters and stood the sides up to get the overall structure set.  I used 2x4s to anchor the sides to the base plate, figuring it would be more solid to build off of.

I got so motivated after those bits that I cut the frame to carry the monitor and measured about 20 times to set them so the monitor could drop in- and easily be removed if necessary.


If there is any interest I will update this as I go!

Aloha,
Bobby

[Arroyo]

Interesting lines.  I assume that it’s a sit down?  I can get behind anyone who builds with a CRT!  Is that 27”?  Following

[yamatetsu]

Your pics are stretched due to an error in the forum software, try loading them into a graphics program/image viewer, saving them and then posting them here.

IMHO the cab looks a bit too bulky. You have got a steep curve on the outside and a somewhat flat curve from the CP to the top. I think the overall look would be better if the inside curve matched the outside curve a bit more. Also, the marquee seems a bit too deep, I can see no reason for that unless you want to make a marquee that curves inwards. If this was my cab, I would change the curves a bit and chop the top to make it look a bit sleeker.

Something like this:



Regardless of this, do you plan on doing a curved front? That would be slick.

[bobbyb13]

Greatly appreciate the photo tip!  And for fixing the stretching in your reply.

I hear what you are saying about bulk.

Using a CRT in this form factor actually necessitates that cabinet depth- and the curves add more to the volume.  Maintaining a footprint stable enough for the monitor weight also contributes.

The monitor (with requisite bezel and cover plexi) just barely fits- and that will be with a 3/16" fiberglass reinforced back skin for the rear side of the cabinet.
Since I knew I wanted to use a 27" CRT I also needed to make sure that the players could be as far away from the screen as possible- and still feel like they are sitting at the console.  It is a very comfortable viewing angle and distance as a result of the layout.

The initial concept for this idea (I actually use graph paper- I know- archaic) took those things into account and this was what I got that had curves I liked.

I think the angle of that picture and all the curves make it look very different than it is in person also.
The marquee(ish) zone there is actually only 4-3/4" tall presently.

I do really like your idea of pushing back that marquee zone though.
Initial plan was for the speakers to be up there facing down but if I can implement what you are showing here and not mess with the screen/bezel/speakers continuum I will do it for sure.

Thank you yamatetsu for the suggestions and for taking time to reply.

I have some more monitor support to sort out before I pull the screen out and begin on resin work.  Hopefully I can get started on that tonight.

Bobby

[yamatetsu]

I do really like your idea of pushing back that marquee zone though.
Initial plan was for the speakers to be up there facing down but if I can implement what you are showing here and not mess with the screen/bezel/speakers continuum I will do it for sure.

You can mount the speakers under the CP, facing the player. I did that in my Pinup cab, works great and, since my CP is just fastened to some battens without a box, the bass from the car speakers even lets the CP vibrate (force feedback! yay!).

[bobbyb13]

Agree entirely about the sound feedback.  Definitely adds to the fun!  Jury is still out on the sound system she will get but I think a 2.1 channel using a cheap AC amp seems to work fine.

And since I did actually have some time to work on 'ehukai a bit I thought I would update.  We'll see if I have finally figured out how to properly link to pictures here.

I know from the commercial cabinets I have looked at that there really isn't much holding old CRTs in place- but I'm still nervous about the weight of those things and like to overbuild anyway.
Added some 2x4 bracing that is sitting on the base frame- so it is solid enough now to make even me happy.
Not exactly conveniently located but easy and functional.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386118;image

Conveniently I have a real deal bezel from the Global VR machine I got (for free!) which the termites had their way with- rendering it completely hopeless sadly- not to mention it had no computer in it anyway...
But hidden among that termite poo it had a functional monitor and bezel at least!
Using that bezel to mock up how this will all fit together has been massively helpful in parsing it down to the bare minimum to make it all work the way I want and get the dimensions and spacing correct ahead of time.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386119;image

Not only that, I will be able to use it as a mold to make the bezel that will go in this cabinet too.  That should actually be pretty fun to try out.

I think this picture kinda shows how tight all of this really is.
I will be bending a 1/4" sheet of ply and glassing it to hold shape and it will only leave 1/2" to spare over the monitor frame if I get it to properly follow the cabinet profile.
Other than that, I wanted to see if I can get background lighting inside the marquee area for something that has the feel of moving water but there really isn't much volume in there to play with still.
Hopefully I can pull off that design idea.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386120;image

Having that donor bezel also made it easy to sort out the framing that will carry the bezel I'll be laying up that will actually go in here.
I'm trying to make sure that I could get the monitor out without having to destroy the cabinet (if need arises) so a bit of forethought is going a long way at this point.
Plan, plan, plan...
I was also thinking that if I use the right buttons with proper spacing, then having coin, start and admin buttons up the sides of the bezel frame could be cool too.
Have to think about how it will actually look and how to implement that.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386121;image

Thanks for looking and appreciate any feedback!
Bobby

[Zebidee]

Very nice Bobby! Very laid-back retro-post-modern design. Following!

[bobbyb13]

Interesting lines.  I assume that it’s a sit down?  I can get behind anyone who builds with a CRT!  Is that 27”?  Following

I had wanted to make a sit down two player as it was and then I saw shaolindrunkard's - and I couldn't help myself any longer.
And yes!  27" (in reality) CRT it is.
I've been accused of hoarding them by everyone who sees the stash so I figured I need to start using them up. 

That is a Kortek 2914 that came out of an otherwise dead Global VR machine with the 8000 lb helmet apparatus (which hopefully I can get functional and put in/on another cabinet eventually.)
Sadly, there were no other guts in the thing. 
It looked like it had spent a month at the beach but it turned out to be termite processed wood.

Eeeeeewwww.....

And thanks for following! 
Hopefully it turns out like I want it to and I can make it fun along the way too.

Aloha,
Bobby

[bobbyb13]

Very nice Bobby! Very laid-back retro-post-modern design. Following!

Thank you sir!

And my GreenAntz board arrived- mahalo nui loa! 

REALLY looking forward to trying that out on a few of the screens I have around this coming week.

[Zebidee]

And my GreenAntz board arrived- mahalo nui loa! 

REALLY looking forward to trying that out on a few of the screens I have around this coming week.

Cheers Bobby I'm keen to get some feedback on different installs/hardware too.

[javeryh]

Great start - I'm really looking forward to see how you incorporate resin into this project.  The 27" CRT is sweet too. Games are really going to pop and even the 3:4 classics will look huge on it.  If you knew an artist (or ae one yourself) it would be super cool for someone to paint a wave on the side somehow for side art.

[bobbyb13]

Great start - I'm really looking forward to see how you incorporate resin into this project.  The 27" CRT is sweet too. Games are really going to pop and even the 3:4 classics will look huge on it.  If you knew an artist (or ae one yourself) it would be super cool for someone to paint a wave on the side somehow for side art.

Thanks for the encouragement!

It may get pigmented resin for color but my good friends Gavin and Jeannie have painted practically all of the coolest surfboards made out here since the late 70's so I really would like one of them/both of them to help me out with it.

I have an idea for some thin panels to add to the sides to add a bit of texture too (so that it looks more like a sculpture than a cabinet) but I'm still working through the ideas.

This is going to be a fun one to experiment with that way.

[Zebidee]

I like the design idea and the way it looks like a wave already - going to be so cool for where you live.

Can I suggest that you slightly round-off the point bits/corners? Only doesn't need much, something like 1 inch diameter curve rounding (you draw a circle into the pointy corner/angles and take off what pokes out). I think that would make it look more friendly and "groovy". It will also make it a lot easier to fit T-molding as you can then just wrap a single piece around the whole side of the cabinet .

[bobbyb13]

I like the design idea and the way it looks like a wave already - going to be so cool for where you live.

Can I suggest that you slightly round-off the point bits/corners? Only doesn't need much, something like 1 inch diameter curve rounding (you draw a circle into the pointy corner/angles and take off what pokes out). I think that would make it look more friendly and "groovy". It will also make it a lot easier to fit T-molding as you can then just wrap a single piece around the whole side of the cabinet .

I've really been on the fence about the corners and tried what you are talking about with bull nosing and quarter turning in initial design phase.
I always failed to find anything that looked good to me and never figured out what it was that just rang wrong to me either.
It seemed like a no brainer because of the rest of the thing, but I can't get it to blend well. 

Since I was stuck with a flat on the bottom no matter what, it eventually felt like what I cut had some balance to it- 3 flats, 3 curves.
They aren't proportional of course, but it didn't seem to matter after staring at it a LONG time.

And since the control panel front face will follow the concave established by its planshape (and the marquee will mimic that also) the lines started getting into compound curves that I blend all the time with surfboard foam- but are just too gnarly to execute in plywood. 

I played with the idea of blending ALL the panels with arcs (for fun, here is the first inspiration for this build!)
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386157;image

-but it winds up with so many compound curves that it would have to built with a chicken wire cage and foam blowing some polyurethane into that (which may be in a future build?!)

Now that I have the bezel sorted out however, I am going to take a shot at mocking up a deeper sweep to the monitor curve that yamatetsu suggested earlier.

Maybe I can get your suggestion to blend in at that point also Zebidee but I don't think I can pull it off in this build and finish it anytime in 2021 

I still need to play with it some more I suppose.

When it comes to t-molding at least, I decided before I even began that it wouldn't get any- and then I quarter rounded the entire thing already so I couldn't chicken out 

I will be mixing some Q-cell and polyester resin to fill the plywood edge voids (here is where using MDF for something like this would have actually been a reasonable choice) and then I haven't decided if the whole thing will get a 4 oz layer of fiberglass cloth too or just a double hot coat of white pigmented resin before some artwork happens.

Hopefully I get some free time this week!

Thank you all for chiming in.

[Zebidee]

Check out her gentle curves.

[bobbyb13]

Aaahhh....
Gotta love a lady with curves.

And then I had another look just now when I went to turn off the generator for the night and had to say to myself-

"NO, you dope, THIS is what Zebidee was probably talking about-"

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386158;image

That'll teach me to post when I should be sleeping!

[Zebidee]

Aaahhh....
Gotta love a lady with curves.

Hmmmm noiiiice, probably wouldn't be too upset if you bumped into those curvy bits!

[PL1]

it would have to built with a chicken wire cage and foam blowing some polyurethane into that (which may be in a future build?!)

Reading this reminded me of Le Chuck's Game of Thrones Pedestal build.   

Scott

[javeryh]

it would have to built with a chicken wire cage and foam blowing some polyurethane into that (which may be in a future build?!)

Reading this reminded me of Le Chuck's Game of Thrones Pedestal build.   

Wait - is this a render or did he build this?  If it's real got a link to the build thread?

[PL1]

it would have to built with a chicken wire cage and foam blowing some polyurethane into that (which may be in a future build?!)

Reading this reminded me of Le Chuck's Game of Thrones Pedestal build.   

Wait - is this a render or did he build this?  If it's real got a link to the build thread?

It's an actual build with a 3-page thread with lots of pics and some spoiler tag fun.   

Like any quoted post, you can click on the "Quote from:" title to go to the quoted post . . .

. . . or here's a link to the thread.  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,139064.msg1437898.html#msg1437898


Scott

[yamatetsu]

How about doing the front curves in thin wood? You could split them in two parts, do a second CP board, put some vertical battens between them and glue/screw a thin board of wood onto them that follows the CP curve. The lower curve could maybe be done like danny_galaga did in his Jetsons cab http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144934.msg1506840.html#msg1506840.

[bobbyb13]

How about doing the front curves in thin wood? You could split them in two parts, do a second CP board, put some vertical battens between them and glue/screw a thin board of wood onto them that follows the CP curve. The lower curve could maybe be done like danny_galaga did in his Jetsons cab http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144934.msg1506840.html#msg1506840.

That is exactly the plan in fact!
I have used 1/4" masonite and the like for all sorts of bends in other things so I thought it would be cool here too.  Once you have the curve bent into the wood (or foam, or whatever) properly, a little fiberglass lamination makes it a permanent thing.

I traced the bottom sheet of the control panel from the upper one so they should blend nicely.
But I do want to make sure I can easily remove and replace the CP top for component replacement, repairs, or in case I change my mind in the future and want to redesign.
So it is effectively an integrated box with a removable lid.

The marquee area will be a bit more tricky to implement and blend that concave (compound curve issue again) but I have a plan.
Should be able to route a slot to bend a piece of plexi into and then use some filler to blend the upper frame piece into the cabinet back curve, which will be orthogonal to that concave.
Boxing that with so little room above the monitor is going to be tricky though.

Getting a curve into the bottom front wasn't something I thought about until you mentioned it, but once I have the base of the control panel glassed up and in place I will see if I can add a concave under the CP too (again, orthogonal to the adjacent curve!) as long as it doesn't cramp knees or toes.

Thanks for the link to danny_galaga's build.
I need to look that up!

[bobbyb13]

it would have to built with a chicken wire cage and foam blowing some polyurethane into that (which may be in a future build?!)

Reading this reminded me of Le Chuck's Game of Thrones Pedestal build.   

Scott

And this thing is unbelievable!
And highly motivational.
First I have seen of it also.

[Zebidee]

it would have to built with a chicken wire cage and foam blowing some polyurethane into that (which may be in a future build?!)

Reading this reminded me of Le Chuck's Game of Thrones Pedestal build.   

Scott

And this thing is unbelievable!
And highly motivational.
First I have seen of it also.

ygtbfkm

I think I know why the pedestal is crying

[bobbyb13]

Unconventional is certainly the theme of this thread!
 

I had some time to sort out the control panel bottom- and that is when I discovered that the whole cabinet is slightly racked- rrrrrrrrrrrr.

ComPLETEly forgot that the floor in part of the workshop is so not level that it should not be worked on or near 

Mercifully, it is just 1/8" trim for a few parallelogram panels that will fit properly but it also really required making yet another control panel top- round 3.

Yeesh.  Easily hidden with some cloth and resin work shortly at least.

Maybe this picture will help illustrate where I have been heading with all of this finally.


Now if I can get the marquee sorted then i can finally pull the screen and start making a mess with some resin!

[bobbyb13]

Made a little more progress.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386276;image

Hopefully this is the only one I forgot and shot portrait.
Got tired of waiting for a better plan and just took a saw to a Dremel chainsaw sharpener attachment to make something to make this arcing rabbet cut.
It actually worked.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386277;image

Front panel for the control panel box actually bent to shape reasonably well (after a LOT of shaving with a Sureform anyway.)

Took a lot of back and forth (and three pieces of wood to get it right!) but my plan of using 1/4" ply for these bends seems to be working out.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386279;image

Of course to get the bends to hold shape and not get cracked or deform will require... fiberglass reinforcement!
I couldn't find my stash of fin rope so had to improvise by pulling a handful of warp strands out of a scrap piece of cloth to pile up to make a proper fillet blob.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386280;image

Not my best work of course, but it's tight in there with all the wood in those corners and this is hidden obviously so doesn't need to be really that pretty- just strong.

[bobbyb13]

Lot of motion tonight finally.

While I was waiting for the resin to kick on the control panel front i figured it was time to swiss cheese the control deck.  When most of your favorites are such a ridiculous assortment of games as mine (the Pac-Mans, Centipede, Stargate/Defender, Tempest, Missile Command, etc....) controls just get stupid- but I can't help myself.
I worked at this layout a LOT before using it and it panned out great for my cocktail.  It's pretty busy with controls (especially with the dual joysticks for P1 and P2 here) but it is still comfortable to play from.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386281;image

Countersinking the holes for proper Missile Command buttons requires some fancy forstner bit work though.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386282;image

After all the drilling (when I finally figured out the trackball and joysticks will play nicely together underneath!) it was time to lay out some fabric.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386283;image

I love how once you get going on glasswork that things really start moving quickly.
With the humidity rising and temp dropping tonight it made guessing catalyst mix kinda tricky though.
Rather be lucky than good.

Threw the panel back in just to look at it while it kicks overnight 

It will need another hot coat but the last layer gets wax mixed in so it will really harden up and can get sanded to a nice glassy finish eventually.
Yeehaw!

[bobbyb13]

Still fits!
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=159740.0;attach=386284;image

[Zebidee]

Nice work Bobby

You can get those pics you posted to show up by putting image tags around the links or select link and use the shortcut button above. I also like to specify width as well so the images are consistent size and don't blow out too much. Just click the quote button to quote me and you'll see what I mean

Lot of motion tonight finally.



Countersinking the holes for proper Missile Command buttons requires some fancy forstner bit work though.



After all the drilling (when I finally figured out the trackball and joysticks will play nicely together underneath!) it was time to lay out some fabric.


Threw the panel back in just to look at it while it kicks overnight 

Still fits!

[bobbyb13]

Nice work Bobby

You can get those pics you posted to show up by putting image tags around the links or select link and use the shortcut button above. I also like to specify width as well so the images are consistent size and don't blow out too much. Just click the quote button to quote me and you'll see what I mean

Lot of motion tonight finally.



Countersinking the holes for proper Missile Command buttons requires some fancy forstner bit work though.



After all the drilling (when I finally figured out the trackball and joysticks will play nicely together underneath!) it was time to lay out some fabric.


Threw the panel back in just to look at it while it kicks overnight 

Still fits!

Appreciate the tip sir!
Been trying to figure out how that works for over a year now probably

Maybe I will be able to do it NOW?!
 

[bobbyb13]

Well...
I suppose I AM trainable-

No matter what my girlfriend says

 

[Zebidee]

Well...
I suppose I AM trainable-

No matter what my girlfriend says

 

[bobbyb13]

Finally had a little more time to devote to 'ehukai here so thought an update was appropriate.

Taking pics when working with resin is kinda tough.  On a good day if you mix it right you get 7 minutes of working time with a batch of polyester resin- and the humidity has been so nuts lately that it is closer to 5- so in progress action without your own personal photo geek pretty much ain't gonna happen.

Suffice to say that I was kinda lazy with taping things off and wound up with lots of fun drips to grind off later.



Overall thus far I am stoked with how it is coming out.
It is going to need another round of pasting the edges just to white out the plywood lams.
PITA

Trying to make it so that it retains a marquee kinda thing, has room for speakers and a little bling in there, and still is possible to remove the monitor if need be (without having to cut the cabinet apart) while keeping it as short as possible has been tricky.

Had an epiphany about it finally after being away from it for a week plus!
Bezel and cover plexi will be removable through the top, allowing for monitor to be squeeked out the front (with control panel removed also.)



Finally starting to look like it will actually work!



Next is pasting the rails and any other thin spots with pigmented resin again and making my fiberglass bezel.

Aloha!

[Zebidee]

Taking pics when working with resin is kinda tough.

Especially when you have a distracting view like that!

[bobbyb13]

Taking pics when working with resin is kinda tough.

Especially when you have a distracting view like that!

I would agree that it is completely ridiculous.
You can see to Waimea Bay from the front deck of the house (nirvana for a surfer idiot like me.)

I literally stalked this property before it was even for sale- cost me everything I already had and will continue to cost (nearly!) every penny I make until I am pushing up bananas-
And then the kids will have to pay it off!
 

I succeed in making enough mad money with side jobs for arcade machine fun thankfully.

Everything else goes into the ground!

[Zebidee]

I'd be jealous, except that our place also has waterfront views (big-ass river). I can see it from the pool, dinner table, even my desk. We even have a beach and islands! Surf not like Hawaii's though.

Love swimming, miss body surfing. Maybe we can swap houses for a month if you feel like a tree-change? Not sure you'll like me playing with all your arcade stuff though 

You cab is starting to look very nice, BTW. Honestly, I wasn't sure when I first saw it, but it has grown on me and I feel it really suits the Hawaii / surf culture environment. It reminds me of a wave about to crest. The fact the you use surfboard fibreglass to make it is even better.

[bobbyb13]

Your place sounds great fun too.

You would be welcome to come stay in the guest house (when I can get it built out that is) but a house swap may be more than you want!

This place comes with responsibility for 6 goats, 5 chickens, a budding aquaponic system (hopefully operational next month?!) 6 meowing mouse killers and an ocean of grass, some of which can grow 2" a day in the right conditions.

Maybe you should wait until I can get all these machines built!

Your collection puts mine to shame.

And thanks for the compliment on the new one.   

I look forward to terrorizing my 11 year old at some Smash TV and Total Carnage
 

[bobbyb13]

A few more developments...

A second epiphany on bezel and cover plexiglass.

Done properly, I can make disassembly happen with only removal of the control panel.  There is enough room to lift the bezel and cover up and lift out.  It will be pinned in by the bottom panel of the marquee and the control panel otherwise.

As we say here, way mo bettah.

Had to figure out how to route out the slot for the marquee panel (whatever that will wind up) to fit into since there will be no frame and it needs to be removable.  Glad I bought this Milwaukee router last month since it had the perfect attachment in the box already.


I blew it by glueing/glassing the top marquee box panel in already so had to get fancy with making a channel.


Top channel is deeper than the bottom one so that with a suction cup, you will be able to lift the plexi up and slide it out- with a little effort.
Gravity and friction will hold it into that bottom slot.

If this were a commercial cab you obviously couldn't get away with this.

Next is taking a shot at using the commercial bezel I have from the empty/termite eaten VR cabinet to make a bezel for this machine.
I may not get away with this technique.


I'm trying to use saran wrap to keep this resin from sticking to the original (don't want to ruin it just yet) but this route may require some real mold release to pull it off
Pardon the pun!
Or not
 

[bobbyb13]

Been on the slightly injured list so had a little more time to think through some progress.

Got my act together with starting the back panel, which will be something since it is a continuous curve.
I came up with the idea to brace by sinking some dowels in the right places since they are solid enough to anchor to but won't induce flat spots.



Upper part of the back panel is actually built into the cabinet.  I will be warping another piece to cover the remaining area which will be removable of course.

Also got some time to get the shape of the marquee insert worked out.
Amazing how easy it is to work 1/4" ply edges with a sureform.



Now I just have to figure out what in the %#!*!? the artwork/graphics/whatever that marquee will wind up with is actually going to be.
I had an idea that it would have a background of flowing color but I am at a loss how to pull it off well.
Not much room up there since I shrunk that cab a bit from initial design.

[mourix]

I actually really love the design of this one, and you definitely got good workmanship

Just hoping to get surprised on the control panel layout, as it looks hella uncomfortable..

[bobbyb13]

Thanks for the great compliment 

I REALLY agonize over control panels actually (and screen spacing/viewing angle too) so hopefully you will be surprised!

The panel for this is an expansion of one I have made a few of previously and was very happy with.
I freely admit that it looks a bit chaotic (since I like so many classics with different controls) but you actually don't feel that any one control gets in the way while you are playing something using the other ones.

I'm 6'0" and weigh 185 lbs and have medium/large hands and this layout comfortably covers all of my real favorite games (which don't require a yoke or steering wheel that is-)

To my regular multi-game CP layout, this one got the addition of 2 more sticks for 2 player simultaneous mayhem like Smash TV and Total Carnage.

The panel is 33.5" wide so it is pretty roomy.

At least it should be good enough to show my 11 year old what's up! (after he continuously beats ---my bottom--- at every modern game we play)
 

[bobbyb13]

Still recovering from whatever I did to my neck a few weeks ago so a little time for more 'ehukai work.

Found a piece of "shattered ice" milky plastic stuff in small sheet form at Home Cheapo while shopping for a job so figured I would give it a shot.
I was guessing that having this layer underneath some regular clear stuff could give the desired effect (eventually)

Not hard to cut with the template I already made- and the proper blade.


One might think that a diamond blade would be overkill for cutting plastic- but since it doesn't have teeth it doesn't tear or crack anything!
And this small form circular saw is great if you go slowly enough to cut clean lines.


I layered the pieces into the marquee zone to see if they would fit.
They slide into the upper slot enough to clear the bottom panel and then drop into place quite nicely.


Finally got to use these LED rgb strips that the lady of the house got me years ago.
Using two separate units to get a color mix that looks like the ocean out here on a sunny day, and...
Viola!


Now if I can get some Schwepps style effervescence into this whole get up it will be just what I wanted.
Any suggestions on bubbly or foamy light motion are quite welcome!

After I saw how the light acts around the sides I may try to etch the backside of the plexi where it will overlap with the bezel side flanges and see if it will telegraph down the sides too if set up properly.

[Zebidee]

I know you were worried about the marquee being too small, but I actually think it looks perfect!

I can really imagine this placed in a fish 'n' chip shop down at the beach! <sniff> <sniff> Is that a salty sea breeze I can smell?

[bobbyb13]

I know you were worried about the marquee being too small, but I actually think it looks perfect!

I can really imagine this placed in a fish 'n' chip shop down at the beach! <sniff> <sniff> Is that a salty sea breeze I can smell?

Mahalo nui loa!
In spite of my efforts, it keeps coming together (mostly!) to plan.

A bit vulgar maybe, but that salty smell very well may be my sweat on this one!
 

For bonus ridiculousness, after I packed up the lights so I don't accidentally glass them to something I decided I should take another shot at bezel molding.
Round One was rather unsatisfying so I flipped the thing over to try another way and decided to live dangerously and didn't wrap it in plastic this time.



So either the stuff I sprayed on it first actually acts like a mold release and I win, or I just succeeded in perma-gluing this otherwise perfect bezel to 4 sheets of wax paper and a pile of newsprint crap.
Won't know until the morning- kinda adds to the tension, don't it?!


 

[bobbyb13]

So I was 10 minutes down the road on my way to work when it occurred to me I hadn't checked on my bezel blob.

When I got back up to the shop (6 hours and a few chewed nails later) I discovered that I was-

Winning.......


It did make some disturbing crackly noises as I separated the two but it did come apart with both pieces in top shape.
As an added bonus I only had to bleed a little bit 

My initial layup wasn't full size (in case it made it more of a ---smurfette--- to get the thing to release) so I needed to add another layer of laminate to make it wide enough to fill the entire console face and also to fill up the void inevitably left by removing the original.
This second round is far less scary except that I need to hope the naptha I used to clean off the silicone I used as a mold release in round one actually did its job so that subsequent layers actually stick.

Since this is only effectively a two dimensional lamination really I got to use thicker cloth (one layer of 6 oz instead of the three layers of 4 oz on the previous run) due to the lack of compound curves.
Also a good opportunity to start introducing white pigment.
I measured out and marked my base so I was sure to line things up properly- so I only had to do this part once.



After I pulled that together and was waiting for that batch to go off I took the time to mix a another batch with some surfacing agent in it to fill the fabric on the backside- and add yet more white pigment.



I thought the front facing part of this was going to need to be matte finish but it may not matter.
Hopefully that last lam comes out as good as the initial one.

[bobbyb13]

Straight to the meat with the bezel from hell.
I nearly didn't work on this tonight, but I'm glad I decided to go look at it.

After some nervous measuring, trimming to width with my teeth clenched, and a bit of height adjustment (since this has about half the flexibility of the real plastic one) I got it.



And it fits!



And with the bottom corners cut out to clear the control panel supports on the cabinet, it even gets in and out the way I intended

Whew- 

Gave it what should be the last fill coat to sand out for a nice smooth finish and then the last bit of white again and this part at least is done.


This endeavor alone is the only argument necessary for ownership of a vacuum table apparatus!

[Zebidee]

nicely done! I never would have thought of doing a fibreglass bezel.

I actually have some heat-moulding plastic sheets at home I got from a friend who's a VP of an aerospace parts company, which I intend to use for bezels one day, but I have no idea how to actually use the stuff beyond apply heat.

[bobbyb13]

Thank you Zebidee!

After a not so satisfying effort using foam core board on my first build the only method I could think of to make a good 3 dimensional bezel was resin and cloth,especially given that I had a good piece to clone.

When all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like...
a fiberglassing project 

It's coming out fairly well, but not sure I will do it again unless absolutely necessary.  Between time and material it would be reasonable to say this was a $750 piece! 
The whole cab is just so demented that I couldn't just order one anyway I suppose, and if I could have I'm sure the shipping $$ would be horrendous.

Heat moulding looks fun though!
I'm sure there is a magic formula for temperature and exposure time for different materials and a requirement for what your pattern is made of but can't be too hard if you can control the environment.

Probably a few hundred BoobTube videos about it by now?!

I worked for a company that pioneered some cool surfboard building technology at a place in Thailand named Cobra- although I never got to visit.
Wouldn't surprise me if your friend has connections to that facility!

[Zebidee]

Yeah I dunno where to start, YT videos might be a good place. I imagine I need some kind of mold to press into it, but exactly how to manage that with heat in a controlled way (outside a factory) so it doesn't make a complete mess, I'm not sure. Not something you can just have a go at, need to have at least some idea what you're doing.

Guess would need a frame (with a rectangular hole) as well, to support the outside of the plastic sheet while you press the mold into it. Otherwise you won't get those nice edges

Unfortunately my VP friend is more the pen-pushing kind than the workshop kind. She has no idea how to use it, she just ummmmm..... procured it for me.

Fibreglass seems a reasonable alternative.

Ko means island in Thailand, maybe the surfboard place is at Ko Phra Thong (means island of the Golden Buddha - as you can imagine there are a few golden Buddhas in Thailand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Phra_Thong
People do surf there apparently, though the waves may not be enough to impress you

[mgb]

I really like where this cab is headed.
Awesome design. I love the curves.

[bobbyb13]

Thanks mgb 

I'm starting to get impatient about being able to play it so the challenge at this point is going to be staying calm enough to get good fit and finish of the other panels before I start stuffing electronics in it.

[mgb]

Thanks mgb 

I'm starting to get impatient about being able to play it so the challenge at this point is going to be staying calm enough to get good fit and finish of the other panels before I start stuffing electronics in it.

I know exactly what you mean. Back when I built my first controller, I had the controller setup on an air hockey table with my arcade monitor on a cart and we would play games like that while I was doing the cabinet.

[Arroyo]

I can’t believe you made your own bezel   Never seen anyone do that before.  I was wondering how you were going to incorporate the black one you showed as it was too narrow.  Your solution is inspiring.

[bobbyb13]

I'm genuinely flattered by the compliments- most especially from this crew.
 
If not for what I have seen so many here execute on I may not have thought of a lot of what I'm doing- or have tried to do it!

Outstanding group- and highly motivational forum.

The bezel has been quite an endeavor.
Less than $40 in material all in, but heavy on the man hours!
There is a lot of hurry up and wait with glass work so it is easy to lose teack of how long something is taking.

But I know I could've shaped, painted and glassed an entire surfboard in the time just the bezel has taken me.
 

[Zebidee]

Getting bezels right is like getting the holy grail around here.

One guy once posted on this forum a method of making a "3D" bezel out of cardboard which was pretty impressive. But fibreglass, if you have the skills, totally awesome.

[javeryh]

I spent 2 hours trying to make one out of matteboard and gave up so... yeah making one out of fiberglass is nuts

[Laythe]

I really like your artistic use of concavity.  This is a really cool cabinet.    

Enjoying watching it come together!

[bobbyb13]

Thank you Laythe!
It is proving to be fun to do, even if a test of constitution.

I spent 2 hours trying to make one out of matteboard and gave up so... yeah making one out of fiberglass is nuts

The main reason the bezel is coming together as it is was because I had a legit one to mold from.
If not for that it I'm sure it would have taken five times as long and probably not be as satisfying a result.

The true test will be can I make one totally from scratch for a smaller monitor in a future project now that this seems to have worked.

Getting bezels right is like getting the holy grail around here.

One guy once posted on this forum a method of making a "3D" bezel out of cardboard which was pretty impressive. But fibreglass, if you have the skills, totally awesome.

Working with fiberglass is like anything else all the craftsmen (and women) on this forum do.
From what I see, MANY here have the ability to work with polyester resin and cloth already, just need a familiarity with the materials and technique and a bit of practice.

I can work at a real glassing tutorial if anyone has the interest.
The tool and material list is quite short and inexpensive compared to so many of the other things I see here!

I think I'm a pretty terrible carpenter compared to most here so having resin to cover my transgressions is helpful.
 

[bobbyb13]

In spite of our 100% humidity I got some work done.

I knew from the get go that I was due for a good corn-holing somewhere with this cabinet because of the whole "want a bunch of curves in it" spec (say that with a good nasal whine for full effect-) and so it has arrived- the back panel.

Figured the only way I was making something to work was layers of 1/8" ply that I somehow molded to shape and then glassed to fight the spring-back.

And so, a lot of Titebond, drywall screws, and some added weight?!


I let it sit for a day and holy crap, I think it is going to fit.


While I was sorting out getting the first layer of cloth onto that I figured I may as well try for last coat of pigmented resin on one of the main body sides.



For all the freakin bugs that decided to come party in my nice smooth layer I may have to rename this damn thing Beetlemania.
5 of the little ---daisies--- committed suicide in my work tonight.   

That irritated me enough that I decided I deserved a reward and should sand out the control panel as I had already given it two hot coats of clear yesterday.
Got through wet sanding and first round of compound at least.



With one round of polish left to go I am always happy to see that the self flagellation of working with glass does have a reward.

[Zebidee]

Spotted your vertical games station (with rotated LCD) in the corner. Nice.

Loving the glass work. Looking slick.

We have plenty of bugs here in Thailand if you want some! Is actually a local delicacy. Locals will eat almost anything that moves, and quite a lot of what doesn't move too. Fried grasshoppers for the win! Stink bugs to make a special condiment. Green ant nests and cicadas, all on the menu. Environmentally friendly animal protein. Yum.

[Ond]

This has my attention!  Great to see molding techniques being used for fabrication. Will be watching.   

[thatpurplestuff]

This is looking REALLY nice, love the profile and I'm a sucker for the glossy look.    Great work!

[bobbyb13]

Spotted your vertical games station (with rotated LCD) in the corner. Nice.

Loving the glass work. Looking slick.

We have plenty of bugs here in Thailand if you want some! Is actually a local delicacy. Locals will eat almost anything that moves, and quite a lot of what doesn't move too. Fried grasshoppers for the win! Stink bugs to make a special condiment. Green ant nests and cicadas, all on the menu. Environmentally friendly animal protein. Yum.

Playing with the idea of a 60 in 1 bartop for my sister.
Got a board in a parts lot on fleabay and have never messed with jamma before.

And I can eat all kinds of things but insects are not on the list!
I've eaten all the bugs I need while on bike rides
 

And thank you both Ond and thatpurplestuff   

I'm getting more anxious to get playing it but there is a bit of work left on front and back panels still before the real fun starts.
And the closer I get to the end the more I don't know what to do with accent art for the side panels though.

Thus far I have only played with white pigment for this project so I need to get some cool tone resin tints and begin experimenting.

[yamatetsu]

Couldn't resist.

[javeryh]

If you are going to do a resin pour over the side panels, you have to do something like this:

[Zebidee]

Couldn't resist.

I'm imagining a stencil something like this but maybe in ... oh the colours are in my brain but... a sky blue that is a little purple and a yellow/orange somewhere between a bright sun and a sandy beach, but not quite either. The wave and rider are both more like suggestions, so quite abstract. Now I just need someone to pull that out of my brain and put it on Bobby's cab.

OK, Moon Patrol is very close to the colours in my mind. Except the blue purpled just a teeny bit more.



That image is not mine, grabbed from another older Moon Patrol recreation thread:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=141846.0

[bobbyb13]

All three of you are onto what I was thinking/feeling for this!

And wish I had your illustration skills yametetsu.  The sweep of that wave and also the texture is absolutely the idea- but without my sillouette 
Something of similar tone- but pure abstraction.
Maybe along the lines of this?


I did actually get to pick up some tints (not pigments, but tints!) at my local surfboard candy store today so we'll see if I can get into something good and ridiculous before the weekend is out.

The fun of working with tints is that they are inherently translucent and if layered with various rounds of clear you can get a lot of depth and color blending (as referenced in javeryh's link.)

Could be fun, could just get messy.  I'll post my experiments for some proper community abuse!

Art criteria is organic, suggestive of a wave, and less is more.

I'm no Hokusai, but I think it may turn out pretty cool with some practice.

[yamatetsu]

And wish I had your illustration skills yametetsu.

Thanks for the praise, but there is little to no skill involved. I just traced the cab's outline, told a program to put a clipart pic inside and then resized/moved it around until it fit. The hardest part was to find a pic that kind of fits the cab's shape.

You can do amazing abstract waves to using the acrylic pouring technique. It can be done on wood, I don't know if it works on resin. It's easy to do and can turn out really cool results.

[Zebidee]

You can do amazing abstract waves to using the acrylic pouring technique. It can be done on wood, I don't know if it works on resin. It's easy to do and can turn out really cool results.

I suggest: Do a rough drawing on paper first of what you want (real size if poss), and then just set yourself up and pour/sweep it out, Jackson Pollock style! Layering the colours will look awesome. After any toning undercoat over your white (such as light magenta, or whatever or none at all), Do darker colours lower to deepen shadows and depth (e.g. deep water), lighter colours on top to emphasise highlights (e.g. wave foam). Sorry if you already know not wanting to sound like mansplaining, I know painting and layering but I don't know your medium like you do so ignore as necessary. The art will be truly unique whatever you do.

[yamatetsu]

Hmm, that's not what I meant at all. I'm thinking of something like this:

[bobbyb13]

Hmm, that's not what I meant at all. I'm thinking of something like this:

Yes!

You can do amazing abstract waves to using the acrylic pouring technique. It can be done on wood, I don't know if it works on resin. It's easy to do and can turn out really cool results.

I suggest: Do a rough drawing on paper first of what you want (real size if poss), and then just set yourself up and pour/sweep it out, Jackson Pollock style! Layering the colours will look awesome. After any toning undercoat over your white (such as light magenta, or whatever or none at all), Do darker colours lower to deepen shadows and depth (e.g. deep water), lighter colours on top to emphasise highlights (e.g. wave foam). Sorry if you already know not wanting to sound like mansplaining, I know painting and layering but I don't know your medium like you do so ignore as necessary. The art will be truly unique whatever you do.

And thank you for the technique tip Zebidee.
I have been wondering about the dark vs light tone layering thing actually so that is actually very helpful.

I have some work for other people to do and then hopefully I can start experimenting!

[Zebidee]

Hmm, that's not what I meant at all. I'm thinking of something like this:

Yes!

You can do amazing abstract waves to using the acrylic pouring technique. It can be done on wood, I don't know if it works on resin. It's easy to do and can turn out really cool results.

I suggest: Do a rough drawing on paper first of what you want (real size if poss), and then just set yourself up and pour/sweep it out, Jackson Pollock style! Layering the colours will look awesome. After any toning undercoat over your white (such as light magenta, or whatever or none at all), Do darker colours lower to deepen shadows and depth (e.g. deep water), lighter colours on top to emphasise highlights (e.g. wave foam). Sorry if you already know not wanting to sound like mansplaining, I know painting and layering but I don't know your medium like you do so ignore as necessary. The art will be truly unique whatever you do.

And thank you for the technique tip Zebidee.
I have been wondering about the dark vs light tone layering thing actually so that is actually very helpful.

I have some work for other people to do and then hopefully I can start experimenting!

Cheers Bobby. I've never "painted" with fibreglass resin before, but I virtually grew up in artrooms and the basic principles still apply

You can see that cool lady (in the yamatetsu video linked above) applies that same principle to colour layering with her work. She starts with a white base, adds her light background tone first, then layers on the colours progressively from darker to lighter to give a sense of depth and create highlights.

[Zebidee]

Oh yeah and see how she added just a touch of purple with one layer? That will really make it pop 

[bobbyb13]

Looks like very fun stuff to play with (as I have only done full laminations with solid tint previously.)
I got some purple, green and blue tint so I'm going to experiment on an old board to find color tones I like and see what amount gets the saturation I'm hoping for.

A little goes a long way (especially on opaque white) so it shouldn't take much.

I am shooting for more of the hint of a wave then actual smack you in the face kind of "I'm a wave dammit!!"

I would NOT refer to myself as an artist, but I really like shades of indigo so this should be fun.

And I absolutely will post progress so you guys can tell me what I am screwing up!
 

[Zebidee]

Looks like very fun stuff to play with (as I have only done full laminations with solid tint previously.)
I got some purple, green and blue tint so I'm going to experiment on an old board to find color tones I like and see what amount gets the saturation I'm hoping for.

A little goes a long way (especially on opaque white) so it shouldn't take much.

I am shooting for more of the hint of a wave then actual smack you in the face kind of "I'm a wave dammit!!"

I would NOT refer to myself as an artist, but I really like shades of indigo so this should be fun.

And I absolutely will post progress so you guys can tell me what I am screwing up!
 

Sounds like a very sensible approach, also a lot of fun too. You have a perfect excuse to get messy!

[bobbyb13]

I made an excuse to put the last coat of white on the other side of the cabinet and figured it was time to start playing with tints for the side panels while waiting for resin to cure.
Was reminded once again how alarmingly little material it takes to get a LOT of color (and also how the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- gets absolutely EVERYwhere unless you are very careful.)

A little playing around on a cutoff piece of the bezel build and some wax paper to think about possible color usage.



I was ready to use a really old (and pretty yellowed) board I had lying around and then remembered that I had a board I broke last winter that would be a much better candidate for experimentation.



Funny how much this tint blends into the 'grape popsicle' color I picked for my shaping bay this time around (got tired of the standard blue everybody seems to use!)

I'm trying to use styrene to thin the resin out so the colors fade out more smoothly but it tends to induce some curing drama and also to yellow the finished product if you use too much so I am trying to find a good middle ground.

We'll see what it starts to look like with some green overlapping it tomorrow- as long as this layer actually kicks.
 

[Zebidee]

How about using an air blower (instead of a brush) like in that earlier video. Will that work with resin?  Would take a bit of practice to get right.

[javeryh]

Oh man I can't believe you are going to do it.  This is going to be sick!

[bobbyb13]

How about using an air blower (instead of a brush) like in that earlier video. Will that work with resin?  Would take a bit of practice to get right.

I have tried using air before but as I type I recall that it was just compressed air- and I wasn't satisfied with the result.
A heatgun is being used in those videos, so maybe a little heat is the difference.
Also, she is using epoxy resin and polyester resin cures a lot faster and is far more heat sensitive so who knows how it may effect things.

I do kind of like the wispy nature of what pulling with the brush does so we will see which technique wins out here over the next week.

Oh man I can't believe you are going to do it.  This is going to be sick!

Hopefully!

Now that my box of treats from Andy at Ultimarc has arrived (and thus I have ALL the parts to make this thing functional) it will be a test of emotional fortitude to not stuff it all in there and start playing it!

[Zebidee]

I have tried using air before but as I type I recall that it was just compressed air- and I wasn't satisfied with the result.
A heatgun is being used in those videos, so maybe a little heat is the difference.
Also, she is using epoxy resin and polyester resin cures a lot faster and is far more heat sensitive so who knows how it may effect things.

I do kind of like the wispy nature of what pulling with the brush does so we will see which technique wins out here over the next week.

Yeah... I noticed that she was using what looked like a heat gun, was reluctant to suggest that because your stuff is fast drying. Maybe a little heat would make it work? Maybe a hair dryer instead of a heat gun? You'd have to work fast. An air compressor would be too powerful I think. Experiment and get dirty, you are the artist here!

[bobbyb13]

I'm ready to keep experimenting!
And I appreciate the encouragement to keep doing so- I need it.

I had to add yet another layer of white onto one side of the cabinet because the latest round that I put on it just ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- up.
For added fun, I have no idea why either!

100% humidity for a lot of the last 3 weeks has made it all a bit dicey anyway, but I did something I shouldn't have with that last batch apparently and once it is done- it's done.
One of the joys of resin work is that unless you are working in a very tightly controlled environment, every time you do it is like it is own little science experiment.
 

Legit progress.
The LAST lamination necessary for this cabinet.

The whole thing is just so overkill in terms of structural integrity that this is kinda ludicrous EXCEPT that I sorted out that the front panel under the controls is where the speakers will go- so the panel they sit in needs a little mass to it so that the whole cabinet doesn't just become a tinny, buzzing, irritating box.

And this panel will be the part one would (accidentally!!!) smack their knees into or kick- for whatever reason someone would risk inciting my ire in doing so.
 

Since it is only actually attached to the bottom of the control panel with a rabbet and then tacked/glued to the base panel of the cabinet (no side anchoring at all- due to the ridiculous curve of it) I figured it would require some fiberglass rope as a fillet.



For anyone who built surfboards prior to 1995 or so, this stuff was the only way to add the lateral reinforcement that would keep a fin on a surfboard.
Nowadays, only crotchety old guys like me use it- and usually only for old school longboards for grumpy ---daisies--- like myself 

It will add strength to this weird panel joint (especially when reinforced with another chunk of 6oz cloth.



Which reminds me,  I need to go trim this stuff while it is still a bit gooey (and you can actually cut it with a razorblade) rather than wait until tomorrow when I have to grind the whole thing out with 60 grit instead!

[DaOld Man]

Good work! My only complaint is should have covered those wheels with tape or something.

[bobbyb13]

Good work! My only complaint is should have covered those wheels with tape or something.

Thank you!
Yeah, I should have done better. It was late and I got anxious to just get the material down- and now I have more drips to knock off.

[Ond]

I never would have thought that I'd be using an angle grinder to brute sand my arcade cabinet but that fiber-glass is tough stuff!  Once you get it smooth though and start the paint/final finish process it rewards you with beautiful results.

[Zebidee]

I never would have thought that I'd be using an angle grinder to brute sand my arcade cabinet but that fiber-glass is tough stuff!  Once you get it smooth though and start the paint/final finish process it rewards you with beautiful results.

Funny you mention that - I was at hardware store yesterday (unusual in itself these days) and was looking at special angle grinder disks with layers of really tough sandpaper for just such purpose

[jennifer]

 

[bobbyb13]

I never would have thought that I'd be using an angle grinder to brute sand my arcade cabinet but that fiber-glass is tough stuff!  Once you get it smooth though and start the paint/final finish process it rewards you with beautiful results.

Funny you mention that - I was at hardware store yesterday (unusual in itself these days) and was looking at special angle grinder disks with layers of really tough sandpaper for just such purpose

I try to get extraneous crap like drips with a sureform while it is still in jelly mode- when I'm typically peeling masking off.
Sometimes it's better to just let it kick and have at it with some coarse stuff on a low speed (so that it doesn't create heat issues) or in the case of this beast- sand a bunch by hand.

The key is taking a moment before you put down a layer and think "am I gonna need to sand this before it gets another coat?" so you know to add surfacing agent or not.

Straight laminating resin does NOT sand well- or really at all.  But if you added enough wax to the batch, no problem.

I have 4 different densities of sanding pads and a variable speed sander/polisher.
Pick the right combo of squish, speed and grit, follow that up with some hand wet sanding and well then, Bob's your Uncle.
Fastest way to a great finish hands down, unless you will be painting and don't mind sanding your color coats in between.

And my current plan for side art is going to require ordering some spraying apparatus it appears.
The good part is that plan can be executed with the guts already inside I think.

So hopefully I can get this thing sanded out this weekend and can start with the brainy bits finally!

[jennifer]

 

[Zebidee]

The key is taking a moment before you put down a layer and think "am I gonna need to sand this before it gets another coat?" so you know to add surfacing agent or not.

I'mma always after that mirror smooth finish, always tempting to ultra-fine sand one more time and add one more layer.

And my current plan for side art is going to require ordering some spraying apparatus it appears.
The good part is that plan can be executed with the guts already inside I think.

So hopefully I can get this thing sanded out this weekend and can start with the brainy bits finally!

Hope you have a decent and dust-free "spray booth"

I have a large box I used as a spray booth when doing black layers on my control panels and stuff. As you can imagine, the inside of the box is completely black. Our "new" kitten/cat (OK she is 1yo now) loves playing inside it! As you can imagine cats like playing with boxes, but this is different. She loves the mysterious darkness and the seeming limitlessness of that box.

[bobbyb13]

Ah yes, the dust...
I'm going to be spraying polyester resin so for bonus fun the overspray becomes even more of an issue too.
Paint would be a reasonable approach of course, but why start being reasonable now?! 

The intent was always glass/resin only- even with the insanity of the bezel- so it's going to take some planning.

And... at this point I just can't help myself anyway.

Cats are just non-stop entertainment too, aren't they?

[Zebidee]

Painting onto fibreglass? Doesn't sound like a great idea, except maybe for the bezel.

Cats... when this one was young and silly she'd want to run out of the house all the time, but we have a lot of ferals around here so try to keep her in at night.

So I'd put that black spray box in front of the door. Then when I opened the door cat would run into the box, thinking that she could get out the door that way. Then I'd just casually tip the box over her and enter/exit at will. She is a clever cat but either never figured this trick out, or it has become a game for her. In any case, works every time

[bobbyb13]

I won't be doing it in this instance, but urethane would probably be ok.
It sticks much better to epoxy though.

Shooting resin will be fun.  Going to require a few practice shots but at least I know the look I'm aiming for now.

The box thing seems to be in cat DNA, yeah?
Hilarious.
We have six.
And no mouse problem!

Whe the wife accuses me of hoarding CRTs my defense is that she is hoarding cats
 

[Zebidee]

I urethaned the concrete floor of my shed and now anything plastic that stays in contact with the floor for any length of time sticks there, and you have to peel it off. Cables that touch the floor get manky and dirty looking.

I urethaned the floor of the gym and now my yoga mat sticks to the floor. Bits tear off when you lift the mat. Yuck. Just sayin'.

Well, cats. Last year in the wet season we had so many house lizards (geckos) that they would openly fight in the living room. A sure sign there were too many. Now we have a mouser (who is really a lizarder), and there is nary a lizard to be found anywhere in the house - except for the occasional mangled carcass of one that stopped playing with Rocky (the cat) because they were now dead.

We may have to hire her an apprentice soon.

[bobbyb13]

I've only ever used 2 part epoxy on concrete floors- and had mixed results with that even.
Urethane seems good for where you want something that stays pretty fluid/flexible but I have only ever sprayed cars and surfboards with it.

I discovered yesterday that the last 2 rounds of "final resin fill coat!" were NOT fully curing. 
And so, I had to recoat half the machine- again.

Lovely 100% humidity, old resin and probably not enough wax. 

When I checked on it this morning it appears that I finally got the whole thing to go off.
Phew.
Now I can finally get to proper finish sanding.

I'm the household member who gets to inter any critters the cats have had their way with.
Funny, the very sweet, runty, orange female was the one who decimated the rodent population!

[Zebidee]

I discovered yesterday that the last 2 rounds of "final resin fill coat!" were NOT fully curing. 
And so, I had to recoat half the machine- again.

Lovely 100% humidity, old resin and probably not enough wax. 

Tried heaters? They drive off moisture as well.

I'm the household member who gets to inter any critters the cats have had their way with.
Funny, the very sweet, runty, orange female was the one who decimated the rodent population!

Ah, a ginga ninja! Very dangerous indeed

[bobbyb13]

I discovered yesterday that the last 2 rounds of "final resin fill coat!" were NOT fully curing. 
And so, I had to recoat half the machine- again.

Lovely 100% humidity, old resin and probably not enough wax. 

Tried heaters? They drive off moisture as well.

I'm the household member who gets to inter any critters the cats have had their way with.
Funny, the very sweet, runty, orange female was the one who decimated the rodent population!

Ah, a ginga ninja! Very dangerous indeed

I think the issue was that the resin shot off so fast (damn humidity!  ) that the wax didn't get enough time to float up.
Hence, gooey surface.

And it took me until my third redhead girlfriend to understand that I was out of my league there 


But to the theme...
not sure WHY anyone else would ever have the need to sweat mounting speakers to a convex surface in any reasonable build, but I archive the mess here anyway.
For added fun, the panel the speakers are going on also happens to be only about 3/16" thick (so I could actually bend it the way I wanted it to go.)

I thought a while about what material to use and instead of shaping some foam and gluing that in, I thought why not just make a plywood ring.
6" hole saw for outer cut, 4 1/2" saw for inner.

Make a half depth cut with the 6" to have a pilot hole to maintain concentric ring and scoring of outer cut also.
Switch to 4 1/2" and make full cut to knock out center, switch back to 6", finish outer cut and remove ring!



I also ran the router around both sides of the inside ring, to make extra space for the speaker cone (just in case) on one side and on the other side to accommodate the screen.
I just used some KwikMesh that I had left over from doing the bird block on the eaves of the workshop and the house.

I also had to shape in some concave to the rings so they would sit squarely on the inside of the panel and actually hold the screen down while the glue was setting.

Tip the machine onto its nose, add a few lead shot bag dive weights to hold the rings and screen in place and voila!



Both sides are getting a gloss coat again to get a flatter surface after another sanding.



Finally getting really close to being able to put some electronics in this thing.



Till next time... don't forget your mask!
 

[Zebidee]

And it took me until my third redhead girlfriend to understand that I was out of my league there 

Took me about three goes to lose the redhead habit too. Too temperamental, prone to overheating. However, it you know how to love them properly, they can purrrrrr like a kitten.

But to the theme...
not sure WHY anyone else would ever have the need to sweat mounting speakers to a convex surface in any reasonable build, but I archive the mess here anyway.
For added fun, the panel the speakers are going on also happens to be only about 3/16" thick (so I could actually bend it the way I wanted it to go.)

I thought a while about what material to use and instead of shaping some foam and gluing that in, I thought why not just make a plywood ring.
6" hole saw for outer cut, 4 1/2" saw for inner.

Make a half depth cut with the 6" to have a pilot hole to maintain concentric ring and scoring of outer cut also.
Switch to 4 1/2" and make full cut to knock out center, switch back to 6", finish outer cut and remove ring!



I also ran the router around both sides of the inside ring, to make extra space for the speaker cone (just in case) on one side and on the other side to accommodate the screen.
I just used some KwikMesh that I had left over from doing the bird block on the eaves of the workshop and the house.

I also had to shape in some concave to the rings so they would sit squarely on the inside of the panel and actually hold the screen down while the glue was setting.

Tip the machine onto its nose, add a few lead shot bag dive weights to hold the rings and screen in place and voila!



Both sides are getting a gloss coat again to get a flatter surface after another sanding.



Finally getting really close to being able to put some electronics in this thing.

oh ygtbfkm, I just realised your cab now has portholes! but don't worry about me, it actually looks great!

Till next time... don't forget your mask!
 

You look good like that  Wear it down to the shops, no one will complain about you not being careful 

[bobbyb13]

It may not look so "anchors away"-ish once the speakers are in it!

I hope

[Zebidee]

It may not look so "anchors away"-ish once the speakers are in it!

I hope

Yeah look I was just having fun with you, am only kidding. It doesn't look nautical unless you put a double ++ across the front of the holes or hang some anchors and ropes on the side lol.

I can really imagine your cab down at the beachside fish n' chip shop!

[bobbyb13]

I knew it was meant in fun.

And holy crap now I look again I see that picture from the inside in a whole new light!
 

[bobbyb13]

I sanded a little bit on the S.S. Marshmallow today but no major progress really apart from leveling off the control panel supports for gap tolerance purposes.
Maybe I'll go sand some more now-

HOWEVER...

I DID find this shot of a vehicle of relevance to another post somewhere that I thought Zebidee at least might find amusing!

Dubbed "The Irritator" by my friend Dave who managed the service zone when I was a Porsche tech back in Rhode Island... there was something about this car for everyone to hate!

Concours guys hated it because I drove it almost daily (unless there was snow) and it was typically shamefully dirty.
Purists hated it because it had been stripped to be a dedicated track car by the guy I bought it from and painted a non-factory color (actually that of a Ford Festiva of all things!)
Track guys hated it because it had a bangin' stereo system (which probably added 45 lbs to the car.)
Cops hated it because it was LOUD  (but perfectly legal !!) 
It was dangerously tail-happy because it had way too big of a motor in it, so my mom hated it- even though she didn't know she did.
Girlfriend hated it because the heating system had been removed.

My favorite vehicle ever of course
 

[Zebidee]

Wow - and powder blue is even my favourite colour!

[bobbyb13]

I never should've sold that car.

It is now worth 10x what I got for it in 2006- not exaggerating 

As far as the cabinet in question here is concerned, I finally found a look I liked for resin treatment for sideart.

And it is so impractical that I just can't do it this way.
This is blue in one layer.



It is a VERY small amount of tint, not thinned very much, brushed on, and then after it had started to gel (but before it fully went off) I pulled a few sticks of various size through it in arcs to break it up/ pull blobs around.

The concept was put down a few sweeps of color using lam resin (one blue, one greenish, one indigo) with intermediate layers of clear to add even more depth to it.

Problem is that it will take probably a gallon and a half more resin to do it, add maybe 10 lbs to the thing and then since it is effectively a 1/4" of straight resin it will be subject to shattering.

And it will add 3 weeks to the project I believe.

'ehukai will be staying white for a little while it appears.
I'm going to check with my friends who are legitimate artists for some help!

[Zebidee]

I suggest losing the clear layers to minimise thickness then.

You need a different kind of "brush". I wonder how a mop would go as a brush? One of those old style ones with lots of strands, not like a sponge mop.

Just pour paint on and lightly swish it about with the mop or your weapon of choice. Don't do too much. You could even practice with poster paint on butcher's paper first, just try to get the textures you want with the "brush".

Invite some arty mates over and see if they have some ideas.

White is good too.

[jennifer]

 

[bobbyb13]

It very well may get sprayed for flair after all is said and done (or may get none at all even.)

And although I really like the candy look on the right car I really don't want any fleck or glitter on this thing.
The idea of opalescent/interference blue has crossed my mind though!
If there is any shimmer it has to be globular/organic.

It also may get what you suggest Zebidee in that maybe I do color with no intermediate clear coats to flatten in between and then just double hot coat clear at the end.
The rub with that plan is that it makes the sanding really tricky, especially the final rounds.

Can't say I've ever been accused of being normal.
 

[Ond]

so printed artwork is not on the cards for this?  You could do some awesome digital art and then clear resin coat that.  Just thinking out aloud.  .  Happy to help with a wave effect ..no probs.

[jennifer]

 

[jennifer]

 

[bperkins01]

I had not caught up on this build until now.  I've done a lot of glass work - love to see it and not a hint of Bondo anywhere!
Looking forward to the final result.  Nice work.   

[bobbyb13]

Thank you all once again for comments and kudos!
Good to have additional external motivation in the home stretch. 

Personal challenge to have no bondo.  Only been using resin, cloth, pigment and Thik-Sil or Cabosil where necessary.
Of course now I know how I would do it differently (better/faster) if for some reason I feel masochistic enough to make something similar again.

I'm pretty lost now as far as artwork is concerned so I'm just going to wait a bit.  Here are the things I scribbled while I was first thinking of building this cabinet if anyone has any good ideas to add!



Ond, I'm into anything that gets the right look.
Zebidee, you are onto something with the mop idea!

All along I had thought it would only be resin but I think I may only get what I really want with paint at this point (if I am doing it myself anyway.)

Jennifer, I have used a twin action Paasche airbrush for painting boards for 25 years that lays down paint ok, but it is a tool I do not have a great command of really.
Still might work for what I am shooting for here but I don't have great confidence in that idea yet.

The way it is turning out I am going to just let it stay as is until I am sure of what I want to do for art.  Because the thing looks like a 600 lb marshmallow anyway, it will have plenty of color contrast just from controls
 



And since I am anxious to get the thing playable I thought it was time to get knock together a little bass to stuff in it.



I forgot how grievously bad the chop saw is at cutting anything square, but it didn't need to look pretty anyway.
Just needs to hold a 6" speaker and not buzz like a pissed of hornet's nest.

[Ond]

I'm going to have a go at your side-art today. I like that side profile, it's a cool shape.  You can use it, or disregard whatever I come up with as you please.  It would be good to have an accurate template of the side panel shape.  Can you post that?  Is the color palette you want only blue, green, white or can it have other color as well?

[Zebidee]

Bobby did mention indigo a couple of times, and I like that

[bobbyb13]

I'm going to have a go at your side-art today. I like that side profile, it's a cool shape.  You can use it, or disregard whatever I come up with as you please.  It would be good to have an accurate template of the side panel shape.  Can you post that?  Is the color palette you want only blue, green, white or can it have other color as well?

Wow, thanks Ond.
Zebidee is spot on.  Anything that says ocean color was the palette and less is more was the overall paradigm.

Not sure how I can most reasonably get a profile template but I'll try for something.
I am totally useless in regard to computer aided/drafted design.

The most precise I have gotten is to use graph paper with my sharp pencil.
 

[jennifer]

 

[Ond]

Concept..low-res sample.. Original artwork by me.  H-Res version is 6000 x 8000 px.  should be fine to print.

[bobbyb13]

That is rad.
I wasn't thinking illustration before but I like that concept.

You just cranked that out in HOW long?!
 

[Zebidee]

Concept..low-res sample.. Original artwork by me.  H-Res version is 6000 x 8000 px.  should be fine to print.

Nice one Ond, love it. Technically AND artistically talented

Suggest: More light, less dark. Blues are lost in the dark. Bring up the overall brightness level more, the blues will come out more than other colours (says sky/beach/water, reflections of, I did mention that I liked powder blue on that 911 ). Bright and cheery like a day at the beach with your friends.

Looks great, just my thoughts.

[bobbyb13]

The sweep of the wave is pretty much perfect.
The rest is damn close to!

Looks like a sunrise session where I used to live on Cape Cod actually.
Completely out of the question these days with the proliferation of Great Whites out there apparently!

The picture I had in mind when I came up with the colors for the light in the marquee type zone was this one shot by Aaron Chang quite a few years back now:

[Ond]

I'm going to dream waves ...

Am I closer? Tell me I'm closer.

[Zebidee]

I'm going to dream waves ...

Am I closer? Tell me I'm closer.

Much closer, that is more it. Now the blueness at bottom is maybe a tiny teeny bit much, needs a little of something else that isn't just blue or dark stuff (yellowish?, sand, shells, froth). Or maybe not, people don't really see the bottom as much as we think.

Back over to Bobby. I like that photo too. I like the layering. The bright blue in foreground (which is also bottom, referring to my random warbling in last paragraph) gives contrast to the lighter blue of the wave the surfer is on, bringing him out in D3. And the bottom won't get lost in a dark patch.

[Ond]

That's probably it for my effort.  bobby can use or disregard.  The hi-res version is available on request.

[bobbyb13]

Much closer!
And well regarded.
I will be stoked to have the image and I appreciate all the effort too.

Beyond this we will need to start paying you
 

I've had almost no time to work on the cabinet this week so there is still some more resin experimenting to see which way I finally go.

[Gilrock]

I'm going to dream waves ...

Am I closer? Tell me I'm closer.

That's really nice.  If you don't mind sharing I'm curious what tools you use to do that.  I can't tell if you are sketching with a digital pen and pad or whether that's something with a bunch of InkScape filters or what.

[Ond]

@ bobbyb13 - No worries mate.  When I draw stuff gratis it's 70% to please myself.  That said, we can chat privately about further work.  I wouldn't charge you for an extra version but I would want specific requirements.  For instance I could do a much more abstract design closer to the colored resin on white background look, using say just three colors.  Less illustrative and more abstract.

For commissioned  paid work I have a strict 3 goes rule.  We work together on an initial design, revised and final version and that's it.  Other artists here will have much the same approach. I rarely do paid art any more, its not really worth my time and not much fun to do.

@ Gilrock - Thanks! I use Photoshop mainly, together with an Wacom Intuos tablet.

Have a think about what you REALLY want, when I PM you with the dropbox link.  Let me know.   

[Ond]

Here's another idea ...    A sort of enhancement of yamatetsu's suggestion.

[Zebidee]

Here's another idea ...    A sort of enhancement of yamatetsu's suggestion.

That looks awesome Ond

[bobbyb13]

Even closer Ond.  This is awesome!

The look of the water and sweep of the wave is exactly what I wanted.

And seriously, if the surfer disappears it is perfect.  The wave itself is the whole thing.  The color tone, the fade, depth with the light reflection, all outstanding.  The character of the froth here is even better than your first effort too (less feathery, more globular.)

And the font of the copy there is excellent also, and that will be perfect if it is only on the marquee- and just in black.
The light box of the marquee zone will backlight the type and the colors inside it will mimic the sideart.

The sides get only that suggestion of a wave.

Really very cool.
Super stoked on this one!!

I haven't had a moment to work on the machine in days.   
Looking forward to getting it playable soon.

[jennifer]

 

[wp34]

Here's another idea ...    A sort of enhancement of yamatetsu's suggestion.

That looks great and seems more like something you would find on the side of a cabinet.

[Gilrock]

Without the surfer I'm not sure I'd know it was a wave.

[bobbyb13]

Without the surfer I'm not sure I'd know it was a wave.

Kind of the intent really.

All along my idea has been that in whatever ways possible the whole thing doesn't just scream "I am an arcade cabinet!!" and taken further, that the wave vibe is more of a suggestion than blatant.

In most climes surfers are a novelty but where I live is quite literally Mecca for the sport.
There are so many surfers (and images of them) everywhere that you look that I didn't wan't more in my life.
 

We are surrounded by waves too of course, but I never get sick of them!

[vertexguy]

Hmm.  In that case I'd try something more abstract.  Given your finish you might even leave off t-molding and make the controls more hidden or abstract with certain non traditional color pops (ie pop the first and 4th buttons as a made up example).  If you go with light clear LED buttons and sticks and put RGB LEDs in them you could achieve more color options in the pastel ranges that might help the abstract feel.

[Mike A]

All along my idea has been that in whatever ways possible the whole thing doesn't just scream "I am an arcade cabinet!!"

Um. It is a huge ---smurfing--- arcade cabinet. Any attempt at subtlety as this point would be futile.

There are so many surfers (and images of them) everywhere that you look that I didn't wan't more in my life.

You made the cab out of surf board material.

I am a bit confused. You maybe should have gone a different direction if you wanted the cab to be discrete and not give off a surfer vibe.

[Gilrock]

Well I still vote for the picture I quoted except I'd lose the light blue trim area and stretch the image to the edges.

[bobbyb13]

I do appreciate the commentary but I suppose a nunber of people missed a lot of this thread. 

[Mike A]

I do appreciate the commentary but I suppose a nunber of people missed a lot of this thread. 

Well that certainly cleared things up.
 I can only go by what you type.

That is why I quoted the text that I was commenting on.

[jennifer]

 

[jennifer]

 

[jennifer]

 

[jennifer]

 

[Ond]

It's all good bobby.    I'm glad you like the style of the last image.  I've been unwell the last few days so I'm not up to much else except doodling around with computer drawing.  This is a collaborative community, during design time or artwork discussions you'll likely get a ton of suggestions, opinions etc, especially if your ideas aren't fully formed yet.  As a business analyst in a past career all I wanted from stakeholders was requirements, and when I finally got them that music "Sing Hallelujah" would start playing in my head 

Side Art:  Abstract wave graphic only, on light blue gradient. No other elements, sand, buckets, pebbles, surfers, beach.
Marquee: Blue text only on black. Font type 'Need Every Sound'.

 

[jennifer]

 

[Zebidee]

JAWS, Thats what that color reminds of, the movie poster.😬

Actually, I'm thinking the themes from the Jaws movie poster would be awesome artwork for the side of Bobby's cab 

[Gilrock]

JAWS, Thats what that color reminds of, the movie poster.😬

Actually, I'm thinking the themes from the Jaws movie poster would be awesome artwork for the side of Bobby's cab 

We're gonna need a bigger cab.

[jennifer]

 

[bobbyb13]

Absolutely hilarious actually!

I really do love this place.

Ond, spot on there daddio.
I know your pain.  Making up people's mind for them gets to be hard work!
All of your effort on my behalf is graciously appreciated and your skill is remarkable.

Mike A, sorry if that sounded bratty.  Not intended that way at all.
Was directed at previous commentary by others that I addressed in my first post in regard to how ridiculous this build would wind up.
And you are correct of course in regard to this project.  All hope of subtlety went out the window with the first piece of plywood.

But I can't help myself!

And I really do envy those with access to and space for real cabinets.

If I could get ahold of $150k I don't really need for something I would love to take a trip to the mainland and stuff a sea container full of real cabs and start an arcade out here.

I really would.

And I'm not thin skinned either and appreciate sincere commentary.

And like grandaddy said...

"Bobby, one thing you'll learn in life is there's an ass for every seat..."
 

[yotsuya]

You’re a good dude, Bobby! Save up your cash to run with us at ZapCon next year!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobbyb13]

You’re a good dude, Bobby! Save up your cash to run with us at ZapCon next year!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is both very gracious and flattering 
Thank you!

I would be stoked to get there so hopefully I can pull it off!

[Gilrock]

I've been following and reading the whole thread.  I might not remember every message but I liked all the images Ond drew and just gave my opinion on it even if it doesn't meet your goals.  I caught so much grief over the Mame cab artwork I started that I never finished the cab.  I was dead set on what I wanted and I let everyone talk me out of it.  Back then it seemed like first thing everyone tries to do when they see artwork plans is see if they can find a penis...lol.  They are like....looks like the joystick is Gandalf's penis...I'm like wtf that kinda thing never crossed my mind.  So now I try to do my part cause you know its more important to please all of us first...worry about what you want later.

[emphatic]

The top of the cabinet could just be a giant fin, really.

[javeryh]

I've been following and reading the whole thread.  I might not remember every message but I liked all the images Ond drew and just gave my opinion on it even if it doesn't meet your goals.  I caught so much grief over the Mame cab artwork I started that I never finished the cab.  I was dead set on what I wanted and I let everyone talk me out of it.  Back then it seemed like first thing everyone tries to do when they see artwork plans is see if they can find a penis...lol.  They are like....looks like the joystick is Gandalf's penis...I'm like wtf that kinda thing never crossed my mind.  So now I try to do my part cause you know its more important to please all of us first...worry about what you want later.

The trick is to have an idea in mind and take the advice that enhances it and disregard everything else.  I love iterating on a design because whatever I come up with is never perfect out of the gate but I know all it takes is one person to say the right thing and then I have the "aha" moment.  Asking for advice almost always helps me but I 100% agree that you cannot please everyone.  There are people here that have exactly the opposite tastes as I do but I still like to hear them out because you never know.  I also trust my eye, which helps...

I think bobby has the idea he wants in his head even if it's not fully formed but as soon as he sees it he will know.

[jennifer]

 

[Ond]

I've been following and reading the whole thread.  I might not remember every message but I liked all the images Ond drew and just gave my opinion on it even if it doesn't meet your goals.  I caught so much grief over the Mame cab artwork I started that I never finished the cab.  I was dead set on what I wanted and I let everyone talk me out of it.  Back then it seemed like first thing everyone tries to do when they see artwork plans is see if they can find a penis...lol.  They are like....looks like the joystick is Gandalf's penis...I'm like wtf that kinda thing never crossed my mind.  So now I try to do my part cause you know its more important to please all of us first...worry about what you want later.

Funny that, I've been working on a new control panel just recently.  I posted it up on KLOV and got a ton of heat for it but I have no idea why.  I mean it's Superman vs Spider man, c'mon!

[jennifer]

 

[Gilrock]

Funny that, I've been working on a new control panel just recently.  I posted it up on KLOV and got a ton of heat for it but I have no idea why.  I mean it's Superman vs Spider man, c'mon!

LOL...yeah but mine wasn't blatant like that.  Gandalf was sitting on a horse and facing sideways.  I just flipped the image horizontally and problem solved.

[Mike A]

I don't see a problem with it OND.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Zebidee]

OND, the BIGGEST issue I see with your control panel is the Spiderman and Superman live in different universes (Marvel vs DC). So why are they wearing the same style of codpieces?

[bobbyb13]

If previous posts in this thread didn't make me feel loved around here then I can say for sure that today's missives remove all doubt.
Made me teary in fact (from laughing that hard)

Looking forward to when the missus asks me if anything went on in arcade land today
 

Do we have no attachment scanning bots here or what?

[Zebidee]

Do we have no attachment scanning bots here or what?

We do, but that is only so that Saint and PL1 don't miss any good stuff

[bobbyb13]

Well, if my Mai Tai recipe line up gets past the bots then all is well
 



This concoction is probably most responsible for this build- and depending on how you feel about the S.S. Marshmallow you may want to avoid the mixture.
If anyone wants the details/ratios I'll happily post the recipe for a legitimate Mai Tai here 

Anyway, I had a few minutes while waiting for the oil in the generator to drain (and no, even though now I have primary line poles and a transformer next to my house, I STILL do not have grid based power yet...) so I figured I could burn a few moments on the cabinet.



If anyone made a load center appropriate for these things I would probably use it.

I can say that after cluing in on some tips from people here FAR better at it than I, my soldering skills are coming along- so thanks y'all !

[Zebidee]

One thing I'll say about electrical stuff.

I often have a few whiskeys while I'm doing my wiring, it seems to help lubricate things along a bit better.

But when dealing with mains voltage stuff at 110/220v+, leave it until the morning (or after a sleep) before turning it on. Occasionally I've found accidental (stupid) surprises left by my former inebriated self.

[jennifer]

 

[bobbyb13]

That wire seems quite extreme and excessive dude, Never seen anything quite like that in a arcade machine...What is that 10ga.

12g solid thhn sister!  Overkill for sure.

I wind up with a LOT of scrap wire in my work life and seems a shame to toss it when I can use some for such purposes 

Another thing I could be rightfully accused of hoarding I guess.
Got a regular rats nest of it I need to sort through.
Probably could build 100 cabinets with what I have on the floor of the shop at the moment!

One thing I'll say about electrical stuff.

I often have a few whiskeys while I'm doing my wiring, it seems to help lubricate things along a bit better.

But when dealing with mains voltage stuff at 110/220v+, leave it until the morning (or after a sleep) before turning it on. Occasionally I've found accidental (stupid) surprises left by my former inebriated self.

A wise suggestion!
I think I am following this rule without even thinking of it.

Most days at work (like today) I have my hand in a live panel, and occasionally I'm working on live circuits outside of one for the sake of expediency.
I have a great respect for the destructive force of electrons and their search for the ground. 

I have a lot of things left yet to do in this life, so I am actually very cautious.

[bobbyb13]

Had a few minutes after dinner to try to do something and got all motivated.

Mounted some usb plugs under the control panel for console controllers to use with the MiSTer.



Then it occurred to me that I hadn't actually seen how the monitor and bezel were going to fit together actually inside the cabinet at the same time, so I couldn't help but try to stuff the monitor in there and...

It's alive!!!



Need to get better signal cables for the amp since it buzzes like mad.

Now if I don't get some controls in that panel this week and get some software in the PC sorted it will make me nutty.

A few more details to figure out but I think it will actually work.
 

[Zebidee]

I know there's a long way to go, but looks awesome already.

[wp34]

That looks fantastic.  Like something made in a factory.   

[wp34]

This concoction is probably most responsible for this build- and depending on how you feel about the S.S. Marshmallow you may want to avoid the mixture.
If anyone wants the details/ratios I'll happily post the recipe for a legitimate Mai Tai here 

Please and thank you!

[javeryh]

Looks great - hard to believe it's made out of plywood.  You are getting so close to finishing!  Couple more of those Mai Tais should do the trick.

[Gilrock]

Whoa that control panel is way too shiny.  Gonna be hard to play with the glare.....

Ha just kidding...I'm just jealous I don't have the patience to create glossy finishes.

[bobbyb13]

I know there's a long way to go, but looks awesome already.

Thanks Zebidee. And you are correct about a long way yet.
Some light leakage issues and the back panel are all that's left for the box itself I think.
I think I'll have more fun with what is left.
I'm stoked to have a good platform to learn more about the software side of all this too.

That looks fantastic.  Like something made in a factory.   

It is good enough for me, but given the company in these parts I think it only merits a B- actually.
I aspire to the fit and finish produced by many here!
My next one will be better.
 

Looks great - hard to believe it's made out of plywood.  You are getting so close to finishing!  Couple more of those Mai Tais should do the trick.

I have discovered through this build that a mix of good plywood and mdf is the way to go in future builds.
There are places where it is silly not to take advantage of the different properties of the materials and had I used mdf in spots with this one it would have saved a LOT of time and frustration!

Whoa that control panel is way too shiny.  Gonna be hard to play with the glare.....

Ha just kidding...I'm just jealous I don't have the patience to create glossy finishes.

This has been a concern!
All other surfaces surrounding the screen actually are a matte finish at the moment (only sanded to 400) due to worries about glare.
I have been thinking that maybe the control panel will need to get knocked down a bit but we will see after some playing.

Thanks y'all for tagging along for the mayhem! 

[bobbyb13]

This concoction is probably most responsible for this build- and depending on how you feel about the S.S. Marshmallow you may want to avoid the mixture.
If anyone wants the details/ratios I'll happily post the recipe for a legitimate Mai Tai here 

Please and thank you!

Sorry- almost forgot wp34!

A sailor's drink for sure.  Lots of rum 
There is a long running debate about who came up with the Mai Tai originally.
A real one does NOT have a bunch of orange or pineapple juice in it!

Here is my take, with a substitute for one type of rum that was purportedly $60k/ bottle.

Big glass with a lot of ice
*Juice of one whole lime- freshly squeezed.
  To get the most out of it, before you cut it in half, give that lime a good solid pressure roll across the cutting board until it is squishy.  Then split and squeeze.  The more lime juice the better!

Equal parts (1 oz is a good measure for a reasonably sized drink.  I often double this  )
*Simple syrup (If you have trouble finding any, it's just equal parts cane sugar and water- warmed up to dissolve.)
*Orange curacao
*Dark rum (Pussers Gunpowder Proof, Kraken or Captain Morgan Black- something with molasses!)
*Amber oaked rum (Bacardi Oakheart or Spiced)
*Orgeat syrup

2 parts
*White rum

Pour over your ice.
At this point I usually give the lime halves another last squeeze- you'll get some more juice out of them by now.
Stir and enjoy!

[Zebidee]

YUM YUM

Use real fresh-squeezed limes every time, mark of a true bartender. Don't use that lime cordial stuff in the bottle, throw it away (but recycle the bottle )

Real sailors need real lime to fight scurvy!

[javeryh]

This concoction is probably most responsible for this build- and depending on how you feel about the S.S. Marshmallow you may want to avoid the mixture.
If anyone wants the details/ratios I'll happily post the recipe for a legitimate Mai Tai here 

Please and thank you!

Sorry- almost forgot wp34!

A sailor's drink for sure.  Lots of rum 
There is a long running debate about who came up with the Mai Tai originally.
A real one does NOT have a bunch of orange or pineapple juice in it!

Here is my take, with a substitute for one type of rum that was purportedly $60k/ bottle.

Big glass with a lot of ice
*Juice of one whole lime- freshly squeezed.
  To get the most out of it, before you cut it in half, give that lime a good solid pressure roll across the cutting board until it is squishy.  Then split and squeeze.  The more lime juice the better!

Equal parts (1 oz is a good measure for a reasonably sized drink.  I often double this  )
*Simple syrup (If you have trouble finding any, it's just equal parts cane sugar and water- warmed up to dissolve.)
*Orange curacao
*Dark rum (Pussers Gunpowder Proof, Kraken or Captain Morgan Black- something with molasses!)
*Amber oaked rum (Bacardi Oakheart or Spiced)
*Orgeat syrup

2 parts
*White rum

Pour over your ice.
At this point I usually give the lime halves another last squeeze- you'll get some more juice out of them by now.
Stir and enjoy!

I may need to start drinking again.   

[wp34]

This concoction is probably most responsible for this build- and depending on how you feel about the S.S. Marshmallow you may want to avoid the mixture.
If anyone wants the details/ratios I'll happily post the recipe for a legitimate Mai Tai here 

Please and thank you!

Sorry- almost forgot wp34!

A sailor's drink for sure.  Lots of rum 
There is a long running debate about who came up with the Mai Tai originally.
A real one does NOT have a bunch of orange or pineapple juice in it!

Here is my take, with a substitute for one type of rum that was purportedly $60k/ bottle.

Big glass with a lot of ice
*Juice of one whole lime- freshly squeezed.
  To get the most out of it, before you cut it in half, give that lime a good solid pressure roll across the cutting board until it is squishy.  Then split and squeeze.  The more lime juice the better!

Equal parts (1 oz is a good measure for a reasonably sized drink.  I often double this  )
*Simple syrup (If you have trouble finding any, it's just equal parts cane sugar and water- warmed up to dissolve.)
*Orange curacao
*Dark rum (Pussers Gunpowder Proof, Kraken or Captain Morgan Black- something with molasses!)
*Amber oaked rum (Bacardi Oakheart or Spiced)
*Orgeat syrup

2 parts
*White rum

Pour over your ice.
At this point I usually give the lime halves another last squeeze- you'll get some more juice out of them by now.
Stir and enjoy!

Thanks!  I may try this on Saturday.  Your lime tip makes a lot of sense.   

[wp34]

I had to replace the Orange curacao for Blue as I couldn't find any Orange.  But wow is this fantastic!  Very strong.

[bobbyb13]

That cabinet is fantastic!
And the coasters are awesome too.

Glad you like the concoction.  Usually the problem is finding orgeat syrup.
The Liber & Co. people in Texas make the best orgeat (among other mixers!) that I have found anywhere.
I typically make my own stuff when possible, but I really don't have time for blanching and boiling pounds of almonds
 

I'll need to try your mix with blue in lieu of orange now.

[Zebidee]

I had to replace the Orange curacao for Blue as I couldn't find any Orange.  But wow is this fantastic!  Very strong.

lol, took me a moment to tell your coasters apart from the art, nice.

If you have a little extra cash, get some Cointreau or Grand Marnier to replace the orange curacao, you'll be very happy

[bobbyb13]

I had to replace the Orange curacao for Blue as I couldn't find any Orange.  But wow is this fantastic!  Very strong.

lol, took me a moment to tell your coasters apart from the art, nice.

If you have a little extra cash, get some Cointreau or Grand Marnier to replace the orange curacao, you'll be very happy

Have to try that one too!
Why did I never think of that?!
 

And to the topic...

Finally got to start on controls and discovered that:

1. I have been so preoccupied with the cabinet that I forgot I hadn't sorted out the joystick situation.  Need to run the router some more I think.
2. In spite of having a U-HID and enough wire to choke a full grown blue whale, I probably don't have enough female spade connectors here to finish the thing at the moment no matter what the hell I put in it 

And so...

A great excuse to order more cool stuff!  It has comically really cut into my surfing schedule, but I am grateful (I really am) that I have been able to stay busy working the last year and have a little $ to blow on this hobby and help in keeping me sane.

I'll be able to report on what the VAT from the UK to Hawai'i looks like anyway.

Current speed bumps didn't stop me from trying to begin the fun part anyway (with some moral support from the OG feline at the ranch, Elsa.)



I'm still at a loss for button colors (princess problems) but still have a drawer full of the things to choose from at this point.



I forgot that if I hope to have help from members of my household in moving this thing upstairs to the workshop loft then I really need to pull the monitor back out and lighten it up a bit.

And I am going to add a line filter to the power inlet since the thing is so damn noisy in terms of audio (it's the cheap amp I imagine.)

Anyone know if a 4 amp filter will be enough to handle your average not crazy lighting, small audio amp, Dell PC, real arcade monitor cabinet build?

[PL1]

I am going to add a line filter to the power inlet since the thing is so damn noisy in terms of audio (it's the cheap amp I imagine.)

Anyone know if a 4 amp filter will be enough to handle your average not crazy lighting, small audio amp, Dell PC, real arcade monitor cabinet build?

4A sounds too small.   

To calculate the correct value, add up the current draw of all the power supplies/components and add some wiggle room. (15-20%?)

Some components may only list the watts instead of current, but it's an easy conversion.
- For example, if the PC has a 120 Volt, 400 Watt power supply, you can use formula W = V * A to solve for Amps.
  400W = 120V * Amps
  Amps = 400W/120v
  3.33 Amps


Scott

[jennifer]

I am going to add a line filter to the power inlet since the thing is so damn noisy in terms of audio (it's the cheap amp I imagine.)

Anyone know if a 4 amp filter will be enough to handle your average not crazy lighting, small audio amp, Dell PC, real arcade monitor cabinet build?

4A sounds too small.   

To calculate the correct value, add up the current draw of all the power supplies/components and add some wiggle room. (15-20%?)

Some components may only list the watts instead of current, but it's an easy conversion.
- For example, if the PC has a 120 Volt, 400 Watt power supply, you can use formula W = V * A to solve for Amps.
  400W = 120V * Amps
  Amps = 400W/120v
  3.33 Amps


Scott

Dude, few people in this world know what that means come to find out, But it does put a smile on this Princesses face, cause you are not wrong, Curiously Tesla had an obsession with 3, In my studies of that it seems to bring me to Pi, Now Jenn has gone half crazy too, Lol...Nice cab Bobby, that did turn out to be something special.

[PL1]

Curiously Tesla had an obsession with 3, In my studies of that it seems to bring me to Pi

So you're saying I should have used an example with a 376.991112 Watt PC power supply?      


Scott

[bobbyb13]

You all are far too funny.

And why wouldn't it be Scott to suggest something so sensible and useful as just using real math!

I also forgot I can just use an amperage draw fork on the main cord in and see reality probably.

Thanks for the compliment Jenn.
It has been fun to see it come together (mostly) as planned!

Looking forward to playing it!
Maybe another week or two here finally.

[PL1]

I can just use an amperage draw fork on the main cord in and see reality probably.

That's good for measuring normal operating conditions, however it won't accurately measure the short but large inrush current when you first power on the system.


Scott

[bobbyb13]

I can just use an amperage draw fork on the main cord in and see reality probably.

That's good for measuring normal operating conditions, however it won't accurately measure the short but large inrush current when you first power on the system.


Scott

Quite true.
The spike in draw just from the 27" Kortek on its own is probably pretty sizeable.
I was hoping to find a source for a good quality 6 amp one as it was.

[Zebidee]

I am going to add a line filter to the power inlet since the thing is so damn noisy in terms of audio (it's the cheap amp I imagine.)

Anyone know if a 4 amp filter will be enough to handle your average not crazy lighting, small audio amp, Dell PC, real arcade monitor cabinet build?

4A sounds too small.   

To calculate the correct value, add up the current draw of all the power supplies/components and add some wiggle room. (15-20%?)

Some components may only list the watts instead of current, but it's an easy conversion.
- For example, if the PC has a 120 Volt, 400 Watt power supply, you can use formula W = V * A to solve for Amps.
  400W = 120V * Amps
  Amps = 400W/120v
  3.33 Amps


Scott

Dude, few people in this world know what that means come to find out, But it does put a smile on this Princesses face, cause you are not wrong, Curiously Tesla had an obsession with 3, In my studies of that it seems to bring me to Pi, Now Jenn has gone half crazy too, Lol...Nice cab Bobby, that did turn out to be something special.

I've learned not to argue with PL1. He is right of course.

I can just use an amperage draw fork on the main cord in and see reality probably.

That's good for measuring normal operating conditions, however it won't accurately measure the short but large inrush current when you first power on the system.

Scott

Quite true.
The spike in draw just from the 27" Kortek on its own is probably pretty sizeable.
I was hoping to find a source for a good quality 6 amp one as it was.

Good rule of thumb is to go 2x or higher than normal estimated need, to be sure.

[bobbyb13]

Appreciate the wisdom on power gentlemen!

A bit of progress- or maybe more just entertainment.

Got to the point where I was not going to be creating any more dust storms with the main cabinet body so figured it was time to relocate upstairs to the loft part of the workshop (or "The Pouty House" as the lady likes to refer to it- heheh.)

THAT was when I discovered that apparently not all trim on 36" doors are created equal- and the cabinet was about 3/8" too wide to fit through the damn door! 
Always a first for something stupid.

Easiest solution...?  Pull the door out- the whole frame that is.



Thankfully I haven't had time to trim out everything up there yet anyway (kinda thought this might be an issue for something) so it was quick.
Lesson... take a measurement of the specific door in question during design phase.

Now onto what I like, control panel fun.
Had to run the router to sink the sticks deep enough to feel proper.  Love my Milwaukee stuff.
This portable vac unit that plugs right into the router makes for a zero dust routing setup.



Now I know that most everyone has strong opinions on joysticks and I am still learning what mine are at this point, but for this machine I wanted to have 4 to 8 way switchable sticks.
I am first trying Mag-Stik Plus units.

I had swapped a pair into the cocktail-ish cabinet I made first and I am MOSTLY satisfied with them, except that the Sanwa switches in them have a pretty high actuation pressure (not sure exactly what it is- but it is the heaviest of all I have encountered) and they have a VERY snappy engagement and are REALLY loud too.

I anticipate that it may be that these switches are intended to counteract the effect of the pressure of the magnetic centering and so switches with other characteristics may be a failure-, BUT...

Can't help myself.  With my tinker til it hurts mantra, I still need to try other ones to see if I might like something else more.



So I figured why not try a bunch all at once, and this particular panel seemed like a great test bed.

Once all set up, I will just map controls in a few games so that any stick on the panel could be used and just go back and forth in game to compare characteristics and see what I like best.

Seems like Pac-Man and DK would be the seminal choice for testing 4 way function but apart from Xevious I am having issues coming up with something I am familiar with that would be a good litmus test for 8 way function.
Thoughts anyone?  I will try anything my machine runs at 100% speed really.

And so...
One stick with original Sanwa switches, another with some Cherry ones that I had to swap levers into (I'll have to look at exactly which model,) Zippy ones that came from RandyT in his MicroLeaf switches and some other ones that I got from a local supply house that I will need to get details on also I suppose.



I have a little soldering to do but my back is killing me and I can't do much else at the moment anyway.

[Zebidee]

Nice to see progress!

You've got yourself some nice soldering stuff there and I am only slightly jealous of your router/vac setup

[wp34]

Looking good!   

That looks like a fun router.  Amazing they can make those things wireless now.

[bobbyb13]

Thank you both 

I'm a bit of a Milwaukee ho really, but for electricians (and even more so plumbers from what my friends tell me) it appears hard to beat them for strong, well thought out tailored tools.

It is remarkable how battery power has changed things, hasn't it?
So much of this stuff is so convenient and powerful that it makes work a hell of a lot easier than it was even just 10 years ago.

Now if my back will loosen up and I can get the monitor up the stairs and fitted again the real fun can begin.

I really can't recall anymore where I was in terms of software setup.
It will be entertaining to see where I was at with CRTemudriver now that I think about it!
 

[javeryh]

Just from the random little pics of outside in this thread I can tell you live in a really awesome place.  Hawaii, right?  Had to cancel a 2 week vacation there because of the pandemic.  I’ll get back there someday...

[bobbyb13]

Hawai'i really is remarkable.  I'm lucky to have been a bunch of cool places in my life but I can say this is the best one to call home for me.

Came here to surf, stayed for everything else really.
The people are really nice, pace of life is certainly geared more to an enjoy it all kind of zen, the food is good, weather doesn't suck obviously...

For those who want a fast paced urban lifestyle, this ain't the spot, but other than that, only a few drawbacks from my seat.

I miss playing in the snow every winter and there is nowhere to drive your car fast-

And all the real arcade cabs have disappered!

Soon I will be building out the 500 sq ft in-laws style spot here and then it's one less excuse any byoac-er will have to NOT come to Hawai'i !
 

[Mike A]

Consider my flight booked.

[nitrogen_widget]

I miss playing in the snow every winter and there is nowhere to drive your car fast-

What?!?!?



I thought everyone raced along free-ways in Hawaii with an ocean drop and no guard rail on one side and a rock wall on the other. 

[Zebidee]

I miss playing in the snow every winter and there is nowhere to drive your car fast-

What?!?!?



I thought everyone raced along free-ways in Hawaii with an ocean drop and no guard rail on one side and a rock wall on the other. 

  With that moustache, must be Mario chillin out between games.

[yotsuya]

I’ve only been to Hawaii once, but man, it’s beautiful. I’d go back to the North Shore in a heartbeat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobbyb13]

I miss playing in the snow every winter and there is nowhere to drive your car fast-

What?!?!?



I thought everyone raced along free-ways in Hawaii with an ocean drop and no guard rail on one side and a rock wall on the other. 

A lot more people out here now compared to Magnum days!
Most places that it could be done still it is irresponsible to drive that way.
 

I’ve only been to Hawaii once, but man, it’s beautiful. I’d go back to the North Shore in a heartbeat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is epic for sure- and in a few months you could make a good excuse for another trip.
I just have to get the kitchen and bathroom built.

I literally stalked this piece of land before it was for sale and was first in line when it finally was.
It took everything we had plus some and is a crazy amount of work still- but worth the pain.
It's a wide open view up the coast to Waimea Bay from the front yard.
Completely insane- and in my case, proof that thoughts are things.

Consider my flight booked.

Sounds like there should be a roster for a byoac field trip.
Would be excellent fun to finally meet a bunch of you.

As long as I can get this cabinet finished!
 

[bobbyb13]

FINALLY got 'ehukai reassembled after relocation upstairs and got to work on making it actually functional.

Not much progress though really- still fighting with Windows to get what I want out of this thing.

The first box I put in it, the audio was so chattery and scattered that it was stupid.  Couldn't figure out what was wrong except probably that the processor isn't up to the task.
CoreDuo in an old Dell, I think 2.6ghz if I remember properly, but I still only have a 0.197 set which I didn't think was really that demanding for audio- but I'm not that savvy.

I can't update any of that currently as it's been 2.5 years of a third world internet connection for me at the new place- and I'm over it.
The .106 set I am pulling for the vector project has been almost 17 days and is not quite 90% right now!
Maybe in a month or so we will get a reasonable speed connection radioed up from where there is a fiber line a few LOS miles from here and I can get back in the Q-bit community again.

Anyway, the second PC I stuffed in there seems to be behaving better but we'll see how I can manage with controller IDs.
I know it has been asked many times and explained but the code to sort that out makes my hair hurt just looking at it.
Maybe Dr. Venture's fix is the way?!

Once I get stability for that crap sorted then I can pray to get a clean CRTemu and groovymame load and life will be grand!

And I thought a picture of it sitting in the intended spot might explain part of the ridiculous form factor decisions.



I DID however sort out which of the switch setups I preferred for the Mag-Stik Plus units.  Took about 25 seconds of Ms. Pac-Man to decide, an opinion further cemented with a few minutes of Xevious.

Given the 4 choices of:
-The original Sanwa switches
-The Micro Leaf with Zippy micro switches
-Some other unbranded micro size ones that look like the old volcano button switches
-The old white Cherry switches that Happ used to put in their buttons

Survey says...

The old Cherry ones.



They are the only set of the four which for me (in this application at least) combine the elements of:
-Nice smooth engagement sensation (not a ton of 'snap' on and off)
-Good middle of the road engagement pressure (maybe 50g or so?)
-Not absolutely silent, but NOT really loud
-Didn't seem to false (or fail to!) trigger
-Allow the stick to return to center at a nice rate and don't false trigger by going past center

Not sure what other criteria one might consider, but these traits where what seemed to me to be what was most desirable and how to describe them.

Those Cherry ones are some 40 series one it appears.  I read that Happ opted for a different vendor years back and I have had trouble finding exactly what currently available switch to substitute.
At least I have enough of these switches scavenged off some buttons that I think I can populate the whole panel with them now while I wait to find a new replacement for future purposes.

And although they are far too light an actuation for me here as a joystick switch (wanted to try them anyway just in case...) I can say however that those Zippy Micro Leaf switches from Randy T are very nice as button switches.  The mounting plate to make them work is quite cool and as a button switch they really do feel like an old leaf- to me anyway.

It appears I may have to frankenbuild a PC from pieces here to get a functional box for the MAME portion of 'ehukai - or wait for a craigslist score.

I wanted to get that portion finished before I started in with the parallel MiSTer system but integrating the Kortek 2938 and the U-HID for both may get kinda sticky (or be impossible.)  I will post progress if I make any.

Of course if it continues to frustrate me I may need to walk away from it for a week to wait for inspiration.

And then I DO always have that Jrok Williams and the GreenAntz board from Zebidee that would be a good distraction and those would be an easy build and are months overdue for getting put to use...
 

Aloha!

[Zebidee]

Not much progress though really- still fighting with Windows to get what I want out of this thing.

I saw you had to pull the door frame off - trying to get it through the windows now?   

Ok Okaaaaay, please excuse my dad joke 

The first box I put in it, the audio was so chattery and scattered that it was stupid.  Couldn't figure out what was wrong except probably that the processor isn't up to the task.
CoreDuo in an old Dell, I think 2.6ghz if I remember properly, but I still only have a 0.197 set which I didn't think was really that demanding for audio- but I'm not that savvy.

Try updating your BIOS, chipset and audio drivers if there are any available.

And then I DO always have that Jrok Williams and the GreenAntz board from Zebidee that would be a good distraction and those would be an easy build and are months overdue for getting put to use...
 

  \o/   

Sabaay dii 

[wp34]

It has a real "candy" cabinet vibe that I wasn't getting from the construction pictures.  I really love how that turned out.   

[javeryh]

What a cool looking game room!  Cab is coming out nice - that monitor is going to look great.   

[yotsuya]

It has a real "candy" cabinet vibe that I wasn't getting from the construction pictures.  I really love how that turned out.   

Really? The first thing I thought of was candy cab.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wp34]

It has a real "candy" cabinet vibe that I wasn't getting from the construction pictures.  I really love how that turned out.   

Really? The first thing I thought of was candy cab.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TBH I thought it was a bartop until I saw the picture of it against the driving cabinet.  It looked smaller to me in the build pics.

[bobbyb13]

She ain't small for sure!

And thank you all for the compliments and encouragement- cause she ain't quite done yet.

Monitor is a 27" crt for reference.
I wanted it to be something two adults could comfortably sit at and not have neck issues from viewing angle and not necessarily have to be swapping forearm sweat.

Mike A was the first to (justifyably!) comment on her Rubenesque dimensions.

Further proving my noobness (in spite of being 50) I had no idea what a candy cab was until I saw opt2not's recent Sega Aero City restore (which is amazing for any who haven't seen it.)

It has a real "candy" cabinet vibe that I wasn't getting from the construction pictures.  I really love how that turned out.   

Really? The first thing I thought of was candy cab.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TBH I thought it was a bartop until I saw the picture of it against the driving cabinet.  It looked smaller to me in the build pics.

I'll get a bartop happening at some point!

[lomoverde]

That design looks boss for a sit down.And like the driving cab next to it,fit into that shaped room perfect.

[Mike A]

Can you draw up a diagram or flowchart or something that explains your CP layout?

I am befuddled.

Nice start to your arcade room.

[bobbyb13]

Can you draw up a diagram or flowchart or something that explains your CP layout?

I am befuddled.

Nice start to your arcade room.

Sorry this took me a bit.  Chaotic week.
And please forgive how crude it is.  I haven't used any similar software in a very long time-



BobbyFrankenPanel

This is what happens when pretty much every time you actually get a chance to turn on the machine you want to play some Pac-Man variant, Missile Command, Tempest, Defender/Stargate, Centipede, DK, Crystal Castles, Frogger, Xevious...

The chaos of this is now a moot point since I got the JRok multi Williams fired up and I'm ready to build a cabinet for that- so I get to rethink this panel once again.
I was going to be pulling the thing apart to swap out/in the switches I like most for those sticks anyway, so now I get to cut another panel and do it again for more than one reason at least.

Of course as I move forward I'll be able to start trimming down the control schemes on all the machines, as I hope to see the Arcade Loft have 3 cabinets in addition to the twin Rush 2049 ones when all is said and done there.
And I will always have the Cocktail-ish cab in the dining area in the house.

Looking forward to the chance to streamline now that I have a bit more of a clue what the hell I am doing with these things.

And thank you!
I'm stoked on how the arcade is stacking up too.  Will be fun to have people of like mind get to visit and critique.

A lot of work ahead to achieve the vision- but at least it is fun to learn and progress.

[shaolindrunkard]

Just wanted to say, I had no idea this existed up until I happened upon my name in this thread during a search for one of my old projects...

This thing looks awesome! Glad my project could provide some inspiration!

[bobbyb13]

Just wanted to say, I had no idea this existed up until I happened upon my name in this thread during a search for one of my old projects...

This thing looks awesome! Glad my project could provide some inspiration!

Seeing as you're cool with it, I'm glad you found it!

Showing how out of it I have been for decades, I had no idea what a candy cab was to begin with and although I had an inkling of something I wanted I couldn't quite envision it- until I saw your build.

So thank you! 

Hopefully soon I can get back to working on this one.
Next is control panel redesign and remake and then some PC wranglin-
Too many distractions recently!

And that one of yours is still one of my faves.

[shaolindrunkard]

Just wanted to say, I had no idea this existed up until I happened upon my name in this thread during a search for one of my old projects...

This thing looks awesome! Glad my project could provide some inspiration!

Seeing as you're cool with it, I'm glad you found it!

Showing how out of it I have been for decades, I had no idea what a candy cab was to begin with and although I had an inkling of something I wanted I couldn't quite envision it- until I saw your build.

So thank you! 

Hopefully soon I can get back to working on this one.
Next is control panel redesign and remake and then some PC wranglin-
Too many distractions recently!

And that one of yours is still one of my faves.

Thanks man, I absolutely love what you did here. Good luck with the rest of the project.