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| Retro Box - Just a Regular 'Ole Bartop (COMPLETED AUG 2024 - UPDATED SEPT 2024) |
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| DaveMMR:
I spent a large chunk of my Saturday fighting the PC board installation. It's actually quite small, except for one thing: the fan. It protrudes just enough that it will prevent the back door from closing. My first attempt did not take this into consideration... After going back and forth with several ideas, I realized I needed to ditch those one-inch tall standoffs. Also, since the PC is directly blocking the display screws, it will be nice if I can take it out quickly if need be. So I decided to put everything on a hardboard. I made some home-made standoffs out of a dowel, cut into 1/4" pieces, and secured it with nuts on the other side. The drive is also screwed it from the bottom. For the cabinet, I cut slots into a pair of thick wood strips, and added a simple "stop" to the bottom. After some fiddling, it worked. The computer slides in and out easily, with the fan out of the way of the door, with an inch to spare. If I did this again, I would do a stop dado or add a block at the ends of the slot ahead of time, instead of the glued on stop added after-the-fact. But whatever, it works and looks clean enough. |
| DaveMMR:
More progress. Got the monitor installed, wired everything up and did a test-fire. Success on the first try! Time to make the bezel. I experimented with masking off the back of some thin plexi. The tape is a little too persnickety though, so I cut down a board to the exact size of the display (not the plastic bezel). I centered it perfectly and added a little weight to it. Hit it with a few coats of spray paint and it worked.... mostly... The edges of plywood are not crisp, so the lines are soft. Mostly unnoticeable but I am going to go back after I'm done and try to give it another pass with some painter's tape to sharpen up the lines. |
| DaveMMR:
My cab is actually fully playable with external controls, which is dangerous. I started it up to try things out with my project-kit stick I made a couple years ago. Spent too much time playing games rather than moving forward. I also did a prelim coat and test fit on the piece that will eventually be the CP. PS - I dislike that "default arcade bezel". That's one of many things that's going to be addressed in software... :angry: |
| firedance:
Coming along very nicely and yes replace the bezels, i usually turn off all the bezels when using a widescreen anyways :) |
| DaveMMR:
--- Quote from: firedance on August 13, 2024, 01:51:19 pm ---Coming along very nicely and yes replace the bezels, i usually turn off all the bezels when using a widescreen anyways :) --- End quote --- Thanks! :cheers: And I actually like the bezels, mostly. When they're good, they look REALLY, REALLY good. The one for Sunset Riders is super sharp, blending it almost seamlessly with the actual gameplay. It really adds to the illusion of playing on a real machine. The ones for the handhelds, like the Lynx, likewise almost makes you forget you're playing on a modern display. But the generic placeholder: it is well done. But it's too "late 90's Chuck E. Cheese looking" for my taste. I will say the console ones are attractive. But a more generic "CRT display" frame might work better. |
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