Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: $2 Bezel...  (Read 92726 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
$2 Bezel...
« on: March 15, 2004, 08:10:45 pm »
I had some time to kill today and made a bezel for my Dynamo cab. Actually I made 3 different patterns, and will make the final bezel as soon as I pick up a sheet of black posterboard.

I did a initial pattern in a CAD program, and after doing so I found out neither the monitor frame is square nor is the monitor centered and level in the frame. ;) After screwing up two bezels trying to compensate I made the third by just cutting the pieces oversize and trimming them back till they fit.  I took pictures of the second pattern and will post them here to show how it was made as it mounts differently that my last pattern.

First pic, side pieces after cutting them out.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2004, 08:12:17 pm »
Next pic, folding a piece after scoring it along the bend line.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2004, 08:13:55 pm »
Stapling the corner flanges together.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2004, 08:16:09 pm »
The second pattern in the cab. So-so, but I can do better. ;)

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2004, 08:19:24 pm »
The third pattern assembled. Instead of using the cabinet flange to support the bezel I boxed this one so it supports itself.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2004, 08:22:59 pm »
The third pattern in the cab. This one is trimmed so that it touches the monitor between the edge of the screen and the phosphors on the tube. I also radiused the corners to make it look better.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2004, 08:28:00 pm »
Third bezel pattern with plexi and support in place. I'll take it back apart and make a final bezel using black posterboard.

mahuti

  • Wiki Master
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2757
  • Last login:March 02, 2022, 09:51:19 pm
  • I dare anything! I am Skeletor!
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2004, 08:41:10 pm »
Those look fantastic. I might do that for one of my cabs that's lacking .
Raspberry Pi, AttractMode, and Skeletor enthusiast.

reebboy

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 81
  • Last login:December 12, 2005, 01:34:53 am
  • Now its time for some serious insanity!!!
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2004, 09:30:27 pm »
Looks sweet. Its a hell of alot cheaper than buying the preshaped bezels. I'll definitely have to try it out. :D
Dude!!! Where's my game.....

MiKman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 360
  • Last login:March 25, 2018, 12:28:45 pm
  • Blah
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2004, 10:43:41 pm »
That is simply awesome!  I wish I had attempted that before I plonked down the $$ I did for a 27" happ bezel that really doesn't fit the curvature of my tv very well.  Nice work, looking forward to the plans :-)

allroy1975

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 980
  • Last login:November 11, 2023, 08:51:48 pm
  • I'm a dork!
    • Matt's Mame
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2004, 11:12:12 pm »
No freakin way!  those DO look GREAT!  Nice job.  One day I'm going to be smart enough to think of stuff like that!  I'm about half way done with my 2nd cabinet....and my first still doesn't have a bezel.  I think I just figured out that they're both going to get bezels!  :)

So will you vectorize the plans, so people can resize it to their needs?....maybe that's not what vectorizing stuff is all about but ..maybe it is.  :)

Allroy
They have the FAST Ms. Pac-Man!  MOM!  Can I have a quarter!??

DrewKaree

  • - AHOTW - Pompous revolving door windbag *YOINKER*
  • Wiki Master
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9743
  • Last login:May 15, 2021, 05:31:18 pm
  • HAH! Nice one!
    • A lifelong project
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2004, 11:15:26 pm »
Tailgunner, can you post a scaled down (Illustrator, perhaps?) version of your template for the best version?  Also, did you bevel cut or straight cut the edges from the bezel to the screen?
You’re always in control of your behavior. Sometimes you just control yourself
in ways that you later wish you hadn’t

OSCAR

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1770
  • Last login:September 06, 2018, 11:31:53 pm
  • I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem...
    • Oscar Controls
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #12 on: March 15, 2004, 11:18:01 pm »
Excellent work!!  I was going to do the same thing for my Centipede cab, I just had a hard time convincing myself that $25 for a repro blue posterboard bezel (www.arcadeshop.com) was a good deal for a piece of posterboard.

I was going to do mine like this example, http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/Bezel/bezel_construction.html, but it is lacking in the measurement details.  Did you cut out the tube curvature after you constructed the bezel, or while the pieces were still flat?  Any chance you can make your cad file available, it would be a great reference when I do mine.  Thanks!


Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2004, 12:54:49 am »
Thanks guys. :)

@Drew: These were pretty much straight cut, but posterboard is so thin that it really wouldnt make a difference either way.

@Oscar: I know what ya mean, $20 would buy quite a stack of blue posterboard at Office Depot. ;) I've seen the site you linked to, and figured without an original to work from it would be easier to add a flange at each corner and staple the pieces together. If you wanted to make it like the Toobin' bezel in one piece you could simply make a pattern in white posterboard and once it fits just open one corner back up and trace the whole thing as one piece. I cut the tube curvature as I made each piece. My measurements showed the tube only varies 1/4" from a corner to the middle, so the curves are pretty simple to lay out and cut.


I can post the plans, but honestly I dunno what use they'd be as I ended up just free hand cutting the bezel to fit. I'll see about "digitizing" the third pattern and will post the results, but you'll still need to play with it as your cab is likely different and my pattern won't fit it as is. I'll also take more pictures of the third pattern tommorow, and attempt to better explain how I went about making it.  :)




froggerman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 311
  • Last login:March 01, 2015, 03:23:14 am
  • You want how many buttons?!
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #14 on: March 16, 2004, 01:18:27 am »
Very impressive work! There are a lot of talented people on this forum.

RandyT

  • Trade Count: (+14)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6882
  • Last login:March 26, 2024, 03:33:28 pm
  • Friends don't let friends hack keyboards.
    • GroovyGameGear.com
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #15 on: March 16, 2004, 02:27:53 am »

Hard to imagine anyone needing a plastic one when yours looks so good, especially when you factor in oversize UPS shipping rates!

Great alternative!

RandyT

MinerAl

  • Wiki Contributor
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 762
  • Last login:March 21, 2023, 07:11:28 am
  • duck
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #16 on: March 16, 2004, 09:28:54 am »
That's almost exactly how the Atari (2-player) Xs & Os Football bezel is made.  I should warn you though, if you use your cab with a cardstock bezel in a smoky damp bar for 25 years, the bezel may warp a bit :)

Jabba

  • D-Hutt
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1643
  • Last login:November 16, 2020, 02:17:20 pm
  • I find your lack of faith...disturbing...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #17 on: March 16, 2004, 02:44:06 pm »
Thanks for the excellent information on the Bezel. Can't beat the price  ;D. If you don't mind me asking, How long did it take you to do the third one?
Vids:  Home built MAME machine, Crystal Castles. Arkanoid
Pins:   Williams Aztec (working). Stern Nugent (not working...yet), Williams Phoenix (major not working, missing parts.... )

Always on the lookout for buying 90's game with Ramps that need work...

JackTucky

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1613
  • Last login:January 04, 2021, 12:00:58 pm
  • Soon I will post that I am a triathalete
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2004, 02:59:07 pm »
That looks great.

Art
Well, that's where we go a-ridin' into town, a whampin' and whompin' every livin' thing that moves within an inch of its life. Except the women folks, of course.

allroy1975

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 980
  • Last login:November 11, 2023, 08:51:48 pm
  • I'm a dork!
    • Matt's Mame
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #19 on: March 16, 2004, 03:29:54 pm »
seriously...how can a chuckle head like me make one?  it doesn't look like rocket science.

is it?

Allroy
They have the FAST Ms. Pac-Man!  MOM!  Can I have a quarter!??

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2004, 04:21:04 pm »
Just got home, I made another bezel today to show how I made the third pattern. I took several pictures to document the steps, it'll take a little while to resize them and write up the notes.  I'll update this thread later tonight. :)

Chris

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4574
  • Last login:September 21, 2019, 04:59:49 pm
    • Chris's MAME Cabinet
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #21 on: March 16, 2004, 04:38:34 pm »
I made my original bezel in a similar fashion, but had problems with it warping after a while:



Yours looks like it has a better shape than mine ever did, though, and perhaps yours will give it a strength mine didn't...

I also had joined my corners with electrical tape... that might have had something to do with the problem...

--Chris
--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Minwah

  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7662
  • Last login:January 18, 2019, 05:03:20 am
    • MAMEWAH
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #22 on: March 16, 2004, 07:06:48 pm »
Good job Tailgunner, it gives me a little more confidence to have a go at one when I get my cab home...look forward to your further pics :)

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #23 on: March 16, 2004, 08:05:30 pm »
Alright, here's the walk-through. ;)

Start by taking a few measurements. You'll need width, length, and depth of the monitor surround, and measurements from the edge of the frame to the edge of the phosphors on the screen.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #24 on: March 16, 2004, 08:08:45 pm »
I'm starting with the bottom, here's the basic layout. I'm using a sharpie for this one so it photographs better, a pencil is more accurate and you can erase any mistakes. ;)

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #25 on: March 16, 2004, 08:09:54 pm »
The bottom cut to size and folded.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #26 on: March 16, 2004, 08:13:05 pm »
We need to mark the bottom pattern where the tube's curve is the widest, it's easy to pick out as there are a few extra pixels on the screen at this point.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #27 on: March 16, 2004, 08:16:16 pm »
I'm marking the centerpoint and where the corners are on the pattern. I want a border that's halfway between the phosphors on the screen and the edge of the tube.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #28 on: March 16, 2004, 08:23:57 pm »
I've cleaned up the corners with a compass to get a nice radius, and connected them to the center. I measured from the tube's edge to the phosphors at the center, divided that number in half to figure out where the center should be marked. I then drew the curve using an adjustable spline, but anything semi-flexable would work. You'll just need someone bend and hold it in place while you draw the curve.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #29 on: March 16, 2004, 08:26:35 pm »
The curve cut out, I'm checking it on the monitor to see if it need any adjustments.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #30 on: March 16, 2004, 08:30:50 pm »
Next I'll cut the angles. Draw a line from the edge of the radius to the corner of the bezel. Add about half an inch for a flange, and cut the corners. Bend the flanges over.  

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #31 on: March 16, 2004, 08:32:49 pm »
Check to see how it looks. We're done with one side. :)

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #32 on: March 16, 2004, 08:37:02 pm »
The side is pretty much a repeat of the bottom. Make a basic pattern...

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #33 on: March 16, 2004, 08:39:29 pm »
Mark the center and corners...

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #34 on: March 16, 2004, 08:41:34 pm »
Draw the curve...

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #35 on: March 16, 2004, 08:44:58 pm »
Cut out the curve. Mark the corner, add the flange, and cut the corner off.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #36 on: March 16, 2004, 08:46:48 pm »
Check the corner to see how it's lining up.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #37 on: March 16, 2004, 08:56:42 pm »
I skipped doing the upper corner of the side pattern for this demo. It's the same as the bottom corner so it do it just like that one. The top pattern should be a duplicate of the bottom, if not make it before you do the sides so you can make the side curves fit between the upper and lower curves. The other side should be a duplicate of the one I've done here, but I'd still check before cutting as the monitor is probably off center a little. Mine's off almost 1/4" of an inch but it's easy to allow for it when making the bezel this way.

Here's the resulting side pattern.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #38 on: March 16, 2004, 08:58:17 pm »
And the bottom pattern.

Tailgunner

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1156
  • Last login:October 06, 2009, 01:21:16 pm
  • ...
Re:$2 Bezel...
« Reply #39 on: March 16, 2004, 09:10:36 pm »
Last one. ;)

I boxed this pattern mostly because doing so makes it stay in place while working on it. The trade off is it uses more posterboard on each side. Most cardboard bezels have a flange around the outside edge that holds them in place, this flange gets sandwiched between the monitor surround and the plexiglas.  After making this pattern it hit me that you could pin the pieces in place with thumbtacks while working on it. I trimmed the pattern pieces to fit the flanges to demonstrate this.