BYO Ball top - Lighted Translucent Red Top Fire w/ pics!

[Bgnome]

i got the idea from RayB and from Tom, the Tron repro guy, to try and put together my own top-fire ball top.  now, i am still in the planning stage for my cabinet project and this is one of the mini-projects i am trying to work on that will go into it.  so please bare with me since i am bascially going off of info that i have read..

i plan on getting the x-arcade parts mainly due to cost appeal.  i understand the sticks are happ super replicas.  i am assuming that this means that the shafts are 10mm exactly.  now, i have found these things that i will be using for the ball tops.  of course, they werent made for this application so i will adapting them.  they are called pet strobes, have a diameter of 38mm, (a little large for a ball top but they fit nicely in my palm), and they have 4 red, (super bright?), LEDs in them.  I will also try to put a radioshack button in the top.
http://www.cmi-befirst.com/catalogue/petstrobe.jpg

my problem at the moment is finding something to use for the shafts.  i cant for the life of me seem to find regular aluminum/steel tubing in either 10mm or 3/8" inches anywhere around here.  i checked at hobby lobby, home depot, and lowes.  some things i have found are small brass pipe "nipples," (threaded on both sides for those of you that dont know), of varying lengths for what they call 1/8" pipe, which seems to have a 10mm OD from what i could measure with a plastic ruler.  i have also found 10mm aluminum knitting needles which seem to be hollow and these really neat red acrylic knitting needles but i would need to figure out how to drill a hole through those.

i have read a little about people hacking trigger sticks into super bases so i have a fairly good idea on how to do it.  what i dont understand is if the shaft has a 10mm diameter for the entire length, what holds it up?  i believe the e-clip is only there to hold the actuator, which goes on the bottom of the stick.  is there something in the box assembly that keeps the stick from sliding through?  or does the diameter change like in the pictures for RayB's ball tops?  i would also really appreciate measurements on how long the shaft should be and whether i would still need to make grooves for the e-clip and such or find an alternative, (heard about the drill-depth guides but didnt really find any).

if anyone needs any more information, i would be happy to share.  i appreciate any input anyone has.

[MinerAl]

i have read a little about people hacking trigger sticks into super bases so i have a fairly good idea on how to do it.  what i dont understand is if the shaft has a 10mm diameter for the entire length, what holds it up?  i believe the e-clip is only there to hold the actuator, which goes on the bottom of the stick.  is there something in the box assembly that keeps the stick from sliding through?  or does the diameter change like in the pictures for RayB's ball tops?  i would also really appreciate measurements on how long the shaft should be and whether i would still need to make grooves for the e-clip and such or find an alternative, (heard about the drill-depth guides but didnt really find any).

if anyone needs any more information, i would be happy to share.  i appreciate any input anyone has.

The stick is held on with the e-clip and the plastic sleve that goes around the shaft at the top, which in turn is held in place by the ball/trigger/bat of the stick.  So in order for the stick to stay on the mechanism, it needs a really solid top and an e-clip on the bottom.

The shaft length is up to you, as long as the distance between the sleeve's bottom, and the e-clip is the same as on the original, you should be fine.  When I made mine, I just pushed the assembled stick in until there was some tension on the spring, and used a sharpie to mark the shaft.  Then I used a dremel cutting wheel to make a channel for the e-clip.

The steel 3/8" tube I found at an Ace hardware by the sheet metal and metal rods/dowels.  I've looked at Home Depot and Lowes and not found them.  3/8" isn't perfectly 10mm, but it's like 9.9mm.  Pretty close, and one wrapping of scotch tape in the places you want tight works pretty slick.

Let us know how it goes!

[Bgnome]

it looks like the stick itself on a super is about 6" long from the top of the handle so a 5" nipple may work.  i could try to find a nut for the bottom instead of using the e-clip.  and i assume the sleeve is just black so the brass isnt an issue.  but those were about $3 a piece so i am hoping to find a cheaper solution.  the costs so far are $5 for the ball, $3 for the button, and $5 (eventually) for the base.  my main concern with tubing alternatives is the sturdiness of it.  i assume these things will take a beating and i dont want the sticks breaking and slicing open peoples hands..

[Jakobud]

I think you are gonna have a hard time using those Pet Strobes as Ball Tops... they are just thin hollow plastic balls with some LEDs and stuff in them.  I don't know how you are gonna screw a joystick shaft into it and expect it to feel solid.

[Bgnome]

i will take pictures once i get this thing going, but the way the plastic is molded, there is a cavity that is made to fit 2 LR44 batteries.  the cavity is about an inch long and a little more than a cm wide.  the top that screws on also has a cm wide hollow in the center which i believe will help attach the shaft and keep it sturdy.  with some loctite contact cement, i am sure the ball will be secure nad have a good feel to it.

[Jakobud]

I know this is sort of off topic, but do those LED strobes flash/strobe or are they on continuously?

[Bgnome]

i will explain how they work to the best of my understanding.  i have taken one and cracked it open and studied the electronics a bit.  i apologize for the lack of illustration, but like i said, i will take pictures once i get this working.

it looks basically like a christmas ornament in shape and is red acrylic and striated, kinda like brake lights might be.  the top part has a screw-in cap that has a plunger and a spring inside.  it screws onto a cavity that contains 2 lr44 batteries, 1.5v each, and 3 contacts.  there is a spring at the bottom for the - contact and there is a bent wire that runs in a channel along the side of the cavity for the + contact.  there is also a 3rd contact at the bottom.  when the plunger pushes the batteries down, this 3rd contact turns the electronics on and off, in essence acting as a momentary contact switch.

when it is on, the 4 LEDs flash in a sequential pattern.  they will continue to do so until the plunger is pressed again.  the LEDs are attached to a small circuit board which also contains leads for the 3 contacts, a 0.47uf capacitor, and a small IC covered by that black stuff.  from my rudimentary understanding of electronics, the cap keeps the circuit open even though the batteries are always touching the + and the - contacts.  i assume the chip somehow uses the 3rd contact as a trigger.

the top half of the ball is mostly taken up by this cavity for the batteries.  the circuit board mounts driectly onto this part.  the bottom half is just a hollow dome, which gives me space to fir the radio shack button.

i have been using one for testing and tried to keep the electonics complete.  i used a GameBoy AC adapter for 3v of power and figured out how the 3rd contact worked.  i then tried to see if i could get it to turn on automatically when powered by connecting a cap between the 3rd contact and the - contact.  this worked fine for a minute or so, but eventually the sequence would break down to only 2 LEDs flashing.  so i decided to scrap this idea and harvest the LEDs and wire them in separately and just have them on continuously.

i also had a very hard time getting the ball open.  the halves seem glued together.  i tried a hairdryer but the plastic began to warp and they were still stuck tightly.  i had carved a 0.5" hole for the button and tried nail polish remover and then ethanol along the inside of the seam but ended up damaging the acrylic.  i guess for the ones i end up using, i will avoid trying to open it but rather try to crack the circuit board and take it out of the 0.5" hole in order to get the LEDs.

I did consider other options for ball tops, but these pet strobes were the best candidates i have found.  they are translucent and red, they are the right diameter for the most part, there is just enough space for the top fire button, and the battery cavity will fit the shaft.  i found them for $5 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond while looking at acrylic finials there for this same project.  i know that Tom had just started up again and his balltops would look much nicer and may possibly be adapted for LEDs and a top fire button, but there is always something to be said for DIY.

[Bgnome]

just giving this a bump to let those who are interested, (just jakobud i guess?), know that i have finally received my parts shipment infrom x-arcade after being on backorder for over a month.  progress is expected to be slow since school has started but i will post pictures..

[Bgnome]

alright..  got to work on one a little bit.  this is a pic of what i have to start with.  the metal tubes on the left are taken from wind chimes that i have bought really cheap.  i had a really hard time finding any aluminum tubing of the proper diameter in the local hardware stores.  the bigger one will be used as a sleeve while the smaller one, 10mm diam. exactly, will be the actual shaft.  joystick handle is shown for comparison.  the pet strobe is shown on the right.

[Bgnome]

unfortunately, my dremel died quite a while ago, but i still have the box full of bits.  i use them with my drill and it seems to work ok.  i carved out a hole of about 0.5".  there are 4 LEDs and a circuitboard in there which i carefully cracked apart with some needlenose pliers.  i harvested the LEDs and soldered them together.  this pic shows the ball with a hole in it and the radioshack pushbutton i intend to put in the top.

[Bgnome]

the keychain part of the ball has a small plunger which i took out and i opened up the hollow area, which just barely fit the 10mm shaft.  the ball is shown with the wiring and the button, which also just barely fits.

[Bgnome]

alright, now here is a pic of it assembled, in the base, and lighted.  this is with the flash on the camera.

thanks RayB for touching it up!

[Bgnome]

without flash

[Bgnome]

i apologize for the fuzzyness of the pics, my camera is not good with close photos.
i still need to glue things together and decide on whether i should try to use the e-clip or maybe some sort of pin as a replacement, (there are holes already punched in the sides of the tubing).  i also need to settle on a full shaft length.  i could keep if fairly long so i wouldnt have to route out the bottom of my mdf, but then that increases the throw, has a greater chance of breaking (thickness is only 1mm which worries me a bit), and increases the vertical profile (where i also need to put my keyboard and keep it within a 4.5" space).
all in all though i am very happy with the way it turned out.  i just need to make 3 more..

any comments and suggestions are welcome.  i have not yet built my first cab yet so appreciate any input.

[Martoon]

Don't know how the feel and durability will be (that plastic ball does look kind of thin and brittle), but I have to say, I do like the look.  I think those joysticks would look really sweet on a panel with Atari LED volcano buttons.

[Bgnome]

it isn't quite at the playtesting stage yet, but the balls definitely dont feel flimsy.  the shaft is held very well inside the ball, almost halfway in.  i have another ball thats been split in half if you want to see a pic of the structure.  i dont have much experience with true wico balltops or others, but i would say these feel the same as the jakks tv joysticks if not better.

[Bgnome]

i was hoping for at least some feedback..
i do appreciate the support from a couple folks though.  i was able to squeeze the e-clip onto the tubing where the holes were punched so i will see if that is strong enough to hold it.  i will probably trim the shaft down so that the full length from the top to bottom is 7.5".  This should give me a height of about 4" above the unrouted cp.  is this reasonable for a balltop?  if it doesnt work out, i could always trim it shorter and route out the wood for the base.

[Bgnome]

after looking at the measurements a little more in depth for the ball tops andy has, i have come to the conclusion that ball tops are usually shorter than the bat/oval joys.  therefore it would be better to have a total length of 6.5", giving it a height of about 3" from the top of the 3/4"cp.  but once again, with no experience in this area, im kinda shooting in the dark..

[Pieman2004]

I wish I had more knowledge to help you out, but I don't know about mounting heights of joysticks. I would like to see a picture of the ball split in half though, if you don't mind.

[Bgnome]

sure!  this is the one i was playing with and split open.  outer diameter is 39mm.  you can sort of see the cavity in the bottom half that was meant to hold the batteries.  the diameter of hte space inside it is 11.5mm.  its height is 15mm inside the ball.

[Bgnome]

the half on the left is the top with the radioshack button