Control Panel Overlay

[dmish82]

I was just trying to get some ideas on how people have made their control panel overlays to go between the control panel and the plexiglass. Can a Kinko's print out a design? What type of material have you used? etc. Thanks.

[enchntr]

I used the indoor vinyl and had it laminated.  Looks pretty darn good.

[dmish82]

Since you laminated it, did you still use plexiglass?

[fatbasta]

Kinko's printed mine with a large format inkjet on bright white 24" paper that I sandwiched between the Plexi and the MDF.  I just gave them the .AI file and told them how big. It's been good so far.  I'm afraid that someone will eventually spill something on it and it will run.  So laminating the print then covering in plexi may not be a bad idea.

[enchntr]

Since you laminated it, did you still use plexiglass?

Nope...no plexi.  I have it, but decided not to mount it.  It looks fine without it, and I've already received extremely good feedback on it.

Ed

[Robopede]

I was planning to do the same thing you are, but somebody around here suggested applying a vinyl CPO over the plexiglass (Lexan, actually). I decided to try that because, after seeing a couple cabs at a local restaurant with plexiglass on top of the artwork, I thought it looked a little tacky. Also, some people say the plexi gets scratched up. I haven't built my CP yet, so I'm just passing on other's ideas that sound good to me...

[crashwg]

I'm a little confused as to what the plexi (lexan) is for Robopede...

If the acrylic is not for protecting the overlay you can just mount the overlay without it right?

[FractalWalk]

If the acrylic is not for protecting the overlay you can just mount the overlay without it right?

I mounted my CPO on plexi that was attached to wood. This let me have a perfectly smooth surface to adhere to and it allowed me to route out an area for the dust washers so that they float above the wood, but below the plexi.

[Robopede]

Installing the dustwashers between the wood and the plastic is a great idea FractalWalk! Also, I plan to recess the joystick bolts and the trackball plate. To make a smooth surface, I would have to use wood filler or Bondo or something to fill in around the bolt heads and any gaps between the trackball plate and the wood. If I ever had to replace a joystick, that would make it a pain in the butt. Instead, by putting the CPO on top of a sheet of Lexan, I don't have to worry about the gaps around the bolts and TB plate. Also, I won't have to put as many holes in the artwork because the 8 joystick bolts will be underneath it. I can disassemble the whole thing pretty easily for maintenance or repairs. And, it's more authentic. (I don't recall ever seeing a commercially manufactured arcade machine with a plexiglass control panel surface - always vinyl.)

Regards,
Dave

[sonicflood]

Recess the carriage bolts in the wood & use Bondo to fill in the area.  I did this on my NBA Jam cabinet for all the external carriage bolts, ie: the monitor supports and it made a nice smooth area for my laminate to adhere to.  I like the "clean" look.

I've not decided on my CP overlay as of yet.  I'm awaiting a trackball mounting kit & I'll probably be begging for some artistic assistance from some of you.  

Good luck,

Scott

[gap]

Best bet is to have it printed by Mamemarquees.com or classicarcadegrafix.com.

[FractalWalk]

Installing the dustwashers between the wood and the plastic is a great idea FractalWalk!

It is a great idea. It's just not MY idea.
http://www.oscarcontrols.com/sinistar/index.shtml


Best bet is to have it printed by Mamemarquees.com or classicarcadegrafix.com.

Having my CPOs and marquee printed at classicarcadegrafix.com was the best money I spent on my cab.

[mahuti]

Yeah, no kiddin. Me too.

(no plexi...)

[RayB]

Ummm, aren't the dust washers DESIGNED to be installed that way? That's why the top of the joystick base is recessed, is it not?

[FractalWalk]

Ummm, aren't the dust washers DESIGNED to be installed that way?

Specifically they are designed to float between the joystick base and a metal panel. With wood, you have to float it above the panel.

[dmish82]

This has helped. I think I'm gonna use either Kinko's or mamemarquees.com or classicarcadegrafix.com    Does anyone know the turn around time on any of these 3 places and the quality difference between them? Anyone have any experiences w/ them?

thanks.

[enchntr]

Kinkos took less than a day to print the marquee and CPO.  Marquee came out nice, but I think they printed it out wrong on the backlit film because it was a bit washed out, and when off you could only see the white film.  Had to replace it with one from Mamemarquees...also good, but seems to be a bit difference in color than the CPO I printed out at Kinkos...bit more purple where the CPO is a bit more blue.  Got the marquee within a week though from MM.

HTH.

[FractalWalk]

IIRC the turnaround (order to delivery) for classicarcadegrafix.com was about a week. It came out better than I had expected although I have no other finished products to compare it to.

I don't really like their web site as I don't think it is easy to understand pricing or ordering for custom jobs, but their customer service is good.  All my questions were answered quickly via e-mail.

I am extremely happy with the results and would use them again in the future.

[Robopede]

This has helped. I think I'm gonna use either Kinko's or mamemarquees.com or classicarcadegrafix.com    Does anyone know the turn around time on any of these 3 places and the quality difference between them? Anyone have any experiences w/ them?

My experience with Kinko's has been very poor. They did not know how to properly use their software or equipment for anything beyond the most basic, routine task. Each Kinko's location is probably different, though, so I would try to find out how good the specific Kinko's is that you might use. On the other hand, mamemarquees and classicarcadegrafix specialize in this area and have good reputations.

Regards,
Dave