Cabinet Construction Complete... GUNCON2 Interface Circuit Assembly...

[AceTKK]

Yes, you can.  Thin stock (1/4" or less) machines very easily.  I would use a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade to trim close to size and then use the router to finish it off.  That veneer stuff posted above looks pretty nice too and would probably be easier to work with.

[tivogre]

I'd rather go with the real aluminum sheet.  It would be durable;  I could do the same "brushed" finish on it with the ROS that I did on the rest of the aluminum trim.

I'll look around for sources of aluminum sheet.

I'd need a piece about 8" x 10' to go around the control panel.

I see thicknesses  down to 1/32" from different internet suppliers.

Any idea what thickness I would need so I could "form" it over the marquee area?

I assume it would be malleable enough to shape over the marquee frame in 1 piece?

[tivogre]

Today, the knee felt well enough to do a few non-strenuous things...

...so I worked on the cabinet a bit!

I completed the installation of the t-molding.

I cut and installed a piece of black laminate for the inside bottom of the keyboard drawer:



That looks better, and will certainly wear better than the paint.

I also covered the marquee panel in (very controversial) foil:



Someday, when I research aluminum sheet a bit more and gain confidence that I can pull it off, I might replace the foil on the marquee panel and control panel with actual aluminum sheet.

Here's a test fit of the marquee panel:



I am out of glass points (used to hold the marquee and glass into the marquee frame), so I can't finish up today.

If I pick some up tomorrow, finishing up the construction phase should be a short order!

I think my to do list is down to:

     1.  Install the marquee and glass
     2.  Mount the subwoofer on the speaker panel
     3.  Install the top panel
     4.  Install the coin door panel
     5.  Software / front end configuration
     6.  Side art - hopefully pixelized aluminum space invaders!

Anyone know where I can get several 1/8" thick aluminum squares about 1 1/2" to 2" across?

I'd like to use them as the "pixels" for my side "art" project.

[tivogre]

At long last, all of the construction and assembly are COMPLETE!

My punch list is down to:

     1.  Software / front end configuration
     2.  Side art - hopefully pixelized aluminum space invaders!

BUT...  I think I'll take some time to enjoy it "as is" first.

Here are a few FINISHED shots:

Front:



Left:



Coin Door Panel:



Control Panel:



The last CONSTRUCTION update is here:

http://www.ogredog.com/mame_construction_home.htm#Day%2062

I'll continue to update when I get some work done on the front-end and side art.

Without this site, completing this cabinet would not have come to pass!

Thanks for the support, suggestions and feedback!

[Bones]

That's a sweet looking build and should last a couple of hundred years after seeing the internal structure.

Congratulations & Great job! 

[psik0tik]

OOooooOoo nice

[tivogre]

Wow...

I Fell right off the first page already.

 

[kinu64]

I have been following this since you started.  What an amazing machine.  You showed so much care and detail in this and it shows.  I will be reading your website for a long time once I start construction on mine. 

Again, AMAZING.

[tivogre]

Thanks for the kind words kinu64!

In a minor update, I received a pair of Scorpion 3 light guns in the mail today.

Soon, I'll be hacking a HD power to dual gameport cable and working on getting the pair of guns up and running with the WinGun driver.

More photos and a write-up are sure to follow.

BTW.... IF I get the Scorpion 3 guns working correctly, I'll probably be selling the pair of ACT-LABs PC (original "space gun" version) guns.

[tivogre]

About a week ago, I received the pair of "Scorpion 3" GUNCON light guns that I ordered for my cabinet.

I was impressed with the was these looked / felt... even if they were a bit smaller and lighter than I expected.

I've spent a lot of time over the last week ingesting the various GUNCON information on the web and this forum.

Today, I received in the mail a package with the electronic components I needed to build the "interface boards" required to get these guns working with the PC.

Here's a shot of the first circuit I assembled:



This is a simple circuit that converts the 12V power from my PC power supply to 9V that is needed by the "Scorpion 3" guns.
It takes a 12V and Ground input and provides a regulated 9V output.  That, along with the 5V supply from the PC will power the guns properly.  I spliced the output 9V and 5V lines, along with a pigtail from ground to a pair of  PS2 extension cables.  This way, I didn't have to hack up the guns themselves.

All of the power comes from a hard drive Molex plug I spliced on to.

With the power circuit built, I was able to test the guns using the composite output on my graphics card and a 13" TV.  They seem to work!

Now... to get them working on my Wells Gardner 27" monitor, I need another circuit:



The circuit above will (supposedly) accept the H Sync and V Sync lines from a VGA output and create the Composite Sync signal needed for the guns.

I have not yet had a chance to verify that the circuit actually works wit the guns and the monitor.  To do that, I still have to hack into a VGA cable for the input signals.

That's best saved for the upcoming week-end. 

Wish me luck!