My first project, a travel Control Panel arcade.

[JonnyBoy]

Hey guys. I've sort of been lurking and posting now and then for the past six months and you all never cease to amaze me with all the crazy arcade projects you come up with.

I decided to start my own and drew up some simple plans in CAD. It's just a simple all inclusive control panel with a built in computer and hard drive that I can take to my friend's houses and have a good time on the go. It's two player and will include a koutech front panel mount system which helped me in two ways. One, it helped me move all my video and sound outs to the outside of the box, to make setup extremely easy. It's just as easy as hooking in a video game system. It also helpe me monitor my fan speeds and internal temperatures. Even better, it gives me access to 3 external USB ports incase I ever need to use a CD-ROM or hook in some game pads (or DDR pads!).

Here are some pictures of my project thusfar.



There are all the pieces, cut to size with all the necessary holes drilled. The large 3 and 1/8" holes are for the 80mm fans to keep airflow going. The slot (which you'll see better in the next pictures) is for the front panel mount. To cut those holes I got to use my friend's massive forstner bit.



There is a picture of the assembled box. The hand is my friend's dad gluing in one of the supports for the base of the box.



And there she is, all glued up and ready to be laminated.


That's all for now. Not too bad for a sixteen year old. And yes, I measured, measured again, and measured one last time before cutting.

[Franco]

Looking good mate, keep the pictures coming! 

[JonnyBoy]

Thanks. Small update today. Puttied the edges at the top of the box so painting will be easier. I also puttied the inside of the fan holes. These are the only parts I'm painting, the rest will be laminated.

[bossyman15]

nice! i've been wanting to do that project someday!

maybe for my 2nd project 

[JonnyBoy]

A chance for you to learn from my mistakes.

[JackTucky]

You expecting that thing to be heavy?

Art

[ChadTower]

Looks heavy.

Ed O'Neill made a briefcase mame, with laptop, about a year ago... do a search in Projects for it if you want to see.  That one was a good one.

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, it is going to be pretty heavy. I'm debating on adding handles to the sides to make carrying it a bit easier. Although it's going to be heavy it'll also be very solid. I hope it'll withstand a nuclear war.

[JonnyBoy]

I actually did a briefcase MAME a few months ago but tore it apart to do this project. It was easy to carry but the nature of the suitcase itself made me question it's durability. And plus, I'm on a tight budget so the laptop is out.

[JonnyBoy]

Well, lately there has been minor progress. I painted the top edges black and the inside of the fan holes. My black formica came in and it looks great, I'm nervous to start laminating though. I have the contact cement and some dowel rods to use as spacers but what really worries me is aligning it and rolling it.

I don't have a laminate roller, my brother said to just used anything round and heavy, do you think I should invest in a roller? Also, I'm a bit worried about using the router but heck, I need to learn to take some risks. I want to cover the top edges (where control panel would rest) with some sort of  rubber or something to keep light from shining through, I'm a bit OCD. Maybe I could use some black felt? What do you guys think?

[JonnyBoy]

Nobody?

[DrewKaree]

I have the contact cement and some dowel rods to use as spacers but what really worries me is aligning it and rolling it.

I don't have a laminate roller, my brother said to just used anything round and heavy, do you think I should invest in a roller? Also, I'm a bit worried about using the router but heck, I need to learn to take some risks.

Your job isn't to "align" the laminate, your job is to trim a piece that's DEFINITELY larger than the area you want to laminate, and then stick it down.  The router bit removes any "alignment" issues you may think you have.  Think of it as a thinner version of the sawboard I built.  Look at that and see how terribly I aligned it.  I did that ON PURPOSE to show how bad you could do it.  This is the same concept.  Slap the laminate on there, and trim it to tidy it up.

NO, you DO NOT need to invest in a J-roller, and it's a waste of money for you to do so.  Go to the dollar store and see if they have a wooden rolling pin.  If not, go somewhere and buy the cheapest rolling pin they have.  If your mom has a rolling pin, use hers.  It WILL NOT get glue on it unless you're a complete moron, in which case you should have been given a beating long ago.  Might as well make it worthwhile

If I were you, I'd throw a handle on there.  I bet the thing probably weighs about 10+ pounds right now (go ahead, you know you want to weigh the thing anyway!) and carrying that thing will become a chore if you don't throw a handle on the sides.  Home Depot has some gate handle hardware that'll work fine and only costs about $5.  You'll be more inclined to take it places if it's easy to carry.

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, I misworded the alignment thing, should I make the overhang about 2 inches or so? Yeah, I think I'll take the dive tonite and give it a try. Yeah, I'll invest in some handles too, I have supports on the button of the unit that I could attach them to and they'll be nice and strong.

[Timoe]

You only need it to over hang like 1" or 1/2".   

[JonnyBoy]

Man this stuff is hard to cut. I ended up just getting a really sharp razor blade and scoring it multiple times. Then bending it and snapping it.

[DrewKaree]

Man this stuff is hard to cut. I ended up just getting a really sharp razor blade and scoring it multiple times. Then bending it and snapping it.

* DrewKaree smacks his forehead and sighs the sigh of "I can't believe you did the...."

[JonnyBoy]

I assume I did something stupid?

When I say cut, I mean cut with the overhang, I didn't glue yet. I didn't use the razor blade to cut it flush to the edge of the unit.

[DrewKaree]

I assume I did something stupid?

When I say cut, I mean cut with the overhang, I didn't glue yet. I didn't use the razor blade to cut it flush to the edge of the unit.

Okay   Seriously, use the router since you've got it.  The edges of that stuff can cut you like a razor blade itself.  Just move the bit slowly to meet the wood and then trim the rest off of your panel.  It might just be me, but I envision you introducing more potential for problems by fooling around with it.  I'm probably misunderstanding what you're talking about, though, so ignore my concern if everything turned out fine

[JonnyBoy]

Okay...updates:

My brother came home over Thanksgiving and gave me the chance to use his router, and here are the results. Cutting the laminate, in all honesty, was the hardest part. Routing flush and gluing/placement was easy, I gave myself plenty of overhang. Just getting the stuff into the approximate size was a pain. I didn't have anything that'd work better than just scoring and snapping. I tried snips and they just made ugly cracks.

It turned out really well, the laminate makes it look nice and classy. One question though, what can I use to get some of the splotches of contact cement off the laminate? Acetone, lighter fluid?

Tell me what you think. The last picture shows how my front panel mount will fit in, it provides easy access to all the video/audio outs and some convenient usb ports.

Pictures on the next thread, photobucket is being a pain in the butt. By the way, I'm the hippie, the short haired one is my brother.

[JonnyBoy]

My brother basically just posing. The laminate was already placed, he's just pretending to do something.



Me adding a slight chamfer to the edges with a file, to reduce the chances of it peeling.

[JonnyBoy]

A few more.

[JonnyBoy]

Last few. Excuse the chipped paint on the top edges, those will be repainted. The router beat those edges up a bit, nothing a little paint won't fix. And the edges elsewhere aren't entirely cleaned up, I need to take a tad bit of contact cement off in certain areas.

[mccoy178]

Very good job, especially for a sixteen year old.

[JonnyBoy]

Unfortunately I have no power tools, my family is way too intimidated by power tools to own them. Oddly enough, my new job is in a hardware store, I'll need to stock up on tools before college.

[J-Rod]

It turned out really well, the laminate makes it look nice and classy. One question though, what can I use to get some of the splotches of contact cement off the laminate? Acetone, lighter fluid?

Try some Goof Off. That stuff is great. No acetone, that would likely ruin your laminate.

I like the box, close dimensions to the J-Rcade. However my only critique is that the top of the box needs a slight slant, makes it more comfortable to use white you're sitting down. Of course if you plan to put that either on the ground or really high, that doesn't matter. Mine always finds it's way on to a coffee table or somesuch.

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, I plan on adding some sort of fold down legs or something, not thinking that far ahead. Thanks foor the kind words. My woodworking tools are pretty primitive so adding the curve would have been an added hassle.

[J-Rod]

Well, you could always still do it too. I added the slant in the J-Rcade as an afterthought, you can see it in the pics in my sig.  Look at the inside pics, and you can see around the rim where the pieces were added. We used some leftover strips, and cut at an angle, and screwed it in. Just a thought. 

[JonnyBoy]

Wow, that's a beautiful machine J-Rod. How's the heat buildup?

[Negativecreep0]

can you post a shot of the corner where the laminate meets im trying to decide if i should laminate my middle of my control panel to see if the offset where the two pieces of laminate joins is that noticeable an eyesore.

[JonnyBoy]

I can post a picture for you but since there is a small chamfer on all my edges, it will look like more of an eyesore that it will actually appear on a flat surface. One problem for you though would be getting the laminate together precisely without needing to shift it to get the seam tight, once the cement is together, there is no way to get it apart. I'll post a picture after school.

[J-Rod]

Wow, that's a beautiful machine J-Rod. How's the heat buildup?

I get asked that a lot. None at all, really. The PSU has two fans, and the main exhaust fan is pretty meaty, I forget the specs but it's +12v, and let's just say the box doesn't run silent. But hey, you're playing arcade games, not working on the computer! Thanks for the compliments, I am happy with it for now, after we get the house I am going to try for a full racing cab.

[JonnyBoy]

I have four fans total that are going to be running...

But that's okay, I really don't mind the noise. You won't be able to hear a thing other than me beating my friends at WindJammers.

[DrewKaree]

Just go get one of those bathroom exhaust fans that are labeled "quiet".  They run quiet enough that in use, you won't notice or care that it's running, and depending on how it's placed, it might give you a nice cooling breeze during a heated head-to-head session with the ass hat you used to call "My buddy"

Of course, this won't work for your portable-ish panel....it's more of an upright cab solution I've considered  

[JonnyBoy]

*Remove*

[JonnyBoy]

Well, after testing various styles of controls and making assorted mockups on cardboard, I settled on the following. A bit of a franken-panel, I know, but for portability sake, I wanted to get as much on the panel as possible.

[JonnyBoy]

Also, I was thinking of putting some nickel trunk corners on all the corners for that added durability, do you think I should invest in them or the corners will be fine as is? I worry about the laminate detaching on the corners over time.

Something like this:

http://www.antique-hardware.com/T-152.jpg

[walls83]

Also, I was thinking of putting some nickel trunk corners on all the corners for that added durability, do you think I should invest in them or the corners will be fine as is? I worry about the laminate detaching on the corners over time.

Something like this:

http://www.antique-hardware.com/T-152.jpg

Those would be a must for a TRAVELING control panel.  Since you will be moving it and such it will get dinged up and all the protection you could give it would be a plus

[JonnyBoy]

Does anybody know where I can score some simple, silver corners? All the trunk corners I find are too decorative or brass. What should I be searching for?

[walls83]

I cant think of the name right now.  Its the place were alot of people by there vinal from.. Its and Audio part store. 

(BLANK)parts.com


I cant think of the first word in the name. Sorry

[JonnyBoy]

These look like what I'm going for...



They're nice and small (1.5") and  look pretty cool too.

The link is http://tinyurl.com/8bjgn

I like the full corner cover. You think they'll hold up?

[walls83]

Yep you should be in good shape with those.

[JonnyBoy]

Nothing very interesting, I put 3 coats of poly on the inside of the panel to help ease dust buildup and make the inside a bit easier to clean. Also, I figure it'll seal the wood and add another layer of protection.

Once I get a few more coats on and give it a sand I'll post some pictures. I showed you guys earlier that I was planning on using those corner covers for extra protection, but I was thinking...I think it would look cool with some edge covers as well, something to cover all the seams where the laminate meets. I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for yet but when I do I'll post.

Also, I'm in the process of creating a plexi-glass mount for the 5.25" front panel mount, something that looks classy and finished as opposed to just a hole cut in the side of the box, more on that later.

I also devised a locking mechanism for the lid that uses a barrel lock with a lock arm that has a ninety degree at the end (we have them where I work) and some mending brackets with some washers. Basically, I am going to drill a hole in the front the size of the barrel lock and the hole will be high enough on the front so that when the key is turned, the ninety degree is flush with the top of the box. Then, on the lid, I will have a mending bracket turned so that the edge is at a 45 degree angle and there will be a gap between the bracket and the lid using some washers as spacers. When the key us turned the ninety degree will catch the edge of the mending bracket, causing the top and bottom panels to be secured.

If you need an illustration I can do one real quick.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay, I just got back from work and I figured a few more things out:

1. I am going to use T-nuts to mount the joysticks to prevent the top of the panel from being uglied up by carriage bolt heads.

2. I found some ninety degree aluminum edges to protect all exposed seams. Those, alongside with the corner protectors, will be primed and painted a flat dark gray to stand out a bit.

3. On the side I am going to use trunk handles (the ones that flop down) that will be primed and painted the same color as the edging, after that they will be dipped in polyurethane.

4. I am going to flushmount the trackball. Because my router was repossessed by my brother, I was thinking about being nice and careful and chiseling the area out (using extremely sharp chisels, of course). Is there any other way you guys think I should do this?

[driph]

4. I am going to flushmount the trackball. Because my router was repossessed by my brother, I was thinking about being nice and careful and chiseling the area out (using extremely sharp chisels, of course). Is there any other way you guys think I should do this?

Might want to check your local Home Depot or similar, many of them offer tool rental services. Renting a router for a few hours would probably be better than hacking away at it with a chisel.

[Yoder]

Looks good, man.  I may do a project as a unit like that.  Don't need a big cab yet...

As far as the tool rental, be sure to take your mom with you.  I bet you gotta be 18 to rent tools...

[JonnyBoy]

The irony of this all is I work in a hardware store. I'll probably just buy a router using my instore discount  .

Well, here's a mockup (using Mameroom's software) of what my panel shall look like with artwork.

Ignore the trackball plate for now.

[JonnyBoy]

Also, I know the artwork has been beaten to death, but it just looks so cool.

[c64rulez]

It's not cool
It's damn HOT! 

Awesome project. Maybe I'll try something like it after I finish my cab...

[JonnyBoy]

Thanks for the kind words. You're pac-man profile cab ain't no slouch either (meaning it kicks loads of ass). 

A bit of an update. My order of aluminum corners came in. I plan on spraying them and cutting them to legnth sometime this week. I still have to order the corner protectors.

Also, my CP is cut. Pics of that soon. My order from PonyBoy should be arriving soon as well (150 dollars worth).

I also bought some cool little rubber feet.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay guys, here's the CP. It turned out well, anybody have any advice for flush-mounting a trackball mounting plate? I'm not too handy with a router...

[Timoe]

Install the mounting plate as it is now.  Then trace the perimiter with a pencil.

Now remove the mounting plate.  Get out your router and install a straight bit 1/4", 1/2" whatever.  Set it so the bit depth is around 1/8" and test it on a scrap piece of wood.

Hold your mounting plate up to the scrap and adjust the depth as necessary to get the exact depth.

Now clamp a straight edge to your control panel so you dont go out of control with your router and rout out the edges JUST up to the lines you drew with a pencil.  I would suggest leaving the lines if you can.  Just route out right up to the line.

Pop your mounting plate in and cover it up with whatever, CPO or Laminate.

[Timoe]

I had never done it before this. 

[Timoe]

As you can see in the pic above you are already, better off than me in that you have cut the hole for your trackball much nicer than I.

[JonnyBoy]

Updates:


My order arrived from PonyBoy and I got my artwork printed on vinyl. I plan on grabbing some plexi and the necessary bits to drill out all the holes for the buttons and the joysticks. I'll keep you updated. I still haven't found a router yet, though. I guess I'll keep looking, my local hardware stores don't rent them out.

Ignore the dark splotch on the vinyl, it's some phenomenon caused by my camera.

[markrvp]

Johnny:

I really like your panel, but look at your vinyl print compared to your original artwork.  All the shadow detail is lost and the color is shifted really badly.

Some of that may be the camera, but if the print is really that off, then have them re-print it. 

[JonnyBoy]

Like I said, it's a ton more vibrant in person, my camera makes it look like dirt. I had them reprint four times.

The image was low resolution to begin with, I may make custom artwork someday but for now this is what I am going with. It looks much better in person.

Thanks for your concern, though.

[JonnyBoy]

After comparing the printed cpo with a print of the original image, the colors are correct, it just lacks the glossiness...is there a way to make the vinyl glossy? I could laminate it...or possibly do some sort of poly? I don't know.

[MikeDeuce]

or slap a piece of 1/8" acrylic on top of the entire cp?

[JonnyBoy]

That'd work. 

I planned on using plexi anyway, we'll see how it works out.

[JonnyBoy]

Update, I was working on the plexi today. I was on my last button and...I cracked it. Well, it was only 7 bucks, I'll try again tomorrow. How did everybody else go about drilling plexi? Well, what I did was I used my panel as the template and started the cut, I made a hole with the tip of the spade bit. Then I turned the panel over and cut the rest the way using the center mark to finish the hole. I tried my best to keep from widening the existing hole, I think I did well because there wasn't any saw dust (well....very little) and a lot of plexi dust. The problem hole was not perfectly round, making it very difficult for me to drill, and unfortunately cracked just enough to make me scrap the piece. I'll try again later tonite.

[Timoe]

Try Lexan, its a bit more expensive.  But it shouldnt crack.

[MikeDeuce]

Is the acrylic clamped down on a flat surface, like scrap wood that you can drill through? The only times I have bad experiences with plastics (particularly thin stuff like 1/8") is if the piece moves at all while cutting. It's sad how unforgiving the material is, but if you always work with it with a little bit of paranoia the odds start to turn in your favor

[JonnyBoy]

I went and picked up another piece of plexi (I get it at work for 5 bucks!) and a few more clamps, to keep things nice and tight. I also ordered a dremel attachment, the router one. I got that for 20 bucks (I love employee discounts).

[markrvp]

Make sure there is wood underneath the plexi when you drill into it and

GO SLOW

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, I guess mistakes are meant to be learned from. Thanks for the help.

[c64rulez]

I think it's best to sandwich the plexi between two pieces of
scrap. (clamped real tight all around)

When I drilled mine, I didn't have to slow down much when
going through it.
The only thing that cracked here and there were the plexi cutouts.

[JonnyBoy]

Updates and progress:

Well, I finally got my dremel routing attachment and did some routing on my CP. It turned out extremely well, I'm actually very happy with it. I used a straight edge and measured the distance needed to make a perfect recess. It's at work now, so I'll get pictures tomorrow night.

That's one of the major burdens taken care of, next is the holes in the plexi. Well, I bought myself a bi-metal holesaw (a real heavy duty one for only 5 bucks). I tested it out and the hole came out perfect, so tomorrow I am going to finish the rest of my plexi-cutting.

I should have the CP up and operational by the weekend.

[c64rulez]

I should have the CP up and operational by the weekend.

Amen

[JonnyBoy]

That's just the CP, mind you, not the entire thing. 

[c64rulez]

That's just the CP, mind you, not the entire thing. 

All sentences of the type " I should have the (insert object here) up and operational by the (insert time here)" should be followed by amen 

[JonnyBoy]

True, true. In a few hours I'll be heading back over to work to finish up the cuts, expect pictures when I get home.

[JonnyBoy]

Pictures!


Well, tonite I went to work and drilled my plexi, it sucked...really bad. I hated it. Mostly because I had 2 drills, one 9.7 volt (or something close to that) and a single-speed corded drill. The cordless one was too wimpy and the corded one was too hardcore, but I managed to get through it. Spade bits suck compared to forstners for cutting plexi, I found out. I returned the unopened spade for a plexi-cutting machine of a forstner.

Here's the results:

[JonnyBoy]

And a final shot with a button in place. I know I know, the plexi is filthy, I didn't clean it off well before taking the pictures, but you get the idea.

[c64rulez]

very good.
I see youre cp is up.

Now all that's left is "operational" 

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, unfortunately I have one hell of an edge on the side of the plexi to sand down. That will add a bit of time. Also, does anybody know of an L or C shaped molding? I've been searching but I can't seem to find much.

[JonnyBoy]

Little update:

Okay, I got the corners I ordered. They were 8 bucks for a set of 4, I wasn't complaining because they looked like a nice shape and pretty heavy duty. Well, they arrived today and I must say, these things are hardcore. They're a bit over 1/8 of an inch thick and feel like they could take a pounding.

I also gave my box a good sand and a final coat of poly, along with a coat of black paint on the trim. I'll take pictures later.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay guys, long time no post.


I've been distracted by Calculus, guitars, music and highschool. I'm back though, and I will be making progress. I've been idling too long. I'm almost there, I just need to push myself over the edge.

Take it easy, hopefully more progress soon.

[c64rulez]

Okay guys, long time no post.


I've been distracted by Calculus, girls, guitars, music and highschool.

Putting calculus and girls on the same list of distractions is blasphemy (or just calculus)

[JonnyBoy]

Sadly I've been paying more attention to Calculus than I have been to girls. I need to fix that.

[JonnyBoy]

Well, I did some painting tonite. I primed all my corners with automotive primer, dark grey. The cold weather is going to make the drying time ridiculously long, but I should be able to sand/respray by tomorrow and have the corners done for the weekend. After I finish the corners, next comes the angles for ALL the edges, I need to cut them to fix (I bought a small miter box for perfect edges) and then prime/paint them.

[JonnyBoy]

2 coats of primer and a coat of paint later, I'm getting close to finishing the corners. They look nice, too. I'll snap some pics when they're dry.

[JonnyBoy]

Hey guys, updates and progress.

I got a few things done and have one major setback.

Well, I installed t-molding, hinges, drilled some holes and such, and now it's finally taking shape.

Unfortunately, my artwork sustained damage over the Easter break, we're not sure what happened. Somebody could have dropped something on it. Well, unfortunately it has a big scratch on it, I can't afford to buy new artwork...

Anybody know of a "win a free CPO" contest coming up soon?

Well, here are some pics. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[JonnyBoy]

Two more

[JonnyBoy]

Last one.

As you saw in the first picture, the scratch is on the far left. You guys think I should change it? Just lie to me and tell me it adds character.

[TOK]

A bit of a rig job, but you could print an instruction sheet and stick it over that part of the art... There are a couple of these pre-made that are floating around. They just show which buttons to use to games that don't use all 6, etc.

Its nice art, be a shame to scrap it for that one mark.

[JonnyBoy]

Actually...that's really good thinking.

Does the arcade art library have a few?

Maybe I can make one to show basic front end navigation information?

Thanks for the suggestion.

[markrvp]

It looks really nice, John.  I have yet to build a cabinet or CP that doesn't have some kind of ugly spot on it. 

Don't sweat it, it adds character. 

[JonnyBoy]

Thanks!

I will be doing a bit more work on the construction aspects before I start wiring. I have a friend who will be photoshopping me a instruction card so I can semi-cover my mistake.

[JonnyBoy]

Hey guys, I saw the instruction sheet on the arcade art library, does anybody else have any links to some good examples I can use for inspiration?

Much appreciated.

[JonnyBoy]

I have another night of work ahead of me. Tonight's agenda is:

1. Installing the barrel lock for the lid.
2. Mounting the panel mount controller.
3. Drilling a few additional holes for power hookup and the on switch.
4. Attaching the fans.
5. Touch up paint along the laminate seams using a fine brush.

A pic or two when I get home tonite. The barrel lock mount is going to be pretty interesting, mostly because I'm not entirely sure how I plan on doing it yet. I have a few sketches, when I get to the store I plan on test fitting before I drill any holes.

Be back in a few hours!

[SNAAKE]

looking good !

what size t-molding did you use ?? I am guessing its not 3/4" cuz I dont see laminate edge showing.

[JonnyBoy]

Yep, 3/4" for the t-molding.

Lots of cool updates tonite.

The hole for the power button was drilled in the back, along with a 1.5" hole for my power method. Well, I made a creative system to power this guy. We have single outlet surge protectors where I work and I took the casing off, drilled mounting holes the entire way through, and mounted the whole shebang onto my box. The male end sticks out through the hole so I can carry the extension cord seperate instead of it dangling out of the box, alongside with the surge protection.

I also added a barrel lock to keep the lid down and to keep my friends from messing with it. I took a picture to show you how I went about it. Basically, I took a normal barrel lock and bent the catch plate at a 90, and on the lid I  used a mending bracket and some washers to create an area  for the lip of the catch plate to...um...catch. It worked beautifully.

I also got some nice, dense foam rubber for the lid, to keep it from rattling and such.

Lastly, I installed the fans. I plan on removing all that after I mount my computer in order to touch up the fanholes with some black paint. Time for pictures!

What do you guys think? Not bad for a 17 year old hack.

[JonnyBoy]

Excuse the fingerprints, I plan on cleaning those up soon.

Below is a picture of the barrel lock, if you look at the lid on the picture above, you can see the mending bracket where it catches.

If you need any other pics just let me know.

[JonnyBoy]

She cleans up nicely. 

[JonnyBoy]

[JonnyBoy]

Next...wiring...

[JonnyBoy]

Went and bought wire tonite down at Radio Shack, I have 150 or so feet. I got 20 guage, right smack dab in the middle of what was recommended. I plan on starting the wiring tomorrow night. Expect pictures.

[JonnyBoy]

Quick question,

Should I assign buttons one two and three to the top or bottom row? It would seem logical to assign 1-3 on bottom and 4-6 on top because of the possibility of hitting the bottom buttons when playing a game only requiring the top. Is this how I should go about it?

[dpz147]

I'm fairly new to all of this but asked the same question when I was building my cab. It seems that most people do the top row 1-3 and bottom 4-6.  That's the way I did mine and haven't had any problem hitting the bottom row.

[JonnyBoy]

Thanks for the response. That seems a bit more logical, I'm just second guessing myself.

[dpz147]

Looks great by the way!!  I've been showing it to some of my friends who don't have room for full cabs and they are quite interested and waiting to see the final product.

Have you had any luck with the instruction card?

[JonnyBoy]

My friend is the one with the photoshop skills and we are working on something together over the weekend. I'll keep you updated.

Thanks for the compliments, that means a lot to me. I'll snap some pictures tonite after my wiring experiment.

[JonnyBoy]

My friend suggests I call it the Porta-Jon.

[JonnyBoy]

Rough night guys,

I thought mounting the computer would be a piece of cake, boy was I wrong. Getting everything organized and secured was such a royal pain in the butt. It took two hours to get the entire thing together, I hope everything is in working order when I put it on.

I left it at work for the night, more work tomorrow.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay, I'll elaborate on what went wrong last night.

For those of you looking to build one of these, make sure you make it a bit deeper than 15 inches. My motherboard refused to orient the way I originally wanted. Also, the power supply leads were another problem. I had to extend about 4 molex connectors using some stranded core copper wire and heat shrink tubing. Now my friend and I are just about done, we are going to do a bit of grounding and start wiring up the panel itself.

I need to stop at Radioshack before heading back tonight, I leeched the store of crimp-on connectors.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay, I was up late last night doing some more work on installing the computer.

I reoriented the motherboard, and then all of a sudden, things just started dropping together. I was able to set everything up so that not only is there a ton of airflow, but I can easily open and close the CD tray (which was a previous concern). Right now it's an absolute rat's nest of wires, mostly because of the front panel mount. I ordered some organizational supplies from the store, they should be in next teusday and will make this rat's nest look 100 times better. I did get curious and plugged it in...

IT POSTS!

Both drives were read, the panel mount even worked when I displayed the BIOS on my downstairs TV. Not only that, I left it idle for an hour, my temperatures floated around 65 degrees F, about 20 or so C. I'm really really excited about that.

The motherboard is on "stilts", actually, the sides are mounted on the one-by-ones and I used threaded posts and flat flanged T-nuts to make a support of sorts so the entire thing is sturdy as a rock. The room underneath also makes for plenty of airflow.

I made a mounting bracket of sorts for the CD drive and hard drive by using some stuff lying around the store.

Ignore the mess, it will be alievated soon, but incase you were curious of how it looks right now.

Thanks guys.

[JonnyBoy]

A special shout out to ArcadeEd, thanks for the power button lead, it works great!

[JonnyBoy]

Another productive night.

I was able to bundle a lot of the clutter together and adhere the cables to the back wall of the box using these ziptie fasteners. As you can see, a lot of the clutter has been eliminated, and the clutter that is left (on the far left side) will be eliminated shortly.

I also started wiring player two, and will finish that tomorrow night. I should have all the wiring done by wednesday evening, and then all I have left is software related stuff. I'm really starting to get excited.

What do you all think of my bundling?

[JonnyBoy]

I have another update.

Player 2 is entirely wired, I am starting player one tomorrow. I formatted my drive and installed XP without a hitch. The mouse buttons work.

Temperatures around 75-80 degrees F.

I'll have pictures tomorrow.

[Navmaxlp]

Looking really good. How's the cooling? Seems like it wouldn't get too hot but you never can be too sure.

[JonnyBoy]

I have two fans pulling air and one blowing in. I've had it on for hours in my semi-hot bedroom. It never went about 79 Farenheight. If I have any problems I'll be sure to let you guys know. I plan on finishing the wiring this evening.

Almost there.

Thanks for the kind words.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay, I'm done wiring!

The microswitches on my T-Stick had the NO and NC different than the other cherry switches on the buttons.

After a bit of tinkering, all the controls work perfectly.

I'm in the process of setting up GameEx, etc.

I plan on transferring all my other stuff over soon.

[JonnyBoy]

Here she is as of current.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay, everything works.

When I start it up it automatically shoots the video to the TV, which is good. Sound works. All my pushbuttons work along with my joysticks.

I am using my MP3 player, which is detected as a Mass Storage device, to begin the "migration".

I'll get some working pics up soon.

I'll also be ordering a turbotwist next paycheck.

Does anybody know if the IPac has trouble with USB to PS2 converters?

[JonnyBoy]

It's been pretty much set up for the past few days, I've been too busy playing it to show progress.

Two last things that need to be done.

1. Finish loading the software (which may never happen, I'll always find something to add).

2. Light the trackball (haven't had time, plan on doing that next week).

Here it is, plopped in front of my TV, running GameEx with the Galaxian theme.

Any comments/questions?

[JonnyBoy]

Oh yeah, I forgot. Make that 3 things.

I need to buy the spinner and install it. It'll most likely be a turbotwist.

[dpz147]

Looks great!!!

Looks like the instruction card covered that scratch pretty good.  That was a great idea!  Can you put up a shot of the card?  I'm kind of interested in how it's layed out.

[JonnyBoy]

I have the source file at home, I'll post it when I get back.

[unix4hire]

I love your project, I'm trying to design mine right now (well, have been for the past year or more!) and I'm definitely going with the portable all-in-one idea.  So far yours looks totally awesome!  I imagine now that you have it working you probably haven't put much effort into the last 3 things you wanted to do because yuo're too busy playin it!

Could you tell me the dimensions of your entire box?  I'm specifically interested in the depth at each end (front/back).  Also, how much does the complete unit weight?

And how about posting that instruction card 

Nice work!

[BlinKY1337]

Nicely done sir

[WaRpEd]

Great work!
when you transport your cp does the barrel lock keep the top secure enough ? and are there going to be handles.
I'm envious I still haven't been able to finish my upright cab YET.

[JonnyBoy]

Wow, a resurgence of interest!

Ironically, I'm just getting back into the build to tie up the loose ends. I currently finished installing the spinner but can't seem to get the darn thing to work as a mouse. I haven't tested it in MAME, is it busted?

I also ordered a cluster of superbrights to light the ball. I already tapped into my power supply using passthrough molex connectors that came with my fans. Those leads are tiny, I'll tell you what.

I'll get a few update pictures when I can. And that instruction card. Thanks for the kind words.

[JonnyBoy]

Also, WaRpEd. I do have chest handles on the side, both capable of holding 60 pounds. The barrel lock is very very sturdy.

[ArcadEd]

JohnnyBoy,

Great work buddy.  I was just going through my PMs and cleaning them up.   I found this thread and noticed I never got a chance to pop in here.  I'm glad it worked out so well.  Looks great man.

Ed

[Kremmit]

Wow, a resurgence of interest!

Ironically, I'm just getting back into the build to tie up the loose ends. I currently finished installing the spinner but can't seem to get the darn thing to work as a mouse. I haven't tested it in MAME, is it busted?

If it doesn't work in Windows, it won't be working in MAME.  Did you get the TurboTwist?  Which mouse axis are you using?  Does Windows recognize it when you plug it in?

[JonnyBoy]

[JonnyBoy]

Bump for possible ego stroke?

[DEVz]

The final product looks GREAT.  Looks like a magazine picture of some new premium retail offering.  Very professional!

[JonnyBoy]

I love your project, I'm trying to design mine right now (well, have been for the past year or more!) and I'm definitely going with the portable all-in-one idea.  So far yours looks totally awesome!  I imagine now that you have it working you probably haven't put much effort into the last 3 things you wanted to do because yuo're too busy playin it!

Could you tell me the dimensions of your entire box?  I'm specifically interested in the depth at each end (front/back).  Also, how much does the complete unit weight?

And how about posting that instruction card 

Nice work!

A few questions which I forgot to answer, hopefully the people who posted will check back.

The finished dimensions are about 30 inches wide, 10 tall, and 15 deep. It's a heavy sucker too, tipping the scale at around 75 pounds.

[JonnyBoy]

JohnnyBoy,

Great work buddy.  I was just going through my PMs and cleaning them up.   I found this thread and noticed I never got a chance to pop in here.  I'm glad it worked out so well.  Looks great man.

Ed

Good to hear from you. How is arcadeinabox doing? I visit your website frequently to check out the new options and get ideas for my next portable build.

[JonnyBoy]

Well, this thread is pretty damn old, but I just thought I'd update you guys. I am now a student at the University of Cincinnati, and I am studying product design. This project, and this website basically got me in. Even though I don't work much with arcade machines anymore, the lessons I learned in aesthetics and ergonomics relating to my project have proven invaluable. I'm going places.

[mccoy178]

Are you going to the game this weekend?

[Wiibound]

aw.. I wish my many years spent in college were actually worth something... I should have thought of what you did... would have saved me a lot of heartache
nice box