Update on my cabinet

[Craig Pilecky]

I am now the president of Pilecky Enterprises. =)

I wanted to order 20 ultimate pushbuttons and 2 super joysticks from Happ controls to build the control panel for my arcade machine. But the website only takes credit cards, which I  dont use (Their EVIL!) So I called their 800 number and asked if I could pay by Money Order or some other means. After being transfered about 6 times I got this young woman who tried to help me out. She checked with management if they would allow a customer to pay by COD. But they said no, only
companies can do that.

Thus Pilecky Enterprises was born. =D lol

The parts should arrive tomorrow.

I know alot of people have been recomending bob roberts, but I wanted to get my parts ASAP. College starts up again on monday, so I want to get as much done before then as possible. Plus Ultimate pushbuttons were on sale for 99 cents.

[Chris]

I got my parts from Bob Roberts faster than I ever got them from Happs...

[Craig Pilecky]

I probably would have gone with bob, but happs buttons where on sale. So it came out cheaper for me.

As long as I have the parts by tomorrow or friday im happy  

[enemyace]

Did you actually start a business or did you just tell them that you were one?

[Silverwind]

Did you actually start a business or did you just tell them that you were one?

I think he just told them he was one

[DeathMonk]

Craig...  Email me some pics!  I want to see the progress!

[Craig Pilecky]

Craig...  Email me some pics!  I want to see the progress!

Ill send ya some pics, but right now im having trouble with my digital camera. When I try downloading the pics it freezes up the computer for some reason.  =/

Ill get some pics up when I get a chance.  =) The frame is done, im starting on the control panel now because thats all I can do till my brother comes up with his truck and I can get some plywood.

[arcadepcnut]

I am now the president of Pilecky Enterprises. =)

I wanted to order 20 ultimate pushbuttons and 2 super joysticks from Happ controls to build the control panel for my arcade machine. But the website only takes credit cards, which I  dont use (Their EVIL!) So I called their 800 number and asked if I could pay by Money Order or some other means. After being transfered about 6 times I got this young woman who tried to help me out. She checked with management if they would allow a customer to pay by COD. But they said no, only
companies can do that.

Thus Pilecky Enterprises was born. =D lol

The parts should arrive tomorrow.

I know alot of people have been recomending bob roberts, but I wanted to get my parts ASAP. College starts up again on monday, so I want to get as much done before then as possible. Plus Ultimate pushbuttons were on sale for 99 cents.

Where do you get that credit cards are evil?! If handled properly they are a godsend. I for one would have not Athlon XP 2200, 25 inch monitor, Arcade cabinet.... or really anything if it was not for credit cards. Also COD usually costs extra. So you would have saved yourself some money and time and hastle had you used an "evil" credit card

[Chris]

In the Internet age, it's definately handy, for those not inclined to use credit cards, to keep around a low-limit ($200-$500 or so) card just to make online ordering easier... and just pay it off every time you use it with the money you would have used for COD.

If that's too much temptation for you, AAA has a prepaid gift card which is meant to be used for travel.  You buy it like any gift card, but it acts like a regular Visa card.  There is an activation fee of $4.95 per card, but it may be reloadable.  This, of course, assumes you're a member of AAA.  See www.aaa.com for more details.

--Chris

[eightbit]

Hmmm, I don't call that wonderfull customer service if you get transferred around and have to lie to them to get them to send you something COD.

Credit cards are evil. How do I know there evil you ask? Well I have 6 of them in my wallet and because of them I can't buy a XP 2200 and a 25 inch monitor.

[BASSOFeeSH]

I'm no finance geek, but isn't having that many bad for your credit regardless?  Same goes for not having one at all.

i.e.  Good luck getting a car loan if you've never had any credit.

[rampy]

I'm no finance geek, but isn't having that many bad for your credit regardless?  Same goes for not having one at all.

i.e.  Good luck getting a car loan if you've never had any credit.

only if they are filled to the brim... and it depends on which cards/their respective limits/and length account has been open... (and of course how timely you pay, etc)

I'm no finance geek either.. but I've recently almost pulled myself out of carrying around a noose of payments each month... (by paying them down/off not by consolidation, or bankruptcy... not that you asked/cared)

BTW to the orignal poster... besides the AAA card that was mentioned there is some non AAA visa-esque or quasi mastercard that works like a gift certificate but has cc numbers on them...   also my debit card has the mastercard logo and I find that the most useful thing on earth (although I don't use it online except in a pinch, as it goes right to my checking acccount, know what I mean vern? and there's no protections on a checking/bank/debit card used as a "visa" or "mastercard" for txn's.... *(shrug*)
ymmv

rampy

[eightbit]

There are services avaiable that can issue you a temp cc # to be used for a single purchase online.l

[dhansen]

Bob Roberts rocks.. I ordered parts on Sunday night, sent my check on Monday and I had parts on my doorstep (actually mailbox) on Wednesday!  He usually cross ships, he's the man!

Doug

[Craig Pilecky]

Im recycling this thread to give an update on my project.

I may have congratulated Happ controls a bit to soon. I haven't gotten my parts yet. I called them yesturday to find out what the status was. There holding the shipment till my green buttons come in. I ordered 20 buttons, 4 of which where green... Heck I would have just gotten a different color if they had told me then.  I like green and all, but im not THAT attached to it  

I still have no way of getting full sheets of plywood in my car. So I had to buy another 4 foot sheet. $14 for a half sheet, $15 for a full sheet... But what can I do. Im not buying any more plywood till my brother comes up with his truck.

I still haven't gotten around to getting my digital camera working, but ill get some pics up sooner or later. The frame is done, and tonight I got most of the control box done also. So there isn't much more I can do till the parts arrive, or I can get full sheets of plywood.

Its going to be slow progress from now on im afraid. Classes start up again on monday.  

Ive decided to make this cabinet DC exclusive. At least at first. Later on ill think about hacking the PS2 into it, but im going to keep it simple at first.

[Silverwind]

You can always buy a full sheet and have them cut it in half for you... they usually will do that...

then you can fit two half sheets

[BeBoxer]

You can always buy a full sheet and have them cut it in half for you... they usually will do that...

then you can fit two half sheets

Yeah, Home Depot is happy to rip 4x8 sheets in half. I was actually in there today buying a sheet of MDF for my project. I have a Suburu wagon, and I checked before I left the house that I could fit a 48" wide piece into the back. Just barely, but the 4 foot wide scrap of plywood I had did fit.

So I have the guy rip my MDF sheet in half, pay for it, and get out to the car. I start trying to get it in the back and it's not fitting! Damn! It turns out that the MDF is 49" x 97" a sheet! So I had a 48"x49" piece which fit, and a 49"x49" piece which didn't. I had to cart the thing back into the store and have the guy rip another inch off so it would fit in my car.

Anyway, I thought that was pretty funny. And let it serve as a warning to anybody trying to bring home half sheets in their station wagon.

[Homebrew]

Yeah i learned the hard way to that the sheets were 49"x97".  The truck i was using had exactly 48" between the wheel wells in the bed.  I get the sheets out and low and behold they were an inch to big.  Doh!  Live and learn i guess.  Out of curiousity am i the only one whose local home depot's and Lowe's don't carry MDF in anything but 3/4"?  I was looking for a some 5/8" for my CP, but unfortunatly they didn't carry it.  Guess i'll have to try 84 Lumber.  Back on topic though, In the future, i'm definetly measuring sheets before i purchase them.  

-Kevin

[RandyT]

Yeah i learned the hard way to that the sheets were 49"x97".  The truck i was using had exactly 48" between the wheel wells in the bed.  I get the sheets out and low and behold they were an inch to big.  Doh!  Live and learn i guess.  Out of curiousity am i the only one whose local home depot's and Lowe's don't carry MDF in anything but 3/4"?  I was looking for a some 5/8" for my CP, but unfortunatly they didn't carry it.  Guess i'll have to try 84 Lumber.  Back on topic though, In the future, i'm definetly measuring sheets before i purchase them.  

Good luck finding 4'x8' sheets of MDF  

I've used a lot of this stuff, and it's always an inch oversize in each direction.  I'm going to venture a guess that the reason for this is that the material is often used on CNC router tables for cutting furniture pieces and that extra 1/2" on each side gives someplace to clamp it to the table and still get a clean 4' wide part.  Plus you can cut off any banged up edges that might be present on the sheets.

RandyT

[Homebrew]

I got it in the truck at least, just not how i wanted to.  I was using my dad's truck and he is real picky about what goes in the back of it and i wanted to avoid tearing anything up because i'd never hear the end of it.  It was an interesting ride home though the way i had it.  I just wish i hadn't started this project in december.  Cutting outside in the freezing cold is not fun.  Plus it hurts your motivation.  Hard to convince yourself to go outside in the cold to work when you don't to.  Now if i can just motivate myself to paint the cab and route for the t-molding.  LoL

-Kevin

[Craig Pilecky]

Yeah this is a bad time of year to start a making a cabinet. Im making mine in the basement. No way im going to stand outside in zero degree weather all day working on it.

BTW for anyone interested in doing a Dreamcast controller hack. Get the Agitec arcade stick. I took mine apart tonight to have a look at it. The buttons and stick all have wires running from the ciruit board. And its very easy to see which are which. Im going to use these for my DC controller hacks. There wont even be any soldering involved! Just splicing wires thats all.    Unbeleivably simple.