DIY Coin Inserts

[Outrun]

Hi Everyone,

I've just starting on a Mame conversion for my Zacharria Pheonix cab & would like to hear if anyone has any ideas relating to DIY coin label inserts.

The original labels are for German deutschmark which i want to replace with UK 10p, 20p etc.

The labels are sandwiched between two  layers of plastic which i assume have been melted together therefore making it impossible to take apart & print new labels so I'm hoping to replicate them.

I've tried a few things like using the clear plastic from DVD cases but it's not thick enough. I also need to cut out a slot in the plastic so that the coin can be inserted. Another problem is how to attach the paper coin label to the plastic. I've tried various glues but this just makes a mess & leaves watermarks on the paper (which looks ugly when lit up)

Does anyone have any ideas ??

[Gambit]

Maybe the mamemarquees.com guy can make you something custom to fit. If it lights up from behind then you'd need special printing for it to look the best.

[gamecreature]

I bet Mike could help you out:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=51813.0

[pcates]

Have you tried to take the slots apart? I can not tell from the picture, but are they screwed  on in the back? There should be some way to access the slot from the inside of the coin door then you can just print on transparency paper and drop the new one in.

Good luck, Patrick

[Outrun]

Hello again,

Thanks for the responses so far. When i get home from work i'll upload a photo of the actual coin inserts so you'll get a better upderstanding of what i'm trying to replicate.

Thanks again

[NightGod]

I'm almost positive those things aren't permanently attached...it would make zero sense to leave the operator no way to change his pricing on his cab. On mine, there is a second piece of plastic clipped in with the pricing sheet in the middle of them-it takes some doing, but it's possible to get those out.

[Outrun]

Thanks for the replies so far. It is greatly appreciated.

I might not have made myself clear or confused you with the pictures i posted. The section containing the coin inserts can be taken apart & the plastic inserts can be removed. Hopefully from this new picture it may become clearer what I'm trying to do - Mind you, my camera battery has died so I'm having to rely on a very grainy webcam photo :-(

Al thought the inserts can be removed, the actual label is encased in plastic. I'm hoping to get a few ideas from the forum as to scratch building a new set containing labels denominating UK coins.

Sorry for any confusion caused.

Kind regards

Outrun

[NightGod]

Not sure if they have the equivalent in the UK, but here in the US I would just go to a shop that will do vinyl printing (like Kinkos, though I have a friend I would go to for it) and have them print it out on adhesive vinyl and just stick those in there, forget trying to muck about with re-creating those plastic inserts.

As an alternative, printing it out on some heavy card stock or photo paper might give you similar results-anything stiff enough to support it's own weight inside the space created by the parts you can take apart.

Or contact the manufacturer of the coin door and see if you can purchase some from them.

[Sizzler]

the actual label is encased in plastic.

I've never seen inserts like that so you may be right, but are you 100% sure there's not a very thin slot at the top that would allow the label to come out?

[Outrun]

Hi Guys,

Nope the label is encased in the plastic as a one piece affair & deff will not slide out & yes, they are a bit strange aren't they !!

I was hoping to recreate something similar as the picture so that the labels would light up & be bright enough to look good hence why i haven't printed new labels, stuck on card & then just wedged them in the slot.

I've created/printed the labels i want to use but the problem i have is how to attach them to a transparent plastic. i.e gluing labels to plastic shows horrible marks when lit up from the rear.

Ideally i need some some sort of printing directly to transparent sheet. Doesn't matter if the plastic sheet is to thin, i can always pack it with something behind it (as long as it doesn't show when backlit).

Many thanks for  you posts so far. I'll keep trying with various materials, I'm sure I'll get there.

[NightGod]

That's why I said to print it on adhesive vinyl (meaning clear vinyl), but again I'm not sure of the availability for that near you.

Or you could just buy transparency printer paper and use that. Should be stiff enough to stand up under it's own weight inside the holder, if not, you could easily cut a few more pieces of transparency paper to size and stack them together.

[Outrun]

Much obliged for all you input.

[MikeDeuce]

Hey... as gamecreature mentioned (thanks gc!), I think I can help you out, too.

If this is considered spammy, let me know and I'll delete ASAP.

I do a lot of custom cut vinyl for forum members and if you have an idea of how you want it laid out, I can create completely opaque ready to apply vinyl decals. You don't really need transparent vinyl if you just cut the insert out of any normal opaque vinyl. All the empty spots would be the parts where the light shines through.

Here's the thread again: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=51813.0

Even though those are on discs, I do offer everything in any form I'm capable of. So if you can manage some type of blank housing, I can cut you some stickers to throw in there. International shipping is no problem either.

The problem I've had with transparency paper is it's never really opaque enough. Even with all the various laser printers I've tried it's still blotchy and translucent when backlit, especially with a superbright LED. But that is a great budget/diy option if you don't mind it.

Hope that helps!
mike

[Crowquill]

I'm still a bit confused. Are the prices printed on a thin removable, flat piece of plastic or are they actually printed on the molded coin slot plastic?

The pic looks similar to my coinco door which has removeable inserts. I didn't change mine but I did remove them while cleaning the coin slots up. On mine, printing on a transparency would work perfectly. If it's actually part of the molded plastic, then you might either have to find a replacement piece with the right currency, or sand off the screen printing, polish the plastic and then stick on vinyl or some type of clear label. Obviously the last option would be the most difficult and risk unsatisfactory results. It could be done though.

[Outrun]

Hey chaps,

Thanks MikeDeuce I've been having a look at the your post & this looks like the ticket for me. So much so that I'm already thinking ahead to the CP button design for Mamewah config buttons & PC power switch button so I'd like to order some of your regular stuff to.

Are you able to produce coloured labels including black on the same label ?(I'm hoping to use coloured labels as opposed to using coloured bulbs)? Or even producing two labels for each insert i.e sticking black text on a yellow piece of vinyl?

As a rough guide, I'm trying to replicate the UK labels i remember from yesteryear but I'm not sure if they are too complex for you. Could you take a look & see what you think ?? If they are i can simplify them to just showing the coin denomination i.e 10p, 20p

[Outrun]

Hi Crowquill,

The labels are  printed on, I'm assuming vinyl, but they appear to be inside the plastic so i can't get to them/file them off. The plastic looks like a one piece affair similar to a plastic key fob that might contain a picture/joke item etc.

Bit of a shame i can't reuse these really because I'm not look forward to cutting a hole for the coins to go through if i have to use replacement perspex or similar.

[MikeDeuce]

Cool, hope I can help out here.

There's 2 issues/shortcomings (on my part) I can think of... some of the smallest text may not cut cleanly/at all... but I can do a test and see how close I can get it.

And the other is that the vinyl is opaque, so the color vinyl will not let light through if it's solid, as you have pictured. When it's cut, like the black portions, the light will shine through the empty spaces. Someone that can print on vinyl might be able to do it the first way, but unfortunately my machine only cuts shapes out.

I'll do some testing and get back to you! Please feel free to PM me anytime.

thanks!
mike

Hey chaps,

Thanks MikeDeuce I've been having a look at the your post & this looks like the ticket for me. So much so that I'm already thinking ahead to the CP button design for Mamewah config buttons & PC power switch button so I'd like to order some of your regular stuff to.

Are you able to produce coloured labels including black on the same label ?(I'm hoping to use coloured labels as opposed to using coloured bulbs)? Or even producing two labels for each insert i.e sticking black text on a yellow piece of vinyl?

As a rough guide, I'm trying to replicate the UK labels i remember from yesteryear but I'm not sure if they are too complex for you. Could you take a look & see what you think ?? If they are i can simplify them to just showing the coin denomination i.e 10p, 20p