Bella's Arcade [FINISHED]

[Dudeman]

How durable would you say that stuff is? I'm trying to decide what to put on the side of my cab. I was thinking of laminate, but it's a special oder from Lowe's and it would cost about $90.

[Crafty]

That CP looks fantastic.   

The black vinyl is a good alternative option to CP art and plastic....

[Donkey_Kong]

The craftsmanship here makes me jealous. The work seems so barbaric on my project compared to this...Well I guess mine does compared to most around here but that is besides the point.

Nice work.   

[javeryh]

Very good job on the CP javeryh.  Excellent documentation as well.  You should put this information in the Wiki. 

TTFN
Kaytrim

Thanks Kaytrim.  I'd gladly add this to the Wiki if people think it is appropriate (I also have no idea how to go about adding it  ).

Nice work mate.

Covering things with vinyl is a good solution.
How will it wear? Looks like good stuff.

Good advice about the importance of making sure everything is dead flat before sticking the stuff down.

Before I started building these dam machines I had a small sign writing business so those skills came in handy when applying vinyl to Cps and cabs.

I mentioned this because you didn't fold the vinyl all the way around and underneath. I guess if you can't see the edges it doesn't matter but if you want to try it just make some cuts accordingly and heat that stuff gently with a heat gun then wrap it around. Piece of cake.

Anyway. This is one of my favourite builds on here at the moment.

Can't wait to see it in all its 'pink-ness'.

 

Thanks spacies!  I think the vinyl will hold up very well.  Even though it is easy to cut with scissors or a razor, it is very difficult to tear and it seems to be very resistant to wear and tear (at least in my home).  I covered my CPs of my cocktail cab the same way and they are doing just fine (although I rarely play it since it's still in the basement and unfinished  ). 

That heat gun idea sounds like it will work pretty good.  I might give that a try next time because getting the edges to stay down was tricky because the edge of the MDF is kind of powdery and doesn't take adhesive well.  I did end up wrapping the vinyl around the top and bottom edges about 2 inches but I left the sides alone so it would still fit in the CP opening on the cabinet - it's tight as it is and I'm nervous that the paint job might make it too tight.

Great job documenting the build.   

I'm wondering if I can apply the same vinyl cutting techniques for a Mamemarquees CPO.
What would you do for a trackball hole?

Thanks for the compliments! 

I've never cut a CPO but I would probably guess with 99% certainty that it can be done the same way.  As for the trackball hole, I would use a brand new razor and after applying the CPO, turn it upsidedown and very slowly and carefully trace the hole with the razor.  That's what I did for the trackball on my cocktail cabinet and it came out perfect - I'm not so sure how I'd line up artwork though (like if you have something surrounding ther trackball that needs to be centered perfectly).  Maybe ask around....

How durable would you say that stuff is? I'm trying to decide what to put on the side of my cab. I was thinking of laminate, but it's a special oder from Lowe's and it would cost about $90.

Again I'd say it's pretty durable - especially for the side of a cabinet that won't get heavy abuse.  Be careful trying to apply it though - the air bubbles are a pain to work out and with such a large surface it might be twice as hard - definitely doable though.

That CP looks fantastic.   

The black vinyl is a good alternative option to CP art and plastic....

Thanks Crafty!  I was going for a very very simple/plain look for this cab because I need wife approval to put it in my daughter's room.  She definitely wouldn't like something with a ton of loud colors or crazy artwork (even though I would!).  I still have to apply the vinyl decals on the admin buttons and I'm having some pink arrows made to surround the joystick to give the CP a little character.  I can't wait to get that stuff from MikeDeuce!

The craftsmanship here makes me jealous. The work seems so barbaric on my project compared to this...Well I guess mine does compared to most around here but that is besides the point.

Nice work.   

Thanks Donkey_Kong!  Don't get discouraged - I think your cabinet looks really really cool.  It is by far the most unique one I've ever seen - especially with all that wicked cool sideart.  I really don't have any construction/woodworking skills other than the ones I've picked up by doing these projects.  In fact, I didn't have many tools before I started and now my garage is full of them.  The best advice I can give is just take your time and plan everything out.  I tend to think about things a little too long before actually making any cuts/progress but in the end I think it helps everything come together the way I want it to.   

[javeryh]

I hate painting.  I just put the first coat of primer on Bella's Arcade and it looks terrible.  I'm going to need at least three coats of primer but jeez it looks like I ruined the entire thing as of right now.  Also, I hit a snag in my plans to finish painting this weekend while the wife and kid are away - I'm painting in the basement right now and the smell is overbearing so I need to move it to the garage before doing anything else or my wife will kill me.  I have to pray the smell is gone by Monday.  Now I know why I was putting this part off for so long...   

[theCoder]

I hate painting.  I just put the first coat of primer on Bella's Arcade and it looks terrible....

If you think you hate painting now, wait until you are done.  If you go gonzo with the finish like what you are planning, you will probably use a laminate on your next project.  I'm with you, though, I hate painting as well.  And I've got twice the surface area you do. 

Keep up the good work.  Your daughter will really appreciate it.

[javeryh]

I hate painting.  I just put the first coat of primer on Bella's Arcade and it looks terrible....

If you think you hate painting now, wait until you are done.  If you go gonzo with the finish like what you are planning, you will probably use a laminate on your next project.  I'm with you, though, I hate painting as well.  And I've got twice the surface area you do. 

Keep up the good work.  Your daughter will really appreciate it.

Yeah you've got a ton of surface area to cover!  I'm glad Bella's Arcade isn't that big!   

I put on the second coat of primer today and it is starting to look much better than it did yesterday.  The coat is very even now except for in the corners where I had to switch to a foam brush instead of the roller [Anyone got any tips for dealing with those areas?].  Next weekend I will put on the third and final coat of primer (sanding first, of course) and maybe even get a coat of the pink on there (I can't wait for that!).  I think the third coat of primer will totally even everything out.  I'm probably about 2 weeks away from finishing the paint job though because of that pesky job I have to go to during the week.  That doesn't even include the lacquor finish either...

No pics of the white cab this weekend because the wife took our camera!  I'll try and post some this week though!

[theCoder]

How are you planning on applying the lacquer?  Spray or roll?

[Donkey_Kong]

  I really don't have any construction/woodworking skills other than the ones I've picked up by doing these projects.  In fact, I didn't have many tools before I started and now my garage is full of them. 

It is really amazing to hear this. A lot of guys on here never touched a saw before there cab and they whip out an amazing piece of work. Then you get the hicks up in the sticks born with a saw in there hand and they just can't compete. It is all for the love of the game!!

Thats why we are all here...the love of the game!   

Nice work as always Javeryh...   

[javeryh]

How are you planning on applying the lacquer?  Spray or roll?

I'm spraying it on right out of a can.  Just make sure to tape off the areas you don't want covered in lacquer as well as cover anything near where you are working with an old sheet or something so you don't accidentally get any on your power tools or anything else.  The mist from spraying does settle eventually!

  I really don't have any construction/woodworking skills other than the ones I've picked up by doing these projects.  In fact, I didn't have many tools before I started and now my garage is full of them. 

It is really amazing to hear this. A lot of guys on here never touched a saw before there cab and they whip out an amazing piece of work. Then you get the hicks up in the sticks born with a saw in there hand and they just can't compete. It is all for the love of the game!!

Thats why we are all here...the love of the game!   

Nice work as always Javeryh...   

Thanks!  I think I'm having a mid-life crisis though because I enjoy building/designing/construction so much more than what I actually do for a living.  It's just so relaxing...

[Bones]

This machine is looking great. Congrats on your time & effort it is looking bloody fantastic.

[NiteWalker]

I think I'm having a mid-life crisis though because I enjoy building/designing/construction so much more than what I actually do for a living.  It's just so relaxing...

That's not a mid life crisis. That's the beginning stages of the addiction that is woodworking. It's a vicious downward spiral from there.

[javeryh]

This machine is looking great. Congrats on your time & effort it is looking bloody fantastic.

Thanks a lot!  I can't wait to finish it!   

I think I'm having a mid-life crisis though because I enjoy building/designing/construction so much more than what I actually do for a living.  It's just so relaxing...

That's not a mid life crisis. That's the beginning stages of the addiction that is woodworking. It's a vicious downward spiral from there.

That's what I'm afraid of! 

In related news, I just finished sanding down the second coat of primer - the third coat goes on tomorrow or Thursday.  I think I will be seeing pink on Saturday!!!

[Kaytrim]

I think I will be seeing pink on Saturday!!!

As long as it is not pink elephants.   

[Anubis_au]

Just to get off topic for one minute, there was one line early on in your blog for this cab build:

I'm going to order a 17" Dell LCD monitor to play the games on. I'm a little unsure of using an LCD monitor because it's not "authentic" (the resolution is too good) but there are tricks that you can use to make the screen look close to the originals.

Can you elaborate on these tricks? Is there a specific version of MAME that makes a LCD monitor (as opposed to an LCD television) have a degraded picture to look more authentic? Or, how are you going to go about making the picture more authentic looking?

[KDOG]

Add the scanline tag in your mame.ini file. Also if you are using the default settings in mame 108 or later set your desktop to  800x600  or 1024x768 at the most  for a descent picture.

# VIDEO OPTIONS
#
video                     d3d
numscreens                1
window                  0
maximize                1
keepaspect              1
prescale                1
effect                 scanlines
pause_brightness        0.65
waitvsync               1
syncrefresh             0

[javeryh]

Yeah, basically by adding scanlines and stuff in MAME I will try and approximate an arcade monitor (without really coming close).  I need to figure out how to get it running in full screen first!

In other news, the last coat of primer went on today - painting is a huge PITA.  I'm hoping to sand tomorrow afternoon around 1 and put the first coat of pink paint on around 5.  I'll also have some unexciting pics to post...

[theCoder]

I thought you'd have pink on you hands by now.  Good luck tomorrow.

[javeryh]

I thought you'd have pink on you hands by now.  Good luck tomorrow.

Me too - my wife has been working weekends and my daughter is sick so I haven't been able to do anything really. 

I have a question for you - are you going to sand your last coat of paint to get it smooth?  I am undecided about this - If I don't there's no avoiding the "orange peel" on some level even if it's minor.  I wonder if sanding the last coat and then applying the lacquer would work...

[leapinlew]

Your having problems getting your game full screen? Maybe I missed it earlier in the thread, but what video card is it? I had a similar issue with an onboard intel card.

[theCoder]

I have a question for you - are you going to sand your last coat of paint to get it smooth?  I am undecided about this - If I don't there's no avoiding the "orange peel" on some level even if it's minor.  I wonder if sanding the last coat and then applying the lacquer would work...

On the writeup you referenced on my thread, the guy did not include a lacquer layer.  I'm trying to follow his lead, at least as much as practical.  I'm going to try to sand all of the orange peel out of the color coat, then polish from there.  That is why I put on 8 coats.  Wish me luck.

[javeryh]

Your having problems getting your game full screen? Maybe I missed it earlier in the thread, but what video card is it? I had a similar issue with an onboard intel card.

This is where I start to look silly - I'm not that great with computers, unfortunately, but I'm trying to learn.  Anyway, I'm going to be using an old Gateway PIII in this cabinet.  I bought a new monitor (the Dell LCD) and for some reason the image does not stretch to the top and bottom of the screen (I'm rotating the image 90 degrees and I do NOT have a widescreen monitor so it's not that).  I do not know what video card is in there or anything.  Maybe things will fix themselves when I wipe the computer and do a fresh Windows XP install (or TinyXP if I can figure that out).  I'll be running MaLa as my front end so I can load the custom maps for the U360 joystick when each game boots up.  I'll get into more details when I'm ready to install the software and everything.

I have a question for you - are you going to sand your last coat of paint to get it smooth?  I am undecided about this - If I don't there's no avoiding the "orange peel" on some level even if it's minor.  I wonder if sanding the last coat and then applying the lacquer would work...

On the writeup you referenced on my thread, the guy did not include a lacquer layer.  I'm trying to follow his lead, at least as much as practical.  I'm going to try to sand all of the orange peel out of the color coat, then polish from there.  That is why I put on 8 coats.  Wish me luck.

Look at the last post on the first page of the thread - he said he starts with over 10 coats of lacquer applied.  I think his starting point is the beginning of the polishing process:

But what I tend to do is spray many coats of laquer(over 10) with absolutely no sanding between coats. This results in a fair amount of orange peel as you can see from the photo above. Again some folks will sand between every couple of coats but I see no advantage to that and only that it take a lot more time, I've done both with and without sanding and I get virtually identical finished results at the end of each. I should mention that you need more coats if you don't sand between.

After putting on 3 coats of primer and 4 top coats I sprayed on lacquer straight from the can - 15 coats!  It dries in 20 minutes for another coat but you need to wait several days for it to fully cure.  I think the wet sanding with the 1500 grit sandpaper and the rubbing compound/polish is only affecting the top lacquer coats.  This is the way I did my test panel and it came out great (although you could see a slight hint of the orange peel from the paint layers underneath the lacquer).  I hope this makes sense...

[theCoder]

Thanks, I obviously missed that part of his message.  I'll probably try sanding my color coat smooth, then put on 4-6 coats of lacquer, then polish. 

[leapinlew]

Javery:

I've had all kinds of issues using Onboard Intel Graphics. I've had to purchase PCI cards instead. I believe UncleT found a solution for his. If your using WindowsXP, do this:

1. Right click My Computer
2. Select properties
3. Click the Hardware tab
4. Click the Device Manager button
5. Click the plus sign next to display adapter

Under the display adapter it will tell you what kind of video card you have. What is it?

[javeryh]

I have an Intel(r) 82815 Graphics Controller. 

I'm using Windows 98 currently but after I'm done transferring all of the files I want to keep to my external HDD the plan is to wipe the old computer and start over (there is so much crapola on there right now from years of use).  I have a copy of XP to put on there to run everything.... hopefully...

[javeryh]

I took these a while ago and never got around to posting them - just a few shots of the finished control panel installed in the cabinet with the coin door, monitor and marquee all in place. All that's missing is the paint job and the t-molding!

 



 

I will be posting pics of a very white cabinet soon. I put three coats of primer on the sucker - I'm almost ready for the pink!!

 

[theCoder]

What color t-molding are you going to use?  I'm assuming either black or pink?

[leapinlew]

I have an Intel(r) 82815 Graphics Controller. 

I'm using Windows 98 currently but after I'm done transferring all of the files I want to keep to my external HDD the plan is to wipe the old computer and start over (there is so much crapola on there right now from years of use).  I have a copy of XP to put on there to run everything.... hopefully...

You can wrestle with the Intel card or do what I did. I bought a PCI card to use. Cost me about $40 and I looked for a card that used heatsinks only and didn't require a fan. When I tried to use the Intel card - it would auto flip some of the games, stretch them, or display them in a small box. I tried messing around with settings and everything - but what I found to be the quickest fix was to just replace the video card.

[javeryh]

What color t-molding are you going to use?  I'm assuming either black or pink?

I hate my camera.  I am planning to use pink t-molding as shown in the pictures below.  I think the different shades of pink make a very nice contrast.  Too bad you can't really tell from the pictures because the pink on the panel looks washed out.  It looks much better in person - very pink and super smooth and silky - I swear!  Did I mention I hate my camera?

 

I have an Intel(r) 82815 Graphics Controller. 

I'm using Windows 98 currently but after I'm done transferring all of the files I want to keep to my external HDD the plan is to wipe the old computer and start over (there is so much crapola on there right now from years of use).  I have a copy of XP to put on there to run everything.... hopefully...

You can wrestle with the Intel card or do what I did. I bought a PCI card to use. Cost me about $40 and I looked for a card that used heatsinks only and didn't require a fan. When I tried to use the Intel card - it would auto flip some of the games, stretch them, or display them in a small box. I tried messing around with settings and everything - but what I found to be the quickest fix was to just replace the video card.

If $40 is all that it will take to fix the problem I'll gladly pay it.  Right now everything displays in a small box (at least the 10 or so games I've tried) and not even at the proper aspect ratio (Pac-man looks squashed).  Check it out:

 

I'm probably going to need some tech support once I really dive into the software configuration because I plan on running MaLa so I can use the map loader for the U360.

[somunny]

This is really coming along nicely, j.  Do you have any sideart planned?

[javeryh]

This is really coming along nicely, j.  Do you have any sideart planned?

Thanks!  At the moment I do not have any sideart planned.  I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure what I could put on there that would look good enough to please the wife.  As it stands right now it is going to be a tough sell to get this thing in Bella's new bedroom.  If anything I'll probably contact the artist that designed the marquee and ask him to make something similar for the sides... maybe a circle that says "Bella's Arcade" in the same font and with the same flowered background or something...

[somunny]

This is really coming along nicely, j.  Do you have any sideart planned?

Thanks!  At the moment I do not have any sideart planned.  I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure what I could put on there that would look good enough to please the wife.  As it stands right now it is going to be a tough sell to get this thing in Bella's new bedroom.  If anything I'll probably contact the artist that designed the marquee and ask him to make something similar for the sides... maybe a circle that says "Bella's Arcade" in the same font and with the same flowered background or something...

Sure.  It doesn't have to cover the whole side.  Just something to tie it all together.  I regret not adding sideart to the mini cabinet I built last year.

[leapinlew]

Ahh, sideart and problems selling it to the the wife eh? Have you considered some sideart that features clowns?

Everyone loves clowns:

[Strokemouth]

Ahh, sideart and problems selling it to the the wife eh? Have you considered some sideart that features clowns?

Everyone loves clowns:

Thanks for the nightmares!

Looking good javery! Anytime I see a new post in this thread, I always hop right in....dying to finally see that killer paint job!

[javeryh]

Now we get to the good stuff... sort of.  This past weekend I was fortunate enough to apply the first two black top coats to the interior of my cabinet on Saturday before the skies opened up and unleashed like 8 inches of rain (and counting!). 

I took a few pictures to show off how I'm going about painting it which is a little unusual for cabinets like this (I think). I'm actually trying to paint any surface black that is visible on the outside and that faces the interior.  This includes the visible strips on the rear of the cabinet and on the top.  Then I'm going to paint the two side panels, the coin door panel, the top panel and the back panel pink next weekend, weather permitting.

The pictures below were taken after I applied the first coat and you can see right through the black paint in a lot of places - it was very uneven and splotchy and I was quite scared that I ruined the entire thing.  First coats always freak me out.  The second coat went on much nicer though (which isn't shown, unfortunately). Check it out:

 

 

 

[polaris]

i may have said this before
i think this should eventually be in the wiki under , obligatory daughter cab , with full plans.
would help me when i come to make my daughters cab next year

[leapinlew]

I often wonder what my neighbors must think when I'm rolling out an arcade cabinet in my driveway like that. You ever get any strange looks?

[javeryh]

i may have said this before
i think this should eventually be in the wiki under , obligatory daughter cab , with full plans.
would help me when i come to make my daughters cab next year

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm trying to document everything as best as I can because I wouldn't be able to do this if others hadn't taken the time to do the same thing.  I'm hoping to give a little bit back to the community since I've taken so much already...

I often wonder what my neighbors must think when I'm rolling out an arcade cabinet in my driveway like that. You ever get any strange looks?

My next door neighbor asked me point blank "What the heck is that?"  When I told her it was an arcade cabinet I'm pretty sure she thought I was crazy.  I love it!

[WunderCade]

My next door neighbor asked me point blank "What the heck is that?"  When I told her it was an arcade cabinet I'm pretty sure she thought I was crazy.  I love it!

You could've told your neighbor that it is a 'psycho-mantium' and that if stare into it, you can communicate with your dead loved ones. A good tactic if you're tired of being invited to endless barbeques and block parties.

[javeryh]

OK, I've been thinking about adding side art so I asked megashock to whip something up for me based on the marquee he disigned.  Here it is:



I'm still not 100% sold on having any side art but I have to admit, it would look pretty cool.  Any thoughts or suggestions as to how I can improve the design?  I'm already thinking about adding a dark pink border around the flower otherwise it might blend in with my pink paint job too much...

Comments/criticisms are welcome.  Thanks!

Oh yeah - here's the marquee again for reference: