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Author Topic: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saint's Book  (Read 26998 times)

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GAtekwriter

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Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saint's Book
« on: June 10, 2007, 08:46:12 pm »
FINALLY got away to spend a few days at my dad's workshop to cut the cabinet pieces.  I've been ordering my components, bit by bit, but this is the part I've been anticipating most.  I'll post some pictures below with some comments and will continue posting images as I put together the cabinet...

First images here include the side panels being cut.  My dad and I worked together with the rule of double-checking each other's measurements.  The great part is that I made a few mistakes that he caught and I caught some of his... so going slow and measuring twice (and sometimes more often) definitely paid off and we made all the cuts correctly the first time and I didn't have to invest in more than the original 3 sheets of Sandiply.

Speaking of sandiply - this stuff was great to work with.  Not too heavy.  EXTREMELY smooth on the "good side" and DECENTLY smooth on the "bad side."  There were ZERO snags/splintering of the edges and all pieces were flat and no warping.  I've not worked with warped plywood before so I can't speak to how much work this might have saved me, but I can tell you it made measuring and marking the cutouts much easier.

In one of the images you'll notice that we clamped two sheets together.  "Good sides" were placed together so that when we cut out the side panels they will be mirror images of one another and I can use the smooth side.  This also saved time and I only had to draw one side panel on the wood.  We used a circular saw set to 1.75 depth and it cut through both sheets easily.  No sanding was required to "match" the sides.  That said, it was very helpful to have two sets of hands and eyes to do this.

I'll end this post here, post some images, and continue commentary in another post.

Jim

« Last Edit: February 06, 2008, 08:19:10 pm by GAtekwriter »

GAtekwriter

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2007, 08:51:14 pm »
More pictures of the side panels (which took the most time).

In these images, you'll notice that piece of long metal that looks like siding.  That thing was invaluable.  We would draw our lines, then clamp this metal guide 5.75 inches to the right of the line.  This was the guide that let us use the circular saw with very good accuracy.  The metal guide can be separated into 2 pieces for smaller runs.

The sander you see wasn't to even up the edges but to take off the little slivers that inevitably happened along the edge.  Just one quick pass down each long cut and the burrs were gone.


GAtekwriter

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2007, 08:54:24 pm »
Dad had some great tools that I don't have, including a nice belt-driven sander.  In a few of these images, you can see the control panel sides... we clamped them together and then gave them a quick run through on the sander.  We were able to do this on all the various pieces that had matching pairs.

Also in this batch of images are the 2 control panel tops and a small stack of wood that's the beginning of the rest of the cabinet parts.


GAtekwriter

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2007, 09:06:01 pm »
You know your dog loves you when she will sit for 30+ minutes under the table saw while you cut away.  When we finished, she was almost 100% yellow but I wasn't able to get a final shot because she ran away and shook it all off... argh.


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2007, 09:13:17 pm »
Last post and images for today.

So, there they are... all the wood cabinet parts.  I've wrapped the side panels because it was supposed to rain on my ride home, but luckily that didn't happen.

Everything is now unpacked in my own workshop and I'm ready to start assembling. 

A summary in case anyone is interested:

Started at 9am
Lunch at 12
Picked back up at around 12:45
Finished at 3pm

All in all, 2 man job took about 6 hours.  We're both fairly comfortable using power tools, measuring, clamping, sanding, etc... that probably shaved some time off the job.  Could this have been done by someone with no help or real experience with power tools?  Absolutely.  I think the keys to success are:

1.  Proper measuring
2.  Re-checking your measurements
3.  Planning the order of your cuts ahead of time will save time.
4.  Do not rush.
5.  Circular saw and jigsaw are all that is really needed for the cuts (I'm not talking about routing the t-mold groove)
6.  Table saw is very helpful, but if you don't have one, cinder blocks or sawhorses can be used with circular saw to fake it.

Hardest part is probably cutting the 45 degree edges on some of the pieces.  Key here is taking your time.  Some circular saws and jigsaws will allow you to cut at 45 degrees.

I had fun... it's always good to spend some time with Dad in the workshop and catch up on things.  More later...

Jim


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2007, 04:55:51 pm »
Got the base built.  Only one support piece isn't flush with the cabinet bottom edge but a little sanding will fix that.  I've got the L-brackets to mount the cab sides but I want to cut the t-molding slot before connecting them, so that's my next step.  Actually, the next step is finding a 1/16" slot cutter - may have to order it as I haven't found anyplace that sells it locally.


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2007, 05:16:01 pm »
That dog is crazy cool!

Nice workmanship and great use of shop time so far. Looking forward to seeing your artwork and hardware selections. Good luck on the rest of your build!
Carved Signs, Custom Gameroom Signs, and Arcade Game Decor and now CNC MACHINES by Melissa Jones

GAtekwriter

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2007, 09:43:47 pm »
I think a LOT of you will probably find my story very familiar :)

My wife and I had our first child - a boy - arrive in late May and that basically put my project on hold for the past 4 months.  Well, he's finally sleeping most of the night and we've got our routine ironed out (sort of), so I was able to finally get back to my project last weekend. 

Since I'm following St. John's book very closely, I had to reference the "Mars Invasion" project for the past few visits to the shop.  The pictures in the book related to mounting the lower back cabinet panel are hard to discern - the text seemed to indicate that the back panels would be recessed 3/4" but one of the pictures makes it look like it's flush with the back of the cabinet sides.  And there's even a bit of text in the section on mounting this piece that says "make sure the ... is flush" - very confusing.  So, when I took a look at the Mars Invasion project, there it was... recessed.

So, I've managed to get the cabinet sides mounted... L-brackets installed for stability... top panel installed and lower back panel installed.  Next weekend, angled piece, upper back panel and (hopefully) speaker shelf if I can confirm my use of the Klipsch speakers that I'm trying to buy.

Jim - Atlanta, GA

More pics from the work done below:




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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2007, 10:02:20 pm »
I think a LOT of you will probably find my story very familiar :)

Oh no!!!
I thought all those storie were urban legend...
The clock is ticking for me (9 weeks), I better hurry up...

Congrats on the new family member and glad that you finally have a bit of free time... It gives me hope  :laugh2:

Jay  :cheers:

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2007, 10:13:27 pm »

The little fellow is 100% worth the delay... I'm sure all the dads (and moms) on here will agree :)

Hope all goes well with you and your wife.  (The last 2 weeks went SOOOO SLOOOW... just a warning!)

Jim

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2007, 07:16:17 am »
When he first gets mobile, things are going to slow to a crawl again, both for building and for playing. You have about 1 year. Hurry!  ;D

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2007, 03:14:04 pm »
You have about 1 year. Hurry!  ;D
tic tac tic tac  ;)

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2007, 06:17:00 pm »
I've added the upper and lower back panels and the angled back panel.  Up next is the speaker panel and monitor shelf.  I've also put together the control panel box but need to purchase a grommet for the back of the control panel.  I'm trying to follow the book with moderate to few modifications.

I've placed the cabinet front door in place just to see what it'll look like and if it fits.  Like a glove (maybe a little too snug - some sanding in my future.)

I'm pre-drilling the braces before I glue them to the inside of the cabinet.  My drill is too bulky to let me drill them once they're glued on.  Live and learn.  The braces really make the job easier, though - since I'm doing this mostly solo, they help hold provide a guide for me when I'm screwing everything down.

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #13 on: October 06, 2007, 06:36:55 pm »
It's great how much work can be accomplished when the in-laws show up to see the new baby... [sneaking down to the basement...]

Today I got the speaker holes cut out of the speaker panel.  Both the speaker shelf and monitor shelf have their support pieces glued in, but I haven't permanently set them yet.  I tried to get to the front door, but time ran out.

I'm taking most people's advice and steering clear of doing too much work on the control panel - I want to get the cabinet done - primed, painted, lit, and sound-ready.  Then I'll attack the control panel.


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2007, 11:15:52 am »
I've been having trouble deciding between an LCD or a monitor.  Add to that the fact that the width of the inside of my cab is 26" and all of the 27" TVs I've found are slightly too wide.  So, I decided to go a little smaller.  Turns out that 25" LCDs are difficult to find in 4:3 Ratio... they all seem to be widescreen format these days.

Some more digging on craigslist.com found me a 25" Sony monitor - 25$!!!- the kind used in *C*ertain *N*eighborhood *N*etworks around Atlanta.  This thing is a monster... very heavy.  The dimensions work (I'll have to cut some of the back off my speaker shelf, but no biggie) and the picture quality is outstanding.  I connected my laptop and ran a few games on it to see and I'm definitely happy with this choice.

Now, I've got to reinforce the monitor shelf some more... did I mention this thing is HEAVY?!

It remembers its settings when power is lost and has just about every type of video input on the back (see image).  No speakers built-in, but that's what the Klipsch 2.1 system is for...

Jim
« Last Edit: October 27, 2007, 11:19:36 am by GAtekwriter »

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #15 on: October 27, 2007, 07:48:02 pm »
Later this afternoon, I got the L-brackets installed for the monitor shelf... I also followed Saint's book advice and drilled from the outside cab sides into the support braces and put in a substantial amount of screws to keep those braces from falling... and the monitor.

Monitor is installed, but...

1.  Speaker shelf is too long... will need to trim it quite a bit.
2.  The monitor needs to be angled upwards a little... will need to experiment with placing some scraps wood underneath the front of it.


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #16 on: October 27, 2007, 10:07:16 pm »
Some more digging on craigslist.com found me a 25" Sony monitor - 25$!!!
Nice catch!

It's good to see that your project is still progressing !!!

Jay  :cheers:

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Marquee development
« Reply #17 on: November 08, 2007, 02:46:37 pm »
I've got a friend who's wife is a graphic artist and she's helping me to fine-tune my marquee, sideart, and CPO.  This isn't the final marquee image, but it's getting there as we make little changes here and there.

The biggest change?  I've changed the title of the game from "Saucer Invasion in Sector-J" to simply "Saucer Invasion" - sounds more arcade-y anyway :)  The image is low-resolution but the hi-res colors look much better.

What am I working on now?  Well, I've managed to cut some small wooden pieces to raise my monitor in the front, providing it with a suitable angle for viewing by 2 players.  Now that I've got the angle done correctly, I can move forward again.  This weekend, I hope to get the following done:

1.  Cut the speaker shelf down to size and test out placement of speakers and make certain they don't interfere (magnetically) with the monitor image.

2.  Special Effect woodwork for the front panel.  I have decided NOT to go with a coin door but have instead found something else I want to try.  I'll hopefully have some pictures this weekend of my attempt.

3.  If 1 and 2 get done, I plan on starting with some priming and sanding.  Painting won't happen this weekend, unfortunately.

Jim


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #18 on: November 08, 2007, 03:07:00 pm »
Cracking work so far  :)

As you said there is plenty of planning etc before you start building but there is nothing like the feeling of seeing your cab stand up by itself for the first time and you get to see and feel what your cab is going to look like in real life rather than sketches etc. At this point feel free to prentend to play on your cab, even if you dont have a CP there, I know I certainly did!  :D

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Nov 10
« Reply #19 on: November 10, 2007, 05:24:04 pm »
Today I was able to cut down the speaker panel so it would fit properly above the monitor.  I also started on my modification of the front panel.  I long ago decided not to go with a coin door.  I'm not building this for vintage accuracy and I don't want to rely on tokens (or a cheat button combo) to pay for a game.  Instead, I've purchased a 12" diameter Luminglas circle (in green) that will be mounted flush from behind the front panel.  A smaller circle (viewed from the front) will allow the viewer to see only the lightning effect and not the approx 1" clear edge around the effect.

There are 2 ways to do this, I've found out.  The first is to cut out the inner circle first and then route out the back so the glass fits inside flush.  The problem with doing this is once you cut out that inner circle, you've lost your center point to mount the little device that allows your router to cut a circle.  The second method is to cut out the larger flush circle (about 3/8" deep into a 3/4" panel) so you keep your center point.  The problem with this is that once you clear out the inner circle, there's not much wood left for the device used to cut a circle to rest on and stay flat with the wood.  (This probably isn't making sense unless you actually see it). 

I went with the second method, figuring I'd find a way to cut deeper into the smaller, outer circle.  Long story, short - I did a little tweaking and used a longer pivot point nail, extended the router bit deeper into a second board clamped to the bottom of the front panel and I was able to get a perfect front circle.

Attached are some images... the lightning effect looks great in person.  It looks washed out in the picture, but is very bright even in a lit room.  I haven't actually mounted it to the rear of the front panel yet so it might look a little off center but I'll fix that. 

Up next:

1.  Wood putty all the holes on the cab in prep for priming. 
2.  Mount the speaker shelf using an alternative method from the book (I can't use braces underneath so I'll go above)
3.  Mount the front panel
4.  Order my marquee
5.  Mount LCD light behind marquee area (I've ordered one)


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Nov 11
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2007, 07:47:47 pm »
I'm learning that progress, for me, occurs in very small steps.  I'm usually only able to do an hour or 2 (3 max)  at a time on my cab, but now I can really start seeing the progress.

Today I got the speakers mounted and tested.  Since I'm following the book closely, I ordered the Klipsch 2.1 system and the speaker grilles shown in the book.  One of the images below shows the speakers mounted to the speaker shelf.  Just like the book said, I had to countersink about 1/4" for the 1.5" screws to be able to grab.  (I wasn't able to find 1.75" #6 screws like the book suggested.)  This allowed the screws to grab and hold the speakers firmly.  (And I've got to reverse the way I've mounted the speakers so the speaker cable is closer to the sides of the cab - in my haste, I missed that part.)

The good news is that the 8 screws I removed from the speakers were black and I was able to recycle them and use them to hold the grilles in place.  No painting screws.

Finally, I hooked up the speakers and monitor to my laptop and tested the sound and video out.  Everything looks awesome... and cranking the volume up to 8 gave me a Pac-Man experience I've never had before :)  I can't wait to try out other games with these speakers.

Up next:

1.  I've going to mount the front panel using barrel bolts (4) on the inside.  If I remove the control panel, I'll be able to unlatch them and remove the front panel if I like.  With the Luminglas mounted on front, I don't want the front panel to be able to open on hinges like a door.  Using the barrel bolts will keep it locked in place but accessible anytime.

2.  Filling in holes - I've got maybe a dozen or so holes to fill in and sand down before priming and painting.

3.  Prime, paint, t-molding...


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2007, 11:22:10 pm »
Looking good! 
My current collection:  Arkanoid^3, Asteroids Deluxe, Centipede, Donkey Kong w/DIIK, Frenzy w/Berzerk multi, Galaga, Galaxian, Gyruss, Mappy,  Missile Command, Multi-Williams, O'Boyles Arcade (Mame), Pac-man,  Sinistar, Star Wars, Tempest, War Gods

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Nov23
« Reply #22 on: November 23, 2007, 03:53:40 pm »
Got all the putty done and the sanding and will be priming tonight.  Hoping to get to the painting before Sunday.  Also, my marquee arrived today from mamemarquees.com and it looks great.  The cut is perfect, too.  I haven't had a chance to test it yet but I want to prime the inside of the cabinet before I mount my LED strip.

Jim


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #23 on: November 23, 2007, 04:34:12 pm »
man nice find on that $25 dollar monitor.. they have anymore left haha?? thats exactly what im in the market for right now a 25" display. I found a 27" on craigslist and bought it off the guy thinking it would be small enough if i de-cased it. welp wrong.. haha it is about an inch to large. so now im stuck with a 27" I cannot use.

otherwise, very nice project so far man. very clean and very nice!! keep the pics comming'

Neil

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #24 on: November 23, 2007, 09:35:46 pm »
Yes, the guy I bought the monitor from had 3 or 4 of the 25" left... 4 or 5 of the 27" and a couple 29" - all for between $25 and $50.  The picture is very sharp.  I posted the URL for the craigslist listing somewhere... can't remember.  If you really do want to get in contact with the guy, I can dig it up again.

Jim

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #25 on: November 24, 2007, 01:10:25 am »
Looks awesome - I like the alternative for the coin door area, definitely matches the theme. You should pick up a couple of Randy's NovaGemCDRs in green to match your color scheme, for a credit button:

NovaGemCDR

He even makes them in green! I recently picked up a set in blue, and they look great!

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #26 on: November 24, 2007, 09:44:15 am »
Way ahead of you, Havok!  I ordered 14 of the Green NovaGems and can't wait to see them in the CP.

Jim

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Nov 29
« Reply #27 on: November 29, 2007, 05:26:44 pm »
Got my order from t-molding.com in today - two 20' rolls of Galaxian green.  I haven't decided yet if the sides of my cabinet will be painted an identical green or if I'll go a shade or two darker for contrast.  Opinions are welcome.


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Would welcome some feedback...
« Reply #28 on: November 29, 2007, 09:21:42 pm »
Attached is a rough image of the color scheme I am currently considering... any thoughts or comments?  The CP will be black but with a graphic on it and the marquee is already done as well as the hole in front for the Luminglas.  I know I want a 2-tone but I'm not quite certain about the green on the sides - whether to match it to the t-mold or apply a darker or lighter green. 

Jim

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #29 on: November 30, 2007, 01:36:13 am »
Way ahead of you, Havok!  I ordered 14 of the Green NovaGems and can't wait to see them in the CP.

Jim


Nice ! The Novagems will look great, but I was talking about the rectangular Coin Drop replacement buttons -and I love the green and black color scheme. I wonder if you can do it in glow in the dark green, and put some black lights in the room?

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #30 on: November 30, 2007, 08:35:31 am »
Awesome progress ..... looking very cool indeed.    Just a thought ...... instead of having solid green side panels, would it look a bit nice r to have some cool green side art stuff on a black background?  Might be just me, but I tend to think solid green side panels would be too overpowering to see every day.  You mentioned side art perviously so perhaps you have plans for the side panels instead of a solid color .... but I dont know for sure.

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #31 on: November 30, 2007, 08:40:40 am »
Yes, sideart is being designed so the entire sides won't be solid green.  I'd estimate about 60% of the side will be visible once the sideart has been applied.

Jim

« Last Edit: December 09, 2007, 04:22:10 pm by GAtekwriter »

GAtekwriter

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #32 on: November 30, 2007, 08:44:45 am »
Havok,

Glow in the dark, green, huh?  Well, if memory serves, there is some sort of luminescent mix that can be added to paint - may need to do some searching, but that would be a cool effect if it could be very subtle.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Sorry I missed your suggestion on the coin replacement buttons - hmmm... yes, those might work.  I've been seriously contemplating putting all admin buttons as well as player and coin buttons on the side of my control panel - I want to keep my CP as uncluttered as possible.  Two coin replacement buttons, one on each side or maybe the front of the CP box might look okay.

Jim

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #33 on: November 30, 2007, 02:37:52 pm »
Where did you find the green 12" luminglas?  I only see the green in 6".  Also, how much did it run you, the few green ones I see are usually 3 times the cost of a blue.

But I like the black and green design.  Did that with mine, just haven't had a chance to add anything to the sides since last December.
"He lives down there in his valley,
The cat stands tall and green,
Well, he ain't no prize, and there's no women his size,
And that's why the cat's so mean"
Toxic Arcade, my first build

GAtekwriter

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #34 on: November 30, 2007, 02:49:57 pm »
I found the 12" inch one on sale for $89 quite a while back - I did ask the guy if he had 2 because at one point I was thinking of putting them on the sides, but he said he only had the one...

Yes, the 12" are definitely more expensive.  I found a triangle one (BIG) but it was $300 and I wasn't going there...

Jim


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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #35 on: December 04, 2007, 06:13:20 pm »
Dang, thats what I thought.

Why are the blue lightning ones so cheap but the superior green are so rare and pricey.  Guess I will keep my eye open.
"He lives down there in his valley,
The cat stands tall and green,
Well, he ain't no prize, and there's no women his size,
And that's why the cat's so mean"
Toxic Arcade, my first build

MPTech

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #36 on: December 08, 2007, 05:51:38 pm »
GAtekwriter, cool looking cab, keeping the pics and updates coming!


I'd really be interested in one of those monitors, can you tell me the overall width of the monitor case?
I searched for them on ebay, but only found one, that is pickup only, in Arizona!

I have a 25" TV now, and I really like the size, but the TV resolution is disappointing for some of the newer games and the PinBall games.  You can post the link here or PM me, please.

Thanks and good luck with the build. :cheers:
MPTech
   Better living thru technology!   ;-)

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #37 on: December 08, 2007, 07:03:10 pm »
MPTech,

Thanks very much.  (I PM'd you with the link - dug it up but no promises that the guy still has any left, but I'll bet he does.)

The thing is H-E-A-V-Y - had to get my brother in law to help me get it in there and now it ain't coming out :)

The picture is solid, bright, no lines or waves or distortion... very happy with the 25$ purchase.

I just finished sanding the prime coat (2) and will be painting tomorrow - I'll definitely post some more pictures tomorrow or Monday.

Jim

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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #38 on: December 08, 2007, 07:44:58 pm »
Thanks!  Can I bother you for a side-to-side measurement? (My cab has a 25" opening)
MPTech
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Re: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saints Book
« Reply #39 on: December 08, 2007, 07:56:29 pm »
Left-most-edge to right-most-edge - 26"

Front to Back - 20"

But a lot of his monitors were slight variations of one another, so make CERTAIN you get him to take accurate measurements for you.  I had exactly 26.5" from the cab's left side (inner) to the right side (inner) and he told me it was 26" - and he was dead on.

Jim