Author Topic: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saint's Book (Read 27594 times)

GAtekwriter · « **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

GAtekwriter · « **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 · « **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 · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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

GAtekwriter · « **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.

Donkey_Kong · « **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!

GAtekwriter · « **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:

superbigjay · « **Reply #8 on:** September 22, 2007, 10:02:20 pm »

Quote from: GAtekwriter on September 22, 2007, 09:43:47 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

Jay

GAtekwriter · « **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

TOK · « **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!

superbigjay · « **Reply #11 on:** September 23, 2007, 03:14:04 pm »

Quote from: TOK on September 23, 2007, 07:16:17 am

You have about 1 year. Hurry!

tic tac tic tac

GAtekwriter · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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

GAtekwriter · « **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.

superbigjay · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2007, 10:07:16 pm »

Quote from: GAtekwriter on October 27, 2007, 11:15:52 am

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

GAtekwriter · « **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

Franco · « **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!

GAtekwriter · « **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)

GAtekwriter · « **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...

Spyridon · « **Reply #21 on:** November 11, 2007, 11:22:10 pm »

Looking good!

GAtekwriter · « **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

Neilyboy · « **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

GAtekwriter · « **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

Havok · « **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!

GAtekwriter · « **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

GAtekwriter · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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

Havok · « **Reply #29 on:** November 30, 2007, 01:36:13 am »

Quote from: GAtekwriter 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

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?

unclet · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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

GAtekwriter · « **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

Green Giant · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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

Green Giant · « **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.

MPTech · « **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.

GAtekwriter · « **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

MPTech · « **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)

GAtekwriter · « **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

MPTech · « **Reply #40 on:** December 09, 2007, 02:37:00 am »

Got your PM, Thanks, I'll call him tomorrow.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #41 on:** December 09, 2007, 04:16:47 pm »

Sides - two coats (of many):

This will be a two-tone cab, so I decided to start with the sides first - everything else will be black.

I'm using foam rollers which are working great BUT... I didn't realize the first coat would be so thin. The foam rollers definitely don't coat like a normal "fuzzy" roller for painting walls and such. After the first coat dried, I put on a second coat and the color really came out nice. I realize now that after sanding, it will probably take numerous coats to get the consistent color and smoothness. I'm not going for glass-finish, just smooth with no jaggies. (Definitely recommending the foam roller treatment to anyone preparing for this portion - the application looks nice and it doesn't have that textured look using 'fuzzy' rollers or brushes.)

Jim

MPTech · « **Reply #42 on:** December 09, 2007, 11:13:30 pm »

That's looking really nice. The green is eye-catching.
What are you planning to do for buttons? I'm assuming some green/lit buttons, or better yet a green trackball.

leapinlew · « **Reply #43 on:** December 10, 2007, 01:43:33 am »

Quote from: MPTech on December 09, 2007, 11:13:30 pm

That's looking really nice. The green is eye-catching.
What are you planning to do for buttons? I'm assuming some green/lit buttons, or better yet a green trackball.

Your right, that IS looking good. Keep up the good work.

MPTech · « **Reply #44 on:** December 10, 2007, 01:52:55 am »

The blue T-Molding really sets it off nicely.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #45 on:** December 10, 2007, 09:45:54 am »

Yeah, nothing says high quality like tape-t-molding.

I've collected 14 NovaGems and 1 Happ 3" trackball that will all light up on the CP. I've also got a GGG spinner that'll go on there, too.

I ordered two 20' rolls of Galaxian Green t-molding, but the two rolls don't quite color-match so I'm going to contact t-molding.com today and find out what to do. The two rolls definitely look like they came from different productions and I didn't notice it until my wife pointed it out.

Hoping to have the green sides sanded, repainted, etc. and completed by next weekend so I can do the black panels.

Jim

MPTech · « **Reply #46 on:** December 10, 2007, 01:39:06 pm »

Nothing says ALIENS like Green & Black! Sounds like a good plan. Is this your first Cab?

So are you a big Space Invaders / Asteroids fan?

There are also some Alien themed PinBall tables too. Alien Poker and Mars Attacks are a couple of my favorites, but there are several more.

I think you'll really like the Klipsch speakers (I thought that's what you said you were using, correct?)
I bought a set for a Juke I'm building and the sound is great!

Is this saucer going to launch by Christmas?

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #47 on:** December 10, 2007, 07:31:13 pm »

I'm hoping to have it done on or before March/April. I have a feeling the CP is going to slow me down a bit. I've got the sideart almost done and will be ordering from mamemarquees.com - already have the marquee, all buttons/joysticks/spinner. Need to order the "innards" of the CP, though...

I've always had this thing for 1950's style rockets and flying saucers (Forbidden Planet is on my Top 10 Movie list) and just figured it would make a nice theme for my first cabinet. Heading down to the basement in a few minutes to start painting again...

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #48 on:** December 18, 2007, 09:31:57 pm »

First black coat of paint is on... very thin, though. The foam roller still doesn't put much on the surface on the first coat... not really even the 2nd. It took 3 coats of the green before I started noticing a consistent color... an additional 2 coats before I was happy with it.

In the pic you can see the front of the cab with the circle cut out - that's where the green 12" Luminglas circle will be mounted... speaker panel is also being painted and to the right of the cabinet. I drilled some air holes in a nice little pattern on the top angled piece and you can see some blue tape on the back of the cab - that's a hole I cut out so I could access the monitor controls if necessary. I'm going to mount another speaker grille over it and it'll look fine.

I'm hoping to have the black coat completely done by this Saturday so I can put on the t-molding. After that, I'm going to mount the Luminglas, speakers, marquee, and get a monitor bezel completed. Then it'll just be the CP and PC.

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #49 on:** December 31, 2007, 06:52:49 pm »

Well, I didn't get to do much during the Christmas break, but New Year's Eve was productive.

Today I was able to get the t-molding on... what a pain. But it does look nice. t-molding.com was able to get me two matching rolls of Galaxian Green (the previous 2 rolls sent to me were slightly different) and I lucked out in that they are almost an exact paint match to the sides.

I also got the GGG LED bar installed and it is BRIGHT! My only complaint is the 3" of wire they give you and it's very thin gauge... but I can work with it. I had a 12V harness from another project (8 AA batteries) that I was able to hook up to it and test it out with the marquee in place.

Tomorrow, weather/wife permitting, I plan on getting the Luminglas mounted in the front hole, wire up the speakers, mount the marquee (picked up the L-shaped molding from Home Depot and need to spray paint black), and mount the SmartStrip inside the cab.

I'm debating working on the bezel first or jumping straight to the CP. I have to admit the CP has me a little frazzled as I'm not good with electronics or drilling straight/vertical holes. That said, if I ever want to play this thing, I'm going to have to do it sooner or later...

Happy New Year, all!

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #50 on:** January 02, 2008, 05:56:19 pm »

Hooked everything up for a test run... marquee works, Luminglas works, speakers work, monitor works. Now I've got to get the CP working.

Jim

MPTech · « **Reply #51 on:** January 02, 2008, 07:35:18 pm »

Make sure you get everything else done before you finish your CP!
Once you start "Testing", you may never finish!

The cab looks GREAT!

The Marque and LuminDisk with that Alien Green paint, looks awesome!

Quick question, I'm looking at buying a Blue lumin disk for a Jukebox I'm building, what size is the one you installed and any advice?

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #52 on:** January 02, 2008, 09:11:38 pm »

You can find the Luminglas in 6" and 12" circles all over the Internet. Blue seems to be the more easily available color, though, and green the least available. 6" circles are, I believe, around $20-30US and the 12" can be $100US or more. I lucked out in finding my 12" green for around $90 on clearance but the guy only had one left in green.

There is a company out there that does custom Luminglas in whatever shape you like... I got a quote for an equilateral triangle with 8" sides and the price was over $300US... so I stuck with the standard production line circle product.

Yes, I know all about the risks of doing the CP first... that's why I've put it to last. The cab is done and now it's time for the CP. I can't wait to see the green glow of the 3" trackball and the NovaGem buttons.

sparcade · « **Reply #53 on:** January 02, 2008, 09:49:38 pm »

Jim,

Nice job on the cabinet. In some ways, it reminds me of mine.
(Must be the green t-molding :-) ) Wish I would have done more with lighting
like you plan on doing.

If you care to have a look, it's here....
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=74861.0

rick

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #54 on:** January 03, 2008, 09:20:28 am »

Thanks, Rick...

Part of me wishes that I had put in a keyboard/PC access panel like you did... oh, well

Yes, the green t-molding looks really sharp and bright. I've almost got the sideart completed and will be sending that off to mamemarquees soon.

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #55 on:** February 02, 2008, 09:21:06 pm »

Business was crazy for the start of the new year, so the month of January was a bust for getting anything done. I was able to get the bezel template cut and then transferred it to a black 1/4" foam board. The foam board is from Elmer's (the glue people) and was 32" x 40" for only $5.50. Just cut it with a box cutter.

I've found a couple of glass shops nearby that have given me some nice quotes on tempered "smoke glass" - I'm going to run out this next week and check them out before purchasing, but I'm hoping to have the glass in my possession for insertion next weekend. I'll be doing a search of the forums for possible options to secure the glass but if anyone knows off the top of their heads a great discussion thread that covers this, please feel free to point me to it...

I took everyone's advice and finished my cab BEFORE touching the Control Panel. Now the motivation to get the CP done is high and I'm ready to start.

Sideart is completed and I'm also preparing to upload and order it from mamemarquees.com.

Jim

darkje · « **Reply #56 on:** February 06, 2008, 07:29:04 pm »

That foam board looks really good!

I always thought you would mount two strips on either side of the cab, protruding just a little bit, on which the glass would rest.

Then at the bottom where the monitor shelf is, put two tabs that would hold the glass from slipping out.

Did that make sense? I am having trouble myself finding the right size glass or plexi glass, it's hard to find a 26 inch wide

If you got a custom order, what price range were you quoted?

Oh and where did you buy the elmers foam board? Looks like a good option versus the Happ bezel.

Thanks

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #57 on:** February 06, 2008, 08:04:14 pm »

The foam board was purchased at a local Atlanta art store called Sam Flax - normally you have to buy this stuff in boxes of 10 or 20 sheets, but they sell it individually. They might be willing to ship flat for you... they also have it in 1/8" , 1/2" and I think I saw 3/4", too...

Sam Flax
1460 Northside Dr NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 352-7200

I haven't really found a solution that works, but I know it needs to be easily "removeable" for access to the monitor - for this reason, I'm thinking about mounting something on the sides of the cabinet to hold the glass in place. One up high and one down low on the left and right sides.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #58 on:** February 07, 2008, 02:35:17 pm »

Ordered 1/4" smoked glass today from a local glass shop - I shopped around and the cheapest I could find for 26" x 23.75" tempered glass in light/med grey tint was $52.00. They said it'll be ordered and available next Tuesday.

I went lighter rather than darker given that my bezel is black and the cab will be in the basement where lighting isn't as bright. I used a test piece they had to put up against a color monitor displaying a lot of colors and it looked fine, so I think it'll work great for the cabinet.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #59 on:** June 25, 2008, 09:07:05 pm »

My apologies for the long absence - my little boy (13 months now) started crawling... then walking... life took a detour for a bit. But I'm back and ready to finish this project. As it stands now:

1. I purchased my Lexan for the CP
2. Purchased a few router bits for doing flush mount work on joysticks and trackball.
3. Got started on my CP layout (see images below)
4. Have my PC configured and ready to start installing and config

The first problem I (re)-encountered upon working with my CP template was that the measurements on the U360 mounting plate don't match those on the Ultimarc website - so I took my own measurements and created my own. The Ultimarc site shows that the U360 uses the standard Happ Competition template, but when I printed it to actual size, removed my U360 plate and compared them, they didn't match up - my plate measure 3-1/16 x 3-3/4, not the 3.15 x 3.6 shown in the image below.

That said, I'm now contemplating whether to add a 4-way to the mix with 2 buttons for the 4-way (similar to the layout for Knievel's Blue Neon Mame cab). Opinions welcome.

Of course, I'm going to take the full size template and have it printed so I can test the layout before drilling begins... is it print twice, drill once?

Glad to be back - hope to show some progress on the cab.

images below:
1. Ultimarc's U360 measurements
2. My actual template - note ruler on top and side with my measurements
3. Current layout - three buttons along top left and top right are (p1 coin, p1 start, lft mouse) - (p2 coin, p2 start, right mouse) and that angled hole to the right of lft mouse will be my spinner.

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #60 on:** June 28, 2008, 03:43:20 pm »

Two possible cp overlays below... I've also got a third idea which is to add some robotic style arms to the left and right of the central saucer with pinchers on the end... I'm just playing around right now - it's so hard to finalize graphics, isn't it?

Green lit trackball fits in the center of the saucer.

Jim

Havok · « **Reply #61 on:** June 28, 2008, 06:00:11 pm »

Cool idea to have the trackball be the saucer center!

The only input I have on the control panel is I would seriously consider dropping the 7th button. I did my fighter panel with 7 buttons, and I find that I just don't use it...

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #62 on:** June 28, 2008, 07:52:53 pm »

There's a current discussion in another thread about the value of the 7th button and most of the posters replying seem to be in favor of it... I'm an old school arcade kid (80's basically) so it may be possible that most of the games I'll play will only require 2 or 3 - I do like Mortal Kombat series, though... 6 or 7 buttons for those? Anyway, adding the 7th buttons isn't an issue for me in terms of parts or layout, but maybe you've got a strong argument against them?

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #63 on:** June 29, 2008, 11:28:02 am »

Still debating dropping the 7th buttons, but I did decide to keep a minimal CP and will not be installing a dedicated 4-way. I'm also planning on putting some admin buttons on the sides of the CP.

The saucer by itself just didn't have a punch - so I added some arms, alien text... and this is what I have so far... I'm planning on adding some "alien" like embellishments to the CP... just small green lines maybe encircling the CP... not sure. Opinions are welcome.

It's going to rain today so I'm not sure if I'll be able to route the t-molding and chamfer the bottom of the CP - since I'm adding 1/8" Lexan on top of the CP, I bought a Chamfer router bit to cut at 45 degrees below the edge of the t-molding.

Since the weather isn't holding up, I'm heading to the printshop to have them print me out a fullsize drill template so I can test the placement of the components.

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #64 on:** July 06, 2008, 03:03:57 pm »

Rainy weather today so I worked on the frontend stuff. I like MaLa and Maximum Arcade and am having some fun customizing MA with my own sound effects, logo, and background - fairly easy to customize using the \skins subdirectory and just renaming originals to "*_old.png" and replacing with my own images. I also replaced the startup sound and the left/right selection sounds with my own "hovering saucer" and "laser" sounds.

I'm running a P4 3.0 Ghz and am running (for now) emulators for MAME and Atari2600 - Maximum Arcade has a very easy interface and I'm leaning towards it for my front end solution simply for the ease-of-use for wife and kid(s). I'm hoping my 13 month old boy will enjoy playing these Atari 2600 games in a few more years... the graphics are old school, but the games are easy to master and kid-friendly.

I've got my paper template printed and will be testing the button and joy layout for usability - I'll take some pics and post shortly. If the weather improves this afternoon, I'm hoping to route out the t-molding slot for the CP and use my Chamfer bit to angle the bottom edge...

edit: including new CP overlay that I'm going with...

jeffhlewis · « **Reply #65 on:** July 06, 2008, 09:01:27 pm »

GAtekwriter:

I used to have one of those same 25" Sony Pro Monitors. I got mine off eBay when Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach decommissioned a bunch and sold them off cheap (like 50 a piece...they were in mint condition). I used it as a TV for a long time but always though that it would make the perfect MAME monitor. That thing was a beast though; weighed a TON.

Did you actually wire it in RGB or are you using the S-Video?

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #66 on:** July 07, 2008, 09:21:20 am »

S-video is what I'm using... and yes, the sucker weighs a ton. It looks great, though, behind the smoked tempered glass.

Jim

BASS! · « **Reply #67 on:** July 07, 2008, 11:40:34 pm »

Quote from: GAtekwriter on July 07, 2008, 09:21:20 am

S-video is what I'm using... and yes, the sucker weighs a ton. It looks great, though, behind the smoked tempered glass.

Jim

DOOOOOD you are runing svideo on a monitor that can run vga? $20 and I'll get you a cable to run vga.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #68 on:** July 09, 2008, 09:09:56 am »

Sorry for the confusion - with testing right now, I'm using my laptop and s-video - the desktop PC I'm configuring is VGA and that's how the final cab will run. Any images you see me post now or earlier were s-video.

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #69 on:** July 21, 2008, 12:57:47 pm »

Received my CPO and template from mamemarquees.com - the quality is top-notch and the colors are very vivid. Definitely happy with the product. Just got back from vacation and ready to start drilling this weekend.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #70 on:** July 22, 2008, 01:13:14 pm »

Just a quick FYI - while working on my CPO and CP template I took plenty of screenshots and have created a PDF tutorial for using Inkscape (OpenSource vector graphics program, totally free) that can be downloaded here:

http://www.marsbasecommand.com/cptutorial.zip

It's a 2MB zipped file (virus free) and the PDF is in color.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #71 on:** August 09, 2008, 08:15:23 pm »

My neighbors heard a sonic boom today - it was me heading to the garage when my wife said "Go work on your cab" - BOOM!

Got a lot done today. First, as someone who is NOT a woodworking expert, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by what I got done today. I've been dreading the control panel for some time, especially drilling the button holes and using a flush bit with my router to shape the Lexan.

Well, the LEXAN cut like butter - my feed speed was about 1" per second and there was no burn or melting. I used a double-flute flush bit with a pilot - I had ZERO clue what this pilot thing was until I just sat down and examined what I needed to do and how this bit would help me. I hope that one of my images here will help someone else in my shoes - it shows that the pilot (a little silver spinner at the end of the bit) is rolling against the 3/4" plywood and the blade is cutting the Lexan. I just had to figure out how to properly clamp the pieces and give myself a gap between the CP and the spare pieces of 3/4" I used to support the Lexan that would become waste.

I know a lot of people have said that using a portable-drill-press-plunger (the kind that attaches to your electric drill) isn't the best way to go, but it's all I actually own. I don't have room (yet) for a full size drill press, so I pulled out the device, attached my drill, put the Forstner 1-1/8" in the chuck and used my center marks on all the holes for accuracy. I had to put a little more energy into pushing down on the drill, but it worked and my holes came out great (I used a spare piece of plywood on the bottom to prevent splintering).

Tomorrow I'll use these holes as pilot holes to drill the Lexan button holes. I also drilled to holes that will hold the trackball plate in place (I'm going to route out the plate space so it is flush with the CP surface). I inserted the trackball plate just to make certain all my drill holes were dead-on and they were... so I know that using the trackball plate as a template for routing my trackball hole will be perfect with my CP overlay.

Had fun - the afternoon went too fast but I did a lot of "measure twice" type work and took my time. I should be able to do some more routing tomorrow - I'm anxious to get this CP done! I've got all my electronics now, so it's coming together...

Jim

Buga8tr · « **Reply #72 on:** August 10, 2008, 12:11:44 am »

Lookin good. I love the paint scheme.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #73 on:** August 10, 2008, 05:26:22 pm »

Got a little done today - routed the t-molding slot around the CP and then used my new chamfer bit to shave about 1/8" from the bottom at a 45 degree angle... tested it with some spare t-molding and the Lexan and it turned out great. I'll be painting the CP black to blend with the overlay as well as to hide any mistakes.

Some photos below. In the last one you can just see a hint of the chamfer bit's work...

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #74 on:** November 28, 2008, 05:08:13 pm »

After quite a long delay, I was able to take advantage of free babysitting (aka in-laws) over this Thanksgiving break and I'm hoping to push through and get the CP done before the weekend is up. Below are some images.

Today was basically finishing drilling all the button holes in the Lexan, routing out areas for the joystick and trackball mounting brackets, cutting out areas for the electronics to mount up-from-bottom, and then routing the hole for the trackball in the Lexan.

Even though I took fairly accurate measurements of the U360 mounting bracket, the holes were still off, so I'm going to have to redrill those... no big deal.

Tonight I'm painting the CP black (so any areas the overlay might miss won't be too noticeable) and then tomorrow I'll mount all the hardware, apply my overlay and the Lexan, and try to get started on the wiring.

MrDo · « **Reply #75 on:** November 29, 2008, 02:14:31 am »

Great Job! Your persistence is inspiring me to start my cab. I have amassed most all parts to include a CP cut out by Knievel himself. (Easy way out I know, but he has skills I do not have...

Thanks for sharing and keep it coming.

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #76 on:** November 29, 2008, 11:11:44 am »

I started out knowing nothing about using a router and very little woodworking skills... I'm fairly happy with how I've progressed. I've learned a LOT, especially with using a router. The best thing I've learned is to simply look at what I need to do carefully and I can usually make sense of the type of bit I need as well as how to do it - the routing of the trackball hole had me stymied... I wanted to do it right the first time. I finally realized I could use the mounting plate hole as my template and I needed a router bit that had a pilot near the base of the bit that would follow the template hole... I had to dial-in the depth of the bit carefully but it worked like a charm.

Good luck with your build - I never had any idea my cabinet would take this long to build, but it's been a fun project that's nearing completion.

Jim

ivwshane · « **Reply #77 on:** January 03, 2009, 02:48:53 am »

So whats the status?

I'm almost catching up to you!!

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #78 on:** July 18, 2009, 03:16:25 pm »

Having a 2 year old boy, I think some of you will understand my long absence... but I'm glad to finally have the energy, time, and resolve to get this thing finished! When we last left Batman and Robin...

Okay, so I've painted the control box, followed Saint's instructions for attaching the CP top to the box, and am ready to get the CP rolling. Random photos here, but I managed to get the CP Overlay trimmed up and the joysticks and buttons mounted to get the CPO oriented properly. The trackball fits perfectly and there's no lip to get your hand/fingers pinched in, so I lucked out there.

As you can see, I'm fast approaching the WIRING STAGE... sirens... sirens... I wish I had bookmarked all the great examples of wiring on this site, but if anyone off the top of their heads can point me towards the best tutorials/examples of clean wiring, I'd be eternally grateful.

I have purchased the LEDWiz to light up all those buttons and give them some animation... looking forward to that. The U360s now have the stiffer springs - not a HUGE difference but I'll take it.

I've got the computer configured and ready to install... all that's left is this darn CP. Need to install the t-molding around the edge, wire up the controls, get the trackball and spinner locked in, and start testing.

Jim

AMDman13 · « **Reply #79 on:** July 18, 2009, 08:03:16 pm »

Very nice work! I especially like the two-tone paint scheme. Your cab is going to look sweet!

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #80 on:** July 20, 2009, 08:48:32 pm »

Two more images... got the CP wrapped with the t-molding. It looks yellowish in the photos - probably the artificial lighting mixed with the camera's flash, but it does match the green that I used on the cab...

I also purchased some of the wiring supplies today that I'll be needing this week. My plan is to get the NovaGems wired up to the LEDWiz first and then get their switches done.

javeryh · « **Reply #81 on:** July 21, 2009, 09:55:58 am »

Looks good!

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #82 on:** July 21, 2009, 10:05:30 am »

Thanks! Hopefully it will get done well before my 2 year old boy is as old as your daughter... hope she's still enjoying her pink machine that her Daddy built her!

Jim

GAtekwriter · « **Reply #83 on:** July 22, 2009, 09:22:02 pm »

Tonight I got all the buttons, joysticks, spinner, and trackball mounted to the CP and then installed the switches for the buttons. I knew better than to tighten down all the buttons until I got all the switches oriented properly, but these NovaGems, with the extra two wires for the LEDs, sure do require a little extra thinking.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out the best locations for mounting the LEDWiz and the KeyWiz - advice welcome and appreciated.

I've got a total of 22 buttons (7 action per player, 2 admin, 2 player selection, 2 coin, and a left and right mouse)... I've got two 12-position terminal strips - I think these will make it easier to ground the LED buttons rather than trying to daisy chain them all over the place... again, any advice here is welcome.

I understand how to wire up the switches, but I'm going to do the LEDs in the buttons first and keep that wiring clean and "underneath" the wiring for the switches.

Here's some random photos from tonight - I had to install the CP to make sure the wires and electronics fits properly in the box - it sure felt good to see that CP installed even if it's not functional yet.

Jim

thatitalian · « **Reply #84 on:** July 23, 2009, 05:58:53 am »

Nice job!


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Author Topic: Saucer Invasion - Upright following Saint's Book (Read 27594 times)

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