JIMBO's scratch designed cab [motorised monitor rotation begins]

[Jimbo]

LATEST PLANS AND PICS...

(full project progress from the beginning follows after these pics)














FULL PROGRESS FROM THE START FOLLOWS FROM HERE...

Inspired by ARTIFACT's awesome scratch designed and built cab, I've decided to try out my Sketchup skills and FINALLY design my own cab! I'm no Sketchup expert, but I'm learning more each time I use it. I've also never built a cab (erm.. actually anything) before so this is all a first for me.

I've um'd and ah'd for ages about what I want from a cab should I build one, and decided that I just wouldn't be happy if I couldn't play my favourite game (Flying Shark) vertically on an arcade monitor.  I also wouldn't be happy with one big control panel where I'd have to lean over other controls to get to the ones I wanted for a particular game.

Size is an issue too... We don't have a massive house, I'm building it in the garage, and to put it upstairs I'll have to make it so I can take it apart. The missus has also promised that I can have it downstairs in the lounge *if* it looks like a nice stained piece of furniture, not an "ugly black behemoth"... so we'll see what happens.   I want the cab to be a social thing... so putting it downstairs rather than upstairs would be a major plus.

So, requirements for the cab are: -

- Rotating Arcade Monitor (I've gone for a Hantarex Polo/3 21")
- Hot-swappable control panels
- Narrow enough to fit through doorways, pull-apartable!
- Made from Plywood (don't want to work with MDF for various reasons)
- Stained not painted/artwork (not 100% decided on this one yet!)
- Will run my own frontend, and play MAME/C64/Amiga/Snes/PSX etc.


Enough waffle... here's some pics!


Here's the finished article (so far). As you can see there doesn't seem to be a way to rotate the monitor... well that's because there isn't!   I'm considering either making it so you have to remove the plexiglass to rotate it (I mean, how often will I be rotating it?), OR... cutting a small "door" on each side panel, which I can open, rotate by hand, and close. There's a keyboard drawer and a lockable door below it on the front panel (I want easy access inside the cab without having to go round the back).  I plan on having a coin door in the middle of the lockable door too.



After the top/back/sides come off, this base will be the largest bit that's "stuck together" that I'll have to move.  It's just small enough to get upstairs and through doors   It has the keyboard drawer attached to it, plus if you look closely you can see the mounting holes for the swappable control panels, and the hole in the middle for the control panel cables.



Here's a closeup showing how I plan to attach the control panels.  I'm planning on having bolts glued and then coming down through the panel, through the holes, which I can then easily tighten/release with wingnuts.  I may also secure the panels with some velcro for extra strength/stability.



The idea of rotating the monitor like this was not mine... I found some similar ideas on the examples on this site. I wanted the biggest monitor I could get, without making the cab too wide/deep, so I've gone with a 21" arcade monitor, supported on casters, both behind it and below it.



This shows how I plan to mount the monitor... the timber baton glued/screwed to the side panel is set at 45% to give me my favourite viewing angle, and you can see how the monitor sits on the front of the base. The monitor will be mounted by sliding it in from behind (wow that's gonna be heavy lifting it up that high). There's enough room in the cab for the monitor to rotate without hitting anything.


Still to design before I start building: -

- The cab's back door (I'm thinkin' camlock at top)
- Hinges/camlocks on the keyboard draw and front panel door
- Speaker holes (need to decide on speakers too)
- Holes in back/base for cooling fans
- Add some curves to the sides / tweak shape of side panels
- How to turn the monitor?!  Maybe holes in the side (or hinged "doors" held with magnetic catch)
- Coin Door


I may be a while longer before I start building this thing, but I'll keep this post updated as I go along. I'll also post my sketchup project file when finished for anyone that wants it.  Bear in mind they are in millimetres not inches, since I'm in the UK and everything is done that way over here. Should be easy to convert tho!

Comments, opinions and critiques welcome!

jimbo

[Crowquill]

The model's very nice, but I'd question whether you really need a full frame. If you're using MDF or plywood for the sides, it should be enough to support the monitor.

[MaMeNnO]

Apart from the designing time, I guess you have plenty of work on your hands building it with the nice features (hot swapable CP, rotating monitor and your own FE  ) you're planning on your cab.

But then again, building it is half the fun... for others all the fun!

[Jimbo]

The model's very nice, but I'd question whether you really need a full frame. If you're using MDF or plywood for the sides, it should be enough to support the monitor.

Hmm yes maybe you're right! My initial thinking was that the base/frame gives me something to attach the sides to (and take off) since I want to be able to move the cab upstairs etc. Also I'm thinking it gives it more weight/stability when its being played (I remember the arcade games of my childhood got bashed around a bit/kicked/shoved/moved etc quite a bit).  I also thought the monitor and its frame would be quite heavy and might need the extra support at the front (where it sits). Plus the frame currently gives me something to attach the keyboard drawer to, and the casters.

I have a friend who's quite good building stuff with wood, so I'll get his opinion too (might even be able to persuade him to help me build it - or at least lend me some of his tools)
Like I said, I'm new to this so your opinions are welcome - I'll do some more research about the need for the frame... thanks - maybe I'll keep it but just use less chunky timber...

Looking forward to building it definitely!  Plus I'm picking up my hantarex polo monitor tomorrow... so I'll soon know if my measurements are correct!

Latest additions to the design: -

Doors in the side to rotate the monitor (will be hinged at the bottom of the door with a magnetized-catch at the top). Also I've cut out the hole for the coin door. Ooh, and casters added (making the height of the CP 38") : -


Closeup of the door (taken off) showing the monitor wheel ready to rotate by hand: -


A couple of questions: -

- Is it safe to put a subwoofer in the bottom of the cab, next to the PC?

- Can anyone recommend a good coin door/mech (pref with 2 slots) that I can purchase in the UK?

Cheers,

Jimbo

[SodaPopinksi]

I'm no expert... but I currently have a logitech subwoofer hovering pretty darn close to an athlon 3600 in a wip bartop... no problems thus far lol 

[ARTIFACT]

HEYYYY there my friend... THANK YOU for the plug

I feel so happy that somehow my project has inspired you to dive into planning your cab... it feels so special to see your inside frame and recognize some of the parts I am working on right now (tonight!)

Good job!!! Remember to GROUP things like crazy... I'll try to post a wiki page with Sketchup tips for arcade builders...

[ARTIFACT]

New WIKI PAGE started: SketchUp Tips!

Check the link in my signature.


Regarding keyboard drawer... I went for a bluetooth keyboard which will be stored in the ROOM where the cab is (along with the bluetooth mouse) ... this allowed me to NOT have to worry about designing, planning the space for, and building a working drawer that looked good. Just wanted to throw this in as a possible suggestion. Remember that you can map MAME menus to shift+button and navigate it using the joysticks. Personally I haven't found that I needed the keyboard that much.

[Jimbo]

Hey ARTIFACT    Great idea to start a Sketchup wiki!  I definitely wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Sketchup... and you're right: group everything!   I'm still finding some cool things you can do with the program (such as the "follow me" tool). It totally rocks!

Regarding keyboard drawer... I went for a bluetooth keyboard which will be stored in the ROOM where the cab is (along with the bluetooth mouse) ... this allowed me to NOT have to worry about designing, planning the space for, and building a working drawer that looked good. Just wanted to throw this in as a possible suggestion. Remember that you can map MAME menus to shift+button and navigate it using the joysticks. Personally I haven't found that I needed the keyboard that much.

Yep I considered going wireless/bluetooth, but decided on a drawer for a few reasons... firstly I found a nice small keyboard that I like , secondly I plan on playing all sorts of games on the cab, possibly including some text adventures, so having a keyboard handy right under the CP seemed a good idea, and thirdly it gives me a nice place to put the monitor remote control that came with my Hantarex Polo. Also, some amiga games play best with the mouse (such as one of my faves cannon fodder - can't see myself playing that with a trackball) so will be handy having that in a convenient ready to use place.

I'm also planning on mounting 4 usb2.0 ports between the keyboard drawer and coin door... this will give me ports to hand for extra controllers should I ever want/need them.  I've found a cool 4-port hub that will fit quite nicely if I cut a hole for it in the front panel (http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_57&products_id=887)
 pretty cheap too!

I'm no expert... but I currently have a logitech subwoofer hovering pretty darn close to an athlon 3600 in a wip bartop... no problems thus far lol 

Cool thanks... just wasn't sure if there would be any probs with magnetic interference etc.  Definitely gotta have a booming sub in the cab... especially for space invaders

jimbo

[arcadefever]

I've decided to try out my Sketchup skills

for sure you are better then me 
very nice design, good luck for the building 

[ARTIFACT]

how is the project?

[Jimbo]

Update coming soon!  I've got the monitor, and it now works (had the sync pins wired wrong).  Monitor looks AWESOME   I'll post pics soon.

Quick request for the sketchup page... If you could explain the differences between groups and components (in terms of what you can do with them, when to use which etc) that would be cool.   i.e. at the moment I am just using groups for everything, as that seemed the easiest way.  Also, any keyboard shortcuts you know would be handy too!

[Jimbo]

The sun was out today so there was no excuse not to start building the cab!   I wanted to get the monitor frame sorted today, so I concentrated on that.  Problem #1: how to cut a perfect(ish) circle out of ply... with just a jig (it's the only saw I have).  Well, I managed to get a bit of strong box strap/tape, which I stuck a nail through in the centre of the circle, and pinned it to the board. Then I pierced another hole into the other end, and held a pencil there while I drew the circle, with my makeshift compass   Worked great!  The box strap stuff was strong enough that it kept the pencil the exact distance from the centre of the circle.



Got a handy tip from a friend of mine to score where I'm gonna cut with a knife, before actually cutting, which saved the ply from splitting too much.



Once the circle was cut, I proceeded to cut out the hole for the monitor...



After this, I realised that 18mm ply is probably not gonna be strong enough to hold the 24kg weight of the 21" Polo I have (which is ace btw: did I say that already? ).  So I changed my plans a bit and decided to reinforce the frame with another bit of 18mm ply glued behind it... leaving enough room to place the 4 casters (I originally planned to have the casters on the "seat" frame (behind this one), but changed my mind today.





Wow... was a long day, and my arm is still vibrating from all the jigsawing I did.   The frame is now sitting in my garage overnight, clamped up allowing the glue to hold (helped by a few screws). Hopefully tomorrow I'll get time to update the Sketchup plans, and post the revised bits here for reference.  Might even get time to start on the "seat" frame for the monitor.

Fun fun fun!

Jimbo

[Jimbo]

Just had time today to cut the "seat" for the rotating monitor.  Using my Jig seemed a lot easier today... must be getting used to it!

First I used the box-strap method to measure out the circle...


Then I scored it with a knife, and cut it...


I've amended the sketchup project to account for the changes I've made, but I might need to make a few more, so I'll upload the revised plans a bit later on.

Jimbo

[Jimbo]

After a bit more tweaking with the jig, I managed to get the monitor to fit the frame nice and snug. There was always the danger that maybe I'd made the hole too big, but luckily I was ok. Me happy. Next up, screwing it onto the frame, sticking the casters on the back, and finishing the "seat" part.  Then I can test the rotation.

QUESTION for you:  Do you think it will be best to screw the monitor to the frame, or put bolts through it instead?  The frame is 36mm (just under 1 1/2") thick.



I'm glad I added the extra support layer to the back of the frame - its definitely strong enough now. Not sure it would have been with just 1x18mm sheet of ply.

Cheers

Jimbo

[javeryh]

QUESTION for you:  Do you think it will be best to screw the monitor to the frame, or put bolts through it instead?  The frame is 36mm (just under 1 1/2") thick.

I'd use bolts with large washers.  Monitors are heavy and I'd be afraid a screw would pop out especially since yours will be moving around quite a bit and constantly shifting weight (even though an inch and a half is a lot of material to screw into).

[csa3d]

I'd go for bolts.  All it takes is a tiny bump or something during installation and the monitor comes crashing out if the screws give.  My 2cents.

Good job on all that rotating stuff.  I wussed out and went LCD with mine.

-csa

[Jimbo]

Worked on the design a bit tonight... tweaked the control panel to sit much nicer, so it doesn't look like a "bolt on" anymore (although it's still removable)   Also tidied up the sides a bit by changing the shape slightly.  The coin door still needs adding in, and a few other bits and bobs, but its getting there!





@javeryh/csa3d:  Thanks for the advice on the bolts!  The other advantage of bolts is that if the monitor ever needs repairing it will be easier to get it out from the frame. 

[Jimbo]

Casters on and the frame fits the "seat" nicely!  The seat will be held in place by batons attached to the side of the cab, and it will sit securely on a solid base at the bottom/front (see earlier pics).  Next up:  Finishing the seat by adding the batons/casters to the bottom of it, and mounting the monitor to try out some real test rotations! 

This is so much more fun that I expected - building the cab.  Every time I do a new bit, I get even more excited





stay tuned for more coming soon...

[TheDriver]

Thing's look like they are going well, nice looking build.

[Jimbo]

Got the circular saw in action today, and made up the main bit of the monitor "base". First I cut myself a saw-board, but I didn't leave enough room on the top part for the clamps!!!  Note to anyone building a saw-board: LEAVE ROOM FOR THE CLAMPS!   I couldn't be bothered making up a new board today because I wanted to get onto cutting for real, so I made do.  I'll make another sawboard later.

I needed a 60x54x670mm block, so I glued 3x18mm and 1x6mm ply together to get the 60mm height I needed.  Here's it all clamped up and setting: -


Just to remind how this looks in the grand plan: -


Next up, a new sawboard , then adding the rest of the bits to the base (including casters). Then pending a successful rotation test, the building of the monitor frame should be finished!

[Mark70]

Is it too late to suggest some proportional changes to the top of your cab?

It has a lot of mass at the bottom, and the top is smallish.  Of course, that's based on my preferences which may not be similar to yours.

[ARTIFACT]

woooow

go go go!

[Jimbo]

Is it too late to suggest some proportional changes to the top of your cab? It has a lot of mass at the bottom, and the top is smallish.  Of course, that's based on my preferences which may not be similar to yours.

Hi! Yeah I was kinda thinking that myself actually... maybe I'll have a look at the top section again.  I originally based the shape on an old jamma cab I picked up years ago made by ElectroCoin, but this new design has a much larger base than the electrocoin one, so the top definitely could be bigger.  I'll load up sketchup and have a play around.

I haven't started building the cab's base/body yet, so any other design suggestions are more than welcome!

[Jimbo]

Rotation works!!!!!!!!!!    Hopefully it will work with the monitor bolted on too!

Horizontal...


...and vertical:

[shock_]

Rotation works!!!!!!!!!!  

From one manual rotater to another:     

This build is great.  You've convinced me to spend the time teaching myself Sketchup too.

Good stuff.

[theCoder]

Have you thought about using a motor to drive the rotation?  A soft rubber wheel mounted on a slow RPM motor might do the trick.  Just an idea.

Great progress.  Keep up the pace.  The rainy season is just around the corner.

[Jimbo]

This build is great.  You've convinced me to spend the time teaching myself Sketchup too.

Thanks!   Sketchup really is a great tool (I know I keep on saying it). You just have to persevere a bit at the start, and keep trying things... its *mostly* intuitive. In fact I've been delaying designing and building my cab until something like Sketchup came along

Have you thought about using a motor to drive the rotation?  A soft rubber wheel mounted on a slow RPM motor might do the trick.  Just an idea.

Hmm yeah would be nice.. I'd have no idea where to start though   There's quite a bit of space near the casters on the base, so maybe later I can look into putting a motor on there. Would be cool for sure.

Great progress.  Keep up the pace.  The rainy season is just around the corner.

Well, here in the UK it seems to rain when it feels like it (i.e. most of the time).  At the moment the garden is the only place I really have to work on the cab, but we're getting a garden shed soon, so I'll be clearing all the gardening tools from the garage and making a small "workshop" in there

I'm off to Japan on holiday on the 9th (wonder if they have a "Taito World" or somewhere cool like that I can visit?), so work on the cab will be on hold for a couple of weeks. I did get some more done today though - namely the "guard" to stop the monitor frame from slipping forward and off the casters: -

[Jimbo]

I can't decide on a name for my cab, to go in the marquee.  So far I have these as possibles: -

JIMBOZONE

@!#?&!   (from q-bert's speech for those few of you that might not know)

JB's  (my initials - this name is a take on my old local arcade "JG's")

BEHEMOTH

Arrgh I can't decide... any suggestions? 

[theCoder]

I can't decide on a name for my cab, to go in the marquee. ... Arrgh I can't decide... any suggestions? 

How about:
Roto Cab
Roto Nation
AC/DC  (swings both ways - sorry, bad joke)

[Jimbo]

heeeyyy. nice suggestions

How about "Swivel"?    I can see the marquee already.....

[Jimbo]

OK I'm back from holiday now so work will continue on the cab very shortly!

I've thought long and hard on a name and I have the following 3 on the shortlist:

JIMBO ZONE

RETROTATOR

MONOLITH  (this has something to do with some possible side art I'm planning - to be revealed shortly!)

[XyloSesame]

RETROTATOR

I love it... Or would that be RETROTATER?

I'm afraid that no one around me
Understands my RETROPOTATO
Guess I'm just a spudboy
Looking for that real tomato

[Neilyboy]

Rotation-Station..

awesome work man!! I cannot wait to see the final result!!

Neil

[Jimbo]

I love it... Or would that be RETROTATER?

Good question!  Looks like its rotatOR... http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rotator "A person or thing that rotates"

[Akuma]

Hey, looking pretty cool so far! Just one thing on my mind I'd like to ask: How are you gonna rotate the monitor's bezel? Open up the glass front and turn it manually?

[Anubis_au]

Hi Jimbo

Thanks for the excellent write-up of your rotating monitor setup... probably the most through I've seen yet. I will be following your build with great interest as I'm also planning a rotating setup in my cab.

I'd be interested to know if you get this thing motorised, as I reckon that would be the icing on the cake.

[Dire Radiant]

Ive been looking at this for a while trying to think what was bugging me and Ive just put my finger on it. Why is there that odd vertical bit between the top of the CP and the bottom of the glass? It looks a little awkward and wouldnt be necessary if you repositioned the monitor frame by an inch or two.

[psychotech]

Great project 

Nice rotator!

-----------------------

Ive been looking at this for a while trying to think what was bugging me and Ive just put my finger on it. Why is there that odd vertical bit between the top of the CP and the bottom of the glass? It looks a little awkward and wouldnt be necessary if you repositioned the monitor frame by an inch or two.

Come on, wouldn't it be cooler to break your fingers on solid wood instead of plexi playing all those trackball games? I like that vertical bit which could be used as an admin panel also...

.. nevermind


---
Also: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=70519.msg738380#msg738380
-----------------------

Keep up the good work Jimbo 

psychotech

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, I have a quick question on the diameters for your rotating setup...

What is the size of the circle the monitor rests on, and what is the size of the hole cut out of the bracket that supports the setup? I assume the hole is smaller in the bracket, but how much smaller?

[Jimbo]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the positive comments!   No more building as yet, but I have been tweaking the design a little, so building will continue shortly!.  Latest candidates for a name for the cab are: RETROTAUR (a play on RETROTOR), and FORK'EM OVER (something the Berzerk monster says on an episode of Futurama).  Hey I guess it doesn't matter too much what I call it until I'm ready to print the artwork...

Ive been looking at this for a while trying to think what was bugging me and Ive just put my finger on it. Why is there that odd vertical bit between the top of the CP and the bottom of the glass? It looks a little awkward and wouldnt be necessary if you repositioned the monitor frame by an inch or two.

Ah... yeah it had been bugging me too.. at first I thought it hides the bottom of the rotating monitor (the casters) but then as you said with a bit of tweaking I could get rid of it... basically my new design puts the monitor sitting slightly lower, and removes the odd vertical bit. It looks a lot sweeter now, so thanks for the idea!  I've also modified the top/sides of the cab so it doesn't look all bottom heavy.  I'm still making final tweaks but will post updated plans soon!

I'd be interested to know if you get this thing motorised, as I reckon that would be the icing on the cake.

The more I think about it the more I want it motorised, so I'm gonna pop down my local electrical store later and get some advice.  If I have it motorised it will solve the "how do I actually rotate this thing" issue   Currently my idea was to have small doors in the sides (which I didn't like much), so I'll definitely be investigating the motor idea.

Jimbo, I have a quick question on the diameters for your rotating setup... What is the size of the circle the monitor rests on, and what is the size of the hole cut out of the bracket that supports the setup? I assume the hole is smaller in the bracket, but how much smaller?

Yep, its smaller, enough for the casters to roll on.  The main monitor circle is 670mm diameter, and the bracket hole is 600mm diameter.  I'll definitely post the sketchup plans once they are finalised... not much point at the moment as I'm still tweaking.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

[Jimbo]

Well as I wrote in my last post that I'll post updated plans soon, I fired up sketchup and exported the latest plans.  Here's how its shaping up...



...compared to the first version:



Still a little more tweaking to do tho...

[Anubis_au]

The more I think about it the more I want it motorised, so I'm gonna pop down my local electrical store later and get some advice.  If I have it motorised it will solve the "how do I actually rotate this thing" issue

Jimbo, let us know how you get on with your research. I'm currently investigating how to motorise the rotation also, and will share any findings.

In my research I came across this site for a motorised monitor rotation. You may find it useful:

http://lillypad.4mg.com/lillypad/extraspad.html

The main thing that I get stuck on is how I would physically couple a motor with the rotating plate. The solution I linked above uses a caster wheel and seemed to work, but I wonder if it would have the grip to turn the circle... and then I thought, what about if the circle was routed and t-molding placed on it, then there would be rubber-rubber contact with the motor (assuming the same caster wheel "interface") - does anyone have an opinion on whether there would be enough friction there to enable the circular plate to be moved? Just thinking out loud here...

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, I like the new cab shape. The CP looks much nicer in the second design than in the original... my $0.02.

[danny_galaga]

very good, very good. anything with a rotating monitor gets my attention (",)

[hbm*rais]

Jimbo,

I like the previous design (28 august) better. The new one is an improvement on the first version, but I think the long curve at the sides of the monitor seem a little out of place. I like the straight lines and small radius curves of the second design.

Anyway, it's just my opinion.

Yours is one of the most interesting designs around here lately. Keep the good work.

[Jimbo]

OK, so no more building since last post because the only place I have to work on the cab is our garage, which is crammed full of shed panels for the next couple of weeks. Once the shed is put up, the garage is MINE and building can resume!

There's still been some progress though... Since I can't build right now, I thought I might as well try and improve the sketchup plans. Here's the latest design, which I *hope* will be the final one...


The cab's framework has also had a bit of attention: The monitor is now 100% supported by the timber frame (it was partially supported by the side panels up till now), the side panels have been tweaked, and the keyboard draw has gone. Although the timber frame may seem overkill, the rotating monitor is REALLY heavy, and I don't want to take any chances. At least it will be sturdy!

There's also been an advance in the "how the bloomin' hell am I gonna rotate this thing" dept. I've been toying with attempting to motorise the rotation (after a couple of suggestions by fellow BYOAC members) so I started a thread here to get some more advice (interesting reading!). In the end a mechanic friend of mine donated a 12V DC car power-window motor, so hopefully I'll be able to get that working using a rope/pulley system or a sprocket/cam-belt system.  I'll keep you posted as I progress. The immediate task for me is to get a 12V power supply, test the motor works, and sort out the electrics so I can rotate the monitor in both directions with a single push-button.

[Jimbo]

Quick update. I went to our local glassworks today and got a sample of their tinted glass. They do 2 types, one "bronze", and one "grey".  Unfortunately they didn't have a sample of the grey one but the bronze one looks pretty sweet when held up in front of my arcade monitor (see pics).  I'll be needing something around 28" square, which prompted them to say 6mm would be the recommended thickness, and that it would have to be toughened safety glass (the company's main trade is double glazing windows).

They'll be getting back to me with a price in a day or two. Hopefully they'll also have a sample of the grey tint.

Sorry for the quality of the pics, looks much better in real life

[hbm*rais]

It looks really great, but won't bronze shift the colors toward yellow or something? I think gray is normally used because is more "neutral".

I use 6mm gray glass on mine, the ordinary kind, not toughened or safety glass (not really needed in my case). It looks fantastic. I think you'll be very satisfied with the results.

[Jimbo]

Yeah I guess it might "bronzify" the colours a bit, but I don't currently have the grey sample to compare it with. I certainly didn't notice a yellowish tint when testing it out with my monitor earlier.

I'll wait till I've seen the comparison anyway before making a decision.

[theCoder]

You can always tweak your monitor settings if the colors are off.

[Anubis_au]

That tinted glass makes SUCH a difference...

Jimbo, where are you getting the glass cut / quoted?

[Jimbo]

Jimbo, where are you getting the glass cut / quoted?

Shepway Glass

I'll probably try and check out a few other places before committing tho.

[Jimbo]

That power window motor is turning out to be more trouble than its worth.  The casing is glued on, the circuitry is virtually impossible to get to, and so far I can't get an ounce of power out of it, plus it reeks of magnetism.  NEVER FEAR!  Today I ripped out the motor, trigger and direction switch from an old 12V electric drill I had hanging around.  This looks like it will work much better. Its a more convenient shape for mounting, it has the clamping part that I can connect the "spindle" to for rotating the monitor, it has a variable speed, enough power/torque, and a direction switch.  With the spindle attaching to the drill I'm thinking that maybe Cornchip's rope-pulley idea will now be the easiest to implement.

I'm going to try over the next few days to get it working with power and microswitches to limit the rotation in each direction to 90 degrees. I'll keep you posted as usual with lots of pics!

[ARTIFACT]

Go Jimbo!!!

The "ARTIFACT Game Museum" is doing great here, putting in the hours of play each day 
Checking your progress! Keep the pics coming

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, a slight thread hijack, if you'd indulge.

What size castors are you using with your rotating plate / seat system?

I ask, because here in Sydney, I've gone to the biggest hardware house (Bunnings) and the smallest castor wheels I've found have a total height of 64mm. The base plate was 67mm x 35mm in size.

You add that 64mm separation to 2x 18mm thick wood and that's a 10cm rotation mechanism... far too wide. From your pics, it seems your castor wheels are alot smaller than the ones I've found so far.

Alternately, can you remember where you got your castors from?

[Jimbo]

The castors I'm using are these.  The base plate is 45mm x 20mm, the total height is 35mm.  I'm sure you can find a smaller caster than the one you mentioned... maybe try some smaller local hardware stores?

Also, you mentioned 10cm rotation mechanism because of the added 2x18mm wood... on my frame I am only mounting the casters onto one piece of 18mm ply, and I cut round the 2nd piece so as to keep the "height" as small as possible (you can just see this in the pic).

[Anubis_au]

The 100mm of total depth for the rotating mechanism I mentioned was 18mm for the circular rotating plate, 18mm for the back plate, and 64mm for the separation with the best casdtors I've found so far. I did realise that you cut off the edge of the middle, second supporting plate so the separation was not increased.

The thing is, the castors you found in the UK have a total height of 35mm, almost HALF of the height for what I found here. I need to find smaller castors. In my cab, space is going to be at a higher premium than yours due to a smaller cab size. I'm going to keep on looking but I may end up ordering from your place in the UK, if it comes to it...

[superbigjay]

Hello Jimbo, have you look in the MAIN forum, there's a nice post on how to automate your screen rotation?
Jay 

[Jimbo]

@anubis:  ah yeah, I see what you're talking about now    If you can't get any smaller castors PM me and maybe I can send some over from the UK

@superbigjay:  thanks for the heads up - enlightening post!   I'll be reading up on the h-bridge stuff with relish!

[Anubis_au]

As I wrote elsewhere Jimbo, thanks heaps for the offer to send over some castors.

My mate is coming home from London for a friend's wedding in a fortnight, and he is bringing twelve of these castors (three packs of four) with him.

In the meantime, I'm using the dimensions you supplied to CAD the cabinet up.

Thanks again. Also, looking forward to seeing the latest progress with your build.

[Jimbo]

Progress update!

The garage is almost empty now, but I couldn't wait so started to cut some timber for the vertical frame.  Check out that space I have! Luuurvely!  The shed panel, bicycle and ladders should be gone in a few days so I'll have a bit more room soon.  Can't work outside after work anymore as its dark, wet and cold... ah the good old British winter!

I have the 4 vertical timber pieces for the frame all cut now, but just need to sand them down to exact size (I cut them slightly larger than my sketchup measurements).

Should also have some news on the motor/drill front soon.

Oh and I got a sample of the grey tinted glass at last.  It's slightly better than the bronze sample - it doesn't modify the screen colours as much, although its not that dark. Unfortunately they don't do a darker tint than the sample they gave me - and I'm not sure its dark enough for my liking, so I'll try and get some more samples from elsewhere.  At least I now know I want grey and not bronze.

That's it for now!

[Bender]

Could you use two peices of glass, or would that be too dark?

Great work with Sketch up
this project was one of the insparations for me learning skech up do layout my cab
Thanks!

[DaOld Man]

Great work Jimbo..
You are giving me many ideas for my rotating screen project.

 

[Jimbo]

The other half went to have her hair done tonight so I had some time for more building!

Worked on the frame tonight, got both sides done (apart from the diagonal bits that brace the monitor).  In the end, to keep the frame more sturdy and less susceptible to warping I decided to only use timber for the 4 legs - for everything else I've used 18mm ply.

First up, I clamped the legs together and sanded them to exactly the same length. As you can see, one of the legs needed quite a bit of sanding...


SIDE 1

After contemplating for a while how I was gonna keep the frame accurately proportional I decided the easiest way was to use the cab's plywood base as a guide for the legs. I used clamps and a large T-square to make sure both legs were at right angles to each other and the floor. Each leg was clamped to the exact edge of the base...


Aligning using the plywood base really helped and soon I had both braces glued and screwed...


SIDE 2

To ensure both sides were the exactly the same, I clamped the legs of side 2 to the first side, making sure everything lined up exactly...


The bottom brace glued and screwed, so on to the top one...


THE RESULT!

I clamped the 2 sides together to see how accurately matched they were, and they were virtually dead on!  Me happy! ...


I couldn't resist arranging the sides how they would be when done, and balancing the monitor frame on top of it.... It was a really cool moment actually standing in front of the real thing for the first time.  For the first time I could actually see and feel what its going to be like when its done!


More following soon!

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, looking good!!!

So what's the first game you will play when the cab's complete?

[Jimbo]

So what's the first game you will play when the cab's complete?

Hmm I think I'll be playing games on the cab waaay before its complete.   First game will probably be Flying Shark, my favourite!

A little more work on the cab tonight. I wanted to get the top of the frame's legs cut so that I could insert the vertical monitor/cp support piece when I fully assemble the frame. You can see what I mean in the following pic...


So first off I clamped the two sides together and marked where I wanted to cut.  I needed a recess of 50mm deep and 18mm wide (the monitor support piece is 18mm ply)...


Using my sawboard and circular saw I set it to the maximum depth (it wasn't deep enough but I'll get to that). Here you can see the first edge cut and all aligned to cut the second edge...


After they were cut I was left with this....


So with the aid of my electric drill and a coping saw, I cut out the remaining timber to the 50mm depth....


I cut the width slightly less than 18mm because I want the support piece to sit tight and snug... when I come to "fit" it, I'll sand it down until it fits right, then screw it in from the front.

Might get some more done at the weekend!

[Jimbo]

More work on the frame today... its nearly done now

First off I got the bottom panel of the cab's back in place (the bit where I will be placing a couple of intake fans). I clamped together the top and middle ends of the frame so I knew it would be accurate and "square"...


Next up, I turned the frame over and glued/screwed the middle back brace - again using a clamped brace at the top to ensure squareness...


Attaching the base came next. I figured this would be a good starting point for adding the brace just under where the CP will go...


Once the base was on, the casters were next!...



After adding the front CP brace it was all looking good so far! ...


The next bit was a pain. The gaps I left for the vertical monitor supports weren't wide enough, so after trying to sand it for a while (hmmmmm...) I got fed up and used a hacksaw to "open the wound" so the support panel would fit...


After a couple of other small panels were attached, I finally called it a day. Lots done today but still loads to do. I'm really glad and relieved that the frame didn't end up wonky. It really pays to measure twice and keep everything as accurate as you can!


More soon!

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, looking awesome!!! Can't wait for the next installment.

[Jimbo]

A little bit more progress!  I cut out the holes for the bolts then attached the monitor to the circular frame...


Next I sat the rotating monitor on the cab's frame and checked that the cab is deep enough (I was scared it wouldn't be but I should put more faith in Sketchup!) It fits nicely... 


The last bit of the frame to do was the 45 degree angled monitor supports/braces...


I put one more brace across the top/back of the frame to keep it square and sturdy. Here's the latest full-shot pics:


The coin mech/door arrived today from Ultimarc, along with 2 x U360s. I've also bought 2 quiet 120mm fans for airflow and a small 4-port USB2 hub to mount to the front of the cab under the control panel.  I'm going to play around with the U360s and try the circular restrictor plate and harder spring. I'm not one for long throws as I don't play a lot of fighters, but I'll see what feels best.

More soon....

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, that looks awesome! So cool to see it taking shape.

[Jimbo]

My aim today was to attach the CP seat, get the top and bottom bits of the monitor unit done (so that its ready to accept the glass), and I wanted to get the cab's front panel mounted.

First off, the CP seat (swappable CPs will sit on this, attached by bolts with wingnuts tightened underneath)...


Next, to complete the rotating monitor unit construction, I used some jointing clamps (very useful!!) to secure the top piece, and a piece of beading for the bottom piece. The glass will rest on these (tinted of course )...


Since I got the coin door and my little 4-port mini USB2 hub, I wanted to get the front panel mounted.  I needed to cut out the top bit with a jig so it sits flush with the CP base...


Nice and snug ...


I used the jigsaw a lot today!  When cutting the hole for the USB hub that sits just under the CP, I got a bit trigger happy on the jig (must be all the excitement I guess) and overran the edge of the rectangle. Oh well, another bit to fill before painting..


Finally got to try out my router!!! I bought this SEVEN YEARS ago (that's how long I've been planning to build this thing!). It's pretty cool... I tried it out on some scrap plywood first. Basically there wasn't enough room for the USB lead to connect to the hub, so I routed 5mm or so and all was good...


One more hole to cut: the coin door!  This was pretty straightforward... more jigging (scoring first with a knife really helped prevent splitting the top layer of ply)...


Damnit I want to play on this thing already!!


Next up is the side panels, and the motor for the monitor rotation. Stay tuned!

[Jimbo]

Went to B&Q today and got the plywood for the cab's side panels. If I could get both side panels cut today then I'd be happy!

I figured the easiet way to measure and cut the first panel was to lay it flat and lay the cab frame sideways on top of it. This way I had a physical guide as well as my sketchup dimensions - just for a sanity check to make sure I didn't make any wrong cuts.  2 clamps were enough to keep it solid while I measured the outline for side 1...


The protractor came in handy for ensuring I was cutting the top part of the sides at the correct angle, and I used a compass for all the curved corners...


I scored the entire traced outline with a knife before cutting. The jigsaw saw a lot of action today!


Once the first side was cut I clamped it to the second piece of ply and traced around the edges with a pencil, before scoring and cutting...


With the sides on (they're just clamped on here temporarily) I'm starting to get a feel for what the finished product is going to look like!


I still have to sand the 2 sides to make sure they are exactly the same, so I'll probably do that tomorrow.  The cab needs to be "take-apart-able" so right now I'm thinking of using bolts to attach the side panels, and using dowels/velcro to attach the top pieces (speaker/marquee panels)... unless someone can suggest something better...?

I never thought it would be such fun building a cab... although I am getting impatient to get it finished.  I keep telling myself 'one step at a time'.  I'm happy I'm making good progress though... and so far *touch wood* no major hiccups!! 

[javeryh]

Nice job!  If you have access to a router and a flush or pattern bit you can make an exact copy in 5 minutes with no sanding necessary!   

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo

Nice progress. The cab's really coming together, and it's looking damn good.

Can't wait to see how you do the motorised rotation.

I definately need to get cracking on my cab!!

[Jimbo]

Nice job!  If you have access to a router and a flush or pattern bit you can make an exact copy in 5 minutes with no sanding necessary!   

Thanks a lot   Damnit I wish I'd known about that before cutting!  Oh well, I'm new to this router stuff... you learn something every day!

Nice progress. The cab's really coming together, and it's looking damn good.

Can't wait to see how you do the motorised rotation.

I definately need to get cracking on my cab!!

Cheers Anubis... Will hopefully have some news on the motor soon...  and YES!  Please hurry getting on with your cab!!  I want to see it!!

[Jimbo]

I had a spare half an hour or so at lunch time today so I drilled the holes in the side panels and attached them to the cab's frame using coach bolts.  One of the requirements of the cab is that it can be moved easily, so I've decided not to glue/screw the side panels. These 12mm coach bolts are pretty cool looking once they are on. I got some large washers to protect the wood, and I needed to buy a 12mm 'flat wood bit' for cutting the holes. The router also got some use today, routing out the square bit at the top of the bolts so they sat nice and snug on panel face.


Here's the first side panel done and attached...


And here's some shots of both panels bolted on...


There will be another bolt at the top once I get the marquee/speaker panels done, and I'm toying with whether to put one on the sides of the control panel too - although this will make it a bit more of a pain to swap panels, so I'm not sure yet.

Oh, and I ordered the marquee retainers today!

[javeryh]

I can't really tell from the pics but please say you are countersinking the bolts and not leaving the tops exposed.  You can drill down about 1/8" or whatever the thickness of the heads are and then fill the gaps with wood putty, sand until smooth and paint over it.  It would be a shame to have all of the heads exposed (even if you do paint them to match the sides).

Looking good though!!   

[Jimbo]

Hi javeryh

Thanks for the feedback!

To be honest, I never even thought about countersinking the bolts - I just thought they might look kinda cool on the finished cab (depending on the theme of course).  If I were to countersink them, are you suggesting that I glue them to the side panels, so the only moving parts are the washer and nut (on the inside)?  The reason for bolts in the first place was because I can foresee having to move the cab around a fair bit, so the sides coming off easily is a major plus in that respect.  And please excuse my ignorance... I've never done this kind of thing before!

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, are you saying the side panels have to come off to fit this cab through a standard door?

[Jimbo]

Not exactly, no.  It's 28" wide, the doors in my house are 29" wide... We're doing up our house though, and in the future it may need to go upstairs, and for that to happen, the sides will definitely need to come off.

[Jimbo]

Today's task was to get the top panel on the cab, along with mounting the marquee light! Again, because I want the cab to be easily taken apart and put back together I decided to use bolts instead of glues/screws.  This time, the bolts are going through the top of the panel, rather than the cab's sides. To do this I attached a baton onto each side panel, then drilled through from the top...


With the top panel done, I could easily add the panel for the marquee light!


Stuff left to do before painting: back panels and speaker shelf.

2 questions:-

- What do you guys do for catching all the inserted coins? Do you build some sort of "coin bucket" or do you just stick a cardboard box in the bottom of the cab?

- I'm looking for a good sounding 2:1 speaker system (w/woofer), that has a headphone port (that kills main speakers when headphones attached), and has the volume control on a remote lead (so I can mount it on top of the cab).  Anyone have any recommendations?

Cheers! 

[superbigjay]

Hello Jimbo!

your project is looking good 

- What do you guys do for catching all the inserted coins? Do you build some sort of "coin bucket" or do you just stick a cardboard box in the bottom of the cab?

In my cas, I bought an used over/under coin door from happ.  It comes with a platic bucket that can hold roughly 4000 quarter.
You can basically used any kind of container/box to do this...

- I'm looking for a good sounding 2:1 speaker system (w/woofer), that has a headphone port (that kills main speakers when headphones attached), and has the volume control on a remote lead (so I can mount it on top of the cab).  Anyone have any recommendations?

I'm using Logitech Z2300 speaker and I am pretty satisfied with their performance.
They are certified THX and can supply 200W RMS of power 


The cab is located in the living room and I never crank the volume more than 50%...

Jay

[Jimbo]

superbigjay... cheers for the suggestions, I've sent you a PM.

I got the rear/top angled panel done today (does it have a name??). Again, I'm using bolts to secure the panel rather than glue/screws.  First off, I glued the batons to the side panel (same process as the cab's top panel in the previous post)...


Once the batons were glued and screwed, I drilled the holes for the bolts and hey presto, the panel fits nice!  I had to do an angled cut on the bottom edge of the panel so it sits 90 degrees flush to the "soon to be built" back panel...



Marquee retainers came today. Oh, and I ordered the grey (not the bronze) tinted glass for the monitor today. I should have it by the end of the week!

Oooh and I almost forgot: T-molding samples came (free - courtesy of a guy who sells them on ebay in the UK).  Looks like my 18mm ply will go better with the 11/16 molding rather than the 3/4 inch - in fact the 11/16 only just overlaps the edges.

There will be a post soon regarding the theme, artwork, and name of the cab, so stay tuned!

Oh, and there's been progress with the motorised monitor rotation too.. more details soon!

[bfauska]

There will be a post soon regarding the theme, artwork, and name of the cab, so stay tuned!

Oh, and there's been progress with the motorised monitor rotation too.. more details soon!

TEASE.   

[Anubis_au]

Oh, and there's been progress with the motorised monitor rotation too.. more details soon!

Metaphorically speaking, that's the money shot for me

[Franco]

Theres nothing better than looking at a quality constructed cab and yours screams Chippendale to me 

(and no, not ghey strippers or cartoon vermin before anyone asks!  )

[Jimbo]

Hi again!  Thanks for all the positive comments! 

Had a good few hours working on the cab today!   Only a few more bits of construction left now, then its sanding/painting time! Today I got the lockable back panel and top air vents done, and made a start on the speaker shelf.

Got my locks from Andy at Ultimarc, but could find no fixing instructions so I made it up as I went along. It was pretty easy in the end. I drilled with a 19mm flat bit, then routed out a bit for the tiny mounting plate that comes with the lock. Check out my messy routing! Damnit I'm good!


Nice and snug on the visible side...


Latch on the inside...


The lock went on the top of the back panel, and I'm keeping the panel on by attaching a small ridge that hangs over the bottom edge and keeps the panel from sliding off...


Next up, I cut 3 exhaust vents in the top/angled panel again using my 19mm flat bit for the rounded corners, and my jig for the straight bits.  Alright so they're not 100% straight but its good enough for me!


So the back of the cab is finished pending 2 x 12mm intake fans at the bottom, but I'll wait till I know where the motherboard is being placed before I cut holes for those...


OK, I'm giving away a hint about the cab's theme here... For the speaker shelf I'm going to cut the speaker grills into shuriken stars.   I drew the design out on paper, made a template, then drew then onto the shelf from that...


The cab's gonna be black, with red t-molding, and I'm thinking small red borders around the shuriken speaker holes to help them stand out.

Other stuff that's happened over the past few days...

- Tinted monitor glass should arrive tomorrow!
- I have the primer and black varnish to paint the cab with!
- I've ordered my 2.1 speakers: Logitech X-210 (handy remote volume and headphone socket)
- Fellow BYOAC member Franco is helping me out with a custom drill-bit to drive the motorised monitor rotation

Finally, done a bit of research on what to use for a computer. I want a dedicated sound card, as I hate on-board sound.  I've looked at the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy SE PCI but it's 7.1 and may be overkill for my 2.1 setup - but I can't find much less than that!

Anyone have recommendations for sound cards that are good with mame/emulators?

More soon...

Cheers 

[Franco]

Glad to be able to help 

So i see you got of your arse and did something in the end then this afternoon  (which is more than can be said for me to be honest!) 

Anyways, its all looking good bud, loving the shuriken stars 

[Anubis_au]

So, we are all wondering... is it a Shinobi or Shadow Dancer theme for the cab?

Looking good Jimbo...

[Santoro]

looking nice! 

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the comments guys, its keeping me keen!  Nope, its not a Shinobi or Shadow Dancer theme, its a custom theme, not based on a particular game. All will soon be revealed!

Painting time today! I made a start on the cab's front (not the sides yet as I haven't grooved for t-molding, and not the removable panels yet either)...

First off, I filled all the screw holes, and a few other bits that needed it, like the cutout for the usb hub where I went a little jig-crazy...


After a good sand, I applied 2 coats of waterbased coloured varnish primer with a foam brush, lightly sanding between coats. This stuff dries in an hour and doesn't smell at all. It didn't take long to get the front panel primed and ready for the black top coat...


I used a foam brush again for the top coats (no brush or roller marks! ).  3 coats of black satin waterbased coloured varnish. I didn't sand between coats, but instead rubbed it down with a scouring pad.

First coat drying (took about an hour)...


All done. Very happy with the results!


Now I can fit the coin door and the USB ports!

Monitor glass didn't arrive, but speakers did and they sound great   I'll probably mount the remote volume control (and headphone socket) under the control panel with Velcro. Also bought a SB Audigy SE PCI card for sound. I'm gradually getting all the PC bits in.

If I get time tomorrow I'll paint everything else apart from the side panels as I don't yet have the slot cutting bit for my router, and I want to rout for t-molding before painting them.

Stay tuned!

[Namco]

Wow, after seeing the mannequin in the background, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see what you come up with the design! I can't imagine what you have in mind, but it must be a doozey! I just hope you have a female dummy laying around back there somewhere.   

[Jimbo]

LOL yeah, the mannequin... unfortunately that's not part of the design... except maybe I could mount one of the arms and get it to pop out and ask for coins to play

Anyway, quick update:

Speaker holes cut! I think they're gonna look wicked when all painted up.

Received the custom drill spindle to help with the rotation of the monitor (thanks Franco ). So far I'm heading towards the rope pulley system (first suggested by Cornchip). If you look at the attached pic you can see what I've got planned. I'm planning on using a slot-cutting bit and routing a groove all around the edge of the circular frame, this is where the string will sit, and  (hopefully) prevent it from falling off during rotation. To enable the frame to turn I plan to glue part of the string to it (again see pic).

The idea with the pulley system is that as one end of the string winds up, the other unwinds. I'm hoping this will all work fine and the motor/string will be powerful enough to turn the 21" crt... I guess we'll see!   If anyone can see any potential problems with this setup, please let me know!   Someone I know is helping with the motor circuit, and I'll hopefully have that back in a few days so will post more info and pics soon.

Other stuff...  ordered t-molding   Still getting computer bits, monitor glass still not arrived (hopefully today/tomorrow).  It's all slowly coming together!

I should be starting the control panel soon... just reading up on the LED Wiz... not sure I can resist having illuminated buttons!

[Anubis_au]

Hi Jimbo

Interesting mechanism for the rotation you've come up with. It may just work. All I'd be worried about would be the cord fraying from friction against the rotating plate over time. What sort of cord are you thinking of using?

Anyway, looking forward to the next installment.

[bfauska]

Looks like a functional plan. The cord shouldn't actually be subject to any friction, it isn't running across anything, the disk and string move together. If there's friction it will be at the spindle if the string rubs against cheeks. I don't think it'll be a problem though.

[DaOld Man]

looks good..
You may want to use nylon string, very hard to break.
How do you plan to control the motor?

[Cornchip]

   Projects looking great. 

  You might want to look for Nylon for your choice of rope/cord. It has a little stretch to it. If your rope doesn't wind up evenly (over laps) your setup will need to have some compliancy. What feeds off one side has to wrap back on the other (that means the rope in between is at a fixed length....and one overlapped pulley might cause a 'side loading' that could damage your drill mount).

   Having thought of this....a pulley (left and right handed) with a threaded groove would prevent this from happening (if it's even a problem).

 Cornchip

[Jimbo]

Hey all,

I'm gonna go see if I can get hold of some nylon string... thanks for the suggestion! Part of me is excited about trying out the rotating monitor, and part of me is dreading it, incase something goes wrong and I have to go back to square one!  I'll keep you all posted as I progress.

In the mean time, I've managed to fit the speaker shelf using tee-nuts and bolting from behind, so the front/visible side of the shelf has no bolts showing...


Also, the tinted monitor glass finally arrived.  Looks nice




I think I'm going to make a coin bucket to sit under the coin mech. Apart from that I'm ready to rout for t-molding and paint the rest of the cab.  Should hopefully get that done this week then I can move the cab indoors and start building the computer and the control panel.

Really looking forward to building the cp!

More soon...

[Havok]

Looks great so far!

 

[Jimbo]

Its been a busy few days here, but managed to get a bit more done!  I bought a new router (the previous £9.99 one I had from B&Q finally died on me) and managed to get hold of the slot-cutting bits, so was good to go on cutting the groove for t-molding.

First up, I clamped the two side panels together and sanded a bit to get them the same (in future I'll know to use a flush trim bit for cutting the sides!).  You'll notice the small bar I attached for the monitor glass to sit on.. I figured it would make it more safer, and it actually makes installing and removing the glass much easier...


So I unpacked the router (ooh its nice) and fit the slot-cutting bits, then made a test cut on an 18mm bit of spare ply and hammered in a sample of t-molding just to make sure everything was ok. The measuring guides on my router are great, and really helped me to get a centre cut on the edge of the wood.


Routing the groove was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be!  Just a case of guiding the router along the perimeter of the panels.  5 mins later, both sides done!


For the rotating monitor setup I'm attempting, I needed to cut a groove for some nylon string to wrap around the circular frame that the CRT sits in. As I only had a 1.5mm slot-cutting bit I made two cuts so the resulting width of the groove is 3mm. Hopefully that will be wide enough...


The other bit of work I got done was painting the red borders on the "shuriken" ninja star-shaped speaker grills.  Since I'm pretty clumsy with my hands sometimes I enlisted the wife's help... She first drew a pencil mark about 4mm wider than the edges of the grills...


We used some red enamel plasti-kote paint (from B&Q)...


It all went smoothly and I think the end result looks great, and will go nicely with my red t-molding (which just turned up today btw)


Other stuff... I painted the outside of the side panels (after routing for t-molding) and now I just have to paint the inside of the panels and I can move the cab indoors (hooray!).

More coming up in the next few days hopefully!

Cheers 

[Havok]

Nice detail on the speaker openings - any plans to put mesh behind it, or are you leaving it open?

[Jimbo]

T-molding on!  It was a pain to put on - some of the varnish had leaked over the side panel and dripped into the groove in places - but I managed it in the end!  Now all the main construction and painting work is done I've moved it into its "home" indoors, and finally got to see it in decent light!

Still to do: -

- add mesh to speaker grills and rear top exhaust vents (cheers for suggestion Havok!)
- cut holes and mount intake fans on bottom rear panel
- build control panel!
- finish artwork and send off to get printed
- mount speakers/marquee light
- build PC (i have all the bits now)
- probably lots of other bits I can't think of right now

 

[shardian]

Excellent work on your project.

I do have one small complaint though - it breaks my heart you make such an awesome cab, and then don't go with an arcade authentic coin door.

Still, it looks great.

[Jimbo]

Hmm yeah, bit late now I suppose... but I remember before I couldn't find a decent looking one in the UK, plus the one I bought can accept virtually any coin which I thought might come in useful.

[Franco]

Good work buddy

Shame I didnt know you a couple of months before, you could have had my 4 player over under door. 

Still looks the nuts tho 

[DaOld Man]

This project is looking great!
I like the speaker openings.. cool idea.
On my first project, I got paint in the t molding slots too, it was a real pain to install the t molding in those clogged spots.
My brother had a great idea for that for our second project. We cut narrow strips of thin cardboard, from 12 pack coke can cartons.
We then inserted the strips in the slots when we primed and painted. It worked out great, just dont leave the strips in the slots overnight. They may get stuck..

(Edited spelling)

[Jimbo]

Great idea on the cardboard to prevent paint getting into the t-molding groove... now if only I'd have thought of that!

The last few days has seen various bits and pieces done on the cab.  First off I wanted to hide the monitor's metal frame. In this pic you can only see the bottom edge - that's due to me taking a bad picture!


...so I bought a few sheets of 3mm thick black craft foam (called "Funky Foam" in Cross's) and cut them into 4 arc-shaped pieces then attached Velcro and stuck them onto the circular frame holding the monitor.  I did it this way as it means it will be easy to take out the monitor in the future should it need repairing...


All attached and the frame is completely hidden under the tinted glass!


Another small job I did was attaching the speakers to the speaker panel. Again, velcro was my friend!   I used some cheapo aluminium mesh, spray-painted it black, then velcro'd it to the panel, then put velcro on the speakers.  Works a charm.


I started work on the control panel at last!  First job was to make the box (I still have to drill holes in the bottom to attach to the cab and allow cables to pass through)...


I spent quite a bit of time designing the control panel. Although I designed the cab to have swappable panels, I still want one panel to play most games. I'll make other "dedicated" panels later.

I went for the following controls on the "main" panel: -

2 x Ultimarc U360s
6 x black pushbuttons per player
P1 and P2 start buttons
PAUSE and EXIT red admin buttons
2 x TT2 Spinners from Groovy Game Gear, with Token tops and 5" detachable Mini-racer wheels
1 x 3" Happs Trackball (red translucent - I plan to illuminate it)

I placed the spinners on a 30 degree angled panel at the front of the CP. They are directly between the joystick and buttons, and on my test panel they didn't seem to get in the way.  I'll be putting artwork on the top of the panel, and on the angled section and on the front.  The artwork on the top of the panel will be covered by 4mm plexi (you can see in the diagrams I am routing out for the controls and the plexi).


On to building it!  First I drew out the plans on the top panel...


Then drilled the holes for the buttons, joysticks and trackball...


That's as far as I got with the CP so far, but will hopefully get it fully built and wired up over the next week.  The last thing I did was to tweak both U360 sticks. I decided I like the stronger spring, the longer shaft and the round restrictor plate to limit the throw.  I swapped the orientation of the PCB also, as I'm mounting the joysticks vertically rather than horizontally...


More soon!

[DaOld Man]

Great job...
Frickin' sweet..
 

[Jimbo]

Quick update... this project is not forgotten!  I'm just waiting on my GGG order

 

[javeryh]

Looks great so far.  When you get around to your rotating monitor setup - specifically interfacing the motor with the computer and your front end as well as placement of the stop switches please please please go into as much detail as possible and try your best to keep the explanations simple.  I have been reading a ton of threads around here and none of it makes much sense to me.

Keep up the great work!   

[Franco B]

Cracking work mate  (I feel a bit like Wallace saying that!)

I bet the temptation is there to chuck a couple of buttons in there and haphazardly wire it up whilst you are waiting on your other parts just for test *cough* purposes. 

[bfauska]

This project is looking great!
I like the speaker openings.. cool idea.
On my first project, I got paint in the t molding slots too, it was a real pain to install the t molding in those clogged spots.
My brother had a great idea for that for our second project. We cut narrow strips of thin cardboard, from 12 pack coke can cartons.
We then inserted the strips in the slots when we primed and painted. It worked out great, just dont leave the strips in the slots overnight. They may get stuck..

(Edited spelling)

That is a clever idea, just be sure not to use Pepsi boxes, not that they wouldn't work, but I can't think of anything good to do with the cans that come inside the box... dump them out and recycle them I guess. 

On a serious note, everything is looking great. I am interested to see how you like the spinners mounted there for non-steering-wheel games. It seems like they should be nice and out of the way, but the angle may be uncomfortable for extended play times.

[Jimbo]

It's been a while so here's an update. I've been busy as hell these last few weeks, but managed to find time to work a bit more on the cab....

First off I cut holes and routed out for the 2 x 120mm PC case fans that I wanted to mount on the cab's bottom back panel. Word of advice to other first time builders: Don't do what I did and just 'assumed' it would be easy to cut and rout the holes out after the cab was built. Bad idea.  I had real problems fitting the router inside the cab, and only just had enough room to make the cuts. Trouble was, at the start I didn't really know which fans I would be using, but on my next project (don't tell the wife ) I'll figure all the little things like this out before I cut a single piece of wood!

The two fans I chose (link) are quiet as a mouse. I am running them at 7V, using the special voltage divider cables that came with them. Running at 12V was a little too loud, but 7V is lovely One of the fans blows right onto the processor, and the other keeps the internal HD running at a nice temperature. Processor is running at a cool 30 degrees, and the PC is virtually silent when the cab is switched on, so I'm very happy.

As you can see, not much space for my router in there (checkout the lovely accurate edges too, lol). You can see I also cut holes for the kettle plug connector, and the RJ45 network plug...


Yay, they fit lovely!


I bought some 99p black plastic fan guards for the outside too. Bargain!


Moving on, I next had to do my FIRST EVER bit of soldering! I bought an Intellipanel (which is fantastic btw), mounted it to the inside of the cab, cut the plug off the end, and wired it up to a kettle-plug connector.  It ain't pretty, but it works!  In hindsight I think all I was missing was some slightly larger heatshrink; I had to cut a small slit in the ends of the stuff I had so it would fit round the larger mains cables...


I also wanted to have the cab turn on through a pushbutton on the top of the cab, so as I was getting a bit cocky and fresh with the soldering iron, I wired up a pushbutton to the POWER-SW lead that connects to the motherboard.  Bingo - the cab's power is now all controlled through a single button.


Next, on to the control panel.  I found a good deal on ebay for 4 x 50-pin SCSI extension cables, so I cut one in half (one half connects to the IPAC-4 [P1,P2,P3] and the other half will connect to the controls inside the control panel. THANK GOD the cables inside were colour coded!   It took me a while to wire up the IPAC-4 to the cable, and I still have another cable to go (which will connect to P4 on the IPAC along with all connectors on the OPTIPAC I have. I'll be mounting both the IPAC and OPTIPAC inside the cab very soon...


I finally got the CP lid fully built, with the angled bit on the front that houses the 2 x TT2 spinners. I've actually got the plexi cut for the CP top too (with a nice bevelled bit around the trackball hole), but its at a friends right now who is using it as a template for the artwork. Today I finally test-mounted all the controls and I'm very pleased the spinners don't get in the way of the joysticks or buttons. The angle of them feels comfortable, but time will tell whether they will be fine for extended play. I stood there for a good 10 minutes though and felt no discomfort, so that's promising at least...


The mini-racers ROCK!   I'm SO GLAD I mounted them at a slight angle, it really does make all the difference.  I've also got enough room to reach all the buttons, and even work the joystick, so its smiles all around!


Other bits and bobs... I've cut holes in the top panel for the power-on pushbutton, volume control, and monitor controls (for the Hantarex Polo/3), and mounted all the stuff with velcro which works great.  I'll be re-cutting the rotating monitor wheel the way DaOld Man did it (good stuff mate) so it rotates smoothly (I really made a pigs ear of it with my jigsaw).  Marquee artwork almost finalised, so will get that printed very soon. CP artwork being designed as we speak by a good friend of mine - will post pics soon.

[Jimbo]

Here's the finalised marquee design!  Just have to get it printed now!

[Franco B]

Looking good buddy 

[bfauska]

That's coming along nicely. Those wheels look like they should be great fun.

I swear I've read this whole thread, but just now reading your last post I decided that your from Europe and it surprised me, I don't think I'd noticed before. I love the subtle differences in word choice around the world. It's always funny to think that the everyday slang that I use is so different from what other people in the world say, even within the same language. Where are you from? AND... any more progress, you're getting so close, you've probably finished it up and haven't stopped playing long enough to share with us.

[Jimbo]

Ah yes, the good old English slang... Sometimes I'm writing something how I'd say it and wonder if any of you guys will actually understand what I'm talking about.   Anyway, I'm from Kent in England, where it rains a lot!

Still not finished the cab yet, but getting closer slowly.  I got the marquee printed at a local printers for £10.  The assured me the "backlit" paper they were printing on was the best quality stuff and would definitely be what I'd want, so I went with it.  Result: It looks nice with the light off, but when its illuminated, it looks like poo - all grainy and the light shines through too much.  That'll teach me for not asking to see an example before getting them to print it.  I think I'll email mamemarquees, get them to have a look at my design, and see how long they'll take to print and ship over here.

[thatitalian]

Kent you say!? I used to live in Canterbury! But now in London. (It also rains here.... lol)

Looking good my firend! I know a bit about the artwork side and trust me, the local printers says "yeah it will be fine" because they never print for an arcade machine.

Mamemarquees have arcades in mind, so they know what people want!

BTW, anyone else form the UK? Maybe we should do a UK meet up!?

[cmoses]

Any updates on this project?  How are the mini racers working out? 

[Jimbo]

Hey there...  I've been bogged down with work the last few weeks, so nothing much done.  Hopefully this week I'll get round to wiring up the control panel tho.  I'm itching to get going, just have to find the time!  As soon as I have something to show, it'll be on here!

[Anubis_au]

BTW, anyone else form the UK? Maybe we should do a UK meet up!?

G'day boys. I've been living in London for five months or so now. I've also been a bit quiet on the BYOAC front in that time.

You wanna organise some kind of meet-up, I'm in...

[Anubis_au]

Jimbo, how's the monitor rotation setup going? Do you have a finalised design yet?

[thatitalian]

I'm in for a meet up!

Minwah? Franco? Lettuce? Andy?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=79306.0

[Jimbo]

Well its been nearly 4 months since my last post, and a lot has happened! First off, I became a Dad for the first time! Little Luke was born in August, and has totally changed our lives (for the better, of course!) and that's the main reason for things taking longer than normal. That said - I've still got a fair bit done on the cab over the past weeks, so here's an update...

OK to recap: I'm building a swappable control panel system. I'm putting an I-PAC4 and an Opti-PAC inside the cab, and running from them 2 x 50pin SCSI cables up to the CP. Also running to the CP are a +12v/+5v power lead (from PC PSU, with a molex connector on the end) and a USB cable. This means each CP I want to build (I currently only have one) should have everything it needs, although I may upgrade later to one of Ultimarc's U-HID boards.

I screwed in some PCB mounting feet for the I-PAC and Opti-PAC inside the cab's front panel, right under where the CP will sit. They were a bugger to mount in such an enclosed space. Note to self: think about these things earlier next time...


Then I mounted both boards - I-PAC on the left, Opti-PAC on the right. As I'm using 2 x 50pin SCSI cables, I couldn't give the I-PAC its dedicated cable (too many connectors). Instead the first 3 players are connected to SCSI cable 1, and player 4 and the Opti-PAC are connected to SCSI cable 2. All the tiny individual SCSI leads are labelled and colour coded, so its still just as easy to connect up at the CP end...


I also wired up the coin mech to the I-PAC. It was a bit fiddly getting the "template" coin to sit in place, and I had a switch set wrong on the door for a while, so it wasn't working as expected, but I got there in the end...


Here in the top left, you can see the coin mech's zener diode, along with my ridiculously neat wiring. Lights on the I-PAC indicate all systems go!


I clipped all the wiring from the interfaces and the coin mech to the PC along the inside frame of the cab. Basically there's USB, PS2 and power leads there.  Man am I glad I bought a good modular PSU, all those extra power cables came in real handy! The white lead you see going out of the cab is for my temp keyboard, which I've now replaced with a small black bluetooth one from Keysonic (which rocks!).



OK, here you can see where I cut holes in the CP base for the leads to pop through. You can also see I'm attaching the CP to the cab using 4 bolts, held in place underneath with wingnuts for easy swapping of panels.


And here's underneath... The plywood splintered when I drilled the holes for the bolts so I'll clean that up later. Kinda wish I'd drilled them before painting the cab. Another note to self.


To run power to the CP I built a cable and that connects to one of the 12V and 5v molex connectors from my PC's PSU. The top cable you see here is the one going from the PC to the CP, the bottom one is for inside the CP. For each CP I make, I'll need one of the bottom ones if I want to run 12V or 5V power to it.


Through the right-hand-side hole in the CP base, I pass through one of the SCSI cables, the USB cable, and the power cable...

Through the left-hand-side hole I'm passing the other SCSI cable.

Now to the wiring up of my first CP itself.  I mounted a small non-powered 4-port USB hub in the back right, which the USB cable feeds directly into. This will power the 3 USB devices in the panel (2 x U360s and the TT2 spinner interface board). One port spare


Round the front edge of the panel, I've mounted the TT2 spinner board. Damn those USB cables were long!


Inside the cab, down the front of the side panel, I clipped the cables in (they are still loose) with conduit clamps. This makes it pretty easy for me to swap panels, and means the leads don't fall back inside the cab if I drop them.


I tested the 5V power feed by lighting up the trackball with an LED   Artwork on the panel still to come. It looks like ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- with that plexi protective film on it!


I managed to bevel the edge of the trackball hole in the plexi too. It's a crap pic... the trackball when lit is a cool fiery read, not as yellow/orange as it looks here. I'll get better pics soon, I promise!


Next up, my first ever CP wiring attempt. All went pretty smoothly. P1/2 start buttons in the back corners, the 2 red buttons are for PAUSE and EXIT, then there's 6 black pushbuttons for each player. All pushbuttons are connected to the 2 x U360s via the wiring harnesses. I only have 1 x TT2 spinner hooked up here, was waiting on a slave cable from Randy (got it now, thanks!). Happ 3" high-ball sits in the middle with an LED stuck to the bottom.  OK so its not the neatest wiring in the world, but it works so I'm happy.  You can see I'm only actually using one SCSI cable, and that's to connect the trackball to the Opti-PAC.  I'm not actually using the I-PAC in this panel so the other SCSI is sitting there unused.


So here's the latest pic of the CP top.  Doesn't look anything special just yet, but it works, that's the main thing.  So how does it play?  Well, as you'd expect I've given it a good trial run! The 2 angled spinners are great, and don't get in the way, and are pretty comfortable.  With the mini-racers, they're just as fun too.  Trackball sticks a bit when rolling left, but its been sitting in a room of dust for months, so I'll clean it out when I have time. Plenty of room around the ball for faster spins too.


The other thing I have worked on, which I've been meaning to do for a while now, is to redo the rotating monitor wheel.  I cut the old circle with a jigsaw (stupidly) and it's never rotated smoothly, and was really starting to piss me off. I basically copied DaOld Man's excellent idea (link) and made a jig so I could cut perfect circles with my router. All credit to DaOld Man for this one, thanks mate! You can see in this pic the rotating wheel that I wanted to replace... its plywood, cut poorly and rotates like a bastard.  It had to go.


First thing, I decided to use MDF for the new rotating wheel (and the circle cutting jig). I don't know why... I know ply is supposed to be stronger, but something drew me towards MDF, maybe curiosity.  Anyway, apart from the dust (I wore a good mask and goggles) I found it WAAAY much easier to work with!

For the jig, I got a piece of MDF slightly wider than the base of the router, and about a metre long. At one end I routed out about a 1/4 inch for the base of the router (just copied what DaOld Man did, basically). I didn't secure the base of the router with conduit clamps, as my router has holes for machine-screws to secure it, which you can see nearest the centre hole...


Underneath the jig, I countersunk the screw heads and marked out the centre hole for the pivot bolt...


Here's the jig all setup and ready to rumble.  The pivot hole was slightly too large for the bolt I was using, and the wood was moving very slightly, so I wrapped the bolt with a bit of tape before threading it through the hole, which worked perfectly. Nice and snug...


Jig in action... first circle cutting commences!


First circle cut, and its perfectly round with a nice smooth edge...


Backplate circle cut to exactly the same size


Next I used the old crappy rotating wheel to trace the outline for the hole where the monitor goes.  When I did the old hole I remember it taking me AGES to get the hole the right size, so this cut out a whole load of headache...




For the backplate, I made the monitor-hole cutout a little bigger, as there was no need to get the hole exactly the same as the top plate...



OK, now I know some of you reading this might wince at what I'm about to do next, but here goes... I am postponing the motorised rotation idea for now, and putting in a temporary manual solution.  Basically I want to use the cab, and I don't have the time right now to work out and build a motorised rotator. With such a heavy monitor and limited space inside the cab it was proving much more hassle that its (currently) worth. That's not to say I've given up on the idea, far from it. I'm just postponing it. Basically, I've decided to cut a "door" on one of the side panels that will open to allow the player to rotate the monitor by hand.  I'm planning on making the door look nice by putting some JIMBOZONE artwork on it, so I think it will still look pretty groovy.

First off I measured the door on the inside (where I have a reference to the 45 degree angle it needs to be at), then drilled holes in the corners and scored where I want to cut (to prevent the plywood splitting when I cut it)...


Then I cut inside the score-mark with a jigsaw, just to get the bulk of the redundant wood out the way and make the routing easier...


Next I routed each side of the door hole to get as perfect a rectangle as I could...


Damn router got away from me a couple of times... I'll have to clean that up. All in all, the sides look pretty straight though


Here's the new monitor wheel mounted in the cab, with the hole for the manual rotation. Next I have to build the door that you open when you want to rotate the monitor (hinges on the bottom edge, small knob on the top edge, cool JIMBOZONE artwork on the face).



Last thing before I sign off, here's the first draft of the CP artwork. Comments/suggestions welcome


Stay tuned for the next installment (whenever that may be LOL!)

 

[cmoses]

Everything is looking good.  I like the control panel, but what about the area around the spinners?

How wide is your control panel?

[fronty]

.

[DaOld Man]

Looking good jimbo!
And congrats on the little one..
Wont be long until you are teaching him how to play the cab.

Your rotating monitor turned out good. I wanted to use those small casters for mine, but I couldnt find them.
Also, thanks for the honorable mention on the circle cutter!

I cant wait to see this baby finished, plus I like the swappable cp idea. I may do that when I finally get around to finishing the cab I made my rotating monitor for.

[Jimbo]

Everything is looking good.  I like the control panel, but what about the area around the spinners? How wide is your control panel?

The artwork will continue down over the spinner panel, and the front panel... will post pics soon.  The CP is just over 26 inches wide, making the cab a total of 28 inches wide (fits through a standard UK door - which was one of my original requirements)

Nice update. Did you already mount the TV? How does the wheel feels when you move it?

Yep, tested the monitor, fits nice and it feels heavy but the rotation is much smoother now.  I'll be using some adjustable tension ball catches to limit the rotation at each end (thanks Franco for that suggestion) and to keep the monitor from "freewheeling".

@DaOld Man... cheers mate Yeah looking forward to teaching him how to play.  The cab is officially his now anyway, really   If you want me to send you some of those casters, just PM me.

 

[fronty]

.

[Jimbo]

There's about 2 inches clear from the back of the monitor frame to the rear cab door.  Its a tight fit, but 2 inches is as close as it gets.  I designed it all as accurately as I could in Sketchup before I started the build, so I was pretty confident it was gonna fit

[Jimbo]

FINALLY got the catches mounted to stop the monitor from freewheeling, and to snap the rotation in the horizontal and vertical positions.  I used a couple of roller catches that I got from ScrewFix (link). I was gonna use some tension ball catches, but these rollers looked the better option, and they make a nice quiet "click" when they catch.

First off I attached a small plywood platform to the back of the rotating wheel...



Then I attached the rollers to the monitor's 'seat' panel...


The rotation now smaps into place in both the horizontal and vertical positions



Due to the way my rotating monitor setup works, I couldn't hide the catches behind the wheel, but I'll paint the small platform and the rollers black, so they won't be noticed behind the tinted plexi.

Not much more to do now and the whole rotating monitor part of the project will be finished (except for motorising it at some point)!

 

[Franco B]

Glad to see they worked

[fronty]

.

[Jimbo]

A little more done today...

@FrontyDev: Nope, I don't have a youtube video, but I'll get make one when the rotating stuff is complete, so you can see how it looks/works.

Today I made a cover for the roller bit on the wheel. It hides the metal catches, and looks much nicer   Also painted the wheel black to hide it better when behind the tinted glass...



A bit more painting, something to cover the metal monitor frame, and the small door on the side panel are all that's left, then the rotating monitor stuff is done.

More soon...

[Jimbo]

Over the past couple of weeks I've got a bit more done.

Firstly, I re-attached the black foam to hide the monitor frame on the rotating wheel.  This time I screwed them on; the velcro didn't work very well last time...


Then I made the door in the side panel for the manual rotation. It's got a ball catch at the top, and two hinges at the bottom.  Will look nice when I have applied the artwork.


The speaker holes I made before were crap. I used cheapo aluminium mesh from the local hardware store, and didn't rout out for the speakers, so it looked rubbish. I've now redeemed myself by purchasing some nice racing mesh, spray-painting it black, and routing out for the speakers.  Much better


Next up, I cleaned the trackball using some recommendations and advice from the good people on this forum (thanks!)...


Finally, I got the test CPO artwork printed and installed!  I've still got the front part of the CP to cover, and that'll be done soon!


It's all coming together now   more soon...

[Franco B]

CP's looking wicked Jim

[DaOld Man]

I agree!!

[CthulhuLuke]

Wow this project is looking really slick. I was pretty surprised when I saw you were doing the entire thing in plywood rather than mdf (except it looks like the monitor rotation wheel?) Does that lighten up the entire cabinet? Also, does that make it feel more wobbly because it has less weight?

Also, what was your take on using a jigsaw & router rather than a tablesaw for all the big cuts? I'm looking at building a cocktail in the near future, and if I can get away with a jigsaw, orbital sander, and a router I'll be able to save a lot of money.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the kind words guys.

@CthulhuLuke:  Yeah I chose plywood for a few reasons. Firstly I heard it was stronger than MDF. Secondly, I didn't want to be cutting up and breathing in MDF dust in my tiny garage (I've done a LOT of cutting and routing).  Another reason is that its lighter.  The cab's still very stable and doesn't wobble at all, but if I ever need to move it upstairs, lifting the timber+ply frame is no problem.

I did re-do the monitor wheel in MDF because I wanted really smooth edges of the circle so they roll on the casters smoothly, which I didn't think I'd get as good with plywood.  That's the only reason really.  I also went MDF on the small door on the side panel, as I'll be sticking artwork to that, and figured it would be smoother and easier.

I've actually now found out that MDF is WAAAY easier to cut/rout than plywood, so I'll probably use it for future projects (and I'll get a good mask and goggles for the dust!) unless I can find some *really* good quality ply.

I think its perfectly fine to use a router for the big cuts, but I wouldn't just use a jigsaw unless you have a really steady hand (and a guide).  I actually bought a circular saw to do most of the big cuts in this project, and I made a sawboard to use it with - which made life much easier!

 

[Jimbo]

Finally finished sorting the speakers/grills out tonight.  First off I covered up the Logitech logo on the front of them so it wouldn't be visible through the new grills...


Then it was out with the old...


...and in with the new...

Each speaker is held in place with 4 painted batons and I put some black craft foam over the top to cover the curved ends. This hides the light from the marquee nicely.

From the front, they look 1000 times better (ignore the cracked paintwork, I'll have to redo that at some point. The 'money shot' is the speaker )


Time to put the cab back together again, now the speakers and monitor wheel are finished.  Here's a pic of the inside so you can see the back of the rotating monitor setup...


And here's a closeup so you can see how the monitor sits in the rotating 'wheel'...


And finally, here's a couple of shots of the cab as it looks now.  Still the artwork to put on the front and spinner section of the CP, and I need to replace the marquee with the proper version, and put the top retainer on.



I also have a bunch of touch-up jobs to do on the paintwork, which I'll get round to soon.

Stay tuned!

[Ummon]

That seems a cool way to add a spinner, or two.  Have you had any issues with hands bumping them?

[Jimbo]

Thanks.  No problems or issues so far.  The spinners sit nicely between the players arms with about 5cm spare each side, and they are just low/far-away enough that hands seem to miss them.  I've had quite a few friends over to test out the cab, and nobody has mentioned it either.

[DaOld Man]

Great job Jimbo. I love that CP.
Any chance of some pics with the monitor on and turned vertical?

[cmoses]

I think the spinners in that position with the wheels on them for driving games looks great.  How is the game play without the wheels in games like Arknoid, Tempest, etc.  Doesn't seem like there is much room to rest your hand controlling the spinner?  Does it seem weird to have that control so much lower than the buttons?

Speaking of which, are you a right hand or left hand spinner person when playing games like Arknoid, Tempest?

 

[Jimbo]

I've not had a problem with the spinners where they are, but I don't play spinner games for hours on end. I guess depending how you hold the spinner it will probably make a difference, but to me it doesn't feel weird at all.  The spinners aren't that much lower than the CP itself, and I hold the spinner with my left hand from the side, so I don't need to rest my hand anywhere.  Check the pics to see what I mean.

@DaOld Man:  Just one piccie for ya with monitor turned vertical... sorry its not the greatest quality, I'll get more soon!

[andy p]

That's one of the best cabs I've seen. 

Glad to see all the hard work you put into it has paid off mate.

[Jimbo]

Thanks!  It wasn't all hard work... a lot of it was luck!

[Jimbo]

Just a note to say I'll be attacking getting this monitor rotated by motor in the next few weeks (hopefully)...

Plan is to program an arduino to control an h-bridge circuit which will drive a motor, with some sensors around the rotating wheel to help me determine current rotation state.  Mechanically I'm planning on using a toothed belt around part of the wheel.

I will then hopefully get it rotating and degaussing automatically by software when selecting games from the frontend.

Then I'll re-do the sides of the cab to get rid of that hideous door

I'll post here with more details once I start.